Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Wooden Boat Repairs

I have a new to me older wooden drift boat that needs some TLC.

To start out the top rail on the inside of the boat is teak or something simalar in apperance. The wood itself is still solid but the old varnish has rubbed off, lets say several years ago at least, the wood is staind and discolored. I am thinking about wrapping fiberglass around the rails and painting them. Is there a reason I should avoid doing this? The rest of the outside of the boat is glassed with a thin layer 6oz or so. This inside of the boat is raw wood in solid shape. I am thinking about leaving it raw so the wood can dry out after the season is finished and then treat it with boild Linseed Oil.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kelly Neu on December 17, 2010 at 5:58pm

Bleaching your "top rail" is an option too. I've done it with pieces of ash that have been weathered outside and it has worked nicely.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Eric Loudenslager on December 17, 2010 at 6:41pm

You may want to check out Rebecca Wittman's "The brightwork companion" for ideas about how to clean up deteriorated varnish and refinish/restore wood components on boats. In my opinion wrapping fiberglass around a rail is not a preferred option. To answer your question we really need to know more about the rail itself. Is it glued to the boat? If not it could be removed, stripped bleached, oiled or re-varnished, and then reinstalled. If it is rotted and can be removed it can be replaced. One reason to avoid glassing a rail..or gunnel...is that it is going to get lots of dings, bangs, dents, etc. This will cause the glass-wood interface to become compromised and water will get under the glass and soak into the wood...eventually leading to failure. The glass will actually make future fixes and annual maintenance harder, not easier.

Always remember however, that there are many ways to solve most wood boat building challenges, and this is my opinion. Others may have different views. Finally, the teak appearing rails may be mahogany.