Tried googling but couldn't get past sawdust. So you have a wooden carvel or clinker boat that has been out of the water for months . Prior to relaunch you stuff sawdust + sometthing into any obvious suspect seams. Then with bailer/pumps at the ready , when floating, you slap external to the hull, the same material roughly in the area of major leaks underwater, letting the sawdust+ into the holes and clogging, hopefully eventually the wood swells enough , so you don't sink. What was the added material to the sawdust?
Traditional dried out wooden boat trick?
Jan 02, 2026
Last reply: 6 months ago
3 Replies
My uncle said the material for repairing boats was osmuccantar (horse muck and tar).
Isn’t it traditional to sink your boat (with the aid of a few rocks) to allow the wood to rehydrate first?
Tim
I believe something called Red Lead, made up as a putty with linseed oil.
TW
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