a look at James's dinghy

[rayman]

James, I don't want to discourage you but that dinghy is what we call a "basket case" it is not beyond repair but if not done properly and you keep going down the wrong path it could be a dismal failure and you will be bitterly disappointed. You have been given some good advice and also some not so good. There are no shortcuts here.
 The bright orange paint is "red lead" long outlawed and "CAN NOT" be ground off with power tools. also useing a heat gun releases deadly fumes. At a gues from what I can see of bare planking it is N.Z. kauri, the stem might well be red gum or spotted gum. I am posting some of your pics with coments.
   regards rayman

[rayman]

and here some more

[Roderick Smith]

I spent 3 days at Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival having a variety of conversations about all sorts of wooden-boat topics.  There is a South Australian Wooden Boat Owners Association, which may be a source of techniques.
I spoke to one owner of a motorised clinker hull: he had replanked it and renewed all the copper nails; then ran beads of sikaflex over the nail lines.
The printing of the festival guidebook ran overtime, so I do not yet have my copy.

I gather that Rayman is about to explain how to remove the wind and straighten the stem.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor.

[rayman]

Yes Rod, I will if James wants me to. and I don't know why your friend ran sikaflex over the nails, they seldom leak, the problem is at the plank lands between the nails. rayman

[paddlesteamerman1]

Hello All

Sorry about my delay in posting (school (VCE) has kept me busy lately).

Thank you so much for all your posting and photos and EFFORT Ray, it is fantastic.

I am always open for anything anyone has to say about my little "Basket Case"!!!

Dad told me about the red lead, only after I had sanded some off with a power sander (that was handy).

And Ray, any information or constructive criticism is welcomed greatly over here!!

PS.. I have been talking with Mum and Dad and we are not sure whether we are keeping the boat (it may cost more to repair than I will get in a sale.. the primary function of this one was to repair and sell, make a profit and buy a better hull, more suitable for what I want).

At the moment we are really unsure on anything about SJ, and it is still in early stages (as you can probably see

Thanks once again
 

[rayman]

James, I am only too happy to be able to halp, even from this distance. I would love to come down for a few weeks but the price of petrol is a killer.Any way here is a starting point. That boat is a nice shape and well built, your greatest expense will be time. and a few feet of nice spotted gum for ribs. And some copper boat nails. The strong back can be any scrap timber. That dinghy would look the part sitting in chocks on one of the wheelers. And a tip on using sikaflex beads in clinker boats

[rayman]

The plank land splitting is most often caused by the pilot hole bored too small, and the score in the seam is best done with the end tip of a backsaw (if you have one)   regards ray

[rayman]

I forgot to say, the boat should be at your waist height, you will be doing a lot of reaching inside.

[paddlesteamerman1]

Thanks Ray..
I have the copper boat nails (they came with the boat)!!
Spotted Gum... Can I just buy spotted gum over the counter at a hard ware store (or should I get a professional to cut and bend the timber first??)
Dad and I were thinking of rigging up a pulley system, so we can raise the boat to tend to the work of the lower/underside of the hull and lower it to do the inside work. Would that be suitable or not??

Thank You