Battery Relocation

I've had to take a break from the incredibly frustrating fitting and shaping of the cockpit combing/lazerette backs so I've started building the battery box.

Here's only space I have available to mount enough batteries to power the new fridge.

Area under cockpit between engine and helm

I've added 2 ribs to the existing stand for the exhaust muffler and one more further aft where the bulkhead is

Here's what the final fitting

Plenty of room for 4 standard size batteries

Cabin Filler Panel

Here's the starboard side getting the filler panel fitter for the back of the cabin.

Seat back

I've installed the port side cockpit seat back and I think it looks pretty good!  I still need to decide how I want to shape the top edge, but I've penciled in the basic shape I am considering.

Seat Back

We're back from our 2 weeks in Maui. Hmmm.
Anyway I've been working on the cockpit seat backs which I'm making out of unfinished 1" x 10" mahogany.  To make the transition from the cabin to the aft part of the cockpit look nice, I've decided to bend the seat backs.
I built a steam box out of plywood and hooked it up to an old paint pot with some 3/8" copper tubing and placed the pot on the side burner of the old natural gas BBQ.  Unfortunately this did not produce enough steam to properly heat the wood.
Hmmm.  After some serious mental anguish, I remembered that I had picked up a small steam cleaner from Popeye's consignment store for $5.  I hooked it up to the center of the steam box and I was off to the races.

I made a plywood pattern of the shape I cut out of the deck and traced this on to two 2x10 planks and then connected the planks with 2 x 3 forming a curved ladder.  I then placed scraps of wood on top of the mahogany and clamped it to the ladder.

Honduras Mahogany

I've managed to fit a new piece of mahogany into the back of the cabin where the deck section was removed.  It turned out better than I expected however the new mahogany is nowhere close to the same colour as the existing.  I'll have to find a medium brown stain to get it a little closer.

Deck Destruction

It took all the courage I could muster, but at last I cut open my deck to for the cockpit seating.

 I've placed the cut out piece in the companionway

I've placed some plywood where the seat will be.  The greenish piece is the backrest.

New Gusset

This weekend I managed to remove all the rotten plywood from the port cockpit locker area.

Cutting through fiberglas, plywood, screws, etc. poses the question of what tool will survive the ordeal.  I have found that a "Zip" disk in my angle drill works well for materials up to 2" thick.  In the picture below I am cutting through plywood about 2" below the deck so I don't have to deal with  replacing the teak.  I ended up cutting through 3 stainless steel screws.  A skill saw would be toast.

It's hard to see in the photo below, but I removed the majority of the gusset supporting the deck.

I left the tape on the aft side which will ensure the new piece will line up perfectly.

This is the shape of the new gusset. I'm painted all new wood with A1 penetrating epoxy.

Gusset installed 

Here's the mock-up for the lazerette stringers.