Bill, the original tubes are still there and will be for this season. New bronze seacocks will happen next fall. I'm also going to replace the standing rigging including chainplates this fall/winter, maybe spring depending on weather. Slowly but surely this boat will regain all of its integrity and then some.
As I thought about where potential water ingression occurs the through hulls came to mind. As I looked closely at them I noticed a few spots that were void of any kind of filler. I decided to grind the area out a little and then put on some thickened epoxy. This is a temporary fix to get me through this season as I will be removing the tubes later.
This is the view as it appeared before I went at it with a grinder.
After some quick grinding it was apparent that there were gaps between the tube and hull. I don't think water would get to the bilge due to the glassing of the tube on the cabin side of the hull, but it's a quick pre-emptive strike against a possible problem. My dream is to throw the boat in the water this June and have it not leak one drop. One thin coat of thickened epoxy should take care of this potential problem.
I just ordered some silicon bronze bolts, nuts, and washers which will be used to hold the rudder shoe and strap to the hull in place of the pins that were destroyed upon their removal. My plan is to have the rudder put back on this weekend using 5200 as the bedding compound. Once the rudder is put back on I will be putting my efforts toward the interior so that it is habitable this summer. Fun Fun!
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