Wooden boat question

[Waunnaboat]

I recently bought a roughly 14 foot long Dunphy  plywood rowboat (kinda similar to a perch model).  It is in good shape, with the paint on the underside and sides being in decent shape aside from some very thin and relatively tight cracks in the paint(not the boat itself) aligning with the plywood construction layout that frankly are probably waterproof because of the physics of water and the crack being so thin.  the only area I would suspect to be somewhat concern is that near the very front of the keel but still below the waterline the paint is peeling off a bit(not so much that it would get water anywhere else in the wood then the one spot).  The wood itself is relatively solid and I will be sealing up a small crack in this area between the keel and boat before I take it out on the water, but my question is whether or not I should truly need to refinish the bottom of the boat before I take it out on the water.  Otherwise, I was thinking of just taking it out on the water and if it leaked really bad refinishing the bottom.  Will I be causing any damage to expose this bare wood to water?  As said, it’s solid and not in bad shape, just does not have good paint on one spot and may absorb some water that could cause rot?

"Outboards seem to multiply exponentially..........I find that for every finished project, there are two more waiting to be completed."

[Michael Zampini]

IMO. Take time to refinish the bottom now and save a larger project down the road

thanks-mz

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Waunnaboat

[stanley]

It’s hard to say without seeing the boat but If you want to take it out once or twice you’re not going to damage it anymore than it already is.The problem is,any moisture absorbed now will just make it that much harder to dry out before you you refinish it.If it was me,I’d at least sand and prime the bare spots before using it.

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Waunnaboat

[JOSEPH BRINCAT]

I would agree with Stanley on this. Better to do your maintenance work first thing in the spring after winter storage when the wood is dry and any seams or cracks are open from natural wood shrinkage. That is what I do with my wood lapstrake Thompson.

Is your Dunphy a molded plywood boat ?  If so, not many seams to contend with.

Joe B

 

[Waunnaboat]

It is indeed a molded plywood boat.  Only a couple spots are iffy, and I will most probably be sealing them up with some leftover paint I have from painting an aluminum rowboat.

"Outboards seem to multiply exponentially..........I find that for every finished project, there are two more waiting to be completed."

[Author]

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