I'll be pulling the rest once I finish this post, but if they are as good as this one is, I will be happy. It has a very small amount of surface rust, and that's all I can see that might hint at corrosion.

The thru-bulkhead bolts are also in very fine shape, with a very sharp 'ting' sound when tapped with the wrench. That leads me to believe the inside of the bolts is probably in good shape. Even so, they'll be replaced.

Other stuff:

Unable to get any response from the local really-good welder guy via any other method, I have resorted to blackmail.

I fixed his son's computer, and when the son asked how much he owed me, I said "Well, now. Let's us have a little talk..."

He has a drawing of what I need, and will be getting his father to weld it up for me from some very thick-walled aluminum tubing I am spec'ing. I am glad for this, as my prior attempts at getting this done by the father fell on deaf, sportfisherman-welding-only ears (read: my pockets weren't deep enough). Nonetheless, he does absolutely stellar work, so I am hoping to see the same for Katie's mast support. Hopefully it will only be a matter of a few weeks before I can at last put that back in. Last, I have been thinking that it would have to be done of regular steel by another, less professional welder, so it is really nice to know I won't have to deal with all those issues...

Other, other stuff:

The interior still looks like Frankenboat (fugly because it is mismatched scraps making do as a real-life simulation), but the overall layout has come together, it is exactly what I want/need, and I am piecing it together over time as I build it in.

And I've mocked up and will soon be building in the cockpit foot well mods. I've boxed out an area 24" aft of the original bridgedeck/aft bulkhead in the forward part of the well. It'll serve to reduce the amount of water the footwell can hold, and is convenient external stowage for, well, something yet to be determined. I'd thought to possibly put the propane tank in there, but it's not quite the right size, & wouldn't technically drain overboard.

Last, I cut through the after bulkhead and extended the port berth under the cockpit seat, an arrangement that I think is going to work well for a secure sea/pilot berth when things get rough. The port berth has been raised 8" IIRC from the original height, w/stowage underneath, and the forward 2' approx can drop down to form a seat there just aft of the original cabinet/drawers.