Crack repair on the bottom board

by Wayne Doerpholz
(South Hadley, MA, USA)

I am very new to wooden boat repair.

I purchased a 10' Chaisson Semi Dory refinishing project and have it in my basement workshop.

All of the paint or varnish has been stripped from the hull down to raw wood.

The hull developed a 1/4" wide thru crack on the bottom board near the keel from the transom forward about 30" long tapering to zero.

How would a crack like this be repaired?

I am not certain what wood was used in the planking but I am assuming it was red cedar and that white pine was used for the bottom board.

The hull is very dry and I assumed this crack was caused from the wood drying as it has been stored inside for years but I am unsure if this was the cause of the crack.

If I were to added what is essentially a long wooden shim would this cause other problems when the wood swells from moisture?

My second question is should every copper rivet be worked into the cedar planking and then coated over each rivet with wood filler?

And my last question (most likely getting way ahead of myself) is how is this West Epoxy System used?

I am confident that I am capable of applying it but what will it do to the hull and can I paint over the epoxy?

I purchased this small wooden sailboat for my three grandsons to use on a shallow freshwater pond near our home.

I am trying to hold down its weight as much as possible.

I mentioned my skill level with wooden boat repair is zero however I am a 20 year maker of American Period Furniture and have a complete woodworking shop that is unfortunately too small.

I live in western Massachusetts and the Chaisson dory will only be used in freshwater.