At last, today I think I have closed off the hole that I cut open in the starboard side of the hull some two weeks ago. Yesterday I bought a new arc welder and I have been watching a few You Tube videos on welding. The combination has improved my welding technique quite a bit, that and persistence. I have spent the last several days grinding out bad welds and rewelding them, over and over until I was satisfied that the welds are at least okay. There will no doubt be more rust patches to cut out and weld up before this refit is over but hopefully the next round will go a little smoother.

All  is well.

From the outside:

and the outside:

the new welder – small, light and relatively powerful:

Meanwhile work continues on refurbishing the quarter berth: