February 9, 2019
I turned my attention to making repairs to the original icebox; or rather, to glass in and repair the starboard cockpit seat. The owner, electing to go with a more pragmatic approach to storing cold beverages while aboard, decided to remove the old icebox and to have the icebox access glassed over. I began with taking measurements for a form board to assist in the support of the new bottom skin, which would tie into the underside seating surfaces.
I would settle on 28" in length and 10" in width.
I took the measurements back to the shop and cut out the support panel from a sheet of door skin (cheap, thin plywood that can be had from any big box retailer). I then coated the surface of the support panel, which would be in contact with epoxy resin, with a sheet of plastic and clear packaging tape.
The test fit confirmed a good fit, and also allowed me to fine-tune a few scrap pieces of wood to help brace and hold the support panel in place. At this point, I took measurements for both the larger sheet of 1708 biaxial (the exposed layer of bottom skin) and an inner layer of 1708 to be placed on top of the first layer of bottom skin tying into the existing lip of the old icebox access area. In looking at the picture below, this second layer of 1708 would rest upon the exposed portion of the support panel and wrap up the sides of the icebox access by ~1/4".
I returned to the shop and cut out of the layers of 1708 biaxial. With the fiberglass prepped, I made my way back to the boat to do some last minute sanding and prepping of the underside of the seating. I removed some fiberglass strands and generally sanded in areas I knew would be in contact with the new bottom skin. Finally, I solvent-washed the areas to receive epoxy and fiberglass work. Again, back to the shop...I mixed a small pot of neat epoxy resin, returned to the boat and wet out the areas that I would be working within. With the surfaces of the boat prepped, I then wet out of the first layer of 1708 biaxial. I wet out of the biaxial, and then placed a sheet of peel ply on what would be the overhead side of the fiberglass - what one would look at if lying in the quarter berth below. I then placed the support panel on top of this and made my way over to the boat. This process was a bit tricky...lying on my back I shimmed in place while doing my best to keep the unruly panel of fiberglass-peel ply-plastic sheeting and support panel from getting out of control. In the end, I managed to get the support panel in place, using marks I had made early in the planning process. Back up in the cockpit, I mixed a small amount of thickened epoxy and spread it into the very small, leading edge gap between the existing bottom skin and the new bottom skin, and then finished things off by placing a lead weight on the existing bottom skin to ensure good contact between new and old.
How things look from below (pictured below).
My next task was the second layer of 1708 biaxial. I mixed a small batch of thickened epoxy - thickened with 406 colloidal silica and 407 low-density, and filled just some minor dips in the cloth and some imperfections in the existing lip of the old icebox access hatch.
I returned to the shop to mix some epoxy, and applied it to the second layer of 1708 biaxial. I brought it back to the boat and placed it into position. With a squeegee, I worked the 1708 into placed, pushing out air bubbles, and then applied a sheet of peel ply. Next task will be to core the opening and apply new top skin to it.
Total Time Today: 3.25 hrs
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