Fiberglass Work

This web page describes remaining fiberglass work. Completed fiberglass work is describe in the Completed Fiberglass Work and Painting web page. At this point the planned fiberglass work is almost all interior to bilge or other non-visible areas.

Aft drainage area and aft dorades

On the inside of the transom wall an area will be fiberglassed in that will serve as a means to concentrate some drainage into two 2" above the waterline through hulls with seacocks. This has been referred to as the gutter. Above the gutter in the aft coaming are two plastic cowl vents. These lack dorades. Dorades will be built into the coamings and drain into the gutter. Aft side drains will be glassed over and drain into the gutter. The plastic cowl vents will be replaced with metal if possible. Cooling water exiting the refrigeration and AC/heat as well as water exiting the watermaker will drain into the gutter. There may be two 1&fract12;" aft cockpit footwell drains plumbed into the gutter. This is discussed in detail in the Deck, Cockpit, Cabin and Systems Drainage web page.

Eliminate aft bilge area low spots

Three low spots exist in the aft bilge area. One is aft of the rudder post. One is forward of the rudder post. One is just aft of the mizzen mast compression post where the batteries will be located. All three can be filled with layers of coring and glass.

Battery box support

The battery boxes will be located aft of the mizzen mast compression post. Some structure will be glassed in to support the battery boxes and keep them in place.

Water heater and expansion tank support

One expansion tank and one water heater will be placed on either side of the boat. The one on the starboard side will serve the vanity and shower. The one on the port side will serve the galley. Some supports will have to be tabbed in to support the weight of the water in the expansion tanks and water heaters.

Chain locker drainage and seal

The existing chain locker does not drain well. The bottom needs to be pitched forward. There is no need for access from the front of the v-berth to the chain locker so the existing door here will be glassed over with provisions near the top for the washdown pump hose and switch.

Cockpit coaming lockers

In the cockpit along the coamings are two small open lockers for things like winch handles. These will have to be repaired or replaced. There is also a big hole in the inside coaming where the diesel engine controls used to reside that will be turned into a locker. The exterior of these lockers is teak so no visible fiberglass work is needed here.

Former propane locker

In the cockpit is a former propane locker with a round lid. The propane locker has been removed. A shallow locker will be added under the existing round hole. This will drain into the gutter. This may be used as a cockpit beer and wine cooler using ice to keep things cool. It might also be used for storage of items needed in the cockpit while underway.

Cockpit lockers and aft storage

Below the shallow cockpit locker on the port side is a very deep and large storage area. On the starboard side below the shallow cockpit locker is the pilot berth. The sole of the storage area on the port side has water damage. Though not thoroughly rotten, the wood has softenned. Much of this wood will be removed. In it's place a lower sole will be added with storage near the hull used for the shore power battery charger and one or both solar chargers. Far forward of this storage area is the ice box. When the ice box is made smaller, space will be made available and the refrigeration compressor will be located behind the ice box on the opposite side of the wall where the cold plate will be mounted inside the ice box.

Removal of the sole of the storage area on the port side and of the plywood box enclosing the ice box has begun. Changes to this sole will help fit the battery boxes where they are intended to go. Vertical clearance is very tight.

The storage area on the starboard side behind the pilot berth is currently difficult to access and with battery boxes in place may become inaccessible. It may be necessary to put a door in the back of the pilot berth to access this area.

The watermaker may be installed in one of three places. One is near the refrigeration compressor if there is adequate room. A second is in the storage area behind the pilot berth which puts it near the transom. The third is on the port side near the transom, under the area where the propane locker was located prior to it's removal. Putting the watermaker aft near the transom has the disadvantage of poor access for maintenance such as flushing and requires long fresh water lines to reach the water tanks. If a scuba dive compressor is added it will be in one of these storage areas near the transom. The dive compressor will have the same problem of poor access to these storage areas.