Wooden Boat Hull Repair Guide

Wood isn’t simple like plastic. It’s full of complications
and potential for further damage if it springs a leak. We don’t have to tell
you just how damaging a leak in a wooden boat hull can be. Fortunately, you
don’t have to accept a leak as fatal. If you take your boat out of the water
and bring it to a place for proper repairs, you can address that leak, seal it
up, and have your boat back out before you know it. Just remember the following
tips for wooden boat hull repair.

Clean Before You
Repair

No matter what your goals, your repairs tend to go better if
you approach them methodically. That usually means cleaning out the affected
area of debris and grime before you get to work. Though a completely thorough
cleaning isn’t always necessary, the cleaner the area, the easier your hull
will be to repair.

Make sure to keep a Gallon of Boat Cleaner
handy exactly for this purpose. It won’t execute your repairs for you, but it
will make the steps to come a lot easier.

Use Caulks &
Sealants Designed For Marine Wood

This should go without saying for experienced boat owners,
but if it’s your first time shopping around for the proper materials, then
remember this: you need a sealant that
can handle marine wood. If it doesn’t say it can do it on the label, move
on.

To make the search easy, simply try a Cartridge of Life-Calk.
This marine polysulfide sealant is specifically designed to adhere to wood,
fiberglass, metal, glass—even itself. It can then cure to a flexible rubber
sealant to form a watertight bonding that locks out the marine environment and
keeps the rest of your hull protected from the elements.

Inspect For Dry Rot

Dry rot is a common problem on boats. That’s why it’s
important to inspect any damaged wood for signs of it. This could be the source
of your wooden boat hull repair problems. Luckily, our Git-Rot Kit is designed
specifically to handle marine dry rot. Although it will seem like you can’t get
the two-part liquid epoxy into the wood itself, it will integrate into the wood
via capillary action. The key here is to make sure you’re dealing with dry wood. If not, you might have to wait
until you’ve properly dried out the boat—which is why your first step in any
repair should be to bring the boat up somewhere dry and well-ventilated, but
still protected.