Saturday 3/6/10
I finally crawled into the stern to check out the rudder, the back stay support and the outboard motor mount. After clearing away all of the spider webs I was able to evaluate the stuffing/packing box which seems to be in usable shape. The mounting block was fiber glassed but a crack has allowed water to rot the underlying wood, this will have to be ground out and replaced. The transom was only tabbed on the port side or the side within reach of the access hole but I think that I will be able to crawl into this area to correct the problem. The backing plate for the motor mount and the back stay will also need to be replaced.
I finally crawled into the stern to check out the rudder, the back stay support and the outboard motor mount. After clearing away all of the spider webs I was able to evaluate the stuffing/packing box which seems to be in usable shape. The mounting block was fiber glassed but a crack has allowed water to rot the underlying wood, this will have to be ground out and replaced. The transom was only tabbed on the port side or the side within reach of the access hole but I think that I will be able to crawl into this area to correct the problem. The backing plate for the motor mount and the back stay will also need to be replaced.
