6 First Steps to Digging Holes in the Boat

And here starts the work to bring the Trimaran to decent shape...  one can't purchase any boat, much less one that was discounted at 1/4 its original value (!), and not expect to labor tirelessly. Particularly on a 43 foot boat that is 23 feet wide.  Gulp--  I have to wonder if this is a bigger bite than I can chew.  But try not to think too much! Just march onwards.

Step One - stock up on tools!
Blessed Home Depot had a special discount on electric tools - jigsaw, grinder, circular saw, new drill. At least makes me feel like I'm making progress... even if all I'm doing is spending money (so far).

Step Two - search and destroy

Check out the rot on the edge by the white wall, darker circle area. It is soft and rotting because the fiberglass on the deck cracked and let water in. The boat is made of marine plywood with fiberglass. As long as the fiberglass is sound, the plywood should be fine. But when it's not, it's time for surgery.

Step Three - Let 'er rip
It helps to have friends that know carpentry - thanks Kitts!! - or else I'd feel pretty insecure about digging holes in the boat. Keep digging until you can't find more rotten wood. To an extent of course..

Step Four - Clean up the wound
Nice square smooth wound allows us to cut a piece of wood to fit in the hole and then fiberglass over that. Still, it's never exactly level and smooth, so I'm still a bit confused how to keep the piece in place..? Ahh!

Step Five - Sand it more! and more!
This is another spot from a collision when hitting the dock. Tarp is to keep the fiberglass from going in the water. Quite uncomfortable position to work from. But dug it out and discovered there was only styrofoam below the fiberglass, no wood! But trimaran advisor said, go back and sand more. Dang it.

Step Six - Obsess about boat wakes going by

This was damage from some other boat hitting the corner of the trimaran, which is out on an end tie dock. Boats going by fast set off a wake and get it wet. Finally I set up the tarp here too but it is impossible when the crack is just 3 inches above the waterline..!




Conclusion
Ran out of time. Of course takes longer than planned. So there's plastic over the wounds and will fix next Monday.  But:

• Gives me renewed confidence in the boat's wood condition - these were the funkiest spots and they were just superficial a few inches. 
• And... my sinuses are not stoked with inhaling lots of fiberglass dust even with the face mask. Got to get a better one! And ear plugs too, noisy power tools they are!