A shot with the construction boss/overseer. This should clarify things. I've emptied tons of detritus, cleansed decades of mold, and am slowly but surely poisoning a recent and wily stowaway (species Rattus norvegicus) to death, all as final prep for construction in the aft end of the boat. That means glass work will start in the next few days.
I'm using the the old pegboard that delineated the two lockers from the center space as patterns to make foam cored planks that will fit vertically below the cockpit sole. Glassed there and to the hull, they'll become longitudinal bulkheads reaching from the aft-most bulkhead up to the plane of "Barque's doggy door". I will make cored athwartships bulkheads at that point as well on the line of the forward locker drains, defining the rear end of the cabin space in the process.
Planned progess will be: make slightly oversized foam planks from pattern, insert dry, mark and trim to fit, while also noting area of hull and structure from which paint will need removal prior to bonding. Take panels back out, glass both sides, then reinsert and bond in place. Most of the surface glassing of the new bulkheads will be done outside of the boat this way. I'll probably roll on a coat or two of paint everywhere besides where they'll need bonding while the space is "open" and easily accessible, leaving only the "new construction" to be painted once glasswork is done.
This will serve as my test for creating foam-cored, glass-skinned panels/planks shaped to fit as 'dry' foam in the cabin, removed for surface glassing, and then reassembled and bonded at the corners/edges to finish. Crossing my fingers it works like I think it could...
Once done I will have two completely separate cockpit lockers (watertight, if I work on the locker lids a bit), and the space under the cockpit sole will be stowage, accessible from in the cabin. Immediately forward of this, at the same height/level as the original settee, will be my double-bed-sized athwartships berth, 2/3 under the companionway, with 2 small projections on each side of the boat allowing one to lie along the hull instead of across the boat, if desired.
Still figuring out the mechanics of the doggie door, how best to keep it as an openable area which can still be sealed easily and securely when underway...
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