If nothing else, boatbuilding is an exercise in problem-solving.
Houseboat update Part 2, Monday, May 27, 2019 -- If nothing else, boatbuilding is an exercise in problem-solving. So here's my proposed fix for the problem of the wayward post. First, I run a long ratcheted tie-down strap from the top of the post to a U-bolt I had installed in the transom at the stern (never having considered the possibility I would need to use it for this). Next, crank the handle to put the strap and the post it's attached to under considerable tension. Then, knowing that it's possible to soften epoxy with heat, I carefully use an electric heat gun on the long epoxied joint between the base of the post and the hull. I keep the gun moving, trying to avoid unwanted damage, including blistering the epoxied and painted finish on the outside of the hull. After what seems like enough time, I climb down out of the hull, go around to the stern and give the ratchet handle a few more clicks. I eyeball the post again, and I see it has moved! Not enough, but better than it was. A little more heat, a few more clicks on the ratchet, and lo and behold, the post is right where I want it! But how to keep it there, that's the question. I decide to drive a cedar shim into the small gap that formed when the post moved, then cut off the excess of the shim, using a Japanese pull-saw. My hope is that ultimately the plywood panel that will form the cabin side will serve as a brace to lock the post into its correct position.
