Fruits Of My Labor (A-113)

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Imagine, Capt, T, where there was bulkhead, a narrow passage and chunky furniture. just an empty hole lined with oak. The remaining bulkhead is evident under the decks and as ends for the bunks.

The first thing one notices going below is the wonderful graceful full curve of the deck and cabin going all way round port to starboard.

The original support structure of the compression beam terminates at the V-berth ply, those supports were screwed to the bulkhead befor the micarta was glued on. There is a single miserable cleat support under the ply. The one on the main bulkhead is fastened with 6 brass screws ( 3 top and 3 side) with some finishing nails added for emphasis. However, the V-berth ply is tabbed to the hull and the main bulkhead - on the top only. Half of a good thing. On 338 some of this polyester and mat tabbing has come loose from the ply.

The refit beam overhead is 5/16" strip laminated white oak, sided 5'' by 3"
Glued with a mash of epoxy/cabosil/chopped glass to decrease squeeze-out when clampped wet into the bending frame. Simple L-brackets on a plywood back in the curve of the pattern of the roof. Three pieces at a time left to set in the jig with light as possible clamping and it's done. Beltsand and cut to the pattern on the bandsaw. Piece of cheese.

Each end is lapjoined with a 3"x2" vertical that goes down to the V-berth using the coachroof side to get the angle. It's glued with the same mash to the bulkhead, and the blkhd which is so conveniently used for the assembly is trimmed back with the Hitatshi to the oak. So there's original plywood going all way round.

The post above explains the mahogany 'cleating' to spread the load of the abruptly ended vertical braces to the hull underneath the plywood berth and broaden the interface of the bulkhead/hull join in this heayily loaded area.

I remembered to rabbet the beam on the inside bottom edge which is almost directly under the center hole the mast electrics enter thru the deck. This will take the wires in a kind of chase to the sides of this wide opening. One guy came aboard and said, It's bigger than a Triton down here! Ofcourse there's no furniture in it yet.

IMCO: What I say here and what I"m doing to 338 don't make it right and don't make it wrong, it's just what I'm doing.