The stern welding is done (hopefully)

All last weeks new steel that we added has been cut back out and three new panels have been welded to the diesel tank, then a new, slightly oversize, weedhatch made and and welded in. I have now re-filled the tank and it's seems to be leak-free, but time will tell if we'll get any seepage through any pinholes in the welds.

Lots of new steel and welding have transformed the badly designed stern area, by making the weedhatch a bit bigger we had a lip that meant we could weld from both sides without needing to take her out of the water. Next we'll add a skin fitting each side and use flexi tube that can be removed to clean if need be.

I was going to paint all of this new metal but decided to leave it to get a light skin of rust to provide a good key for the paint, then I'll Fertan it before the undercoat.

We may also further modify the deck drain channels so that they can be easily removed for better access to the engine 'ole.

I'll also re-route the wiring, stern gland grease tube, raw water intake pipe so that they don't get in the way when I want to climb in the 'ole.