| Bolero
Project |
November 27, 2007 My first order of business today was to cut out the opening for the new hatch in the poop deck. The layout was complete, so I used a Sawz-All to cut off the fiberglass support tube at hull level. Then, I drilled 1" diameter holes at each corner and cut out the opening with a jigsaw. After removing the panel, I cut off the other end of the support tube for possible reuse; I discovered that the tube had been formed around a cardboard shipping tube. |
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With the support tube out of the way, and a larger opening to make access for emergency rescue crews easier, I wedged myself as far into the compartment as I could and just managed to reach the non-original bolt securing the backstay deck unit to the bracket which was secured to a glassed-in structural member beneath. This enabled me to finally remove the deck fitting. (How I'd reinstall it later remained a mystery that I cared not to worry about now.) |
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While I had the drill and jigsaw going, I also cut out the last remaining area of the deck at the forward end, now that we'd made a decision on what the future mast collar would be and were no longer worried about clearance. |
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Before I sanded the decks yesterday, I had cut a small slit in the sidedecks at the location for the new cabin bulkhead--this so that I wouldn't sand away my layout lines. Now, I confirmed once more that these marks were in the right place by measuring aft from a static point on the stem to each mark (measurement for future reference: 190 5/8"). I clamped a straightedge across the boat between the marks, checked again the boat's fore and aft level, amd then used a plumb bob to make marks on the fiberglass cockpit sole directly beneath the straightedge; this demarked the bottom location of the new bulkhead, in line with and plumb to the marks on the side deck. A rough layout line I'd made during the mockup process was close, but not quite as accurate as I wanted for this purpose. |
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With a new layout line on the deck, I cut out the molded sole/liner forward of the line, leaving the cockpit side alone. Without knowing exactly what was on the inside of this compartment, I proceeded with care not to accidentally cut into the hull. To rapidly open the bulk of the compartment and see what was going on, I kept my bottom cut well above the actual turn of the bilge. I found a couple gallons of water in each side, which I sponged out before continuing. |
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When the compartments were dry, I enlarged the openings with cutoff wheel and Sawz-all as necessary, getting the edges as close as I could to the hull and remaining hull liner. Then, I used a big grinder to remove the final remaining bits of the fiberglass from the liner. I spent the rest of the day sanding the hull, remaining liner, bulkhead, and overhead in the area that would become the cabin. Someone had painted the hull liner with nonskid paint that proved difficult to remove, so in this area, where, with a wooden ceiling planned, this liner would be hidden from view in the final interior, I didn't worry about removing all the old paint after determining that it wasn't practicable. The sanding only had to be good enough to provide tooth for another coat of paint later on. I considered removing the flimsy liner, but it just seemed as if it were adhered thoroughly enough to the hull that removal wouldn't be cost effective. During later steps, I knew I'd need to remove portions of the liner so that I could tab new structural members directly to the hull (bulkhead and new chainplate supports). Perhaps later steps will make the final decision on the fate of the liner, but I didn't relish the thought of cutting and grinding it all away. Time will tell. |
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What a mess this makes. I couldn't wait till Friday so I could clean up the shop. |
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