V-berth construction

The next item on the To Do list is to re-vamp the V-berth.
This boat was built more for racing than cruising so the primary function of the forepeak was sail storage and staging.

Since we'll be doing more cruising than racing, we're looking for a little more comfort.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera the day I started the demolition so I don't have the before pictures, but here's a few pics of the work in progress.

 Here you can see that I have cut down the port side of the V-berth to lower it by 13", and I have removed the sb side completely.  The reason for this is that the sides were not symetrical.  The board lying next to the hammer will be the new top of the V-berth. It will be just shy of 7' long and over 5' wide at the aft end.  With 5" of foam, it should make a comfy bed.

The best method I have found to cut things out is to use an angle grinder with a very thin cut off wheel to cut through the fiberglas where the vertical meets the horizontal.  Once the joint is cut all around, a good smack with a hammer  usually will break the pieces apart.  I can then slide a thin pry bar under the tape and prise it off.  In this case it seems as though the fiberglas of the hull might not have been prepped properly before taping all the plywood sections in, as the tape just popped right off.

The sb side was shorter due to the hanging locker which has been removed exept the bottom. You can see the vertical bare patch where the hanging locker ended.  I'll cut the bottom back to the pencil line which lines up with the bank of drawers on the port side.  The coat rod is hung on the bulkhead and on one of the gussets supporting a deck beam, so I'll leave it open for the time being. I can close it in if we find it necessary to contain the clothes.
If feels good to get some work done finally.  I've completed the rough fitting of the new v-berth.

So it's time for the ugly bit ... sanding down the entire forepeak to prep for epoxy taping the plywood to the hull and then painting.  YUCK with an F.  Oh well, hope to have all the taping done this weekend.