Meanwhile, a new improved latch

is being fabricated for the V-berth under-bunk storage bins.

More in August There's always a better way and for the wooden latch design it would be even better if it were self-locking. More latches are needed anyway for the storage compartments. The redesign involves lengthening the casing to accommodate an end stopper and a stainless steel folded leaf spring that pushes the slider in the locked position.

The scrap plank is routed into a C-channel; end blocks twice the required width are glued at proper distances.

Slider is tested against the folded leaf spring to measure distance of throw.

The end blocks are cut at their centers so each piece has a stopper for the spring.

The button is glued on the slider and the button slot (which determines the travel distance of the slider) is cut in the hatch cover. The latch assembly will be screwed onto the cover.

The V-berth also clamors for attention

after having been neglected for some time.

Still in August 2013

The V-berth bunk top is spiled and cut to shape. The spiling pattern is perfect and the pieces fall in place with very little adjustment.

Access hatches, one for each bulkhead compartment, are cut out.

The bunk top will be fastened after the interiors of the compartments are epoxy encapsulated and painted.

Cutouts go back in and are fitted with latches. 

Bulkhead No. 1 is fitted at the forward end of the berth.

The V-berth filler is a removable panel that fits in the footwell aft of the berth to make it into a double bed.

Sliding wooden latches will lock it in place against the side bulkheads.

A sliding cover will be made for the bottom so that the filler can be used to store small items.

Centerboard box coming along fine

but there's more work than meets the eye.

August 2013  The plans for the box are pretty straightforward but some real life variances have crept in. Most critical is the gap between the 1/4 inch plywood doubler and the bottom. As designed the doubler should lay flat up to where the box is located but this doesn't happen. To make sure the box will sit on the bottom plank, the doubler is cut out, revealing the gap to be about a quarter of an inch at it's deepest.

So to set the box properly, more of the doubler has to be cut away to make space for a bed log added to the lower edge of the box.

The bottom curves on either side of the box are transferred to the box for a good fit.

The bed logs are attached and shaped.

Pilot holes are drilled through the bottom. These are large enough to take the jigsaw blade for cutting the slot once the hull is flipped.

The inner side of the box is glassed for protection against pebbles that invariably find their way between the board and the box.

Excess glass is trimmed, pivot holes are drilled and the centerboard goes in for a test fit.

A couple of coats of paint will brighten the interior when the box is fully assembled. The bottom 2 inches are masked off for the fiberglass tape that will later seal the joint.

Fortunately it turns out that the box can be installed a side at a time.












This will allow for the proper fitting of the rigging hardware used to control the board.