: Wouldn't you know it. After months of delay I finally got the cedar strips
: cut, coved, and beaded for my Guillemot L before going out of town for a
: week. I came back to find some of my strips sitting in a puddle of water
: on my basement floor! What's worse is that I actually contemplated moving
: them off the floor before leaving, but decided not to, reasoning that A)
: the basement's never flooded in the year that I've lived there, and B) the
: rainy season in Seattle is over. What I failed to consider is that C) my
: last name is Murphy.

: That disclaimer aside, what now? Only about 10-15% of the strips appear to
: have been affected. The most obvious sign of damage is a gray/weathered
: appearance on the more seriously soaked strips. But I know that others
: also absorbed some water without showing such obvious signs. I worry about
: long-term effects that will show up a year after sealing the strips into
: their fiberglass eternity.

: Can the strips be salvaged? Is it sufficient to let them dry a few weeks?
: Should I seek out a kiln? Is it worth the effort?

: Any advice you can spare is appreciated...

Hi Tom

Don't know nothin' about no Murphy. Stuff happens! I don't think you will lose any of your strips, but, I'm not too familiar with the cedar variety. The only ones that discolor too much would be redwood and some of the hardwoods with lots of acid in them. Redwood turns black, but.... you can let them dry outdoors in some shade or under something to keep the direct sunlight off. Or, just leave them in the basement on something that will keep them seperated and open to lots of air. If discolored a bit, you may want to sand a couple of the worst and see just how deep the discoloration is. Might only be fractions and be O.K. when faired on the hull. Were they kiln dried to begin with? If so, you won't get them back to that moisture % without a kiln. If they were fairly green, then just a couple 2 or 3 weeks in the outdoors will bring them back to a balance. Only because they are so thin.

As to worth, you have already paid for them, so letting them sit for a couple of weeks costs nothing but time. If they warp a bit, then a little steam will get them back to where they were easily enough. Hope this helps!

Rehd