(1) The basic repair is made, and the initial 407/epoxy mix
is on and hardened. Onto making the boat presentable. Overall fairing is the same as previously, with the 407/epoxy getting a good sanding down with a 50 grit sandpaper, followed by wiping down with a damp cloth to remove the dust, priming and painting. This didn't take too long as the area was small so the new hole didn't turn out to be a big deal, No doubt our repair techniques will come in handy as we're bound to have a mishap or two in the future. To the right, the sanded down repair ready for priming.
After the primer (used some leftover spray automobile primer), on goes a couple of coats of paint left over from the paint job.
(2) So now the hull is fixed and ready for action, we need to fit some oarlocks (just in case..). Unfortunately you can't get originals so we ordered up some from our Mirror parts supplier in Canada, John McCulloch. He sent us on a set which should work fine, or at least we think so.
First step was to make up some wood half-moons to widen the gunwales. The wood we used is a bit soft so this bit may get a repeat section later but lets see how that goes. There's not a great deal of science to these (make a half-moon that fits the gunwale and tucks under for strength). Coat with epoxy a couple of times to stop any rot as usual. Pre-drill the holes and mount in place with sufficiently long brass screws.
In our case, oarlocks were previously fitted but rotted out so we knew the location (and had a surviving half-moon template). They were also recessed leaving a hole that needed filling. The new plastic oarlocks have a 7/8" barrel that we had to create once the half-moons were in using a good old fashioned round rasp. This took a while but made for a tight fit. Once done, to level up the old fitting recess, we filled the newly created holes with Saran Wrap and levelled the recess with 407/epoxy. This will be sanded flat, the Saran Wrap removed, and the hole drilled and rasped open so the oarloacks have a flat surface to be fixed to.
So, to close out this chapter of the epic boatbuilding saga, here's many photos of the finished article from various angles. It's ready to go out on its maiden voyage and looking pretty good. Next step no doubt - more repairs.
.