Cabin Sole hatch expansion and Foredeck Hatch Dam

[P69]

I uploaded some pictures of my last two projects.

1. Build a dam around the forward hatch to prevent sheets from snagging the hatch and prevent solid water form pushing against the underside of the hatch.

2. Expand access to the bilge. I made molds of the existing openings in the cabin sole and made additional recesses that I glued (polyester putty) into new holes I cut in the cabin sole. The double opening I cut adjacent to the mast left a weak cabin sole. I strengthened that by adding 1 1/4" x 2" poplar floor joists, encapsulated in epoxy/1708. Now the sole is solid, even with all the  holes. I added two single openings forward of the head and two doubles. One to port of the existing factory-molded double and one to port of the narrow factory-molded opening at the mast.

My gelcoat color matching is still not very good, especially with the brownish color of the non-skid. The cabin sole is made up of the upper skin (the surface you walk on) that is about 1/8" to 3/16" fiberglass. 3/4" end-grain balsa, then about a 1/16" lower skin.

I have temporary floorboards in place. The finished floor boards will be part of a new teak cabin sole overlay. That will be near the end of the projects (distant future).

Hatch dam: http://bodylens.com/Gallery/thumbnails.php?album=46
Cabin sole hatches: http://bodylens.com/Gallery/thumbnails.php?album=45