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Pictures of the cleat? Its the stringer that runs for and aft midway between the CB Trunk and the hull sides. On further inspection it actually separated the bottom layer of ply from the cockpit deck. I did not take any pictures of the damage and its since been repaired. This is the forward end close to where the rear cabin wall joins the cockpit deck. This area of the deck is not well supported except by the rear cabin wall so I think beefing up that joint will help stiffen that area and also put my mind at ease which is even more important.

Herb

No, I meant I wondered if you had any pictures of all the modifications you made. Was just curious to see if I should think about doing mine the same way. But anyway it's no big deal--I can figure it out from the narrative.

The mod is adding 'glass to the underside of the 'bridge deck' and aft cabin wall. It's basically the bottom of the aft cabin wall if you're sitting inside the cabin. This is probably the weakest area of the boat given the stress it's under. Only external cockpit 'glass is called for in the manual whereas both sides would be better.

Chris suggested this treatment can be done when the boat is upside down to avoid doing this when you, yourself, are upside down. Makes sense. I have a related issue where I've got a 1/2" gap between the bridge deck and the aft cabin wall. I plan to cut some ply and fit it into this area, then epoxy it in place, and when the boat is upside down, doing a full 'glass treatment.

I had the same problem with a gap.I used 6 mm plywood

Ok, that is interesting. It seems to be a common problem (yours is the 3rd boat) that for some reason hasn't been brought up before. You were able to do this before you screwed and glued the cockpit deck down. It's too late for mine unless I pull everything apart. In hindsight, I would've added 1/4" to the top of the centerboard trunk to level this out.

Say Hood, are those clear plastic inspection ports on you CB trunk? I used them also. What do you think about using them for the cabin portholes?

Herb

Inspection window is not for opened frequently.Loses its ability seal.I use acrylic,brass,wood and sikaflex .
Hood

Lexan best for portholes, I think. It sounds like you want to be able to open them for more ventilation. I've been thinking about powered mushroom vents instead of the funnels. There is one type that has a small solar panel on top of the vent itself, and runs when the sun is out, but I have read that they are very flimsy. Another idea I've been toying with is fan vents powered by the boat's battery. I am almost certainly going to put a solar panel over the companionway slide, so that should be sufficient to maintain battery charge if the fans don't draw too much current.

On the solar vent fan, they're worth adding, I just wouldn't pay top dollar for them. I've seen them at the Marine Store for upwards of $150 vs. online at $35. If you expect them to last a couple years, and they do, then they did their jobs. From the reviews, I haven't seen any difference in life between the expensive ones and the cheap ones.

I'm going to see how well the dorade vents work before permanently installing a fan in the dorade vent opening in the cabin. This can be somewhat decorative, too. I'm loathe to put a hole in the roof so that's ruled out for me.

Alternatively, you can buy USB-powered fans for very cheap online, for like $2 (just expect to wait for the guy to swim it over because it'll take 6 weeks). I have around 6 different styles and decided on one that will plug into the USB on my dash. It has an adjustable neck and is very sturdy.

Thanks--great advice. Just to be clear, if I do install the solar mushroom vents (or any kind of powered mushroom vents) they would sit on top of the dorade boxes instead of the horn vents. I know the mushrooms include their own sort of dorade, but like you I would not want to add new holes to the roof. So I guess I would have double protection from water coming in.