Heat taking its toll
Few days of extreme heat and whale deck on port side - exposed to SE sun - got few seams opened. When Meritaten was built seams between planks were glued with Cascofen. Lifetime of this glue has expired circa 10 years ago and planks can separate if exposed to heavy sunlight or very dry conditions.
Many boat owners have glued back planks by cutting seams with circular saw and epoxy-gluing slats of mahogany. Maybe this time will come also for Meritaten but for now - as the gaps are no wider than 0.9mm - I feel no need for so radical procedure. Instead I press-in brown Sika which seals the seam and holds rain water away from bare wood. Previous owner, Christer, already had this problem and few seams became black due to sweet water ingress.
I have sealed these other seams already but to cure the blackened wood I would need to wood the whole whale deck and either sand it or bleach with oxalic acid. That I leave for now, it is purely cosmetic issue once the water ingress is stopped.
My work today went in two stages - we arrived at the harbour and I started masking with paper tape when abrupt and heavy thunderstorm came. I could see a wall of rain coming at us, we barely managed to run back into the car. I didn’t quite make it as I was franticly taping opened seams with paper tape, to protect them from coming shower.
I came in the evening and finished the job. Seam proximity was taped, leaving just a tiny gap for spreading the compound.
Sika was spread and pressed into the gap. I judge that no more than 1mm deep - which is enough to stop the water and keep the seam undamaged. Even though cured Sika is like soft rubber I don’t want to deform these precise seam lines unnecessarily.
While Sika was still uncured the tape was removed. Result is pleasing and should anyone notice it it means that he/she looks too closely!
Cured Sika takes varnish with no problem so before next season this will be covered with 2 layers, protecting things even better. Similar repair on starboard side is holding for 2 years now, no problems there.
Upon leaving I chatted with Patrik who lives on his magnificent Colin Archer “Flikan”. He was grilling vegetables for the supper. Life on the waterfront!