Starting on the interiors

takes precedence over flipping.

The build instructions call for flipping the hull at this point before it gets to be too heavy.  But I feel there is not enough stiffness to prevent it from deforming in the process.  And then there will be the problem of setting it up again when the hull flipped back upright after glassing the outside.

The decision then is to proceed with the interiors until the hull gets the rigidity from the bulkheads and other partitions. And it is an easy decision to make because no other part of boatbuilding matches the fun of doing the interiors. It is also the time for unrestrained playing make-believe as you visualize the activities to be done in the boat and the functions of the different parts.

It is in one of these sessions when the Admiral thinks it would be nice to have a shower inside the cabin for those days when propriety makes it indecorous to do it in the great outdoors. Her wish is of course my command. After a lot of pencil-pushing (well, actually mouse-scrolling) I am able to squeeze in a sit-down shower by stealing a bit from the v-berth and moving more of the quarter-berth under the cockpit. The head will migrate from under the companionway to double as the shower seat. Water will be supplied from a pump-up garden sprayer. A removable cover will turn the area into a table when not in use. At least that is the plan.



Mocking-up the shower space. Partial Port Bulkhead #2 is also the forward end of the centerboard box.

Fitting the partial Starboard Bulkhead #2. Cutouts like that in the corner will be reinforced to serve as handholds.

With the shower area defined, the technical details are worked out such as the slope, the framing for the floorboard and the additional bulkhead aft.

The trick is to gain enough space to fit the head and allow elbow room. The upper part will be enclosed with a shower curtain to contain the water spray.

Raised floorboards drain aft into sump where water can be pumped into pail or overboard.

Fitting inboard partition.

Shower compartment epoxy encapsulated and successfully passes wet test.  Less than two centimeters of water is left in the sump after pump out.








A useful suggestion is to put a drain hole with plug inboard of the sump so that any substantial amount of water that gets into the cabin floor can be pumped out the same way.



With the shower compartment done, the inboard side of the centerboard box and the starboard quarter-berth partition are dry fitted in to see how they relate to the modification.