Old Tinny - Entry Four

Well, I finally finished replacing the transom board.

I varnished regular plywood and covered it with a piece of ducting sheet metal I found at A-Boy. The edges of the sheet metal are folded over all the sides of the transom board and riveted on. I left the original top fold of the ducting intact so it could hang over into the inside of the transom and then bolted everything on. The last step was to seal every joint/edge/corner/bolt with a flexible sealant, hopefully keeping as much water as possible from getting underneath the new board.

I just have to finish wiring up the bilge pump and we'll be ready to take her out on a float test to check for leaks.

Old Tinny - Entry Three

Behold! The shiniest thing on this boat!

I installed the new bow light and now just need to complete the wiring. I'm going to enclose the buss strip inside an outdoor junction box (and use plastic conduit as the wiring chases), thus nearly eliminating (hopefully) the chance of moisture attacking the wiring connections while enabling easy access for future maintenance.

Here's a shot of the bilge outlet. I hope I put it high enough to not let water in during use, but also not create too big of an uphill push for the pump. I guess we'll find out, eh?

It was really scary drilling such a giant hole in the boat, but it had to be done. I will be picking up a tube of 3M 5200 Sealant to goop around such openings as I make or repair them.

I'm still working on getting the bunks mounted properly. Where are all the 1/2" x 3" u-bolts when you need them? I might have to pay top dollar for them at West Marine. Not counting having to complete the transom rework, we're almost ready to take the boat out for a leak check.