Slow progress is always better than no progress!!! Just started mine for the first time last week end and had the boat since april... will try to catch up to you but im effraid you run faster than me!!!

keep up the good work!

Got some more done today. I tabbed the bulkhead in, let it harden, then put a few more tabs on it. I ground the inside of the hull more than usual and thinned the resin with acetone to ensure I got good adhesion.(just about every bulkhead had delaminated from the inside of the hull.)
I’ll cut the door opening out when this sets up.

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I took some time to start plugging away at replacing the rubrail reinforcement.( I guess that’s what it is called). It is 1 1/2” 3/4” plywood glassed in flush with the top edge of the hull. My 30’ Scarab did not have this.What isn’t rotten is delaminating...

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Also, this boat has a drain under the gas tank like the 30 footer. I had decided to leave the drain out of the other boat and someone convinced me that it was important. Well every time I look in the bilge and see the plug I put in the drain it annoys me. The idea of bilge water sloshing forward under the cabin isn’t really appealing to me. This boat will not have any pipes connecting the bilge to the cabin. Like I said when I was building the other boat, the cabin will not be getting water dumped in it and if it does I’ll shop vac it out or something.I might put an inspection cover in the rear of the cabin under the carpet so I can get to the bottom of the hull.

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My 2008 Donzi ZR I just sold is like that. The engine room bulkhead is sealed as well as the cabin bulkhead. I like not having water under the tank. It has a small bilge pump under the cabin entry step with carpeted inspection plate.

That sounds like the way to go.

Do you think if you had to flip up side down your deck, it would sustain the spin without cracking or breaking? Or you would need to reinforce with braces on the deck before turning it over?

I’ve been thinking about that for the last year and a half Jeff. I’m not real sure. I think it will support itself. I’m gonna have to make some sort of table to sit it on. I’ll prolly do it after the hull rot is repaired.

A constant headache to Wellcraft on the Vipers when pulling the deck out of the mold was flexing the corners where the front deck and fairing meet up. It would sometimes have to be repaired after attached to hull or warranty repairs later. IMO support it.

So, lets say you close off the engine room and cabin bulkheads so water can't flow through. What happens to water that gets in the tank area? Is it realistic to expect water to never find its way into the area around the fuel tank?

Hope your motor building is going well. Been a long time since I rode in that machine or yours .Looks like I will bring my Viper next year to Buffalo.
Good question for salt water is hard on tanks. my Donzi ZRC had a drain plug in back side of step under tanks never drained water. Having the plug did make me feel better. My ZR did not.
My thought would be to seal cabin and engine bulkheads and place a drain plug in engine room bulkhead. If I every replace my Viper tank I will do that.
Also found my 35 LS order form from Larry Smith back in 1992.