The chain plates and chain-plate bolts and the surrounding planking and its caulking should be closely examined for flaws and strains, and so also should the stem piece and bobstay shackle plates.
Signs of straining on deck will mostly be apparent in the seam of the covering board abreast of the mast, at the stem, knightheads, bowsprit bitts, and near the mast partners. If the seams are unusually wide here, as they frequently may be in a yacht that has been much pressed with canvas, " sailed hard " in heavy seas, or that has been weakly built, some strengthening will be required by more hanging knees under the beams, and additional knees at the mast partners, or new beams, partners, and knees altogether. If the covering board shows signs of having opened badly in the seam, or lifted from the top strake, the beam ends and shelf or clamp will require very careful examination—the shelf and clamp especially at the scarphs and butts.
To examine the frames of the vessel, the ballast should be removed, and some of the ceiling and some of the outside plank should be stripped off. Lloyd's surveyors, in examining an old ship, usually cut out listings from the plank the whole length of the ship ; and they also similarly cut listings from the ceiling inside, under the deck, and over the floor heads ; planks are taken off, too, at different parts of the ship, equal in the whole to her length ; and the beam ends are examined either by taking out the top strake under the covering board, or by boring under the covering boards. Fastenings, such as trenails and bolts, are driven out, to further test the condition of the frames and fastenings ; and the condition of the oakum and caulking is ascertained by examination in several places. If the ship or yacht be completely ceiled up inside, it is obvious that the whole of the framing cannot be examined by such means ; but generally a yacht is not so closely ceiled, and an application of a knife to the frames will soon determine whether they are rotten or not.
There is scarcely any limit to the number of years frames of autumn cut oak will last ; but occasionally a sappy piece will find its way among the frames, and it may not last a year, or the frames may decay in conse quence of leakage and defective ventilation ; but from whatever cause rot may arise, any frame so affected should be removed. Heels and heads
of floors and frames are the most likely places to find rot; but of course it may occur in any part of a frame, and, if possible, every timber in a vessel should be thoroughly examined from heel to head.
Old decks are a great trouble to keep tight; and if there is any sign of " weeping " either under the deck at the seams, round the skylights, shelf, or mast, there will be sufficient evidence that caulking is necessary. New decks, however, frequently give trouble in this way if they have been carelessly caulked, or if the yacht has been weakly constructed, or if the caulking was done during wet weather and not under a shed. As the plank dries, it shrinks away from the caulking and paying, and leakage is the inevitable result; this condition can be somewhat ameliorated by wetting the deck two or three times a day, but wet decks are almost as had as leaky ones, and re-caulking and stopping will be the best remedy. It is the fashion now to lay the deck plank very close together, in order that narrow seams may be obtained ; narrow seams of course look very nice, but, as the seams are scarcely wide enough to receive the caulking iron, very little oakum is driven into the seams, and as the marine -glue paying or putty stopping dries, leaks are the result.
The spars will require careful inspection, and if either has cracks running transversely or diagonally, it will be pretty sure evidence that it is sprung. The longitudinal cracks or fissures are not of much consequence unless they gape very much, run deep and from one into another right round the spar; sometimes, however, if the cracks have not been stopped with putty or marine glue, the wet might have got in and caused decay. The insertion of a knife into various parts of the crack will soon settle this matter. The mainboom should be examined for " springs " near the outer end chiefly ; the bowsprit at the gammon iron, or stem head, and at the outer end above and about the sheave hole; the mast, about the deck and under the hounds. The masthead will require very careful examination under the eyes of the rigging for rot, and right away to the cap for wrings, which generally show themselves by a lot of little cracks.