Wood Boat

[Yawl73]

I have a wood boat with a wet bilge. Boat was built in 1923 I just spent the best part of the summer re-caulking with oakum and pitch. All the out side has been filled and tamped lap strike and deck. Inside has been tarred over and drop keel board trunk was glassed over after a full replacement. Now I have about 3 to 4 inches of sea water in the bilge every morning. Shaft seals look good, rudder is outside with chain steering. Any thoughts?

[Gene T]

How long has it been in the water? If just launched it could leak until the lumber swells. If this is true you would have less water in the bilge each day. I would also think it would be easy to see where the water is coming in. If you can't tell then I would think it is in the bilge somewhere.

[Doug_53]

What do you mean the prop shaft looks good ! How much does it drip ?

[Fareast]

What about your thru-hulls? The valve itself or the fitting.

[paulk]

Sometimes old-timers throw sawdust into the bilge in the hope that it will swell up when it gets wet and fill the gaps the caulkers missed. Water may be seeping in through fittings, as suggested above, or through fastenings, too. Re-caulking may even have increased leakage by forcing the boards further apart. Is the leaking worse while under way? Stopping up the limber holes in different sections of the bilge may help locate where the water is coming from. More details about the type of construction and the boat's design might help garner better advice.