Deck and Cabin
The 12mm ply deck is taking shape. After the deck is all in place it will have some further fairing and tidy up where needed followed by a layer of glass, primarily for added wear resistance, but the slight extra strength is a bonus.
While taking a few snaps of the deck I hear some activity outside the workshop.
There are frequently roos around my workshop, though not often male roos. I could see immediately that this was a male from his size... a real monster (a good bit bigger than me). The second I was out the door he got up to check out me as a possible threat. Look at the size of his arms, like tree trunks. Mum and Joey are nearby and this bloke is doubly on the alert in case I might be dangerous. I stand my ground, but I don't approach any further since I don't want this fella getting too threatened... I would not stand a chance if it came to blows.
After sizing me up for a while, Mr Roo decides to make a cautious retreat. He slowly moves away keeping a good eye on me and keeping his head submissivly low... but he is nevertheless keeping his options open, fight the weedy little boat builder before him, or run like blazes depending on how things pan out.
Alas, I am getting side tracked... back to the deck. The side decks are relatively easy to fit since there is much less curvature in the outboard ends of the deck beams... though enough that plenty of clamping is still required.
The cabin sides roughed out. These sides have been built up from 3 laminations of 6 mm ply. The dead lights will later have 6mm tinted polycarbonate installed.
Below an overhead view of the cabin sides.
Below an overhead view of the cabin sides.
Integrated knightheads, fairleads, and toerails roughed out to see if the idea will look ok. Verdict: with a bit more shaping and clean up... she'll do.
6mm polycarbonate glazing applied with SS316 fasteners and Sikaflex 295UV. The main reason for choosing this particular sealant is that polycarbonate doesn't do well with many chemicals, but the 295UV is specifically formulated for use with polycarbonate glazing. Silicone also gets on well with polycarbonate but may present difficulty if ever it has to be renewed since it is not easily removed.
The cabin interior was painted with single pack alkyd paint, a marine brand, but essentially just house paint. Quite a few coats were needed but the result is pleasing. The rest of the interior will be painted with single pack, but I might use a urethane modified type in the areas likely to encounter more wear.