Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Association

Brian, have you got the oil out of the skiff yet?

Hahaha your joking aint you ross. Haha ive been looking at it and deciding how to do it. Burning it has crossed my mind but i think it will be a good boat when its done. Good news is ive got a factory organised for the end of the month so ill have to get it out before i move it and start the resto. U got any quik solutions to the oil or are u volunteering to help?

How much a barrel it these days? Small fortune there in that boat.

Brian,
maybe you could put the engine pickup through the sump into the hull?
Unfortunately there was a good amount of info on the old site but most of it has been lost, there's lots of suggestions but most rely on drawing out the oil over several applications using things like cement, (powder) maybe some other members who still have a memory can add some tips they have had success with.
Alan.

I sort of remember one method that was supposd to be quite successful - a paste of plaster of paris and shellite left on to dry. Several applications required. Also, leaving the affected area in the sun tends to draw the oil out (bit hard in the southern winter).
Greg

Greg,
Sunny, lucky he's not in Tassie then hey?
I used shellite (X55) but without the plaster to slowly wash an oily keel once and had good success, using a gluing process that I got from the guys at Boatcote. If the woods really oily you probably won't get all of it out and the wood will always be sus. Get started early 'cause it can take a while to get it OK to use.
Alan.

haha alan it would lube the engine for some time id imagine.
ill have to get a pic up so you'se can see how much oil is in the boat. it is covering the ribs in a few spots. i think the chances of rot are very minimal because moisture could not possible penetrate the oil. id say that the boat has had the oil from the engine dumped into the boat each time they changed the engine oil. its pretty bad and it bloody stinks.

once i have the bolk of the oil out i'll use the plaster idea and remove the remaining. how do u remove the plaster when its done its job???

brian

Brian, not that I've done it especially on a weatherboard boat, normally it's a scrape job but if your leaving most of the timber in place an industrial sized sucker might be ok. You might have to consider removing some planks so you can get at the timber from all sides and get a good look at the condition.
Alan.

I had to drop the oil in the bilge once and used kitty litter so absorb most of the oil. I am lucky that the bilge and rails have been glassed so it it a lot easier to clean up. When i got the oil soak kitty litter out I used engine degreaser and water then sucked it out with my wet and dry vac. I then used hot water and truck was to do the final clean and it came up like new. It is fare easier when it's a bondwood hull and you don't have all the joins like a clinker. I had the inside of my hull sand blasted to remove old paint and the bilge came up good.
Cheers Chris

Hi Brian,
did you get the oil out of the boat in the end and how did you do it. Next job on Grumpy is to try and clean up the inside and I must say it's a bit daunting. Awfully fiddly inside a clinker hull isn't it. What are the best ways to clean out the oil, remove the paint and sand it down. Three easy questions
Regards
Nick