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.

Modified starboard quarter berth

looks usable even if two-thirds of the bunk goes under the cockpit seat.

The Admiral's shower took up part of the original space allocated to the starboard quarter berth. And as is usual in the course of home boat building, give-and-take comes into play so to make up for this, the berth is moved farther aft.  But the farther in one must go, knee room becomes a problem and this issue is addressed by lowering the bunk top by about 4 inches.




First week of August 2013, bringing us up to date.

The aft bulkhead of the berth sealed.

Bunk top panel is measured, cut and fitted.

Stowage hatches cut out and openings framed. Notches are precut.  

Underside view; frames extend laterally for added support. 

View of the top with the hatches on

To keep each hatch in place, DIY tongues and a sliding latch are fashioned from cast off bits of lumber.

All parts will be coated with epoxy before painting.

The slider knob is small enough not to protrude under the cushion.

It closes so well it will need a pull tab.

The latch mechanism is made from odds and ends from the wood scrap bin.

The bunk top is fully assembled and, with the hatches attached, is ready to go into the hull.

Ain't she neat!
Pull tab ribbons will be added as handles.

Aside from providing stowage space, the hatches will allow for inspection and ventilation should water find its way here. 

All in all, it's an open and shut case.

Cockpit seat filler pieces scarfed

and fitted in; the forward piece will be kept loose awaiting the installation of the mast tabernacle.

 

End of July 2013.

The 8 ft. long seats will provided a roomy cockpit.

Supervisor tries a seas for size and finds it comfortable enough for him to claim the space.

Lost Supervisor Leo today

after a couple of weeks of infirmity.

His malady progressed so fast and none of our interventions succeeded.  He will be sadly missed. His last job three weeks ago was inspecting the centerboard blank.

One of his first jobs: checking the workmanship of my sailboat B'lisss, a Stevenson's Weekender in 2006.

Centerboard construction falls into place

at the providential time.

With the basic parts of the cockpit done, the only missing part among the longitudinal structures of the hull is the centerboard box. In Graham's design, this is offset to port to gain walking space inside the cabin and connects to the port cockpit seat. While the length of the box is given, I'd rather let the finished board dictate the box width.

Mid-June 2013.  As luck will have it, but then maybe because I've always been on the look out, I come across perfect lumber for the centerboard: heavy pine staves of just the right size and length, each individually wrapped for a reason nobody can guess.

Staves are sorted and grain direction lined up.

Assembling the centerboard


Setting up a gluing clamp board using two cabinet doors.

Testing the clamping board.

Gluing has to be done in two stages after running out of glue for the first few staves.











Sliding wedges apply the clamping pressure. Sliding jaw pliers make perfect adjusters.










The cut off at the bottom of the centerboard exactly fits the upper part. Clamp board rail is adjusted for diagonal gluing.





























Trimming and shaping

Full size pattern lofted and transferred to the blank.

Centerboard cut to size. Which is a mistake because it would have been easier to monitor the NACA profile shaping if the lower end were kept square.

Groovy!

Centered with the help two bolts on the router base plate.

NACA drawing from the plans are enlarged to actual size for three stations, printed on card and are used as templates to check shape while fairing with an angle grinder ...

... to produce a respectable-looking foil.  Photos belies the size and heft of the 56.5 in. board.

Swivel hole filled with epoxy bushing made from fumed silica and wood flour.