It's a Wooden Boat...

We often hear - and share - the refrain, "It's a wooden boat, it can be fixed" without really appreciating that fact.

Today, I had that lesson driven home…

When I planked Gardens I struggled with the garboards, particularly at the bow and especially on the starboard side. I knew there was a problem but didn't fully appreciate it until we turned Gardens over last weekend.

There was a gap - not a sliver of light shining through but a legitimate GAP (wide enough to drive the proverbial truck through) where the starboard garboard did NOT pull tight against the stem/spine. The problem is visible (sort of) in this view of the overturned hull:

While that photo doesn't show the gap, rest assured the gap is (was) located at the hump. No, I don't believe that hump (a mis-cut of the plank) caused the gap, the hump just marked the gap's location.

A flap-sander on a grinder took car of the hump. A plug, fashioned of cut-offs and epoxy, filled the gap. The repair is visible in this view (albeit a bit out of focus):

So, my stewing and fretting about the gap over the last few days was unnecessary. I have a new appreciation for the adage, "It's a wooden boat, it can be fixed."