CALKING BELOW THE WATER LINE

[chelsy]

I have just bought a 1968 Pacemaker, and have no experience at all with calking and re-calking. Can anyone in lighten me on the procedure and the tools I will need to accomplish this.I am for getting a profesional to do this,but my other half is determined to do this himself although he has never even calked a water barrel or anything.Any advice,or insight would be greatly appreachated.E-mail address is chelsypearo@hotmail.com
Thanks,Jennifer :confused:

[Northernguy59]

I would get the boys at Windward to do the caulking if I was your husband. In the meantime he can watch how they do it and get some research done in the meantime and do it the next time your boat needs it. Call Noahs Marine in Toronto also. They can help if he is dead set on doing it himself.

www.noahsmarine.com (http://www.noahsmarine.com)

[RGM]

I'll second the motion for letting the pros do it the first time around. You and your better half can then watch and learn and as previously stated, do some research and reading. Good luck.

[Dan Payne]

Chelsey, Aug. 2000 I moved my 1941 Stephens from Stockton to San Diego for a 3 to 4 day "clean up-re-paint". Turns out the 100 degree plus temps and 30 mph winds dried out the 10 year old seams pretty good. I decided to re-seam myself. 16 DAYS LATER (at $78 per day lay day fees) I finally relaunched. If you have the money, by ALL means, pay the yard to do the seams. Your time is better spent on the tens of thousands of other things you guys are capable of doing on your own that your boat needs right now. Best of Luck. dp

[brad9798]

Let the yard do it. You will spend countless hours and countless frustrations doing it yourself- with no current knowledge of how to do so.

Like northernguy said, watch and learn from the yard.

Good luck.

Brad

[Allen Foote]

Jennifer, its very easy to do this job...and its also very easy to ruin a hull by doing it incorrectly. The first mistake that most make, is to overcaulk with cotton. Seems like the old adage,"if a bit is needed then 2 bits are better" is the culprit. If he indeed, is determined, then keep in mind, that the caulking is but a "gasket" between 2 plank edges. Its not a "waterproofer" and it won't cure a boat hull that needs refastening. First....how long has the boat been out of the water? What makes him think that it is the caulking that must be redone?

[chelsy]

Thanks Allan and all who got back to me. Allan,as I said I am the first to admit I know nothing about wooden boats,I am just learning and more than likly being taken to the cleaners.It has had alot of work done to her, but she has been sitting in a truck yard of all places for 3 years. Im really not sure if she does need to be re-calked,as one man said she needed to be done,where another man says she needs to be done only under the engine.How can I relly tell forsure?I have been told also by the place that did work on her 6 years ago that she just needed to be put in the water.(although this was just said to me over the phone without them even seeing it to pres. date)Can you or anyone tell me any helpfull books that may help.Thanks alot,Jennifer

[Northernguy59]

Jennifer,

If you filled the guys in at Woodwind what the boat has had done and how its been used since the resotation work, Id take their word for it. If your not sure get them to come and take a look at it. It cant be that far is it? I wouldnt listen to just any "guy".

[chelsy]

Northereguy,Did you say you were moving up this way?(hahah)
Yes, I did speak with Woodwind who did the work on her with the previous owners,and they said that they think it should just need to hit the water,but I am still worried because when Im inside the boat looking down through where the engins are... thats where I see day light.I think Im going to have that part done,and in the mean time she is almost fininshed her paint job!Jennifer :rolleyes:

[JMAC]

If you can see daylight through your seams, there is really only one solution. That is to only work on the boat after dark.
I'm in the same spot with my boat. To caulk or not to caulk...

[Gordon Bartlett]

I had a Pacemaker years ago and I could see daylight (lots of it) through the seams EVERY year. The marina was quite cooperative in that they allowed me to be the last boat launched for the day so she could sit in the slings overnight. A large house-style sump pump was used to keep the water from submerging the cabin sole. Next morning she was always tight enough (sometimes just barely) to be kept afloat by one 12 volt bilge pump. Once safely in her slip I let her sit for a week or so to really tighten up.
Unless you have a compelling reason to re-caulk her now you may want to just get the hull wet and see what happens.
One more thing; all the talk on this forum about a product called "Slick Seam" has me convinced that it may be just the thing for taking some of the worry out of the first few hours after launch. I'd never heard of it back then.

[Northernguy59]

Ahem....... you see Jen, wood is a living thing and so is the caulking. When the wood and caulking get wet , they expand, thus tighting up the cracks and day light that you may be seeing. So maybe shes ok and try Gordons method. Do it on the weekend tho...... just in case. And dont try and drink any of that Lake Ontario water lol ;)

[Stan Derelian]

Slick Seam can be good for covering caulked seams, but only below the waterline in cold water. It is a waxy substance, and can melt if the hull above the water gets hot.

Try Gordon's suggestion, but if you have to get it caulked, get a pro--or at least someone who has had experience to do it.

[Gary E]

Jennifer,
I had a 59 Pacemaker, cedar hull and calking the bottom was eazy, only thing was there was a LOT of it. Dont let YOUR lack of experience prevent you from doing this job it's not much diferent than calking a bathtub or puttying a window. If you have a better use of your time to make plenty of $$ to pay the pro's ok let them have the job, but seems to me there's was never a job done as well as the one you did yourself.

I dont mean to revive what I think is a sore subject arrornd here but after using the traditional calking and not having much success I used 5200 in about 1978 or 79 and my boat and it NEVER leaked again.

Ask the old gray haired guy's in the yard if you need any help, most are glad to pass on knowledge and experience to the first time boat owner.

You will enjoy that boat for a long time, best of luck.

Gary

[chelsy]

Hi all I had someone doing the calking under the engines,and am using something called 5500 for the rest of the boat under the waterline.And shes looking so fine! Im almost finished painting,and am getting so excited about the final result.Anyone that has had a Pacemaker,can you direct me to some books or manuals.Thanks all,Jennifer

[Gary E]

Hi Jennifer,

I dont believe there ever was a manual for the boats other than engine manuals.....BTW what engines do you have ?

I hope your calkin, fixin, and paintin is going well...

Just a few thoughts on what I remember about my 33 ft 1959 Pacemaker....

These boats are prone to have or develope cracked ribs, not a big problem because the fix is as eazy as making a cardboard template of the curve about 2 planks either side of the crack then bandsawing a sister, then screw it in right next to the cracked rib...if the hull needs a push to get it back where it belongs, use what is called a deadman, a 2x4 wedged between the ground and the hull and on a slight angle so you can bump the 2x4 at the ground level to push the planks back where they belong.....some people would say that laminating and epoxy is better, maybe so, but that takes a LOT MORE WORK...and mine was still good after 30 yrs, last I saw it...so your choise...

The windows in the cabin are sometimes leaker's ....poke around with an icepick and see if the area is soft...if it is, take the windows apart, and if it looks spongy, dry it out with acetone, drill it to look like swiss cheese and treat it with Git Rot or simular epoxy liquid.....Then fill the holes, smooth it up and seal it, I used a thinned linseed oil and soaked it in as much as it would take....then put the windows back together using some of that good 5200 making sure the drain holes actually drain....

Another area is the transom.....poke around and look...sometimes water leaks in from the deck and gets' tween the planks and the transom..this is a big job if a new transom is needed, but not imposible....I have seen the intire transom replaced by first making a full size cardboard template of EXACTLY like what ya got now...even use several stiffner 1x 4's to make and hold the required curve into the cardboard.....then make a new transom COMPLETE....take it down to the boat along with a skill saw...cut OFF the old transom....and screw in the new one ...a 1 day job with some help that knows the plan smile.gif

When you are ready to put in the water....if you can snake one of those garden hose's fulla holes around the waterline inside the boat...then let the hose run to soak the hull real good for several days...that way the hull will swell and you'l not have so many leaks....

Well....that's enuf work for now ..huh....

Good luck, you will enjoy that boat for a long time...

Gary

[chelsy]

Hi Gary,thanks for the reply we are hard at work, almost done,calking we hired someone to do the calking and was not overly impressed with his work.Ahter I got down underneath they was some messy work that need our attention.There has been over 31'000 done to the hull and superstructure,so thats looking good!The engines are twin 327's.Our friend got them started,for the first time in 3 years,he sugusted we pump out all the old gas and oiland replace points,plugs,condensers and wires etc.He is confident it will be up and running.We painted the hull with a bottom coat and needs one coat befor its ready to lanch,but first we have to check out are billage pumps befor we let it sit over night in the sling.We just put up wood trim in the front of the cabin and are having the teak planks on the fly deck redone.So .....thats where we are right now,and its going pretty good.Looking forward to putting her in.Will keep you all posted!
Jennifer