There have been other projects on the front burner that are now completed so, with good weather here in Phoenix, I am able to get back to the boat. This is the 4th and final day of my Christmas weekend so I am planning to get to it when I finish this post.
In prepping the entire Deck/Hull join for glassing the entire join in one go, I found an actual split in the hull immediately below the Deck/Hull join on the starboard side about 3 feet aft of the bow. After cleaning and sanding the outer hull, I half crawled under the bow deck and cut away the 2 " diameter line of foam from the area. I intend to glass the inside first and then do the outside to insure a strong seal.
I also removed the rotted wood from the bulkhead immediately forward of the transom. That well is where the water drains from the cockpit and then runs out through the transom drain. I want to somehow install self draining ports through this area (cockpit to & through the transom) but I will have to put the boat in the water to mark the outer water line before I will be able to determine if this is even possible. If it is not, then I will install a PVC pipe (Y configuration) to run the water from the cockpit through this rear well. I imagine a shut off valve in place of the drain plug in this line just forward of the actual drain through the transom. I can then put a removable floor in this rear well above the drain line. The bulkhead will be filled in with fiberglass (I saw a restoration on You Tube that used the fiberglass from pipe insulation that was saturated with resin and gave a thickened bulk when cured) and perhaps even strengthened with a thin (3/8") piece plywood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBit-dYDGLs
Before Prep
After Prep
Then there remains the floor under the bow deck. It is pretty rough and will need to be sanded and covered with mat & glass. In and under the front seat is the wooden cradle that houses the keel stepped mast foot. I will have to remove this in order to complete the under foredeck floor repair. I really want to make the mast "deck stepped" and that will require a portion of deck to be constructed just above the front seat This would then require the removal of the front seat, it being of no further use and the extending up wards of the bulkhead that supports the rear of the front seat. That is a bit ambitious at the moment but we shall see when I get here. I only need about 2' of deck added on to the existing deck but it would have to be strong enough to support the mast. Another project for another day but always in the back of my mind.
<<<<<<< Stern / Bow >>>>>>>
Floor under the bow
Mast foot step & wooden cradle under the front seat
