The boat being over 50 years old, there are some parts that are suffering from rather bad corrosion. The bow deck plate is about the worst, so this is being replaced in it’s entirety.
However a hole has developed in the stern deck, this has rusted from the inside out due to condensation in the engine bay.
After taking a grinder to the area, this is how it looks. The steel has gone from 1/4″ to paper thin, not surprising after 50 years or so!
It would be a massive job to cut out the entire plate for replacement, so a patch was made from 5mm steel, and welded over the hole:
Here’s the patch partially welded. The holes closer to the bottom are another small area of damage, and another patch will have to be cut for this. It’s covering the deck drain channel so it’s frequently under water, so it’s inevitable that this section would corrode.
All that is left to do now is to finish off the welding, grind everything smooth & repaint.
Another small job complete!
73s folks
