Making a start on the transom...

While there are still many jobs to do and areas to finish inside, we are comfortable enough in our living quarters to move outside and make the most of the long daylight hours and the favourable summer weather in the southern hemisphere. With Waitangi Day last Monday, this was the last long weekend for a little while and so what better thing to do than start on the transformation of the transom and making a head start on the outside - certainly one of Peter's areas of interest. 

After experiencing the difference a sugar scoop can make when we extended the transom on our last boat, it was clear to us right in the beginning that this would be a great modification on this boat as well. Not only does it provide an easy option to get on and off the boat, but it also makes it much easier from a safety aspect to get back on the boat if you've gone for a swim or if you've gone over the side and need to get back on without a dinghy in the water. Besides all of those points, we do perhaps have at the back of our minds that this would be a great launch pad for our kites as well :-) 

We are going to keep it rather simple though - an open sugar scoop, no fancy lowering transom that would require a lot more work, time, money, hydraulic systems etc. We'll keep it 100% watertight, taking away the possibility of water ingress in heavy following seas but rather have a simple platform with steps leading up to the deck.

When we cut out the transom we hit our first area of wet core. Luckily it was only at the bottom section of the transom, most likely caused by old fittings or dings on the bottom of the transom that let water in and migrated up. All the wet balsa has been removed and a thick glue layer at the very bottom should prevent this being caused again from dings at the bottom and we have replaced the balsa core in that area with waterproof foam.

Tonight's project is to fit the wall and sides in so we can glue them in tomorrow, giving us the weekend to glass the entire transom. Pretty good going so far and certainly exciting to see a totally different area on the boat transforming! So as always - watch this space xx