Thanks everyone for the ideas - keep 'em coming if you have more.

To respond to a few posts all at once and clarify a few things:

-- I will be attempting to fix the leak but not until end of season (Mid
October?)


-- This is a plywood, not planked hull, so there are no "seems" to be
calked.
Except possibly where the last plank meats the keel. This is what I will
check out in the fall.

-- We did scrape all old paint of the bottom and repaint.

-- The boat is stored under a tarp in summer & inside in winter.

-- My thinking is that even if stored in a dry place, it takes days for the
bilge to completely dry. And by then it's the next weekend and we
get it all wet again. So it's in a perpetual state of dampness...which
could lead to rot.

-- There is no current rot (that I know of) because we fixed all that
during our just completed renovation.

Gary

"Terry King" wrote in message
.. .
Very Happy to say I was pointed to a current Dave Carnell site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/nc3/davecarnell/

All the info is there.

--
Regards, Terry King ...In The Woods In Vermont

"The one who dies with the most parts LOSES! What do you need??"


Glad this thread helped you find / find out about Dave
as well as helping me.

I have read anti freeze painted on and allowed soak in well kills rot and
preserves have also read fresh water is far worse for rotting.timber.
/////////////////
"Matt Langenfeld" wrote in message
ink.net...
System Three has a rot-fix compound that you inject into the rotted
area. Not sure how it would look with a natural wood finish boat though.

--
Matt Langenfeld
JEM Watercraft
http://www.jemwatercraft.com

Gary Warner wrote:
That boat, as some may be tired of reading, is a 1958
Chris Craft. It's a plywood lapstrake hull. Mostly we
trailer it. When running there is a small leak and the
bilge gets an inch or so of water. Each time we pull
her out all the water dries up. But that wood
remains damp for some time. ~ As I understand it
rot is really micro-organisims that eat away the wood
and they thrive when there is dampness but also
oxygen.

So my question: Is there anything, salt maybe?, that
I can put in the bilge water while running that will
curtail these criters & their rot while not harming
the wood or making a mess?

Or is it nothing to worry about?

Gary



--
Matt Langenfeld
JEM Watercraft
http://jem.e-boat.net/

Most definetly, use the rock salt, works great and preserves the wood.

"Gary Warner" wrote in message
...


That boat, as some may be tired of reading, is a 1958
Chris Craft. It's a plywood lapstrake hull. Mostly we
trailer it. When running there is a small leak and the
bilge gets an inch or so of water. Each time we pull
her out all the water dries up. But that wood
remains damp for some time. ~ As I understand it
rot is really micro-organisims that eat away the wood
and they thrive when there is dampness but also
oxygen.

So my question: Is there anything, salt maybe?, that
I can put in the bilge water while running that will
curtail these criters & their rot while not harming
the wood or making a mess?

Or is it nothing to worry about?

Gary

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 13:32:03 -0400, "Gary Warner"
wrote:



That boat, as some may be tired of reading, is a 1958
Chris Craft. It's a plywood lapstrake hull. Mostly we
trailer it. When running there is a small leak and the
bilge gets an inch or so of water. Each time we pull
her out all the water dries up. But that wood
remains damp for some time. ~ As I understand it
rot is really micro-organisims that eat away the wood
and they thrive when there is dampness but also
oxygen.

So my question: Is there anything, salt maybe?, that
I can put in the bilge water while running that will
curtail these criters & their rot while not harming
the wood or making a mess?

Or is it nothing to worry about?

Gary

Gary,

First, congratulations on getting your boat in the water. I'm sure it
was a lot of work.

In regards to your problem---
It is not a problem. It would be better were the boat not to leak at
all and had spiders in the bilge. However, most wooden boats will have
water in the bilge.Typically these leaks come from many tiny leaks.
Planing hulls, like yours, are flat aft. Two gallons of water in the
bilge will spread widely.
I would not spend too much time worrying about rot resulting from
dampness. After all, the outside of the hull gets wet as well.

I did a major restoration on a Chris Sea Skiff several years ago.It
had a small amount of water in the bilge. When the boat was put back
in service in the spring I would paint out the transom framing with
copper napthanate. If you are worried, you could do the same.

In my experience, rot ocurs from freshwater intrusion! Old wood hull GRAND
BANKS 32 belonging to a friend had reoccuring tbl in the fly-bridge area and
along the stbd side of the cabin by the head portlight where rain water
accumlated-the hull proper, exposed to sal****er forever was fine. OK not fine
but better! Old wood boats.................at least ya' got something to do!
Mike