This story is the start of a major project, the repair (not restoration) of the external structural panels. I say repair versus restoration for a good reason. Most books on the subject of wood boat restoration describe how to rebuild and replace existing rotted wood in the exact way the boat was first built. This differs from repair where it is my intention to remove rotted wood to the best of my ability and then to inject/coat or fill the remaining underlying structure to bring structural integrity back and to give a final appearance which resembles the original look of the trawler.
The pictures below are the beginning of this task. I have selected the port side since the majority of fresh water damage is here, specifically aft of the foredeck scupper and running back to the vertical support for the solon roof deck. My plan calls for two coats of primer and two or three coats of top coat (white).
Prior to scraping and sanding
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The 3M vinyl ester filler I’m using is described in a related story.
Down to bare wood where necessary then epoxy/glass filled. The vertical fill is the plywood seams. I did not tape them - an error?
The worst damage, deep into all layers of the plywood panel. Repair of this section will require removing the plywood.
May 27, 2002 - four layers have been laminated. First coats of epoxy and glass are next
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