Swedish Koster Class Restoration-Page 3

Restoration Log, Swedish Koster Class:

Joanie, Former "Sang."

Page 3

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1/15/06

Joanie

While I was involved in research I also did some work on the boat. After doing a lot of reading about similar boats and hearing various conflicting views on the Woodenboat Forum I have tried to work with people that have specific experience with Scandinavian boats. I found Jeff Lane (nbserv@online.no) in the archives of the Woodenboat Forum. Jeff is originally from Southern California but he has lived in Norway for the past 40 years on a similar boat to mine. He makes his living in the wooden boat business so I hired him to do some consulting for me. The process so far has been to try to preserve what is there and take apart just enough to access all the areas that need attention.

Much has been written about various methods to preserve wooden boats. Jeff's basic approach is to use a Linoil (linseed oil / turpentine / Cuprinol) mixture.

Here is the info that Jeff sent:

The linoil mixture:

One part raw linseed oil, painter's quality, to three parts turpentine and two parts "WoodLife" or Cuprinol "Clear* wood preservative. The Woodlife is poisoned with pentachloraphenol, and is very irritating...don't breath it, and don't play in it. The Cuprinol is safer, but is poisoned with metallic zinc and zinc napthenate, which is contrary to the copper rivets in the hull. This is rather minor, because the quantity of zinc with which you will address each rivet is very small, and the copper is more noble anyway. I hope both of these products are still available; If they aren't, others with the same poisons will be. Don't worry about putting a pentachloraphenol product inside the hull, because you will cover the whole surface with varnish or heavier linoil later anyway. Just don't breath it (wear a good gas mask) whiile you use it, and for a couple of days afterward. You will have to get used to the mask, and wear it always when working with volatile liquids inside the boat. Almost anything that is good for the boat isn't good

for you.

One major problem is that oil based Cuprinol Clear does not seem to be available in the USA at this time. Both Woodlife and Cuprinol have gone to water based products. After a bit of research I came up with Termin 8 (available from Ace hardware stores by special order if necessary).

This has a green color but when diluted in the mixture it only casts a slight green color.

This is OK for the areas that I intend to paint. I'm still looking for Cuprinol Clear or similar product in oil base for natural wood.

The poison in the Termin 8 is critical to kill mold spores that create rot. Jeff has told me to even be careful to put a vacuum cleaner outside the boat so that you do not distribute mold spores in the air as you vacuum out rotted areas inside the boat.

The process that I am currently going through is to clean out and apply as much Linoil mixture as the hull will take. The only exclusion is areas that I will be doing repairs with epoxy. I am working around questionable areas for now and I am working on hiring someone to come in for a day and go through everything in detail. I know how to do many things, but a confirmation of my opinions, and more importantly the proper sequencing of the work will be critical to a successful outcome.

I received copies of the original drawings from the Maritime Museum in Stockholm.

Using this drawing that has accurate scale indications I have done a number of dimension checks. I am convinced that this is the same boat.