Hi all how common are shipworms in wooden boats and or bits such as rudders and the like here in Australia? Is there any good way to tell if the wood is full of them?
Bear
This is a bit of a tough one. Much depends on where in Australia the boat resides and what you mean by shipworms. When I sold my fishing vessel it was 75 years old and it spent most of it's life in Victoria and NSW after a brief run to New Guinea at the tail end of WW2. I never saw any worms but did get the usual Gribble damage, mainly to the sacrificial strip under the keel. Cisco on this forum did have a rudder blade totally destroyed by worm. Wooden boats can also be normal carvel construction or strip planked or double or triple diagonal construction. The carvel boats can suffer worm damage when a worm eats their way up one plank. The other wood construction boats are usually sheaved so the worms can only get in after this is damaged and theoretically wont pass a glue line.
The only real check is to stand under the boat as soon as it comes up the slip and check where the water drains from. The entry holes are quite small. The old time shipwrights used to screw in grease nipples and pump the holes full of "Blackjack". Tapping a wooden rudder blade will indicate whether it is rotten or not.
A friend of mine found his rudder full of them last year, boat moored in Gladesville.
Yes, they can be a big problem. My skeg and rudder are laminated timber and luckily they did not completely destroy them. I can confirm that they do not cross a glue line from one timber to the next but they still can do a lot of damage especially to timber boats in warmer climes.
These pics will give you some idea.
I had to cut it right back to this and rebuild it.
When rebuilt and reshaped I then sheathed it with fibreglass.
if the boat is well maintained there will be none this means regular slipping antifoul in warm waters anualy and cold waters bianualy 20 years ago moreton bay trawlers slipped every 6 months these days antifouls are so much better its very rare to see grub damage
I've been looking at lots of boats over the last year or so. The ones I seem to be attracted to the most all have timber hulls lol. I just see these affordable boats and can almost hear them creaking under me feet. Lol. Looking for reasons not to be so attracted Bring on the worm storieshttps://www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1955-gaff-rigged-cutter/SSE-AD-6270958/
www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1959-herreshoff-28/OAG-AD-18339556/
www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1950-classic-wooden-sloop/SSE-AD-3082698/
www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1950-alan-payne-34-sloop/SSE-AD-5561518/
www.boatsales.com.au/boats/details/1980-herreshoff-28/OAG-AD-16665551/
Not overly impressed with you selection of boats.
Two H 28s. One wood the other GRP. No reason to go for wood there.
Both ketches. (that means an extra mast that sticks up right where you don't need it.
Looking for reasons not to be so attracted
Find someone who has a wooden boat.
Commit your self to helping with ALL maintenance (not just when it is convenient for you)
Chip on 10% of the upkeep.
A win-win situation.
You will really know what you are in for and the owner will have had an extra hand.
Of course like all good lessons in life , this will cost you time, effort and money.
If that doesn't cure you, well, off you go.
Gary
Select to expand quotegarymalmgren said..
Not overly impressed with you selection of boats.
Two H 28s. One wood the other GRP. No reason to go for wood there.
Both ketches. (that means an extra mast that sticks up right where you don't need it.
Looking for reasons not to be so attracted
Find someone who has a wooden boat.
Commit your self to helping with ALL maintenance (not just when it is convenient for you)
Chip on 10% of the upkeep.
A win-win situation.
You will really know what you are in for and the owner will have had an extra hand.
Of course like all good lessons in life , this will cost you time, effort and money.
If that doesn't cure you, well, off you go.
Gary
LoL. Thanks Gary. I like your thinking
If you can't afford the S&S Defiance (a great boat to start out on) then don't even bother reading any ad for a timber boat.......
the defiance looks like its in great condition and seems great value but there is no point in having a boat or wife you don't love
Select to expand quoteboty said..
the defiance looks like its in great condition and seems great value but there is no point in having a boat or wife you don't love
I think I could learn to love her! That's the nicest Defiance I have seen [Fibreglass].
