What's This For?

[NorfolkNog]

As the title suggests. I nicked the picture from Twitter (sure Hunters won't mind) 

So come on you saileys 

I'm guessing it's some sort of wax or tallow concoction  

[JennyMorgan]

The container filled with sawdust is a bit of a giveaway! Launching time, hard grease or tallow, along with sawdust, very handy for sealing seams in the boat's bottoms as they take up. Spring must be here, the annual ritual.

[NorfolkNog]

Thanks JM 

I was quite intrigued! 

[donnygeoff]

nah, it's dinner time, they are potato fritters being deep fried........

[imtamping2]

I was just going to say what marvellous dumplings........ 

[Vaughan]

Actually it looks to me like animal fat which is poured over the "greasy ways" to guide the keel and slide it down the slipway. It could also be sliced up, laid on the ways and then melted with a blow lamp.

In the 70s, we could buy a rough industrial grease from Coopers in Yarmouth, which was sold as "way grease". One application on the ways will last for several launchings.

The sawdust is indeed, to help the boat to "take up" once she is in the water.

[JennyMorgan]

 I will  bow to Vaughan's opinion on this one! However grease was regularly squidged into open seams before launching. As the wood swelled and the seams closed the grease would be forced out thus fastenings wouldn't be strained.  Nowadays a soft, won't harden mastic is often used which makes it a far easier and cleaner job to do but it's not exactly traditional. 

[Vaughan]

I notice that Hunters have now concreted the boatshed floor. It used to be a traditional earth floor, which was much better for stopping the boats from opening up too much in winter.

It was also very bad for the boatbuilders' arthritis in later years!

[Vaughan]

I agree with Peter about greasing the seams but this was usually done with the old-fashioned white water pump grease, for racing yachts which had to take up quickly in order to enter a race in a few days time.

Mahogany or oak planks take about a week to "take up" and Norfolk Dinghies are often just left to sink in the dyke and then pumped out a few days later. Pinewood planks, such as Archangel Red Deal, will take up in just 4 or 5 hours.

This is why owners of "woodies" prefer to be in a wet shed in winter and just haul the boat out for repairs for a couple of weeks.

[BrundallNavy]

I believe not all the floor has been concreated just the bit by the door.

[ExSurveyor]

As a Tupperware pilot,  how is the sawdust used,  is it packed in externally ?

[JennyMorgan]

Two way, both from outside.

One, mixed with grease, two, released under the hull in the suspected leak area, the idea being that the sawdust will be drawn into the leak where it will then swell and hopefully fill any gaps. Should you later find sawdust in the bilge then you might have a problem!

[Vaughan]

Boatyards will always have an old saucepan lashed onto an old boathook pole. Similar to a "dydle" I suppose.

When the boat is launched it is brought in close to the quay, the saucepan is filled with sawdust and plunged, upside down, into the water under the boat. It is then twisted upright and passed along, close to the bottom. The idea is that the sawdust floats up into the open seams where it gets soaked and swells up.

This allows the planks to swell into the seams and expel the soft sawdust without straining the fastenings of the planks themselves.

It is an excellent method, which knows no modern equal and it will take effect in a matter of seconds!

[BroadAmbition]

On 'B.A's first launch after 5 1/2 years out of the wet stuff, we did indeed have the use of the sauce pan on a pole with sawdust.  However turned out it wasn't needed which was a relief

Griff

[Londonlad1985]

This is the sort of thread I love... a very intetesting little nugget of info! 

[Polly]

Yes, the wood yards in Wroxham had/have a bag of sawdust outside that you may collect free if needed.

It's  such a lovely practical thing to do, but far from obvious. I wonder who had the idea first, and when?

[Selsie]

3 hours ago, Londonlad1985 said:

This is the sort of thread I love... a very intetesting little nugget of info! 

Agree totally, I wouldn't even have thought to ask the question  !!

[Polly]

It's like 'The Repair Ship' currently re-running on BBC 2, people with so many amazing practical skills that one  has no idea about. Love it.

[Selsie]

Lulu has just informed me that she has recorded 'Narrow Boat Afloat' with Alan Herd,(the carpenter who helped Tommy Walsh),

I recall the program from years ago, again lots of practical skills shown. Its on Quest channel apparently 

[grendel]

I have that on series record, will watch todays programs later.

[Selsie]

Mind you i'm not sure I'd let Tommy Walsh near my boat !!!!! 

[Polly]

Nope. That was 'Repair Shop' not 'Ship' btw 

[Lastdraft]

Vaughan. Fascinating topic. What does the term “ take up” mean ? 

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Selsie said:

Mind you i'm not sure I'd let Tommy Walsh near my boat !!!!! 

More than a few boats have been ruined by well meaning, over zealous housebuilders, especially when 'open planning' the layout. Anyway, that's another story. Guy Martin, now I would be happy to have him aboard!

Take up, when wooden planks swell so as not to leak.

[Vaughan]

29 minutes ago, Lastdraft said:

Vaughan. Fascinating topic. What does the term “ take up” mean ? 

When a wooden boat is out of the water, the wood of the planks dries out and shrinks, which opens up the seams so when it goes back in the water the boat will leak and may well sink, until the wood has time to expand again and "take up" the gaps in the seams.

It is important not to let a boat open up too much, especially a yacht as it could put a strain on the framework and break some of the timbers (also called ribs). It is a bit of fine judgement as to how much you should fill the seams when painting as too much filler or too hard a filler, could actually spring a plank off the hull when it takes up again.

For a really good paint finish a boat is sometimes put back in the water, allowed to take up and then hauled out again for re-painting.

The worst time for opening up is now, when the dry spring winds start blowing under the bottom of the boat.

Much better off in a wet shed!