Modern chemistry is helping us spend more
time sailing and less time maintaining
STORY JAKE KAVANAGH
THE RIGHT STUFF
FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SIMON BURT; ROBIN GATES; BLUE MARLINF
or many classic boat enthusiasts, there is a certain therapy
in boat maintenance. I should know – I grew up with a
father who was a serial Hillyard owner, and was fanatical
about keeping 12 tons of pitch pine, oak and mahogany
looking like new. Kneeling on the deck and methodically
scraping away the weathered varnish was his antidote to the
cut and thrust of corporate politics.
For others, there is a halfway house, by having the low
maintenance of a GRP hull (or a wooden hull coated with GRP)
but one that still possesses much of the character of a wooden
yacht – the growth of the Spirit of Tradition class is proof, if it
were needed, of how popular this option is.
But placing any boat into the water will immediately expose it
to one of the most hostile environments on earth. Salt water enjoys
getting different metals to fight each other for galvanic supremacy,
while harsh ultraviolet light not only attacks everything from
above, it has a second go when reflected from the water. Then
there are the chip-fed seagulls that take vengeful aim at the
topsides, and the constant movement of a boat that’s afloat,
flexing the timbers and chafing the spars.
The Brazilians have the right idea. Due to restrictions on building
new marinas, they keep their boats – as long as 90ft (27.4m) – on
trailers under full-cover sheds, and launch them only when needed.
Their boats are in remarkable condition and use very little antifouling.
Happily, help is at hand from the wonders of modern chemistry.
While we have yet to discover everlasting varnish, or self-renewing
antifouling (although some copper resins are getting closer) the use of
advanced chemicals is lengthening the time between bouts of routine
maintenance. On a GRP-sheathed, rigid GRP or metal hull, for
example, a two-pack paint system can now last in excess of 10 years,
and can be polished occasionally to renew the gloss. More flexible
wooden hulls can go for two seasons before a touch-up is required,
and some varnishes can last a decade if properly protected.THE AUTHENTICITY DEBATE
Using modern products on a historic yacht is not everyone’s cup of
tea. Fixing things together irrevocably, using high-adhesive sealants, is
not always in the long-term best interests of the boat. But there are
many owners of classic yachts who do use modern products. In the
restoration of Morwenna (serialised on p88), the deck seams were
caulked in cotton and then payed in polyurethane seam compound,
because traditional tar heats in the Mediterranean sun and marks
clothes. There are many other examples where practicality has
spoken louder than tradition. For the private owner, incorporating
a few of the modern tricks of the trade into the care and upkeep of
a wooden yacht may be essential, in terms of time and practicality,
and done with thought and care, can lengthen the boat’s life.Five golden rules
1
Make sure the substrate being coated is as well
prepared as possible.2
Buy the highest quality product you can
reasonably afford. Spoiling the ship for a
ha’penny worth of tar still holds good today.3
Apply the product exactly as the
manufacturers recommend. You may think the
only thing more boring than watching paint
dry is reading the instructions, but when
painting a boat, it’s worth it. (There was once a
quite serious mistake made in the instructions
to a new product from a leading marine paint
manufacturer. “Good heavens, sir,”
the technical manager responded when
questioned at last. “You mean, you actually
read the instructions?”)4
Protect the coating as much as possible from
ultraviolet, and those acidic seagulls – bird poo
in general has a lowish, acidic pH number – with
covers, waxes and stitch-in-time touch-ups.5
Know when to start from scratch with a brand
new treatment.