Wooden Boat Restoration Repair - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

5 Repairing Hull and Deck
Planking
Repairing Hull and Deck Planking 27
This section is a guide for the repair of the outer skin of wooden boats. The skin
covering the deck and hull framework of wooden boats can generally be divided into
two categories: planking and plywood. Planking is the older, traditional method of
covering hulls and decks and is more susceptible to flexing and leaks than plywood.
Modern adhesives have made plywood a more common and practical skin for wooden
structures. The procedures in this section deal with the problems and repairs for the
most common types of skins. Select the procedure or combination of procedures that
best fits your situation.
5.1 Carvel planked hulls and laid plank decks
For centuries, carvel planking and laid plank decking were the only methods of
enclosing a boat. Carvel planking and laid plank decking are essentially the same
method, in which many individual boards are laid edge to edge, fastened to each frame
and caulked. Eventually the structure loosens up, the caulking breaks down and the
planking becomes a constant source for leaks and endless maintenance. While carvel
hull planking and laid plank decks vary in the size and placement of the planks, they are
similar in function and can be repaired with the same techniques.
As mentioned in Section 1.4.2, the ideal reconstruction would be to remove the
planking, clean and strip it of paint, and bond it edge to edge and to the framing timbers.
If you can do this, you can eliminate places where moisture can become trapped and
could then coat both the inside and the outside of the hull with epoxy to encapsulate it.
Remember, you can only encapsulate the boat with epoxy if all of the surfaces, especially
the contact surfaces of joints, can be coated.
If, however, the framing is sound and you don’t want to remove the planks, your best
solution to leaks and loss of stiffness is to (1) clean out the seams, (2) bond the planks
together with epoxy and (3) coat the exterior with epoxy and (4) ventilate the interior
to reduce expansion and contraction. This seals the seams permanently and eliminates
movement between planks. A strong bond between all the planks will result in a much
more rigid structure.
IMPORTANT! As a rule, edge bond the planks only if you coat the exterior—coat the
exterior only if you edge bond the planks.
Edge-bonding the planking and coating the exterior will stiffen the structure and
reduce maintenance. Below the waterline it will also stop water penetration through
the hull, help keep the interior drier and dry wood is stronger than wet wood. It will
allow the boat to be dry sailed, no longer relying on the planks to swell before it is
water tight. Often it is the first stage in a restoration or it may be the only improvement
to an otherwise sound boat.
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