We started early Saturday with a big todo list. First was an overall inspection of the boat structures, including opening up the fore and aft 'watertight' bulkheads. We immediately found one big problem spot at the stern - the plywood deck was soggy where it met the oak transom. There was only one thing to do, and that was cut it off. After the top came off, it became clear that the damage had spread a little ways down the side as well. After a little strategizing we decided to cut out a triangular shape which would cut out all the damaged wood, and simply cap the stern with a slanted plywood piece. Although it's a different shape than the original, it was the easiest way to get the boat back on the water (and the stern shape isn't really critical, anyway. Trent planed the cut area flat, cut new gunwales, and installed a plywood cap. Temporary screws clamped the repair in place while it cured.
Meanwhile, work continued on the rest of the boat. Tim sanded the leeboard while JB, Christine, and Dan worked their way down the whole hull applying new epoxy fillets and glass tape along the chines from end to end.
Other repairs included rebuilding one set of seat mount plates which had warped over time, removal and reinstallation of the rudder footpedal tracks (this time bonding a wooden block to the hull first, then reinstalling the footpedals), and re-rigging of the rudder up-haul / down-haul system (which had to be removed from its old spot when we cut off the back of the boat). We also added some wooden 'bunks' to the trailer which will get a layer of soft carpet to keep the boat from getting gouged on the trailer frame.
Day quickly became night and we called it quits for the night. There was always tomorrow...
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