That Bridge

[Viking23]

1 hour ago, Malanka said:

Needless to say we WERE planing on taking Mal to Horsey this summer. With everything down and silly masty thing removed not just folded away she is 6/6 or 6/5 we don't know yet as we need an acurate measure. What I do know is that with new planks she will sit lower in the water at the bow than she does now which will be good. (pulpit rail is highest point)

Well without the new planks, she would probably sitting even lower in the water by now.

Do owners of Woodies get clues when a plank is rotten, ie more bilge pump operations, or do they just go snap, and you sink. or I guess something in between, after all, you can't spike every plank with a knife just to see how soft they are.

Richard

[Polly]

Who says it wasn't my bottom?

 

[grendel]

I think its a tap tap tap with a hammer, if it goes tap splodge, you have found some rot.

[Timbo]

35 minutes ago, Viking23 said:

spike every plank with a knife just to see how soft they are.

Richard...you almost made me faint! 

I once caught an interested amateur sticking a pen knife into RT's recently painted back end 'just to see', he left rapidly before I could try the same with my boot toe on his back end. I think it's all the sanding, filling and painting that makes me flinch.

After watching the blokes that know what they are doing like Doug, Alan, Matt and the guys at Martham they seem to spot an imperfection and then issue a 'poke' with the finger end and then, as in the case of a boat at Martham last weekend, give it a crack with a hammer.

Before we sanded back RT you could see the areas on her port side where she needed work doing. In the picture below you can spot the areas where Doug says she needs two new planks. You can also see the area where the HW boat gave us a smacking at Horning and where the guys HW sent out to make a repair just filled the damage instead of replacing the plank.

 

[Viking23]

I thought my comment re spiking with a knife might scare someone, but it's what I do before I paint windows lol I have a skill of splicing new wood into old frames, and 15 years later, still sound.

If I was fitter, I would have loved to work shadow a Martham craftsman, not that I need to on GRP, but because I admire their skill. Long may craftsman who work with these old woodies continue to develop those skills, but more importantly to pass those on to the new generation. I hope there are some apprentices around, put the clock forward 15 years and you will probably deplete the work force by half, due to retirement etc unless we are training up the next generation.

Think on this, if you replace every plank and timber on a boat, when does it stop becoming the same boat?

I think of Trigger's Broom, several new handles and many more new heads. Trigger thinks it's the same broom, " here's a picture of it, What more do you want?"

lol

 

[Victoryv]

There can be little more rewarding than doing your first planks and it not sinking!

[BroadAmbition]

Do owners of Woodies get clues when a plank is rotten, ie more bilge pump operations, or do they just go snap, and you sink. or I guess something in between, after all, you can't spike every plank with a knife just to see how soft they are.

Active bilge pumps are always a sign of a below waterline issue.  Safest bet is to thoroughly survey the hull out of water every two years maximum - Yes some owners leave it longer but I wouldn't want to risk it.

One 'In water method' is to survey from the inside, but one has to be proper careful when doing this, a blunt chisel or a toffee hammer and if you find a soft patch from the inside, chances are you are in real bother as it is generally even softer on the outside    so best left physically well alone other than a finger nail and mark 1 eyeball.

Out of water surveys are much safer and thorough of course.  I use a very bright LED floodlamp, blunt and a sharp chisel, small hammer, chalk, Port and Stbd lookouts and plenty of patience.  The idea is to use a lot of the aforementioned but very little if any of the chalk.  Tapping first and get used to the sound of the hull any difference in tone maybe an issue or it just could be a rib or bulkhead under the plank, also of course some planks are different widths, (Thickness should be the same) this can produce differing tones too as will areas of double planking.  Areas that have been previously repaired with different species of timber will also produce differing tones as well, this can be confusing, it's all a matter of experience I suppose.  With 'B.A' every plank in her hull is teak (As is the ribs and hog for that matter) and will forever more be so whilst I have owt to do wi it.    After completing an outside survey I always then do the same from inside in as many areas as I can get too.  It's very time consuming.  Repair / replacement is straightforward of course, much easier and far less messy than dealing with GRP imho but that's just me.

There you go, lesson one completed, I hope you were paying attention?

Griff

[BrundallNavy]

On 12 June 2017 at 8:00 PM, SwanR said:

Lovely to read of your experiences with that bridge. Did you have a crowd watching? You might even find yourself on YouTube if anyone was filming it.

 

Yep spotted !!!

[BroadAmbition]

Loadsaroom,  you could've gotta bus through there!

Griff

[Victoryv]

Would have gone through one of the outer arches, easy !