Small Boat, Big Problem - Part 1- Repair a badly damaged lapstrake garboard plank

Small Boat, Big Problem - Part 1- Repair a badly damaged lapstrake garboard plank

N
Nomad Boatbuilding
177 Video Views·Sep 7, 2025

In this episode, I’m tackling a repair on an Acorn dinghy built at the Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre. Like many traditional lapstrake boats, this one developed cracks in the planking after sitting in dry storage.

Using a mix of traditional repair techniques and West System epoxy, I’ll show you how to deal with cracked or checked planks without having to replace entire strakes.

Whether you’re restoring a dinghy, skiff, or any traditionally-built wooden boat, these techniques will help you confidently approach plank crack repairs.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:28 Assess the damage
03:20 Plan the repair
05:19 Plan-A. Make a pattern
11:33 Routing for the shiplap joint
19:45 Plan-B
25:09 outro

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