[oldbluesplayer]

I wish it was finished - but at least it's getting closer.

I taped the seam last night, and finally got around to tabbing the knee and the keel hole repair. Off to see my girlfriend next, and get to the filling and fairing this weekend.

Ed - I hear where you're coming from, But....

"most pro's" ... ahem, excuse me while I clear my throat

see that hole in the keel stringer? the one where the drill slid off to the side, and didn't go straight thru the keel, but down the side, cutting all the way down thru the RW keel wrap. Done by a "Pro" boat yard.

I've read thru every string on this and other boards, rotdoctor, etc

Go back to currently page 91 of this site, poster Rich started a similar project, see thread "Wet transom Too" poster "Whitehawk" comes in and says the same thing you just did, then poster "Hermco" whom I believe is also a pro, come along and disagrees, that the external repair is also correct.

Sounds like this is an endless debate.

I'm an engineer, and I make up my own mind, based on what I see. I am not impressed with the transom design as found in this boat, in terms of structural support. It relied heavily on the integrity of the core, with inadequate supporting structure, provided, not with knees, or multiple stringers at full height coming right up to the transom, as seen in the mako's, but strictly thru the cap assembly. These boats have real nice stringers in the hull bottom, but, at least in mine, they reduce in height significantly before joining the transom, reducing their support value. The outer skin was 1/8" matt, rather suprisingly thin, with a thick layer of putty, heavily troweled and grooved, between that and the plywood core, while the inner transom was a combination of matt and RW - more meat in that. Wet plywood has the structural integrity of cardboard. If the core gets wet, it's all up to the glass, and the design... and then "pro" boat yards that drill holes thru the transom for bolts to mount things, and don't put any bedding in.

Ehh, what's the use, it's an endless debate, with as many variables as there are boat designs, and boat yards doing setups and repairs.

each one is a seperate case, in my eyes.

We'll have to hoist a beer together sometime - getting them in the water, and having fun, safely, is what it's all about.

Bill