Is my wooden boat falling apart?

[6fire]

I would ask this question on the uk wayfarer's association website, but they're grumpy and difficult and despite having been a member for over a year I *still* can't post on their forum...

I've got a lovely old wooden wayfarer (sail number 999, so she's 49 years old this year). I was preparing to sail her last weekend and was climbing around inside the boat doing a dry rig whilst it was parked on the trailer. I dropped a shackle which went under a floor board.

Lifting the floor boards whilst the boat was on the trailer (don't think I've ever done that before) I noticed that on the rib just aft of the centre board case on both the port and starboard sides has come away at it's outboard end from the hull. It doesn't look new- it looks as though it's been happening for a while and not getting worse. I'm guessing that the boat is hogging on the trailer, so I'll look into that and get some extra support added.

The question I have is that there is no evidence of wood screws through the hull into the rib - but I assume that the best way to fix her up would be to hog her as much as possible, apply a load of waterproof wood glue twist rib and deck, then close up the joint and get some brass wood screws through the deck and into the rib?

If anyone has any experience of a similar problem, or any knowledge of how to fix, I'd love to hear it. I'll try to add some photos at the weekend,

As an aside, I did what I shouldn't have done and took her sailing anyway - no further damage was apparent and she was as always huge fun.

[sawman]

pics would be helpful.

is the lose rib still in good condition - ie no rot?

I am not too familar with a wayfarer, but its possible the rib was simply glued in with cascamite or similar originally which does sometimes let go over time. I would be inclined to look at an epoxy based repair

Edited by sawman on Thursday 24th April 21:51

[Hard-Drive]

Agreed. Get a copy of Gougeon / West manual on boat repair, and use thickened epoxy fillets to repair/reinforce. Make sure the boat is bone dry first though. No need for screws.

50 year old boats do tend to fall apart. Just be prepared that when you start digging, you'll keep finding stuff...

Here's my "project"...

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?330889-Sa...

[6fire]

Photos below. I'm convinced it's the way it's sitting on the trailer which is causing the problem, probably not helped by old cascamite glue.

Edited by 6fire on Saturday 26th April 11:05

[6fire]

sawman said:

pics would be helpful.

is the lose rib still in good condition - ie no rot?

I am not too familar with a wayfarer, but its possible the rib was simply glued in with cascamite or similar originally which does sometimes let go over time. I would be inclined to look at an epoxy based repair

Edited by sawman on Thursday 24th April 21:51

Aye, the rib is still sound, indeed the whole boat is remarkably sound for something which will be 50 next year. I'm loathe to go digging too far though as I can see that a quick investigation could easily turn into a full rebuild...

[sawman]

Can you push/squeeze the rib into its proper place?

if so I would simply scrape out the gap of old gubbins, smooth it off with medium sandpaper and then stick back together with filled epoxy - you will probably need to compress the rib on to the get a nice tight fit.
Get one of the SP system repair packs from your local chandler as well as some microballoon filler powder. Wet out the 2 surfaces with the mixed epoxy and then use the filled (ie with microballoon powder added) epoxy in a thick ketchup consistency to fill and bond the joint, use a brace against the thwart to give some compression whilst it sets, then just sand off the excess.

should be good for years

[Roverload]

The old glues probably buggered, can you screw them back in the right place and coat with epoxy?