Repairing the stern: There was a lot of work to do
around the stern, both above and below water.
I must confess to this
mess. The skeg was scraped on the ground just about every time we launched and beached the
boat. It wasn't reinforced at all and kept wearing through. I patched in when
we had it in Ireland just by slapping some automotive fibreglass repair
stuff over it. It didn't really work and water still oozed in. There were
even bits of grass in the laminations. The only good think is that it did all
just lever off.
The exposed hole. This
was enlarged and patched, much like the big holes in the hull, but it was
really quite difficult to get the patch in place. This skeg really should be
solid and water tight. It would be nice to be able to drill through it for
an axle hole for a couple of little trolley wheels.
This is how I am
repairing it. The hole is fully patched. I have then epoxy-glued a wooden
skid to it. This has been laminated with three layers of fibreglass over the
wood and original skeg. Finally, an aluminium strip has been screwed into
the wood. The theory is that if the false skeg gets ripped off, there are no
screw holes through the fibreglass. I am not fully convinced by this. The
photo shows the false skeg propped in place before it was stuck down and
laminated in. I may try to fare it smoother with epoxy filler.
One of
the nasty surprises. There is a fibreglass panel on the transom which
thickens it up to support the rudder or an outboard. I always thought it
seemed a bit flexible but assumed it was solid or had a substantial timber
backing. This is what I found when I took it off. A rotten, tiny batten with
multiple screw holes. This was just a bit of scrap timber kicking around the
yard 25 years ago. No wonder it flexed the one time I did try an outboard on
it.
I have
filled the pad with a solid timber packing and ground down the edge of the
fibreglass so it all fits tightly to the transom now. The only regret is
that this adds to the weight of what is already a very heavy little boat.
The
transom pad fixed back in place, now far more solid than it has ever been.
It is held on by two through-bolts in the upper rudder pintle and four screw
in the lower one. I think I will replace those screws with bolts, now that I
have fitted a hatch into the stern "buoyancy" chamber. I have fitted a
timber patch to further support the outboard, which otherwise just grips the
white edge roll. Yet further repairs to the damaged gunwales can be seen
above the outboard.
I must confess to this
mess. The skeg was scraped on the ground just about every time we launched and beached the
boat. It wasn't reinforced at all and kept wearing through. I patched in when
we had it in Ireland just by slapping some automotive fibreglass repair
stuff over it. It didn't really work and water still oozed in. There were
even bits of grass in the laminations. The only good think is that it did all
just lever off.
The exposed hole. This
was enlarged and patched, much like the big holes in the hull, but it was
really quite difficult to get the patch in place. This skeg really should be
solid and water tight. It would be nice to be able to drill through it for
an axle hole for a couple of little trolley wheels.
This is how I am
repairing it. The hole is fully patched. I have then epoxy-glued a wooden
skid to it. This has been laminated with three layers of fibreglass over the
wood and original skeg. Finally, an aluminium strip has been screwed into
the wood. The theory is that if the false skeg gets ripped off, there are no
screw holes through the fibreglass. I am not fully convinced by this. The
photo shows the false skeg propped in place before it was stuck down and
laminated in. I may try to fare it smoother with epoxy filler.
One of
the nasty surprises. There is a fibreglass panel on the transom which
thickens it up to support the rudder or an outboard. I always thought it
seemed a bit flexible but assumed it was solid or had a substantial timber
backing. This is what I found when I took it off. A rotten, tiny batten with
multiple screw holes. This was just a bit of scrap timber kicking around the
yard 25 years ago. No wonder it flexed the one time I did try an outboard on
it.
I have
filled the pad with a solid timber packing and ground down the edge of the
fibreglass so it all fits tightly to the transom now. The only regret is
that this adds to the weight of what is already a very heavy little boat.
The
transom pad fixed back in place, now far more solid than it has ever been.
It is held on by two through-bolts in the upper rudder pintle and four screw
in the lower one. I think I will replace those screws with bolts, now that I
have fitted a hatch into the stern "buoyancy" chamber. I have fitted a
timber patch to further support the outboard, which otherwise just grips the
white edge roll. Yet further repairs to the damaged gunwales can be seen
above the outboard.