Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sunny days are here again!...

50 degrees, sunny, and no conflicting schedules. Nirvana.

The silver lining with my tarp ripping apart is that the old tarp is shorter and only extends to the gunwales so I can just duck under the cover and get in the boat instead of having to untie everything and spend five minutes just gaining access to the boat. I just thought I would mention that.

Before I put in the plywood paneling inside I needed to prepare the side locker shelving and get started on the engine cover.

I have been tempted to try the zebra wood that is available at my local exotic hardwoods dealer. I was thinking an inside locker would be a good place to try it out without overpowering the interior decor. In the end though, I decided some nice light pine suited my needs better.



In this particular locker the back panel took on a curved shape that was difficult to straighten out. I cut the back of the shelf to match instead. I also made a short lip to keep stuff from spilling out when the doors are opened.

Then I decided to use the leftover bamboo plywood from the cabin sole to make the top shelves behind the saloon settees. At $200 a sheet I didn't want to waste the material and I think it provides some continuity with the cabin sole - horizontal surfaces (light colored) bamboo, vertical surfaces (dark-ish) cherry.



I was a little short on material and had to stretch it a bit. I had just enough as it turns out. The forward starboard locker is going to remain open on top which made using the bamboo sheet possible. I was hoping to cover the edges with the bamboo but I can find something equally nice to look at.



So then I turned my attention to the engine bay.





Yes. The plywood is ugly but I assure everyone that it is perfectly sound. The fir strips take the load anyway. The plywood is more of a backing for the sound deadening insulation. I used some old (but good) 3/4" fir plywood just to add a little rigidity and a lot of density to help muffle the engine noise. Paint cures a multitude of ills...

And then I glued and screwed the shelf facing and engine bay sides together.



Sanding, painting and installation coming right up. I might have to bribe my budget master and order some cherry veneered plywood. I could use it really soon.

Or maybe the weather will continue to stay nice and I will switch to exterior varnish and installing the deck hardware. Its all good and with the improvements in the weather I couldn't be more excited to get back to work.

Em tasol wantoks.

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