May 27, 2019
Getting back out onto the boat today, my singular goal was to fabricate the chain locker / collision bulkhead in order to complete at least the very forward portion of the interior. I started by removing the weights that I had set upon the new v-berth tops for the glue-up process, allowing great access to the day's work area.
Next, I set a line from the bow (top most bolt for the forestay chainplate) to the companionway opening at the bridge deck. I wanted to get the centerline established to allow for a reference point in the fabrication effort.
With the centerline established, I used the hot glue gun and a few strips of door skin and wood blocks to establish a vertical structure outlining the aft face of the chain locker bulkhead itself. The fore-aft orientation was also captured in this vertical structure.
My next step was to hot glue a panel of cardboard to the port side of the vertical structure, and then to use a compass to transfer the hull's shape onto the cardboard template.
Back in the shop, I used the same door skin material that had become the primary bulkhead template as a template for the chain locker bulkhead. My intention, since the forward-most portion of the boat was a mirror image from port to starboard from the centerline, was to flip the chain locker template (port side) over and replicate for the starboard side.
I transferred the shape of the hull to the door skin material, using the same compass set at a 2" width.
With the hull's port side reference marks onto the door skin, I grabbed a sheet of plastic and traced the reference marks onto the plastic, cut out the shape of the starboard side of the bulkhead, and transferred that onto the door skin.
With the full bulkhead referenced onto the door skin, I retraced the lines with a sharpie since there were a number of previous marks already made to the surface.
I decided to run the door skin template over the table saw, along its centerline, to cut the bulkhead template into two pieces. I also removed a bit of material to either side the centerline on both halves. I then installed a sliding-lock mechanism to allow me to fine tune the orientation of the template in the position of the future chain locker bulkhead.
Back on the boat, I placed the door skin template in place, adjusted the slide-lock mechanism, and then took reference lines from the hull and transferred them to the template. Prior to taking the reference lines, I ensured the template was sitting plumb to forward and aft.
Returning to the shop, I pulled the 3/4" sheet of meranti plywood out, and transferred the template and its hull reference lines to the plywood.
I removed the Allied's new chain locker bulkhead from the 3/4" meranti, and returned to the boat to test fit and adjust as needed.
While the new chain locker was in its future position and plumb forward and aft, I took note of its location by transferring the outboard edges to the hull with a pencil, as well as the overhead. I did this for the forward and aft face of the bulkhead.
It was a back-and-forth day! Back in the shop, I marked the opening (per the owner's guidance) in the bulkhead itself. I used an eased radius on the "corners", and allowed for ample "reach-in" room for future work and cleaning of the chain locker.
The test fitting of the chain locker bulkhead prior to final installation - all looks good. After ensuring the fit, I removed the bulkhead and both vacuumed and solvent-washed the chain locker to prepare for paint.
With the surfaces prepped, I used the compass to scribe lines along the port and starboard hull surface, and the overhead, three inches forward of the mark that I established as the forward face of the bulkhead itself. The reason for the three inches is to allow for 6" tabbing to be applied to the bulkhead and hull surface - three inches up the bulkhead and three inches onto the hull. Painting here would only require me to remove it by sanding prior to the fiberglass tabbing of the bulkhead. The chain locker received three coats of TotalBoat TotalProtect, an epoxy-based barrier coat product.
Total Time Today: 7.25 hrs
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