Boat in workshop at 9am done by 1:30pm - believe it?

Am I impressed or what!

Put the boat in for repair Thursday morning  9am and had it back by lunch! Yes it's true!
Additionally, the repairer didn't just grind and re-weld ....
But added in extra aluminium bar to strengthen the whole keel

Best thing yet only cost me a little more than twice the cost of last repair
But.....
Instead of the 20cm hairline crack repair of last time or the 45cm I thought this current crack to be
This hairline crack ended up being 120cm long once he got into it
So 6 times the length and only a bit more than twice the previous price - plus extra support for the keel added

It's a little bulky under there but the guy fixed so I don't have to come back - that's great service!

So all the bits are going back in this Sunday - decks, fuel tanks batteries etc
Hoping to get a new sounder/GPS combo to put in while this happening

So this means I might actually be in the water within the week, maybe even a calm weekday afternoon.

 Look out fish!

Refit images next blog.

If you're after someone to do some aluminium work, can't recommend this guy enough.
http://www.seacodemarine.com.au - Jim is the guy you're after.

Boat in for repair in two days!!!!!!!

Well, got boat stripped down of everything I could (motor and console left - plus a little deck at front
I drained the 100litre fuel tank and removed it, removed the seats, casting platforms, and batteries,

So today I booked the boat in for the repair of the keel hairline crack in two days time!
which means I could be back on the water in a week or two!

The guy booked to do the repair, is a professional plate boat builder
so it will most likely cost me more than the backyard bloke I used last time but the new guy is going to add a little aluminium plate to strengthen it all near the keel- this sounds good as the better the repair is it lessens the chances of the crack reoccurring.
But as always good work of quality is always going to to cost a bit more but hopefully not too much!

Wife as usual is nagging me about costs (remember her current fanaticism about our rural block purchase and building a house on it over the next year)
but a $1000 or so (hope no more than that!) is a lot less than a new hull and the all the work to get all the motor and such transferred. While certainly not as good as a new US fibreglass bay boat, the $1k or so for the repair is heaps less and at least it floats

Got to remember to slow down in rough chop!!!!!
so I don't have to do this again!

Updates to follow!