Boat Interior Remodel - What Can I Remove Safely?

[OKDB]

Hi All,

I have an older US27 and want to remodel the interior. The short version is I want to move the bathroom about 3ft aft, and remove the current icebox in order to make the forward birth practical for 2 people. In doing this I will 'lose' the dinette, but plan to make a small 2-seat dining solution which will work better for us as we almost never have guests below.

There is no plumbing in the boat (porta-potti) - the plumbing was removed many years ago, so not concerned about that aspect.

My concerns are whether the parts of the interior I need to remove to do this (the dinette structure, the icebox, the forward berth) can all be easily removed and rebuilt without harming the overally structural integrity of the hull. The structure appear to by plywood covered with some kind of heavy paint. They are well built, but dont seem to be attached to the hull in any way that suggests they offer structural support.

Any wisdom, advice, or caution is gratefully received.

Thanks!!

[Spot]

OKDB,
The corner formed by the bulkhead and wall closing in the aft part of the head look to be in 'compression post' territory meaning that they are probably helping support the load from the mast if it is deck-stepped. I would not mess with bulkheads in that area unless you replace/compensate for the compression load from the mast and rigging.

I am not a marine professional, I am still making my own mistakes 1 and 2 at a time...

Those look like neat boats regardless. All the best.

[tkeithlu]

I get the wholesale rate when I order mistakes on line.

Spot speaks with wisdom. You probably can make the berth bigger, or even into an adult playpen, and shift the porta-potti, hanging closet, and whatever that is beside the closet to the aft side of the bulkhead, but don't even think about messing with the bulkhead itself, unless the image of a folded banana appeals to you. In addition, there may be structure under the existing berth and under the sole that must not be compromised.

"Probably" as a qualifier is there for a reason. It may be that the longitudinals under the seats in the mess area are structural in the mind of the designer.

An eye for what is structural and what is not could be important here. The designer of your boat did his best to conceal structure in pretty wood, so if in doubt, it may be wise to get some other eyes to look at it, not just our opinions from afar.

[OKDB]

Spot - thank you so much for such a well-informed post (the diagrams are great!!). I had noticed that the aft wall of the bathroom seems somewhat 'structural', but did not have the understanding of why until I read your post.

My workaround for that is to make the aft wall of the old bathroom the fore wall of the new one, and mess with it as little as I can. That said, when I say 'mess with it as little as I can, would I be best to simply leave as is, or can I strip down the panels off it? Underneath will I see structural stuff (the stuff I should leave well alone?). I notice the chainplate in the bathroom, as well as on the opposite side of the boat in the identical place. Presumably these are bolted to some sturdy stuff underneath? I dont want to mess with that.

Is there also likely a 'post' or something directly under the mast? Again, your very helpful diagram really helps in understanding that.

Appreciate the insight.

[OKDB]

Thanks Tkeithlu,

Good advice/wisdom from you as well, much appreciated. Not messing with that bulkhead works for me!!! It will make for a very large berth up front, but that our biggest priority down below - a great place to sleep. I'll go down to the boat and do some more measuring and exploring to get more info.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

D.

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

I get the wholesale rate when I order mistakes on line.

Spot speaks with wisdom. You probably can make the berth bigger, or even into an adult playpen, and shift the porta-potti, hanging closet, and whatever that is beside the closet to the aft side of the bulkhead, but don't even think about messing with the bulkhead itself, unless the image of a folded banana appeals to you. In addition, there may be structure under the existing berth and under the sole that must not be compromised.

"Probably" as a qualifier is there for a reason. It may be that the longitudinals under the seats in the mess area are structural in the mind of the designer.

An eye for what is structural and what is not could be important here. The designer of your boat did his best to conceal structure in pretty wood, so if in doubt, it may be wise to get some other eyes to look at it, not just our opinions from afar.

[Cheechako]

Would this work?

[Spot]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

I get the wholesale rate when I order mistakes on line.

Right on TKL. I bet you save on shipping too!


OKDB, on my 21' boat the compression post is simply a piece of 2x4 (38 x 88mm) framing lumber. On other boats it is more substantial, and sometimes highlighted like a newel post from a fancy staircase. If you don't see a post or mast in the cabin then it is being accomplished by the other structures.


Cheechako, I like it. Nice flow between galley and seating and head is more private. Probably a little more time re-plumbing than the original proposal.

[OKDB]

Thats an interesting idea, and I very much appreciate the diagram!!

The only downside to moving it over there is that I would need to move one of the two fuse panels and master switch, though thats not the end of the world. We do also use that area for storage, and I had designs on installing a 12v cooler over in that space also, but it would be an interesting thing to look at.

One thing I am curious about is weight distribution. That design would out both the washroom and kitchen on one side of the boat. Not a ton of 'weight' in a porta-potti washroom, but something I have wondered about.



I will do some measuring when I am back at the boat this week (I am very fortunate its less than a mile away at its dock).

Thanks again for the thoughts!!

D.

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Would this work?