Ep 43 - The RIGHT Way to Stop a Wooden Boat Leak (After Getting It Wrong) | Restoring MV Geordie

Fixing leaking wooden boat seams properly—why silicone fails and cotton caulking still wins. A real-world wooden boat restoration showing mistakes, repairs, and what actually works long-term. Watch the next episode here:    • Ep 44 - I Couldn’t Walk… So I Made My Boat...   ⚓ JOIN THE CREW – Help Keep These Classic Boats Alive Be part of something bigger than just a YouTube channel. When you join our Crew, you’re not just getting early access and ad-free episodes — you’re helping preserve and share the stories of these classic wooden boats so they can continue to sail, work, and inspire for generations to come. These boats have history. We’re just keeping it alive. 🎥 CREW PERKS ✔ Early Access – Watch new episodes 1 week before everyone else ✔ Ad-Free Viewing – Enjoy uninterrupted restoration and storytelling ✔ Support the ongoing restoration of classic boats and projects 🚪 HOW TO JOIN THE CREW 👉 Visit our support portal: https://www.travelswithgeordie.com/su... 🌊 FOLLOW THE JOURNEY Instagram   / travels_with_geordie     / living_the_boat_life   Facebook   / travelswithgeordie1     / peter.knowles.509994   📬 CONNECT WITH US 📧 Email: [email protected] 📬 Mail: Peter Knowles 185-911 Yates Street Victoria, BC, V8V 4Y9 📈 Marketing Inquiries: [email protected] Well, I’ll be honest—this one didn’t start off pleasant. I tried to rush a repair on a few bad seams, thinking modern sealants might save time… and it turned out exactly how you’d expect—leaking worse than before. So, out it all came. In this episode, I get into the guts of proper wooden boat caulking—what works, what doesn’t, and why doing it the traditional way still matters. From digging out old silicone and failed sealants to driving in cotton and sealing things properly, this was one of those jobs that reminded me: there are no shortcuts with old boats. Along the way we: Diagnose problem seams (including the dreaded “garbage seam”) Compare modern sealants vs traditional caulking Prep the hull for paint Finish topsides and bottom coatings Reinstall hardware with proper isolation (butyl tape trick) And finally… get her ready for launch Nine days on the hard, a lot of sanding, a few frustrations—but in the end, she’s better than I hoped. And that first little cruise afterward? That’s what makes it all worth it. 0:00 – What “Paying” Really Is (Boat Caulking Explained) 0:45 – The WORST Seams on the Boat 1:17 – Why Silicone Always Fails on Wooden Boats 2:04 – Hull Condition Surprise (Better Than Expected) 3:02 – Soft Caulking + Filler Trick 4:35 – The “Garbage Seam” Problem 6:22 – Sealant FAIL (Leaks Worse Than Before) 7:05 – Proper Fix: Cotton Caulking 8:28 – The Most Satisfying Moment (Tape Reveal) 10:37 – Final Prep Before Launch #WoodenBoatRestoration #BoatRefit #ClassicBoat wooden boat restoration, boat caulking cotton, fixing boat leaks, classic boat repair, marine sealant vs caulking, sikaflex 291 review, boat hull repair, traditional boat building, paying compound seams, DIY boat restoration