Bow Repair Nearly Done

Well, slowly but surely, the bow repair is nearing completion. No, I haven't spent much time on the boat lately and you'll just have to take my word for it that I have been spending my time in worthwhile endeavors.

The the hook nose - er, bulb bow - was ground away along with the offending dowel ( I still believe that the dowel offered a solution to my perceived problem but was poorly installed - leading to the massive quantities of filler} as well as the paint, primer and epoxy. Down to the bare plywood. I sanded the bow down to bare ply back about 15" from the stem. Once all of that was removed, I began reinforcing the bow.

I applied a coat of neat epoxy to the bow and then wrapped a piece of 6 oz FG cloth around the stem and back about 9" on each side of the hull. Additional epoxy was applied wet-on-wet to fill the weave of the FG. Slightly thickened epoxy was used to finish filling the weave and to fair the edge of the cloth with the hull. When the epoxy had set up there was more sanding to do. I was pleased with the results as the work progressed through the end of April.

May was a busy month for non-boat type activities. A two-week vacation in early May was well worth the time away from the boat. Since returning to work I have been getting things figured out and lined up for an unexpected treat - I recently realized I will be able to retire at the end of the year! The possibilities for retirement are almost endless! And so far, no one has told me, "No, don't retire - it isn't worth it!"

So, getting back to boat work (I began varnishing the oars last week), I have just about finished the bow repair. Here is an "After" photo of the straight edge taped to the hull. The hollow is gone! If you recall the "Before" photo (or go look at the previous post), you know the hollow was very pronounced. I am happy with this aspect of the repair.



Here is the starboard side of the bow with two coats of primer and a single color coat.



Even though I will apply additional color coats, I am less than pleased with the results so far - the area where the new paint on the repair blends with the original hull paint needs some work. I suspect additional coats of paint will help blend the two together. In addition, although not very visible in this photo, there is a faint line where the edge of the FG cloth is faired (or not!) with the hull. I am disappointed with this line as I could not see it or feel it before the color coat was applied. Perhaps I will refinish the hull this coming winter.

The bow definitely looks better now than when the boat was launched in February and when I had it out for a row in March. This weekend I am taking it back to Richmond to experiment with several small boat sail rigs. A friend has access to an assortment of sail rigs that have been in storage at his sailing club. Since my mast and sail are not ready, this will give me an opportunity for some sailing! I'll report on that outing early next week.