The stern area of the boat is mostly worked out now, with the ‘back deck’ and swim step all tied structurally to the rudder post. The port side will be for climbing aboard, so the lower platform is extended a bit past the hull edge to make a proper foot landing pad. A ladder can be bolted to the vertical panel above that step.
The red color comes from the ‘microballons’ – fine powder that thickens the epoxy and makes it sandable for final smoothing. These red lines in the corners are the ‘fillets’ – curved joints of glue that significantly increase the surface area (thus strength) of the bond. The gentle curve also makes the fiberglass tape layer (still to do in this photo) adhere better.

Also worked this weekend on affixing the beam fairings to the fronts of the beams. Cut three access holes in the tops to reach inside and tape the inside surfaces to the beam and float. This photo is the start of bolting flanges. Glass is affixed to the beam but not the deck (plastic tape and wax in between. All of this will look much prettier after the beam comes back off and can be worked down on the floor. Stay tuned…