Fish Taco is getting a face lift; a few additions and repairs are needed to get her ready for the 2017 season. On the way to the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival I had bumped the outdrive of the Suzuki 15 HP motor. The transom and stern knees were cracked. I purchased some #14 x 4 inch bronze wood screws to stiffen the crack in the stern knees. The screws have been installed and the screw hole plugged with a bung. A bung is a wooden plug cut out of similar wood that has the screw hole. I still have to trim the bung to fit, fill, sand and then paint. When I am done the repair will be invisible.
I am adding pole holders; the brackets are flush mount and to make them less obtrusive I am routing a recess in the gunwales. I cut some 1/8 inch plywood strips and then glued them to 6mm plywood, 1/8 inch wider than the bracket. I drilled a 1-1/2 inch hole in the gunwales for the bracket and then clamped the template to the gunwale so I could route the recess. I then used my baby router with a 1/4 inch straight cut router bit and a template guide. The result is a recess that has the bracket just slightly proud of the gunwale. I still need to seal the area with epoxy. I will use stainless steel screws and marine caulking to finish the installation of the bracket.