I’m thinking ahead to installing the cockpit decking and working my way backwards to figure what I need to do next. Certain things must be done prior to install and other things might be much easier if done prior to install. So right now I have several mini-projects going on at once.
Once my deck goes on, I don’t want to have to work underneath for any other reason than to clean up squeezed-out thickened epoxy.
So…general areas needing attention are :
Must be Done
- Floor installation
- Footwell installation
- Centerboard pendant hole
Helpful to Have Done
- Electrical wiring
- Paint &/or Varnish : aft storage, cabin, interior faces of footwell, and undersides of cockpit deck
- Blocking for bungee netting (a mod)
- Glassing exterior faces of footwell and seat pieces
Footwell
I’ve glued on all the cleating to the footwell sides and rolled 2 coats of epoxy on all exposed surfaces except those cleat faces that will mate with the footwell floor. I’ve also gone ahead and fiberglassed the faces of the sides and floor that are exposed to the cockpit. The manual doesn’t glass until after seats are installed but I can’t think of why not to do it now. I will still add strips of glass tape over all the joints after install.
Floor Installation
All of my floorboards are ready to be screwed down (see previous post) but I want to first get my electrical conduit run through the bilge. I also want to first get my paint line nearly up to where the topsides panels will join the side panels. Thus far I have brought cabin paint from the bilge up to about 6″ from the edge of the bottom hull panels. Now that the sides are completely installed I can continue the paint upwards. Since I will want to have a final coat continuing across the new paint and the previously laid coats, I will hold off screwing down the floorboards for now.
Electrical
The low voltage wiring running through the bilge will be in conduit, so that conduit needs to go in prior to screwing down floorboards.
PLAN CHANGE : You might notice in previous posts I already had installed this conduit and had filled it with 4 runs of duplex wires. I’ve since ripped that out and will replace with five runs of single wire. I just wasn’t thinking about all my circuits correctly and a friend who actually knows what he’s doing helped me come up with a better plan.
STERN WIRING : I’ll need connections to the stern for various things. I am copying Terry Goding and mounting two junction boxes in the starboard and port aft storage compartments. I’ll terminate all the bilge wiring in those boxes. So, these need to be built and installed prior to the seats going in. I don’t REALLY need these things but stuff like this is fun to build as much as anything.
Centerboard Pendant Hole
I did not follow the manual on this but I don’t have strong feelings on the method difference really. I copied Brent (from Idaho)’s method. Instead of drilling the hole and then filling with thickened epoxy per the manual, Brent drilled small vertical holes down into the horizontal pendant hole. You then clamp small blocks of wood (wrapped in plastic!) to either end of the horizontal pendant hole and then pour unthickened epoxy into one of the vertical holes (1-2 other vertical holes serve to expel trapped air).
Like I said, I doubt it makes much difference but it seemed to me that Brent’s method might be better at avoiding air pockets in the epoxy fill.
At this point, the hole is filled but I still need to drill out the final pendant hole before the deck goes on.
Bungee Netting
There is the forward storage locker of course, but on an extended outing I’m likely to have more gear. I’m going to install some bungee netting at the back of the centerboard truck so I can store things at the aft end of the cabin and they not get loose and careen about while under sail.
I bought two sections of bungee netting, one for port, one for starboard sides. The four corners of the netting are simply elastic loops that hook around mounts that came with the netting. The mounts are screwed in and need blocking since 1/4″ hull sides don’t offer enough purchase.
I cut out 4 circular pieces and glued those to my hull sides. Port and starboard sides each get a pair. Below is a picture of the installed upper block on the starboard side. Pics of the whole setup installed will come later.
Below is the netting and one of the little round buttons that the net will attach to. Those buttons will be screwed into the round blocking shown glued to the hull (above). These nets, when hung, will help keep gear stowed in the very rear of the cabin area while under sail.
Varnish
As with the centerboard trunk and the cabin face of BH2, all cockpit deck cleats and the cabin face of BH8 will be bright. All of this has been done at this point except that after the final interior paint coat I will apply probably two more varnish coats to the cabin face of BH8.
Paint
I want to paint everything in the cabin and rear storage area prior to installing the cockpit decking. This includes the undersides of the cockpit deck plates as well as all the interior faces of the footwell pieces.
The storage area was primed with two coats and the covered with 2-3 coats of bilge paint. Note the sanded off perimeter on the hull bottom below. I will be enclosing most of the underside of the footwell in order to avoid stuff sliding under the footwell and disappearing. The inside of the resulting compartment will also be stuffed with foam insulation. I like the idea of this section being completely closed. Out of scrap plywood I cut three pieces that will be glued to the footwell pieces, extending to the hull bottom.
Before painting the undersides of the cockpit decking, I needed to trim for dry fit in order to properly mask off the areas where the cleating would mate to the decks. Doing this made it feel like the deck pieces were going to be installed any second now. They’re not.
Penciled Underside
Before painting, I also cut out the access hatches for the rear storage area.
In the picture above you can also see I’m painting the interior faces of the footwell pieces and the underside of the forward cabin deck. They are on the bench in the rear of the photo.
Below shows the hull sides primed up to just a couple of inches from where the topsides will attach.
Next
Complete finish paint on hull sides, tying in to hull bottom paint.