We confirm our suspicions of what happened to Paikea when we start investigating the cracks above the rudders. Poorly executed repairs have meant that we must now grind it all back and properly repair the damage done at some time in the past. The skin is broken and the core is rotten. What a mess. It appears that at some stage in the past the previous owner had run aground and both rudders hit the bottom of the hull. At least it explains the missing original rudder.
The project gets even more challenging when we run out of e’-glass and have to finish repairs in carbon fibre. Shayne runs through we this isn’t really an issue as long as the cloth properties we are using match the requirements needed for the job.
We also see our transoms start to extend as one project melts into another.
For those of you who are also working on fibreglass repairs to their boat, Shayne offers a few tips on the correct materials to use and why.