Wooden boats are living creatures. They breathe, they swell, they decay. Surveying them requires a completely different mindset than modern composites. You are not just checking condition; you are assessing the ongoing battle between maintenance and entropy.
1. The Fastener Problem
Wood lasts centuries. Iron lasts decades. A wooden boat is held together by thousands of metal fasteners (nails, screws, drifts). When these fail, the boat is effectively a loose collection of lumber.
Iron Sickness
When an iron nail rusts, it expands. This expansion pressure splits the wood grain.
The Sign: Dark, black stains weeping from bung holes or paint blisters over fastener heads. If you see "bleeding" planks, the fasteners are failing.
De-Zincification (Bronze)
Silicon bronze is the gold standard, but cheap brass is the impostor.
The Test: Pull a fastener (with owner permission). If it is pink or copper-colored, it is healthy. If it is red and brittle, the zinc has leached out, leaving weak porous copper.
2. Assessing Rot
Rot is a fungus. It needs fresh water, oxygen, and wood. Salt water actually inhibits rot (it's a preservative). This is why wooden boats rot from the rain down, not the ocean up.
The Danger Zones
- The Stem and Horn Timber: Rainwater leaks through the deck and runs down the stem. This is the structural spine of the bow.
- The Shelf and Clamp: The beam shelf (where the deck meets the hull) collects leaks. Poke hard here.
- Garboards: The lowest plank next to the keel. If the bilge water is fresh (rainwater), these will rot from the inside.
3. Broken Frames
As a boat works in a seaway, frames (ribs) flex. Eventually, they fatigue and crack, usually at the turn of the bilge where the curvature is sharpest.
The Sistering Fix
A broken frame isn't fatal. It is often repaired by "sistering"—bolting a new frame alongside the old one.
Inspection: Count the broken frames. One or two sisters is maintenance. Three consecutive broken frames is a structural failure requiring immediate yard work.
4. Caulking and Seams
The seams between planks are filled with cotton and compound.
Hard Seams: If the compound is rock hard and cracking, water enters.
Soft Seams: If the seam is mushy, the plank edges are rotting.
Conclusion
Surveying wood requires humility. You cannot see inside the massive timber keelson. You cannot see every drift bolt. You rely on signs—weeping rust, soft sounds, musty smells. If you don't love wood, do not survey it.