Hatch

I have prepared the port bow hatch.

I did some research on hatch types and sizes and thought about what kind of stuff I will be putting in here. This hatch is big enough for the anchor I have in mind and a bucket for chain etc. The locker will easily fit fenders and extra stuff also. I also put another small inspection port in the bulkhead aft of the locker to allow ventilation because there will be wet things in here. The starboard hatch will be identical.

The hatch is not actually mounted yet. This will happen once the deck is glassed and painted.

This photo shows the deck with measurements, ready to cut.

More Wood

I had a drive across town to get some more supplies.
What you see here is a few sheets of ply and some nice Mahogany which will be used for beam mounts and hatch trim.

This should be the last wood I need to buy for the boat!
I bought 3 more sheets of 4mm ply and 1 more sheet of 6mm. I have bought 1 more sheet of 6mm than stated in the plans and 4 more sheets of 4mm. I probably could have used 1 less sheet of 4mm if had been more efficient cutting for the rudders.

Also I have machined some more wood for framing for the Cabin and Deck.

Starting to deck

The bunks are all done so next on the list is the deck. I am starting with the easiest part of the deck, being the forward area. This will be good practise before getting stuck into the tricky parts of the deck where the beam mounts are.

This is basically the same process as hull planking, but with a few extra things to do, such as plan for hatch and cleat placement. Also time to add extra epoxy to any wood which will become hard to access once decking is on.

Here you can see the process for marking out where the forward hatch will go. First use the laser level to line up the forward bulkhead.

Then put the deck panel in position.

Then measure off the laser line and mark out where the aft edge of the hatch will be.

Easy as.

Bunks

With all the focus on getting the hull finished and upright. It took me a while to think about what to do next.
Here you can see the first of the bunk panels being made. The 9mm ply here seems strong enough without any bracing needed.

I have been using an electric planer and the power file again proving very useful here to shape the panels. At about 900mm wide and 2 metres long this aft bunk should be a nice place to get some rest or sleep.

Right way up

A major milestone here as the first hull is turned over. It turned out to be easier than I thought after a test lift showed it wasn't too heavy. 4 people kindly gave me a hand to do the job. The boat was basically turned by one person lifting the bow and another lifting the stern while the rest of us guiding it and putting supports in place.

I took the opportunity to weigh it at this stage and it is currently 87Kg's. I hope I'm on target for the designed weight. It looks a lot smaller now but is much more interesting.

Paint

Got some paint on the boat now. I have used 2 part primer and a 2 part top coat below the water line using small rollers and a brush.

I have still not decided on a colour scheme for the top sides but have primed anyway.

Also, the rudders have had the same treatment and are pretty much finished!

Fittings

Now is a good time to put in the bolt for the fore stay.
I have used thickened epoxy in an oversize hole and backed with a washer. Then filled with epoxy filler and faired. The plastic you can see in the photo is just food wrapping plastic, which I use for most jobs like this where you want to be sure you get enough filler and reduce sanding.

Also I have drilled the holes for the rudder gudgeon's. I had these gudgeon's made up by a local workshop in 316 stainless to the designers specifications.