SURVEYORS FOR HIRE 

STEM – important to inspect where the planking meets the stem; especially at the water line is critical; often difficult to determine extent of water damage and rot, specifically if the rot is in the rabbet; look for cracked paint, or evidence of putty over a seam and painted; look for evidence of new fastenings, i.e. additional bungs; the hood end of all the planks; stems also tend to rot from the top down if not properly sealed;  fasteners used in the “fore foot” should be inspected for bleeding and/or rust blooms as well as the gap between the stem, fore foot and keel pieces; insure there is no evidence of planking repairs with short planks or butts improperly staggered;

PLANKING – unfairness in the planking can be signs of cracked or broken frame(s); evidence of grinding on one or more planks is a good indication also; this is a common problem in boats built with steam bent frames; spacing between the planks should be consistent; the butt ends of the planking can be suspect for rot; look for inconsistent spacing between the butts or too large a gap; check for any movement at the butts; planks should be replaced in their entirety; planking butt seams should follow the “rule of three” (insert link);

GARBOARD SEAM – most important seam on a wood boat; seam where the first plank meets the keel; look for seepage or dripping; check for uniformity, movement, repairs, i.e. large gaps filled with putty; is the seam wider amidships; fasteners should be inspected along the seam if at all possible;

TRANSOM – usually the most suspect area for rot in wooden vessels; check if new fasteners have been added as evidenced by extra bungs, i.e. bungs are out of a specific pattern; look for planks pulling away; check the alignment between the hull and transom planking; the seams between the hull and transom planking should be consistent and uniform with no evidence of opening; percussion testing should be able to detect rot on boats that are constructed with plank on plywood construction; the seam at the top of the rim log can be suspect;