19th August

Busy day today. Went fishing with my sister and filled the cooler with nice sized trigger fish, cleaned and bagged about 15 meals. Then..

Filled keel mounting plate with filler to make it flat and hopefully it will be a good flush fit.  Just needs a little sanding to get a good finish.  A few more coats of epoxy primer for protection and the keel plate is done.  Got to weld up the lead bulb bolts.  Dont want to use 304 threaded rod for bolting them on and have 316 bolts that are too short but can cut and weld (using 318 rods) to extend them and use a4 nuts which I have.  I think that will be better for corrosion seeing that it is underwater.  Once keel is finished I can put  it in the forest until needed. 

Nuts still on its side.  Epoxy coated the bow compartment and also gave it its first coat of epoxy primer.  Using Hempels Light Primer.  It now has 2 coats of epoxy resin and 1 coat of primer. 1 more coat of primer and I think it will last forever.  So much easier to work inside the bow while the hull is on its side.  Another day or two and I will flip Nuts to the straight and level.  It is so much easier to turn the hull the right way up than upside down.  Had to use a block and tackle to pull the boat upside down and the same tackle to stop the hull spinning the right side up when going the other way. A good sign?