Hey All

First, there is some great content and advice here. I am obviously new to this forum and the world of wood boats, at least from a build/restoration standpoint. I have been rabidly reading as much as I can over the last week or so.

So, I recently bought a trailer and it came with a boat! So, I have a project.

My  was goal (and hopefully still is) not to go full restore, but to get it in fishing shape as quick as possible. As I dig, though, I wonder if I am dreaming.  The boat is not in terribly bad shape. Judging by other stories on there, there are boats restored from a worse state of affairs.

The good areas: the floor and bottom are in good shape. The bottom of the boat (and sides) have been fiberglassed over. The bottom is pretty burly and in good shape. If at all possible, I'd like to leave it that way, fix up the inside. Patch some holes and some rotted areas, and then get her in the water for the season - which up here in AK, means getting it in the water by July.

What concerns me most is the back of the boat, by and around the transom. For some odd reason, the previous owner (not sure if he built the boat) put ballasts in the back, in other words he closed in most of the back, filled it with insulating foam. The foam provided a nice sponge for water to hold in!  I promptly set to tearing that out and found a good bit of rot on the gunwale and the sides for the first two side frames up the boat from the transom.

(marginally in tact ballasts with lots of rot showing)

(half way through tearing out the ballasts)

(ballasts gone)

There are also two very similar holes in side, between the 2 and 3rd side frame off the gunwale.

Another oddity to this boat is there is no chine on the outside. Though, there is some mighty thick fiberglass in its place. The previous owner said he floated it a for 5 years at least. I will be running the Kenai river which is generally a very mellow river, at least the sections i would float in this boat. Do I need an outside chine?

So my first big question for this forum of experts and experience has to do with repairing that rot without redoing the sides completely. Keep in mind the sides of the boat on the outside have a layer of fiberglass on them.

Can I simply clean up the rot and use epoxy to fill in/rebuild?

I have seen a number of posts on this, but I feel like the more i read the more confused I get on the matter.

Again, my vision. Clean up the inside, fix the holes and rotted spots, repaint the inside, probably put bed liner on the bottom, put in new floor board, and build new seats for it (front and back), clean up any glass needs on the outside, repaint outside and get her in the water by July.

Am I crazy?

a few more pics attached