A couple weeks back, I went up to assess the situation, and get the boat lined up and ready to go in the water. That was the plan anyway. Met my dad up there, we looked a few things over. First and foremost I wanted to get an idea for some measurements for things like the thru-hulls, the cockpit width and so on. I also pulled the outboard and brought it home, since I had left it with the boat the whole winter. I'm good like that. We also noticed some starboard bulkhead rot. Even though there were no signs of corrosion on the chainplate, the wet wood behind it was unmistakable.
Fast forward a little, to two weeks ago. I went back up, glazed over the old transducer with some thickened epoxy as basically a fairing compound and to seal it from the outside of the hull - this is the one that was seeping water at first launch last year, so this should prevent that from recurring. I also made a wooden plug coupled with more epoxy and covered with a couple strips of fiberglass to the old head discharge. This was the one that had a pinhole leak in the valve handle when in the open position. And since I couldn't even budge the valve off the thru-hull even with a pipe wrench, this seemed the next best way to give a little extra protection for that too. I do still have to go back up, sand, prime and paint those spots, but at least the hard work is done.
The outboard is refitted on the mount, after being able to get it fired up. I still haven't figured out why it gets temperamental when it sits for extended periods of time, but I THINK I've narrowed down a way to speed up the process of starting it in those cases. We'll see soon enough, and if I prove correct then I shall reveal my secrets. Otherwise I'll say it, it won't work, and I'll look like an idiot.
The most important part though is still sitting home and waiting replacement - that Starboard bulkhead. I removed it when doing the other work, and it does come out intact. The way the chainplates interact with each other is a little strange, but I removed the bulkhead and brought it home. My hope is that next weekend I'll be able to pick up new plywood, cut it out using the old section as a template, and take it up. Seal it with some epoxy, and get it back in and then seal the chainplate better. Can't really put the mast up in any manner of confidence until I get the new wood in there, so that's where I'm at right now.
Good thing the weather has been junk and that I took time to go on a small road trip, or I'd be a little sad about not being on the water yet.
