Day 177 Chain locker, bulkhead
The snow is back with us but that didn't stop us from doing some plasma cutting, although I did get a few mild shocks from being all wet and kneeling on the plate while cutting! It must have thought I made a better connection to ground I guess.

Bottom SS plate for chain locker cut out. ( 1/8" SS plate )		 Above is the layout of the anchor lockers back plate from the bow of the boat. The shape was derived from on top of the stringers as there is no reason to be taking it right out to the hull. Needless to say some accuracy is still required hence the template.

The cut was made to be slightly oversize, more so towards the top, so the plate can be forced into a curve. 1/8" stainless is much harder than 1/8" mild steel so it will take considerable force to push it into place.

The SS plate was part of that big tank we hauled home last year and being covered in tar then 2 layers of paint was time consuming to clean off.
The small photo shows a cutout of the bottom of the anchor locker. This will have a pipe fitting, also SS, welded to it to allow for drainage right back to the bilge.
To the right the plate roughly in position in the bow. We can't put it in permanently yet as the very forward part of the bow needs to be filled with foam and properly coated first. One these three are in, the sides can be templated from cardboard and welded in.

Unfortunately the foam and coating wouldn't apply properly in this cold so that'll have to wait. Small areas will be done by us if it causes delay, but the rest of the boat will be done professionally in June.

We just need to prepare the whole interior for this event!

The decision was made due to our experience with off the shelf foam products. We used triple expanding ( probably a mistake there! ) and it made giant hidden bubbles that we had to fill again. It's ok for small areas but it would take for ever to do the whole boat this way!

Meanwhile Gena was putting in the stiffeners for the sail locker bulkhead. It is much better now, and rigid. It still has some minor distortions but nothing that can be seen.

The issue that arose from this is sound deadoning. The bulkhead is like a giant kettle drum probably because it's only 1/16", and needs to have some foam in it for deadoning that sound. It probably wouldn't take much foam but something needs to be done there. The problem has arisen because the aft side will be exposed due to the portlite butting into it.

Normally, the stiffeners would be on both sides thus supporting panel on both sides.


Day 177:
7 hours - Made up anchor locker plates, put in stiffening on forward bulkhead.


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