We took some time off for Christmas and New Years, and have been back to work on and off. The hole has been cut for the bailer. The thickness of the bottom in way of the hole is almost 1/2" solid glass. Reassuring for the occasional groundings in the shallow water. Once we turn the boat over, we'll drill, rout for the flange of the bailer, and install.

The new deck did not come with a coaming forward of the cockpit. So we are using the existing coaming of the old boat (the "donor") as a mold. We have covered it in packing tape to act as mold release and glassed over it. Once it is cured we'll add some filler, fair, trim, paint and remove. It will be set aside ready to attach to the new deck.

wood coaming covered with packing tape and 2 layers of wet glass

raw glass coaming pulled from donar boat and set on new deck

   

More filling and fairing has been done to the old steel centerboard and it is just about ready for prime and paint.

Fabrication of the kick up rudder is under way. The blade is a low density foam core with glass both sides. The rudder stock is a high density foam with glass both sides. We used a higher density foam to resist compression once the cheek plates and pintles are though bolted. Cheek plates are carbon fiber. Some additional glass is used where tiller mounts. We're hoping this is a "hardy" rudder as we have read about the WT boats loosing rudders during previous EC races.   

The hull and deck are now one piece, almost. We glassed a band around the sheer on the outside of the hull and two layers, staggered, on the inside.  Last night was the final night of fairing /sanding on the hull. It will be moved to a warmer part of the shop tomorrow to begin the paint process. We are hoping two coats will do the job. It will sit for a week. Then we'll roll it over and finish glassing the deck to the hull in way of the transom. Then, it's prep and paint the cockpit and deck. And finally install all of the hardware.