Cape Dory 27 Refit - Construction Questions

[WhoKnows]

Roverhi: I really appreciate your comment. It doesn't look like anything is tabbed in. All furniture is screwed into fiberglass forms adjacent to the hull. Even the bulkheads appear to be screwed in. Should I consider tabbing these to the hull as well?

[WhoKnows]

TrentePieds: Thanks for your insights. When you say fore and aft partial bulkheads inboard of the settees, are you referring to the fiberglass form that the settee woodwork is screwed into or the wood "walls" of the boat above the settees? I'd like to remove these and potentially not replace them.

[WhoKnows]

Thanks for all of the recommendations on youtube videos and books, they're all things I had found, but great resources and good to be reminded of them.

I'm working on finding all of the leaks that would have contributed to the rot... that is a very important reminder that the interior is secondary to soundness of the hull and deck. Thanks for the reminder.

Finally, I hear you all on the resale value piece, and this is something that I've wrestled with a lot. The fact of the matter is I got this boat for next to nothing, and I could probably just sell it and make some money now. As my intention is to build a boat for me that I'll want to use and keep, I've decided to just give redesigning it a try. It's true that it may lessen the resale value in many peoples eyes, but as long as I don't damage the boat structurally (which is why I'm trying to ask as many questions of you experts as I can), I can't imagine that I will not be able to get my money back (less my hobby time of working on the boat) or make a little money. As such, I'm kind of inclined to do a bigger redesign and am open to any ideas y'all have that might be useful (for example Don C L suggested moving the kitchen aft away from the companionway). This boat was designed exceptionally well for its purpose in 1981, and I'm in no way trying to take away from that. It just might be designed differently for my purpose in 2020. I mean no offense to the Cape Dory crew out there. I love the boats classic lines too.

[Cheechako]

I'll just warn: Don't go whole hog on stripping the inside of the boat. Fix what's needed, sail it a bit. Boats are well thought out, interior changes always compromise something else.
Boats need so much work even if ready to use when you get it, you can make a mess of things over doing stuff.