McCall Boat Works: Another Day Another 3M5200 Bottom!!

It's A New Woody Day!!

Another 3M5200 Bottom DAY!!
1958 Century Resorter 19'

First........ a little history.....
Nearly all the boat manufacturers from the 1920-1960s constructed their bottoms to last approximately six to eight boating seasons. Even with the best maintenance, thru time, most have lurking problems underneath the surface where it’s not visible to the naked eye.

McCall Boat Works has put on many bottoms. Time after time, upon first examination, all appears fairly well….............tight seams, good paint, no exposed fasteners, no cracks, soaks up in a couple of days, etc., etc. However, if one is willing to get a little dirty by climbing into the bilge with an ice pick and flashlight and do some serious poking around ................a whole new view point can be viewed...........ugh!!

Many bottoms' most prevalent problem areas are loosened, broke, or bent fasteners (they are after all, soft brass).

Other common areas of trouble are bottom plank cracks following the fastener lines where screwed into the frames…......again from the planks expanding and contracting over the years. Cracked and/or pushed out chines due to excess pounding and excess debris in the bilge, cracked bottom frames, and more often than not festering rot in the canvas between the inner and outer planking…where you can least likely see it.

The two areas most damage occurs is about 1/3 a mid ships (close to the front seat) where the boat takes most of the pounding, and again near the transom where water likes to sit and spore rot over time.

Unfortunateney, many of these boats have old, and incorrect remedies: caulk or linen to fill the plank seams in order to get a ‘tight’ fit and stop the water from coming in. Also used were hard epoxy products to fill the seams.

All that these ‘fixes’ do are create and many times enhance the current problems............. by furthering the expansion of planks against planks against very tired fasteners..............…resulting in an even worse bottom..........

But, ALL this remains hidden until the bottom planking is removed.
A NEW BOTTOM IS NEEDED
"Let's bring on the 5200 Bottom"
CPES sealer, the 3M5200 and the silicone bronzed fasteners....WHHAALLAA!!

It is put on like a thick like paste then spread to a consistent layer with a trowel. It remains flexible like rubber when cured. If done properly, the 5200 will ooze between each adjoining plank seam to make a watertight, yet flexible fit.
It is put on like a thick like paste then spread to a consistent layer with a trowel. It remains flexible like rubber when cured. If done properly, the 5200 will ooze between each adjoining plank seam to make a watertight, yet flexible fit. WOW!!

3M5200 applied to the planks

We had the pleasure of Mike Doughtery joining us for Bottom Day. THANKS, Mike!!
Mike is putting a new bottom on his barrell back and wanted a few tips!

This is it!! It’s hard and messy work, and takes a lot of time to do it correctly. When finished, though, you will have a bottom that will not leak and will out-live everyone involved!!