Since I had some time before the slip I had reserved became available I went to work recreating the wooden backup structure for the headstay fitting. I had decided to basically recreate the existing fitting but try to enhance the structure to be more water resistant if the headstay plate fitting leaked through the deck in the future.
My first decision was to use a solid piece of wood in lieu of the sandwiched plywood construction of the original. I matched the existing shape of the original wood and cut a notch in the middle to accommodate the headstay plate.
On Sunday evening the slip at the Galley Dock that I had arranged to use for my repair became available. So we rowed a short distance from the mooring and set up electricity. Monday bright and early I ground away most of the old bedding compound and fiberglass that supported the old plywood backup structure and carefully fitted my new piece.
Now that I had it fitted in place I marked the location of the headstay plate and drilled the holes. I replace the existing steel boats with stainless and coated the wood in epoxy. I also decided that maintenance wasn?t as important as longevity so I filled the slot with a mixture of 404 filler and epoxy.
This morning we mixed up a batch of 404 filler and epoxy and I filled in and around the existing bedding. This was my first real epoxy work and it turned out better than I thought it might
Finally, a headstay fitting. Although we still have a ways to go.
Tomorrow?s plan is to lay up fiberglass between the post and the sides of the hull. This will again be a first.