TS 16 Hull and centreboard repairs

[ggbbhayes@gmail.com]

I have purchased Gypsy Rover, Boat # 1073, an old TS 16 and find that I have bought myself a job! I am a novice with wooden boat repairs and seek advice either directing to a useful website or direct advice from those who have been there and done it. I know that this is asking a lot but it would be really appreciated since I'm on a farm in NE Victoria and a long way away from most TS 16 owners!
The boat leaked on its first brief outing and it seems that at least some of the water was coming in where the hull was cracked over the section on the boat trailer where the wooden supports are located. I turned the boat over onto its deck to work on it and left the centreboard in place - question 1, should I remove that ??
Some sanding revealed that the cracks were old and the plywood soft and rotten. I cut out a section and left to dry out which it has now done. I am envisaging putting a section of marine plywood over the hole working from inside the hull. Question 2. Should I just use marine ply from Bunnings or something special? Question 3. Should I use Everdure (sp?) to dry out the wood ? Q 4. What epoxy should I use?
I envisage then working on outside of hull using epoxy filler to patch over the plywood insert. Q 5. Is this the way to go?
I noticed there were sticky goo dribbles coming down the keel after I had left the boat on the trailer - does this indicate a leak at the join between hull and keel? Q 6. If so, how do I go about dealing with that? Q7. Should I take off the metal strip protecting the keel?

Finally, I have heard that I should take this 'opportunity' to do some work on the centreboard case to stop leaks. What do I need to do to achieve this?
Cheers
Greg

[dbs]

Hi Greg,

sounds like you have quite a job in front of you... first of all,... are you up to it!
Be honest with yourself, as it is a lot of work and very time consuming. If the answer is no, then sell it on. If the answer is yes then, read heaps before you start. There is quite a bit of information available on this forum and also from the pics in the gallery. The standard process is to start by removing all of the rot. and yes the keel should be removed since it sounds like you have quite a bit of work around that area and you don't want that thing dropping when you or anyone else are under it.
If Bunnings have marine ply then it is fine... but make sure it is marine grade ply... the bonding agent is different to normal ply. Normal ply will delaminate over time in moisture were as marine ply will hold together.
I like everdure for treating the wood but it won't repair rot... if the timber is soft, get rid of it.
where you cut pieces out, cut to ribs so you have a solid surface to bond against, and scarf the new piece into the slot from the outside. When the boat is in the water you have over 600Kg of weight pushing down and the equivalent of water pushing up. if you fit the patch from the inside it is a weak spot that the water will do its best to cause to fail. If the patch is scarfed in from the outside then the water pressure will push the join tighter. A layer of fibreglass over the outside once the ply is properly in place will seal it up nicely.

Good luck with the repairs.