Centerboard trunk progress

The centerboard passed its pressure test; no overnight loss was seen. The bronze centerboard trunk has now been fitted into the plank keel, and a bronze slot liner has been mortised into the keel where the slot in the ballast keel would otherwise expose it to worm damage.
Today David and Roger worked on construction of the wooden centerboard trunk. We couldn’t find sufficiently wide quarter-sawn teak planks to replicate the previous engineering. I insisted that the additional timber not just be pasted on the top of the wooden trunk; I want it below the trunk clamp. So Snediker proposed several triple-wedge constructions, all of which were quite elaborate. Scott suggested that he just add small, one-bolt-width (about 1 ¾ inch) panels between the top panels and the bottom ones, and bolt the rest in a regular pattern.
The trunk panels are held to the plank keel by through bolts, and the floors are clamped to the keel by two trunk clamp timbers, one on each side, so the entire construction seems sufficiently robust.
It was also decided that the planks would be sided to just two thicknesses, the bottom plan to 2 inches, and the upper one to 1 5/8 inch, as Luke did, rather than being tapered as Nielsen specified. This makes the construction much less complicated.

Non-critical task porgress:

• I installed the new thermostat.
• I degreased, sanded and painted the primer coat on the engine, using engine primer from NAPA.
• Yesterday, it became clear that the bronze liner around the tiller (upper) segment of the rudder stock needs repair. It is fastened into the stern post by about a dozen screws, all of which are failed. The segment is too long to go up; it hits the aft wall of the cockpit. It would strike the propeller shaft if it were to slide down. Thus, we must pull the prop shaft, after removing the propeller. The screw was tightly corroded onto the shaft; it took a day and a half of stress applied by a wheel puller, percussion, and heat from a torch to break it free. It now has been removed, but the cut-less bearing case (or stern tube) needs to be removed as well.
• I received a variable-speed water pump from Kellogg Marine Supply, and I ordered the water heater tank from Defender.

Pending stuff:

• Finish trunk
• Paint engine
• Pull stern tube
• Paint engine bilge
• Fill under-engine bilge diverticuli with pitch
• Order PEX parts
• Order electric panel. It needs loads: Outlets, charger, water heater, spare.
• Order fail-safe galvanic isolator
• What about an inverter/charger combination?
• Decide the new galley configuration
• Design the new head configuration.
• I need to decide whether the battery charger is screwed or not.