Below the waterline.

The Big MAC was hauled in July, and I addressed an issue that I was already aware of...rot taking place BELOW THE WATERLINE!  I was apprehensive about knocking holes in the boat, but what needed to be done needed to be done.  Here's how it went.

When built, my father-in-law incorporated a "steam & twist" technique to the construction...a technique I knew nothing about.  If you look closely, you will notice that I removed two planks, and replaced them with four planks.  This was to more closely follow the flow of the lines I had to work with.  After these repairs were made and the boat was back in the water, I took a trip to the St. Michaels Maritime Museum on Maryland's Chesapeake Bay.  While there I picked the brains of the boat builders on staff to help me understand the steaming technique.  While I don't look foreward to removing structure from the below waterline anytime soon, at least now I have a greater understanding of how it's done.