Introducing Katie-J

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Oct 08, 2022 12:18 am

having ascertained the location of the storage units in the galley wall, it was time to build them

for the squarish shape i bought a plastic box and laminated e couple layers of biax on the outside

box demoulded and trimmed

for the upper storage unit, which is basically a rectagular shape, i couldnt get any suitable box, so i built a mould out electrical conduit/tray that i had to modify to get the 150mm width i was after

laminating the upper storage

demoulding
fibreglass doesnt do sharp outer corners. i was very pleased with the result, the corner spring back which ended ups rounding it a bit was kept to a minimum and the peel ply, once saturared, helps maintain a certain tension upon the layers

laminating the storages spaces onto the galley wall

i had previously marked where the openings would be before the lamination

i guess it works!

Lloyd · Post by **Lloyd** » Sun Oct 09, 2022 7:13 pm

You are getting very creative with all of this fiberglass work. Things are looking good!

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Oct 09, 2022 10:57 pm

Hi Lloyd, thats very kind of you.
having a small, finite, storage volume that i can work with use really pushes the imagination on how to create usable spaces
and also to pre-plan the amount of stuff you want to carry on the boat so that, ideally, you can come up with a dedicated space for everything (never quite works like that, but its a starting point)

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Oct 09, 2022 11:15 pm

new starboard locker

i previously installed a hatch thinking that the stb locker would be accessible thru that. fast forward almost 2 years and realizing the packaged size of the dinghy i will buy in the future would be too big to store on the V berth, i decided to move its storage location to the cockpit, hence the need for a different access.

so, not only the hatch install turned out to be a mistake, it seems ive misplaced the cut out piece. i will have to rebuild it out of G10 and biax, when i could've just reuse the original GRP piece.....

upon measuring up the space (and bearing in mind that the dinghy storage directly affects the size of the integral water tank being built in the near future) ive decided to store the dinghy in a vertical fashion (portrait orientation if you will) because that enables me a bit more water volume. i will have to modify the shape of the seat to accomodate for the height of the dinghy since i dont have the 800mm needed at the shortest (aft) end of the locker

after hatch removal

cut lines

cut section

i did imediately laminate that plywood bulkhead with a layer of cloth to avoid any water logging and guess what happened that night? a massive rainfall, that had me going back to the boat to check if everyhing was in order since i now have another hole in it. the pumps were doing their job and all was good

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Oct 15, 2022 7:48 am

the temperature has come sligthly down in Macau meaning i can bear to work inside the boat and fast enough to laminate without having the epoxy kick on me

tabbing the partitions to the hull with a fillet

templating for the stb bunk

stb bunk rough fit
needed adjustments to fit in, and some more will be needed for a final trim

got around some 2 inch pvc pipe which will be glassed along the sheerclqmp along the whole of stb side. it will act as a backbone conduit for electrical and water lines.

the glassing will be interesting as i will need to keep the necessary "bowing tension" on the pipe in order to follow the curvature of the sheerline

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Oct 30, 2022 6:38 am

got a few hours today to get around some templating, cutting and rought fits around the STB berth

sketching up and cutting up the straight lines with the angle grinder and finishing the corners with the jig saw with a metal blade

first opening cut and used as a template for the other 2.
it was centered in the middle and them scribbled the contour around

all 3 cut

didnt got any photos but aniway ive covered the process of templating and cutting on different times so it just more of the same.
this time the template was for the stb partition as a augment of its size in order to close the space for the future cabinet

plywood is 12 mm for that partition, so 2 x 6mm G10 off cut pieces were cut, sanded and lightly scored with the angle grinder

got the 2 together and some weight, tomorrow should be cured

got around to transfer the template for the side cabinets to the G20 sheets and cut them both

first dry fit for the STB cabinets to have a feel for the both storage space and volume occupied in the cabin.
it feels great, doesnt feel intrusive or making the cabin claustrophobic. comparing the original storage size i guess im ending up with almost 3 times the volume per side.

i have enough clearance for the 4 inch mattress that will be installed (thats the foam sample you see on top of the battery charger)

YouTube · Post by **atomvoyager** » Sun Oct 30, 2022 10:49 am

Nice to see all your progress. Did you mention somewhere the reason you are using G10 rather than plywood for all this?

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Oct 30, 2022 11:27 am

hi atomvoyager

thanks
i guess i did in some other post, but dont ask me which haha
aniway the reason im going with G10 is, it will never, ever, rot, pretty stable material, reusable.
its strong: it basically impossible to bend and break a full sheet 6 mm thick of this stuff. i can bend and break a 6mm sheet of ply without any advantage.
its heavy, twice the weight for the same thickness of plywood (if memory serves) but im not worried about weight whatsoever. i hope to have her neatly trimmed by the time both tanks are full, the engine is back inside, and loaded for a 1 person normal usage

i think its also a good sale point for a future owner: you will never have to worry about water intrusion, you work it just like
plywood and you can hose this boat down inside and it will never rot.

to give you a comparison: there wasnt a single piece of plywood on the furniture of this boat that wasnt delaminated, and, after 60 years, that glue had completely dried up. the main bulkhead and these semi bulkheads are in great shape though, no delamination at all, no rot at all in the main bulkhead and only very localized on the partitions where water would collect overtime. if they had used the same grade of plywood most likely it would still be there.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 6:52 am

anchor locker works

having previously cut the anchor locker bulkhead (and accounted for my mistake.....hehe) it was time to determine the acess hatch shape, size and location within the bullhead itself

weird shape isnt it? but i fit it and it grants me acess to the very nose of the boat and thats the important bit

the bullkhead was then tabbed and laminated to the hull (not fully done yet, still missing the overhead section on both sides)

both fwd and aft side were laminated with 2 layers of biaxial, it is pretty strong

having glued up the bulkhead i could now pattern the shape of the floor to be cut and glassed in the near future

that 8mm pilot hole to the right side was done last year, before i removed the old gelcoat, to give me a reference in relation to the waterline, so i wouldnt dril the drain too low.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 7:04 am

port bunk/locker works

the semi partitions were laminated to the hull

after that the lid was dry fitted and the access hatches were cut

the fwd access hatch is smaller than the middle and aft one, since the deadrise, at that point in the hull, is more pronounced vertically and i woulndt have enough material on the lid to establish a strong connection to the hull

i also cut out the wall to create acess space to the thru hull fitting.

and used those first laminated test pieces (4 inch diameter) to create the inside shield, which will keep the locker watertight

as always everything was tabbed and laminated with biax

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 7:09 am

STB sheerclamp

the last section of the sheerclamp still to be replaced by G10
dry fit

epoxied in

excess resin need to be removed and sanded to receive the 30mm G10 section to be placed on top of it. thru which the big external chainplate will be bolted

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 7:16 am

winch and mast step removal

decided to remove the remaining winch
before

after

and the same on the mast step
before

after

im sketching up a new mast step, with a different shape and having dead eyes welded onto it.
the current step also had an aluminium packer piece which was bolted to the SS, and then the actual mast step was bolted to the alu packer.
everything will be made in SS. no more dissimilar metals where there isnt really necessary

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 7:27 am

quizz

a new box, a inspection port and its correspondent hole saw...
can anyone guess what, and where?!

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Nov 05, 2022 8:31 am

port locker lid tabbed in

STB locker lid laminated

it will be a real pain to laminate on the inside but it what it is, no shortcuts.
i want the furniture to play a role in reinforcing the hull kinda like that matrix thru which modern grp boats are built upon,

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 8:39 pm

got around to laminate the anchor locker floor.
im thinking of filling it up with 2 pound polyurethance expanding foam, since i cant do anything with that enclosed space.
ii will then make an opening and pour the mix thru that and glass it in the end

lamination of port bunk/storage
my method for laminating is to pre wet all the surfaces liberally, then apply the cloth and cinge it vigorously with the laminating roller. this will force any excess resin to soak the first layer. then i saturate the rest of the cloth with more resin, again liberally. then apply the second layer, and again press it hard with the roller. wait a few minutes to allow for the resin to warm up , become less viscous, thus more liquid, and soak the 2nd layer. from here onwards the application of resin is very controled, meaning i will apply just enough to soak the cloth. after this i apply the peelply and again use the roller. wait a few more minutes and some it will be soaked, like in the photo

then i mix just a bit more of resin and chase all those unsoaked areas/air bubbles untill they are filled, with a brush. to fill all of this area i used 60 gr of mixed epoxy.

ive found this method to be quick and enabling me to achieve close to a 1:1 resin to cloth ratio. which is what we would be striving for the strongest bond possible (the less resin used the better)

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Wed Nov 09, 2022 7:52 am

glassing the port locker/aft locker semi bulkhead
before

after

this semi bullkhead will become part the aft wall of the integrated diesel tank to be done in the near future

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Wed Nov 09, 2022 7:57 am

cracking on the interior furniture pieces for stb side
needed to do some patterning first...

floor template

then the walls for the cubby boxes

onto the G10 sheets

rough initital fit

had to recycle the ply strips from previous templates, they add up quickly!

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:29 am

Stb cabinet floor lamination

its been great to have a temporary shelve to put things again while working. its the small things!!

finally tabbed the bit i had to cut out of the bulkhead

and then proceed to laminate the top section and the small piece. with 2 layers inside and out this thing isnt going anyhwere

since i had the G10 pre cut i could get the fore/aft wall for the diesel tank glassed in also
the prep its key

the final size of the diesel tank is determined by the cockpit well. i it will be roughly 50 mm below that, to account for some holes to get fuel lines and electric cabling

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:37 am

port locker

i had the G10 sheet cut so i did a rough fit

clearly i need to extend that to its final length

im actually going to extend at the fwd end in both lenght and height to maintain everything levelled.
this was cut using the same template used for stb side, but since the position inside the boat its slightly different i knew some adjustements needed done

i tried to get the lines to help me templating, and i got them, butit was the end of the day and i was tired hence the multiples lines. im going to finish the facade of the cabinet and get these lines again

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:42 am

the following photos are just glass reinforcements done to the chainplates backplates
4 layers of biax were used for each spot

port aft and main backplate

port fwd and main backplate

stb fwd

stb aft

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Thu Nov 17, 2022 6:59 am

solving the mistery box case....

well this is what ive done with that second laminated box

got it trimmed to size, tabbed and laminated to the hull

it was a very big diamond hole saw!

inspection port

i couldnt just let the chance of squeezing a few cubic inches of storage go by. it is a minimal space but its out of the way, will come in handy im sure, and it doesnt affect the acess to the bow of the boat.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:15 am

V berth furniture layout

did a rough fit of the cut pieces that will lay the foundation for the storage organization layout.
there will be more elements (not vertical though) to laminate and close the spaces created

to stb the idea is to have a small wet locker just by the main bulkhead, followed by a larger space (maybe some drawers)
and another space for a drop in like storage space (since it connects to the anchor locker bulkhead, closing the space with a fore aft wall would make the whole thing claustrophobic and difficulting the access to the inside of the anchor locker. will make a cardboard template to have a feel for it aniway)

aft view

to port there is a large space and then a similar space going foward, that im hoping its enough to store a 20 inch tire foldable bike.

aft view

i still have to figure out the placement for the composting toilet which in turn will sort out the cabin sole arrangement. from there all the rest will fall in place naturally its just closing off the spaces.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Nov 19, 2022 6:50 am

finally installed the fwd pvc pipe conduit
for that to happen i wanted to glass in the storage partitions first in an effort to have them contouring the pipe to the sheerclamp.
i also finished gluing and reinforcing at the main bulkhead

partitions laminations

main bullkhead reinforcing

opening the hole

fitting the pipe

at the bulkhead

note the T junction to make way for the cabling coming from the mast and also as a first discharge point should the anchor locker ever see that amount of water...which is alot and not very good news heheeh

the result is not bad but i wont be doing the same going aft, i think i can get the pipe to follow the sheer more closely even if im talking about centimenters (mm actually).

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Nov 19, 2022 6:59 am

trying to see the future layout on the V berth by scribbling some lines

you might need to zoom in to see the lines.
the upper ones refer to the fore/aft wall running from the bulkhead to the anchor locker

the bottom lines, triangle shaped, refer to the cabin floor
still not sure if im going with single level floor or a stepped one. i like the single level one because its a simpler design and it creates space between it and the hull which i will claim for stuff that tolerates being wet.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:48 pm

i know...even i am surprised it fits this perfect!!!

i think i will end up glueing the oversized trim stopper to the actual hatch, as opposed to glueing it to the bulkhead, reason being that if i do that i will be shrinking the entrance size by 35 mm in all sides, ie, 70mm, which for such a confined space to begin with is a fair bit.

on the other hand i think an inside glued trim stopper makes for an improved wartertightness (but maybe thats just how my brain sees things

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:54 pm

diesel tank works

the fwad bulkhead could do with some fairing to even out the imperfections so i faired and sanded it
will need a second pass with the fairing compound, but it was enough for me to epoxy the fwd diesel tank wall.

the tank lid will not be placed at the level created by the fwd and longitudinal wall. i just made the fwd as tall as the longitudinal for my ocd.

the tank lid will be placed 50 mm down from the top edge and will have a built-in slope both forward and stbside going, to allow water to flow in to the bilge. it doesnt need much, 3 degrees of slope is enough to avoid pooling.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:07 pm

since i might still take her out of the water this season, if i get the hardware done in time, i had a look inside the aft lazarette locker about the rudder post.

this is original.
i like the simplicity of it and how it avoids more seals and water ingress opportunities.
but im not replacing like for like, since i decided that both the windvane and tiller autopilot will be installed in the locker and not on deck.

this means that a quadrant will be placed around the position of that clove hitch you see in the photo. since it will be forward facing i will need to cut and rebuild a section of the cockpit well to accomodate for it. I could install it facing aft but then it would be in the way when i need to get inside the locker. it also means i need to install a shaft seal which im not really excited about but its whats needed.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Nov 25, 2022 7:56 am

v berth works

after i got the lines scribbled on the hull i proceeded to patterning the fore aft wall

at this time its seemed that the fwd most partition needed to be cut back

i halved the pattern because it was too big for the entrance

i knew the aft most partition was not long enough and that i had to glue a piece to make ends meet, but that also happened on the fwd partition so something got lost along the way...
aft partition

i cut and glued up the 2 pieces and then tabbed and laminated the whole thing

its pretty solid but it will be laminated from the inside also

i still had time for one more lamination, this time on the outside of the diesel tank.
it was a workout to say the least but the real thing is still to come upon the lamination of the water tank having only the engine bay width to jam myself into, lots of cursing ahead

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Dec 03, 2022 4:12 am

stb side works

some reinforcements laminations over at stb side furniture

corner reinforcement

stb forward most locker.
decided to have a hinged lid for which the cut out will serve perfectly, just a matter of installing some stop battens underneath
if you look closely you will notice a black dash which references the highest point the lid reaches whilst opening. i will install a small compartment on top and this mark will help me avoiding conflicts.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Dec 03, 2022 4:22 am

port side works

tabbed the fore/aft wall to the hull

it was then possible to mock up the upper storage unit

in turn this allowed me to see the correct position for the shelf/separation between the lower and upper storage spaces
and, most importantly, that it would be WAY easier to glass that in before closing the unit!

shelf top side lam

underside lam

also mocked up the first floor piece.
in the end i prioritized confort: instead of having a higher floor to accomodate some small storage, i got it as low as i could to enable the higher "standing" room possible.

with the floor piece cut and prepped i could laminate if to the hull.
i laminated the wall and floor piece at the same time

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Tue Dec 06, 2022 7:54 am

V berth works

was able to tab the portside upper storage unit

and also tabbed a shelf on starboard side
didnt had a suitable G10 piece big enough but i glued it anyway and in a few days i will complete the shelf by inserting the missing bit

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Tue Dec 06, 2022 8:00 am

decided to remove the instruments and close their respective holes

before

after
i actually made the holes slightly bigger with a 4 inch hole saw, because it was the only one i had in hand to then cut the G10 round pieces. despite using 2 x 6mm pieces for every hole im still not flushed by a few mm. the fairing filler will do the job.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Tue Dec 06, 2022 8:20 am

im also trying to make progress on the cockpit lockers.
on starboard i still needed to glue a piece of G10 to close the semi partition that separates the new stb cockpit locker from the aft locker

it has been a while since ive been on the aft locker...and well...back to sanding and feeling itchy!
before

after sanding the whole partition and G10 already in place

same G10 piece seen from the cockpit

a while ago i laminated a few turns of cloth around a 1-3/4 inch diameter pvc pipe to make the dripping trays for the lockers.
i then halved the result and i think i will have to laminate some more to complete the project though
today ive cut the half pipe to more or less the final lenght and had a look on how it feels

the drain will be a bit more angled down towards the cockpit and a second leg will be added leading the water to exit below the locker lid end
notice that i also glued the low stopper trim

i also decided that i am laminating these supporting brackets (6mm) to make the drains more load bearing.

the main load bearing point will be at the turn of the seat so i decided to use some bits of that halfpipe and turn then into stop brackets.
here im making the orifice to get them thru

installing the stoppers

everything will be laminated with cloth for extra support

YouTube · Post by **atomvoyager** » Tue Dec 06, 2022 8:59 am

This is all impressive and well done. I hadn't considered using G10 for cabinetry, partly because of cost and weight and I thought the 1/4" panels would flex too much and require stiffeners in many places. But I see there are a lot of possibilities. Have you found that the larger panels need more support other than along their edges than say an equivalent piece of 1/2" plywood?

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Tue Dec 06, 2022 9:40 am

i am using 3 mm thick G10 for most of the cabinetry and tanks. given the size of my boat no panel will not be long enough to worry about flex
with 6 mm i dont think you need to worry about flex. At all. 6 mm its really really strong and heavy also, thats why ive only used it for the bow locker, some cabin sole pieces and some vertical partitions which i will be glassing in the future underneath the cockpit and thats only because its a place where people gather so it needs to be really strong.

initially i though about using 6mm, but when i received the very first pieces (used to replace the rotten sections of the sheerclamp) i realized how strong and heavy the suff is, thats what made me backtrack and order 3mm thick instead.

from my experience 3mm will flex if you go longer than 500 mm span and if you laminate only at the ends, but if you laminate a 3rd side (say the one tabbed to the hull) will be fine. if you laminate on all sides then the very center of the piece may spring just a little but it is completely rock solid. they key is the lamination schedule. its the reason why im being so fussy about laminating each and every side with 2 layers of biaxial

YouTube · Post by **atomvoyager** » Wed Dec 07, 2022 9:03 am

That makes sense. I'm going to try G10 3 and 6mm in some places going forward. Thanks.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:45 am

ran out of laminating epoxy so had to change gears and focus on other things
to be honest its a welcome break from spending full days applying epoxy

decided to give the cockpit lockers a start, then got excited with the result,speed and power of an angle grinder armed with 60 grit flap disk and made a complete mess by doing an initial grinding on the cockpit itself. i kept vacuuming what i could but man, it was dust everywhere. i still have the gelcoat peeler and im using it again to do the cabin top, but for the cockpit and deck, being tight and small places, its difficult to use it.

Maybe i can use on the fwd deck section when the time comes, if not i can always resort to the mammoth 4 inch makita roller sander, which is so heavy that you need only to control where it goes.

port locker before

port locker after

stb locker before

stb locker after

in my quest to claim all the space i can, within (my) reason, i thought about having a sheet locker/compartment, embedded in the port locker.
to that effect i got hold of a bigger electric tray and laminated over it

i then transfered some lines into the port locker lid

the opening lid its smaller than the compartment itself. i had to keep the opening as small as possible to try and retain structural integrity of the bigger locker lid, so i avoided cutting on both turns of the seat.

i got some 304 SS piano hinges and cut them to size. couldnt find 316, so lets see how this fares in the future

installing the hinge (hinge already installed on the bigger lid)

semi closed lid

when i receive the epoxy i will complete this project, the compartment will self drain straight to the cockpit, so that moulding will be attached with a slope.
i will also try to laminate it whilst pre tensioning the lid, in an effort to restore both shape and integrity.
the big lid has a bit of a spring and itsnt fully closing because the cockpit has a slight compound curve over that big of a span. i guess time will set things straight.
on starboard side the locker lid is smaller and im not getting the same issue

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 9:56 am

cockpit mess!

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:00 am

i still have west systems epoxy which is what i use to glue and fillet things
so i could glue the missing bits on both big lids

some details of the epoxy bedded stop trim tabs i showed before

it feels strong but i will still glue a small supporting gusset and laminate with one layer of biaxial

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 9:29 am

more holes!

this is getting a bit embarassing by now
.....oh well im just trying to improve the boat to the max.
(this is what i keep telling myself aniway!)

So, last time i was working on the boat i removed the old teak grating from the cockpit floor because things kept getting stuck and lost between the strakes. i put it aside.
Came back to the cockpit and imediately felt that those 40 mm (i measure the teak grate thickness right after this "moment") really made a difference, height wise, to accomodate myself upright under the bimini.

Went home thinking about it and, knowing those 40 mm would help, but, most likely, wouldnt be enough.
I know this because i already had plans for all the space under the cockpit floor for which i wanted to create 2 individual compartments, thus i knew i had to, either build or install acess hatches. this would eat into those 40 mm.

And then i was like: well, why dont i just lower the whole damn thing?!
that made sense!
and today i just cut up the whole cockpit floor after a few measurements.

after

its a very sturdy piece, i would say about 7 kilos (15 pounds), ranging from 6 to 10 mm thick

i then used the cut out piece to knock out a rough fit at 70 mm deeper than original layout
outside view

this gives me a visual for the gaps i need to bridge in order to laminate it back together.

inside view

and this enables me to have a feel for the remaining volume inside.
this space was always envisioned as 2 individual lockers: a dirty locker for engine fluids, etc, and one to house the fridge compressor unit and a very small water heater.

to support the new floor i will start by rounding this edge (original floor) and glassing it to the underlying bulkhead.
this will strenghten the whole area into a strong anchor point.
i will then glass a G10 cleat (lip) onto the bulkhead so the new floor rests there

at the fwd edge i will laminate a drop down cleat in 6 mm G10, from the inside of that step. it will act both as a floor cleat and a bridge between port and starboard sides of the cockpit.

in between the floor will be supported by 2 vertical walls, 6 mm G10, which will separate the lockers from eachother and from the engine room.

lowering the floor will force me to redo the cockpit drain trays and then glass them into place which is going to be the hardest part of the project.
(i will laminate around a 2 inch (maybe 2 1/2 inch) pvc pipe, with a minumum of 8 layers of cloth. and then halve it to make the trays)
but it also affords the chance to eliminate those 2 hard to reach spots where the water presently drains, and fully enlarging the step, bridging port and starboard cockpit sides

the drains port will then be placed just "at the step" which will force changing the current hose pick up point.

by the end of day, and since i had all that access, i thought it was a good time to tab the watertank wall (one of the biggest pieces made for the boat, cut from 3 mm G10.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Dec 23, 2022 1:52 am

kept thinking about the new cockpit drains and concluded that, what i really need is a oval section, as that incorporates a drop in height and a "hook" section to connect to the original floor.

now, there isnt an oval PVC pipe section so i went for the next best thing
got to sections of 2 inch round pipe and tape them together

as im still out of laminating epoxy i will hold this for a few days more.
im curious to see if i can get the 2 needed profiles out of one single lamination, i think so but lets see.

meanwhile, went back to the boat and prepped the entire interior area for the water tank., meaning i had to grind off the all the old paint back to bare grp.

before

after

and then proceeded to tab the aft water tank wall to the hull

unfortunately im down with covid so im guessing no work in the next few days, a bummer since i had asked a few off days to get some work done.
keep safe people!!

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Thu Dec 29, 2022 8:25 am

new cockpit drain trays
after a coupe of days of curing i removed the peel ply and its looks great

profile of the new drain

there is a nice drop in height and a generous cup which will bridge the new gap between the floor and the cockpit sides

'will have to do a final mock up to determine the slant and cut appropriately

the cockpit floor needs work done in order to be reinstalled so i ground it off with a flap disk
before

after

after grinding the underside

some spots to be filled (they have never been filled from new), just before i laminate a couple layers on the underside of the cockpit floor

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Thu Dec 29, 2022 8:48 am

it wouldnt be a boat refit day without cutting some holes....... somewhere!

marking the new access hatches onto the floor

after cutting the hatches

in order to cut the hatches i had to cut the reinforcing elements,~that run atwartships, one of the them being a SS corner piece which was in great condition. im leaving whatever is original and still firmly attached to the floor, because it is actually still performing
you can also see 2 black lines, representing the future vertical walls, in (6mm G10) which will separate both lockers and support the whole floor

you can see here the that i cut and smoothed the corners of the bits left on the cockpit floor

i went back to the boat and kept on grinding
eventually i got it done

i decided to eliminate that awkward spot where the water actually drains off the cockpit.
the cockpit has a little step that was done probably during the building (usually Pioniers do not have the step), but in doing so and raising the height, it created a spot very hard to reach, clean and repaint

to eliminate i am simply glassing a top lit in 3mm G10 and a then a vertical piece to enclose the step and seal off that area.
in this photo you will see the top lid already tabbed. and also what i referred earlier as a drop down cleat: the piece where a cleat will be epoxied to anchor the fwd end of the cockpit floor

to anchor the floor at the aft end i begun by laminating a couple of layers and later i will tab a 6mm thick cleat to the bulkhead on the black line you see there. the line is 70 mm lower than the original floor height

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 9:19 am

decided it was time to start dealing with the rudder situation
the metal rudder post is being replaced by a composite one.

just before removing the very top of the post

after

there was also some very old plywood and old resin and reinforcing lams that i hammered out with a chisel

all the crap that came out

detail of one of the bolts

i still wasnt happy removing stuff away and also realized that if i cut the post shorter it would improve the space available to work around it

i then cut some of the bracing with an angle grinder
this is below the waterline, so any mistakes here and i would have a leak

port bracing

there is rot near the hull, the top section is dry

starboard bracing

the rot was only present on the side near the rudder post, it was dry going fwd towards the bulkhead.

after some cleanup and before grinding the bulkhead

after grinding

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 5:07 am

cracking on the cockpit floor

glueing the new drain channels to the sides
they will be further glassed with a couple layers biax , either from the outside and underneath

with the new channels firmly in place i could lay the cockpit floor to get templates for the lockers partitions
these were cut from 6 mm G10

dry fit

seen from above

dry fit with cockpit floor

im still a bit way from finishing this project, as i want to laminate the cockpit floor with a couple of layers and reinforcements, the hatches have the be build from the cutouts. all of that is easier to do before glassing the floor back into its position.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Jan 01, 2023 5:20 am

got around to close the step with some more G10
you will notice some gaps between the new pieces. that is intentional. that exposed corner of the step will be rounded off and i will try to use the expanding foam i am pouring inside the closed spaces to help me give a final shape. those gaps will serve as venting holes for excess foam (will be drilling more holes for that effect)

got around to start correcting another mistake.
initially i wanted to position the morse control on the aft portside cockpit seat (dont really know what i was thinking.....) and i had made the hole for the controls.
finally came to my senses and decided that the controls should be side mounted on the stb side coaming (future project)

i also spent some time around the watertank
decided on the final size by drawing a line all around. im not sure about the volume but im thinking close to 200 liters (55 gallons)

i was also able to template and cut the baffle

and started to cut the tank lid lip. this is a 20 mm wide piece that will run the perimeter of the tank, being tabbed and glassed to it and giving the lid something more to bond to apart from the walls.

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Jan 07, 2023 9:35 am

still no epoxy so not much i can do to laminate and glass in cabinetry or structural things
but i have to keep going, i only have 3 more months of working weather, then 6 months of hell

so i broke out the peeler again, what a fantastic tool, very expensive (i sold it already, half price from new, to a friend that lets me use it, when i need)but man this thing just goes. can only recommend its use should the need arise.

cabin top before peeling

half way there

fully peeled

it must have taken me about 2 hours to fully peel the cabin top, and im already including a second pass with a 60 grit flap disk on a grinder, to completely remove all the leftovers and give it an initial grind. (
Another pass will be done with 40 grit on a orbital sander, to even out the surface, preparing it to receive a couple of layers of biaxial

portside view after peeling

starboard side view after peeling

original handrail glass work and lamination removal
this was where the teak handrails would screw.
i will epoxy in some small bits of 30 mm G10 which will become the bolting base for the new SS handrail fittings

before

after

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sat Jan 07, 2023 9:46 am

the peeling was needed not only for painting it anew but also because i need to build the hard dodger

bought some cheap pvc pipe to bend and have a feel for the volume and shape

then added a 1 mm thick G10 sheet i bought months ago, quite flexible and should provide the substrate for thicker sheets to follow
its a crude mock up as it shows a flat surface and not the rounded shape it will have in the end

with these steps i was able to draw some lines onto the cabin top and today i laminated 2 strips which will act as anchors and "shape makers" for the following strips

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 6:00 am

dodger build

i got the shape close enough to laminate a couple of layers
as you can see i basically used that 1 mm G10, ripped in 100 mm wide strips, then had the idea of getting some fabric bags to cover it, in an attempt to feather the discrepancies and also to use them as a kind of stuffing agent, forcing the shape from the inside out, creating bulges.
finally i covered every bit with cheap gaff tape
i used 10 rolls of gaff/duct tape.

its messy, but the good thing is that, all those strips will be reused to effectively laminate the dodger for strenght. the gaff tape acts as a demoulder

fully gaffed!

laminating

the end result with be full of bumps but strong enough to apply fairing, sanding, and then i can glass more strips and add more layers.
i will also add a small lip at the top (and centered) but first i need a strong base

pmnfernando · Post by **pmnfernando** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 5:14 am

dodger build

peelply removed

demoulded

all the underlying "structure".
yes.....what a mess. you can see how i was using those bags as stuffing agents

refitted after structure removal

fairing application
i used more fairing that im willing to admit and i know that im applying some more. lets give this a chance to cure and see how it fares (pun intended)
this alexseal stuff is pretty expensive but really nice to work with, no sagging at all even if you go 15 mm thick (which i did). I had a test done months ago when i did the hull, i had some mixed leftover and i applied it on a concealed part of the cabin (have to remember to take a photo) just to see how it would react if you slapped a stupid amount of it.

Not only it cured rock solid, as i then cut it with a jig saw and it gave me a clear cut. Obviously this isnt a structural filleting product but i knew from the test that if you are to use it as a fairing agent and then laminate over it you wont have any problems, even if you go 20 mm thick.

a better shape (than it was initially at least hahaha)

overall look
you will notice i didnt apply fairing all over it. it would be a waste to do it on the window area.
the goal is to get a shape im happy with and pleasing to the eye