My NSM1 (3273) is drying out for the winter in the garage.

I dropped my digital camera into the bouyancy tank through a hatch and took some shots.

Whilst the hull is plastic, there is a vertical ply strip that runs forward inside the low tank from the centreboard case to the stem and looks in bad condition. I guess it probably gives some longtitudinal strength as well as supporting the tank top.

When it is fully dried out, is there something I can spray around inside the tank to seal the wood in the state that it is in, to stop it deteriorating further?

I want it back in the water in a couple of weeks and do not want to strip the tank down.

All suggestions and opinions gratefully received.

I did hear a story about some one pouring a pint of teak oil into the front tank of a wooden MR, putting the hatch back on, and then 4 strong blokes picking the boat up and giving it a good shake and rotation.

Do you believe in the power of prayer? If not take the tank apart and do it properly. It will save lots of heart ache later.

What about thinning the teak oil with something not damaging to plastic and using a garden spray aerosol to spray it in (providing there is enough room to get it in). Leave the hatch open to let the solvent disperse.  It should also help the oil get into the wood.  Clear cuprinol is another idea - may stop the rot.  Leaving the hatch off when not sailing will also allow ventilation in the future and allow moisture to disperse.

In My limited exsperience cutting corners is a bad idea

Taking the tank apart isn't really practical on what i presume to be a low tanked Omega MSN.

In truth these things often look far worse than they really are as it's dark, damp and the wood has been in an extremly humid atmosphere for much of it's life. If the plywood is not delaminating, and there is no dirty black line along the tank top corresponding to the strip i'd suggest that there is nothing to worry about.

It's highly unlikely that a pice of wood in this position can go completely rotten *if the tank is watertight*.

The only effective way to do anything with this involves major surgery unless you can get a radiator roller inside the hatch. 

I think the best advice is to get it completely dry and take some more photos. If it looks better then leave well alone and also leave the hatches off when not sailing to prevent condensation.

Is that Omega MSN messenger?

Terry, console youself with the thought of hundreds of us with no hatch in the tank at all. Is the agony of not knowing, worse?

I think I would
- dry it out
- use a garden sprayer to spray cuprinol clear
then forget about it

According to the yearbook, this is not a Omega foam sandwich NSM but simply a wood NSM built by Rowsell.

Why not dry it out well and then soak with epoxy?

Then when you leave the boat after sailing, make sure that you remove the hatch on the tank and let the air circulate.

Hi terry as already stated if the woods still good take the hatch outer rim out (maginally more room & no srews to inpale you!)and see how much you can reach with a brush or a 4inch foam roller on a 30inch long radiator 'roller' do a dry run to satisfy yourself its effectivness first. Again see how much you can reach by hand to sand/wipe it down. You could if the long roller looks okay, first do a 'dry' run with a sheepskin roller laden in IPA or Acatone to help clean the timber it wont do any harm. Then if alls well laden the foam roller in epoxy SP106/West105 just fine dont be tempted to flood it,try on a scrap piece of timber away from the boat to check your tecnic and the coverage your getting.
Now i'm sure you wont get right up to the bow so if your really concerned what aboutputting another hatch further forward? you could always seal the lid when finished to make 99.9% watertight
              Anyway god luck, I suppose I'd better pop the camara in my Omega NSM's tank just in case! Regards Barry.

Thanks for all of the replies. Here is the plan:

The wood is pretty bad where I can reach it (crumbles easily) but I am not going to take the tank apart. The job of removing and refitting the top is not for this winter. I will confront it when it becomes a real problem.

To the earlier point, this 3273 has a GRP hull with wooden fittings - including the tank front and top.

The ply feels dry now but I will give it another couple of weeks and then spray some wet rot treatment (a selection at B&Q) with my wifes garden spray thing. It has a long nozzle which I hope I can get to the front of the boat. I fiddled with my radiator roller but it won't get into the corners - nor to the front of the boat. It may be a one way trip for the spray thing but I'm sure my wife will understand.

The tank is not water tight - I always end up with a cup full in there some how so I will need to leave the hatch covers off when not sailing. Spraying may also fill any hidden gaps.

Thanks again.

This has made me think. Seems I need to fit a hatch in mine as there has been a leak in bow and I have already been suspecting there might be some damage inside. My plan is to soak it with something antifungal and then cover it with pine tar (we still use it here even though EU has tried to ban it (they didn't have a different code for coal tar and pine tar)).
Not this week though -28C outside.
TH

Rowsell Omega NSM 3236 dry as a bone in front tank, Thank god for that! Any of you guys regardles of builder if ply in this area has gone soft dont be tempted to shut the hatch & put it off! You've still got time to remove the tank top & do the right thing.

Apologies for not reading your first post completely and seeing that you had said plastic.  When I looked in yearbook, it was not listed as an Omega foam sandwich hull and therefore assumed wood.

If you get water in when sailing then most likely reason is that you have a screw from keelband protruding through into front chamber although a simpler reason could be leakage in through the tank drain plug - does this make a good seal.

I had 3227, an Omega foam sandwich hull also by Rowsell and the tank drain plug was the only reason that water got in.