Interior refit 1970's kit sailboat questions

[Spot]

Started the installs today during a heat index warning.

Work, sweat, shower, eat, nap early afternoon, repeat. Did not remember to hydrate while working but had sports drinks w/ electrolytes during the breaks.

First cycle I got the tools out and port side in. There was quite a bit of trimming to do the the plywood and it was my first coped support.

Second cycle was shorter. I cleaned up tools and coped the front support for the starboard side. No nap required.

The sliding t-bevel worked but was a little too big for the curves involved. One of those contour gauges with the sliding pins might have helped. The 4-in-hand file/rasp was very helpful. On the port side I tore a paper template to start the curves, on starboard I did more visually and by test fitting. I broke a couple stainless screws, operator error from too much power and too small pilot holes into the existing oak framing and not countersinking for the heads.

[wingless]

Looking good. Jealous of all that fun...

It might be useful to paint the hull w/ a high gloss enamel first, because those will be storage areas when completed.

Same also for the plywood bottom surface and edges prior to installation. That would help decrease it getting "funny" over time.

It will be impossible to get into the corners when completed.

[Spot]

Thanks W.

I have been painting the framing and the bottom of the ply, what a time saver versus doing them in-place.

The boat has some cosmetic issues that I have decided not to deal with, so it's just going to be a 'working' daysailor/weekender. I had previous hopes of making it 'more' that what it is (fancier interior) but that no longer seems desirable from a time and materials standpoint for a not-so-classic owner finished kit boat. Yesterday would have been a great sailing day but I was stuck in the 'belly of the beast'. Someday I might even learn to spend the extra money and buy in at the 'usable' point instead of the 'project' point...

I worked on the starboard side yesterday. I thought I'd done a better job correcting the pattern but there were still some issues. I added some temporary bracing in the middle of the hatch openings, thinking I will need to make something permanent. In retrospect I probably should have done two smaller ones with a space between. It's not like I am going to store water skis under those berths. I am wondering if owner #1 got to do all of this work without the top on the boat and I am understanding some of the reasons for the methods they used.

Pic of yesterday's progress and a PDF of the promotional handout for the boat enclosed.

[wingless]

Thanks for the image and attachment. It is very cool to obtain original documentation for the project.

What problem is being resolved by the temporary bracing?

If the deck is flexing then maybe an aluminum angle iron or box will provide sufficient strength, running the length of those panels, under the outside lip.

Good idea on painting the structure and back side prior to assembly. Painting the hull in those compartments would also improve those storage areas.

What level is the center floor going to be placed? My assumption is above that 1½" Schedule 40 PVC pipe. What is that pipe?

[Spot]

The temporary bracing is to support the berth tops while I shimmy around onthem while I glass them to the hull. The long hatch made them floppier than planned. I did not install combing as it would have been only 1/2" tall in some places and I knew I was going back to 'original recipe' of glassed to hull.

Had I been thinking a couple years ago I would have just made a template and used a router to cut hatch openings into the unhatched berths. Then I could have dug out the nasty foam and mice droppings, added the hatch lip/ledges, and not had left myself with such a big refit. I get to do the v-berth too.

The cabin sole will be about the level of the Porta-Potti plywood under the Danforth anchor or 1/2 to 3/4" above the framing members glassed to the hull.

The two hoses forward on the startboard side are MSD vent and enpty, the one over the berth is the through-hull for the sink. Orional was some sort of vinyl, same as the cockpit drain, which cracked and allowed the boat to flood the winter before I got it. I replaced it with a matching size radiator hose.

[Spot]

No new work on the berths today, spend time working on a different recreational vehicle.

During the intermission, I got thinking about foam. There were no cushions with the boat. I did my own covers on old foam in the RV. Now I will need to source and cut foam and do covers. The work does not frighten me, just the material selection, type and colors...kinda like the paint...

Questions:
1. Would a 3" 2.8# density x 60 IFD PU foam be a good starting place for the side berths? Too tall and my head will scrape ceiling. Too soft and I will 'bottom out'. I figures for longer stays on the boat I could layer a camping pad onto the berth. V-berth would probably be OK 4 or 5".

2. Best to use a synthetic top and vinyl bottom on these? Normally I gravitate to the cottons but this seem risky for a damp environment.

I got three fingers of daylight, I should really go glass those seams.

[wingless]

Images / progress looking good.

A really good source for foam, fabric and information is Sailrite.

[Spot]

Thanks W.

RE: Sailrite, I have viewed a few of their tutorials. They seem do a good job between products, service, and educational content.

I did the berth to hull joint with woven tape, Vector Net, and epoxy this morning.The Vector Net (Technora aramid at angles in a plain scrim) is from a remnant and I used it to have some fibers be at more of a bias to the plain weave tape to avoid a fracture along the tape where I will sit. The Technora fibers need a sharp scissors and they need to be buried under glass otherwise they are difficult to handle (sand) later on.

I used a little more resin than planned but figured it's contributing to the the fillet as I go. In retrospect, I probably should have worked up a filled epoxy (epoxy+glass micro-spheres and fumed silica) and made a rounded bead on each side the night before. I had it all taped off for 3" tape but the glass tape was more like 3.5" so I ended up moving the upper tape, which is basically just a guide for the first brush loads of resin.

Paint mixed resin, lay reinforcement, paint more resin, squeegee, and pull tape before everything sets. I had spares of everything in the boat: gloves, squeegees, stir sticks, brushes, etc. One thing I did not have was enough rags, I saturated the one I had and at the end I was using the masking paper as paper toweling.


Some pics:

[wingless]

Looks nice. That Victor Net looks strong. Those berth decks will be very strong.

[Spot]

I took the project for a spin yesterday. The new berths functioned perfectly as horizontal storage. A couple days ago I spent about two hours staring at and checking level between the leftover bits v-berth framing. I did not take enough pictures to remind myself of just how it was before but I did find a couple. The two vertical supports along the center line seem level to themselves and some of the tabs used previously with a piece of 1x4" laid flat so I am going to start from there.

[Spot]

Chasing the vberth with levels and boards was not working out as planned.
Tried a couple lasers, one flashlight laser and another laser built into a level and on a rotating base/tripod. Still no joy. Then I borrowed a small 'cube' laser from work. Horizontal beam is good for about 2/3'rds a lap around the vberth. I ended up jacking up the trailer and placing it on jackstands to remove some of the bounce from the suspension. Leveled boat stern to bow and port to starboard. The cube laser self-levels within 3-4 degrees and is repeatable to less than a fine Sharpie marker width even when being moved around the boat. Position laser, wait for boat to stop rocking, draw a tick, move a couple feet, repeat. I now have 4-5 tick marks along each side of the future vberth. Now to devise a framing scheme...

[wingless]

Automatic laser level lines are great for some projects, like ceiling tiles, but not so terrific for projects where the painted laser line must be at an angle that isn't level. Too bad they don't appear to offer one w/ that feature, because there are many applications where that would be useful.

The "brute force" method described sounds like the best method.

Looking good. Thanks for the update. Looks like fun...

[Spot]

Thanks W.
I got the new tabs in and a couple more pieces fitted.
It took me a while to coordinate sliding t-bevel and a single bevel compound miter saw. A couple times I cut twice and it still was too short...

The biggest labor savings has been bringing the saw onto the boat versus up and down the ladder and across the drive to make cuts. The second is to take a practice cut on scrap and fit it to the hull before going after the real beam.

The current plan it to have a couple beams aka 1x3's in front of the compression post aka 'the 2x4' and a couple aft which will allow framing for the MSD cover. The previous owner had framed across this, making it more difficult to use ?!? I will run the beam across to set it but then cut out the middle once it's supported.

Finished for the day at sunset, with the heat and humidity of the Midwest day starting to mellow. There is a LED light rigged to run once the solar panel/controller calls it a night. Hoping I can cut the other 2 beams tomorrow, paint, and install over the weekend. Then I can move on to patterning the plywood. I also need to spend some time in the boat in the rain to identify a couple leaks into the cabin. I think the port lights are due for some caulking or mastic as well.

[wingless]

Looking good, thanks for the update.

Does the freshwater tank go under that forward deck? Is there other storage available in that void? Can the freshwater pump and filter be accessed for service/repair?

[Spot]

To clarify, the MSD is/was/needs to be a new 2-3 gallon Porta-Potti type (due to height constraints) as old one was left to freeze and black water part is cracked. Previous owner did have it rigged for pump-outs, hoses and deck fitting, but the fresh water side appears to have been self-contained. Galley sink has a manual pump plumbed to a couple gallon tank and the sink drain has a through-hull. I have not thought about 'tankage' lately but what you are asking (thanks, needed that) is reminding that Peggie Hall has some similar ideas for me earlier, especially increasing freshwater capacity.