Rudder Shoe and Strap Deadwood Junction

The rudder shoe and strap, not yet uncovered from their covering of fiberglass. What is structurally important here is that the 3/4" plywood over the deadwood is applied first. This plywood takes the large stress on the rudder shoe and distributes it over a large area of deadwood instead of the small corner end of the deadwood. The 3/4" plywood is glassed before the shoe is installed, and then the whole assembly is glassed after installation. Clyde describes the original process as follows:
"The back bone was brought into the building shed and laid on its side and the lead ballast was attached (first step in building). The bottom of the back bone was covered with fiberglass to a rather thick layer from just above the bob staple (it wasn’t in yet) all the way to the after end of the deadwood. This glassing had to be done because the next step was to raise the back bone to position. No more glass was added until she was framed up, decked and planked. Then she was glassed, including around the after end of the deadwood (before attaching the fittings). The fittings were glassed over after installation. Made it lumpy but the glass faired out the lumps so it produced less drag (probably not noticeable)."
The 5/8" threaded rod is one of six that comes up from the bottom of the deadwood, throught the apron, and is bolted on top of the apron. These rods hold the aft section stack of douglas fir beams that form the deadwood together. ( the nine 7/8" keel bolts, the last one coming through the apron in the engine compartment, (approximate location where lead ballast ends below) hold the apron, deadwood, and lead ballast keel (iron on western boats) together. When the lead ballast keel ends these 6 threaded rods hold it all together.) Note the layer of 3/4" plywood behind the fiberglass flap - that plywood layer originally covers the whole deadwood and threaded rod.