And it just keeps getting worse...

6 hours, 11 beers and 2 slivers later I managed to get the glass off the bottom of the drifter to have a look.. worse than I thought. It seems the glass work the previous owner did was very poor, trapping water in the wood and causing serious rot in 5 locations, fortunately none has moved into the side walls, if it had I wouldn't continue with the repair. Its funny how dissapointing an on the the water problem can be, but you later find out how important the problem brought to light actually is.. this boat was dangerous, and on a bigger river could have resulted in a much worse scenario, in the least a complete loss of all my gear.. or possibly a life. Wood boats are fragile, and must be stored, repaired and maintained differently than more conventional materials, wood is not for everyone. Funny this boat has always been stored indoors, but due to poor repair it sat inside with water trapped in it probably for several years. I hope to have the bottom completely off tonite, and then make the decision on whether to continue on with the project-