In kind of a rush – anyone know the fastest way to patch up a somewhat large hole in a wooden sailing boat?
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In kind of a rush – anyone know the fastest way to patch up a somewhat large hole in a wooden sailing boat?
Temporary repairs can be made using a large piece of canvas (tarp)about 4 times the size of the hole. Using ropes you maneuver it over the hole and the water pressure will hold it against the hull, but some leakage is normal, so you need good bilge pumps. As soon as you can get the boat hauled out of the water, so that you can access the damage. In most cases, you have to remove a fairly large section of the wood planking in order to rebuild the hull. There are no slap some caulk in it fixes.
Duct tape will provide a temporary patch
You need to fit a so-called ‘tingle’.
Without more information I can’t say exactly what type. For example, if the planking is clinker, you can fit a piece of thin copper sheeting over it. Even if it extends across the ‘lands’ (the steps of each plank). You can use this method on carvel or other types, But I am a bit concerned about the word “large-ish”!
This makes me inclined to advise, perhaps, that a temporary patch using plywood, say, a minimum of twelve millimeters thickness, over the hole would be better.
Either way that is, in either case, use plenty – really plenty – of a sealant, any sealant! Under the tingle or patch. Secure the tingle using copper tacks very closely spaced, mainly around the perimeter of the tingle and the edge of the hole.
Or secure the plywood patch using either woodscrews or nails. Again, very closely spaced and around the perimeter of the tingle and the edge of the hole.
[I was once a guest aboard a 38 feet motor cruiser which settled onto two small submerged stakes at low water on an overnight mooring. Puncturing the bilges well below the waterline! Luckily she had a very well appointed chandlery, with all the necessary wherewithal and I proceeded to saw off each of the stakes with a panel-saw (fortunately they were wooden stakes!) and fit two eighteen millimeter thick, plywood patches - from the inside - using two-inch galvanized nails, all nice and ready-hammered into the patches by the skipper (my bosun's-mate for the purpose) while I was busy sawing off the stakes!
When I finally plonked each patch into place and hammered home the proud nails it was literally just like turning a valve off! What, a second earlier, had been a torrent, completely stopped. Just like that! And as the tide was by now on the flood once more we did not even need to move the boat.
The repairs were so effective that he just left them on there! He never bothered to do anything more permanent!]
BTW: If you’re really in a rush (!) shove a pillow in it!
Good luck,
Stay afloat!
-|–)
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