The Sole of a Cat

For some reason, I didn't get around to glassing the bottom plank to bilge panels in the middle of the boat here. As we're under flash flood and tornado warnings at the moment, the weather is not the best for it now! Can't paint the Searunner's deck either so trying to make some progress on the cabin sole and galley build out.

Quite inconveniently, the distance between bulkhead 3 and 5 is just over 8 feet. I madeup these large endcap pieces to fill some of the space between the sheet of ply and the bulkheads. Would have been much easier to have fit this prior to cutting in the stringers and putting on the bilges panels, but hadn't worked out the exact sole height. It ends up being a few inches higher than originally designed due to the addition of the stringer along the bilge panel. Anyhow, all sorted now and the top of the sole will be exactly 12" below the designed waterline.

These fore and aft runners will glue to the bottom of the sole. I had originally not decided whether to glass the sole in or make it removable. There seems to be no good way to make it strong, but solid without glassing it in. My current plan is to glass the inboard side of the sole to the hull side and then stop short of the hull on the outboard side, but attach to galley cabinet face. I put the stove up in the attic, but may need to get it back done to get this all laid out.
I got the endcap/ bearers epoxied in this afternoon and will pattern and cut the sole plywood tomorrow if it doesn't all float or blow away overnight!

Painted sail locker

Hatch cutout for forward bunk

Forward bunk glassed in place

Work Continues

The Searunner project is mostly complete so I should have a bit of time to putter on the Vardo prior to joining the family in Michigan for the second part of July.  I have managed to get a few photos up off my camera as the Ipad did a pretty poor job with that galley pic and Abby has it with her.

I coated the inside of the hull with a heavy coat of primer in the area below the sail locker floor over the weekend.  I also got most of the bottom to bilge planks glassed.  The sail locker floor is now fitted and will receive some paint and then a 6" access port to inspect and dry out any moisture that accumulates over time.  My plan is to keep that port off most the time and only close when heading offshore.  I've also drilled small 1/16" holes in these when used in dinghy to help with a small amount of air exchange.  Never had moisture in the dinghys that were done like this. 

Next comes the forward bunk base and the cabin sole in the galley area.  Still deciding whether to glass the sole in permanent or make removable?

Sail Locker

A Tight Fit

There was some concern over the cooker actually fitting in the galley. Richard designs his boats to have a separate stove top and oven usually installed above the galley counter. Whilst these are common in Euro cats, they are rarely seen in the US. This would also require a split LPG hose which would just add additional fittings and cost.

As I got a deal to good to refuse on this nice Force 10, I\'m trying to make it work. We\'re used to the tight Waiquiez galleys and based on my mockup we still have 500mm from the oven door to the cabinet on the inboard side. The oven door also slides under when open so I think it will work out ok. Just enough space in front for an angle pot locker and the deep double sink will go just aft.