Wooden skiff; How to seal leak around a centerboard?

[Adam Leone]

About 20 years ago, my stepfather built a 14' wooden skiff based on a design by Arch Davis. The boat is okume plywood over mahogany and poplar frame. I inherited the boat a few years ago and have used it sparingly. It is still in decent shape but it is due for a little maintenance. A perennial problem was a slow leak from around the seams of the centerboard. I am not sure that I will be able to get any finish in the "slot" on the underside of the boat so my only option may be to seal it from the inside.

The boat could also a coat or three of finish on the bottom of the boat and on some of the interior wood. I don't have much experience finishing and am wondering whether I should use spar varnish or something more robust. My only experience with epoxy is as an adhesive, not as a finish. Any help is appreciated and thank you in advance.

[Allan Dozier]

Can you post some photos of where you think the leak is? If you just seal the joint from inside the boat then water will still be invading the wood from beneath the boat and the wood will rot.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

More info on how the boat is constructed and finished would help (regarding suggesting a remedy). Gluvit is frowned upon by some traditionalists. It really works. Gluvit could be applied to the inside of the centerboard trunk with a long handle finger roller. A Whizz roller should fit inside the trunk.
https://www.jamestowndistributors.co...ct-detail/2091

Screen Shot 2024-05-13 at 10.29.56 AM.png IMG_2014.jpg IMG_2016.jpg

http://mobile.archdavisdesigns.com/d...nobscot14.html

[Adam Leone]

Sorry that I disappeared for a few weeks. I am not sure that I know how to describe the construction. The bottom of the boat is marine plywood and on the inside, there is a solid mahogany 1x4 running from stern to bow, with the plywood glued, screwed and plugged to it. I have attached two pictures but I am not sure they help. I think it is leaking from the seam of the plywood to the mahogany 1x4 and seeping into the boat. The slot for the centerboard as about 1 1/2" so I I could probably fit a roller in there with a few light coats of Gluvit or epoxy. Are there other things I should consider in addition to to Gluevit. The second photo is the interior of the boat but it does not help much. 20240519_164504.jpg20240519_164655.jpg

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Embedding fiberglass cloth strips in epoxy to cover the seams is common for glued plywood construction. One of the alleged advantages of Gluvit is "no cloth required". I would wrap that area with fiberglass strips embedded in epoxy.

Showing taped seams. From Building Classic Small Craft by John Gardner.
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