Ideas for bow reconfiguration?

[Francis]

Hey guys,
Wanted to get your thoughts for a summer project. Normally I fish during the fall, winter, and spring, and then do a little work to the old Whaler during the summer.

I want to reconfigure the bow. Here's what she looks like now. . .

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8df28b3127ccec3467282bd2100000010O00CcMmjNqyaMQ e3nw4/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Problems-

1. Bow platform is getting a little weak. It's well used and from 1971. It creaks and craks every time someone hops up on it.

2. It's about 5' running down the centerline. I almost never cast from the platform anyway so it's just wasted space in my opinion.

3. Storage up front is not dry storage and everything just flies all over the place when the boat starts getting bumped around in heavy seas, so really, even though it looks like a lot of storage you can't really keep anything up there any way.

Here's what I need:

I want to be able to strengthen it quite a bit. I also want to be able to put a trolling motor up there. Possibly a pulpit and an anchor rope locker.

I want add some true dry storage.

What I am thinking about doing is cutting it off even with the bumpouts for the existing storage. Then, strengthening the existing platform by glassing in an extra piece of 3/4 ply to the top, and then essentially framing in the sides of it and adding a couple big hatches for storage.

In a perfect world, it would look something like this.

http://media.trackermarinegroup.com/seacraft/images/SC25OVERHEAD6x4_OH_08_700.jpg

Any suggestions? Anything you would suggest before I start ordering materials for this summer?

[done workin]

This is hard to do without drawing but one way to do it is to completely cut off anything you do not want. It's also hard to say without knowing what underneath.

Come back to a point along the sides where you are at the constant width of the gunwale and just cut it 90* to the side and then remove the whole front deck.

Then using a cleated section all the way around the side, grind the sides to bare clean glass and epoxy a pice of board perhaps 2" H x 1"W. You may need to use several pieces of 1/4" built up to get the bend, similar to a wooden rub rail.

Once you have this cleat in place it will serve as the attachment point for your new deck. Just cut thge deck to match the outside shape and then cut the inside as you wish. The deck can be made out of 3/4" plywood covered with epoxy and fiberglass on both sides. Use epoxy to "glue" it to the cleats.

Use a good "fairing" compound to fill in the glass, add primer and paint and presto.

In all honesty you could easily get it done in 2 weekends, maybe even 1 long one.

Just do yourslf a favor and get the good plywood. A 4x8 sheet of 3/4 from Chesapeake Light Craft is abvout $125 but worth it. Covered with epoxy and glass, it may be the last thing standing.

Chris






This is from an earlier discussion from this board about plywood. The link at the bottom is a plywood test comparing bare wood with Glassed wood. It is from a boat building site whose specialty is home builts.




Epxoy is actually weak. The strongest laminations are fiberglass with minimal epoxy. If anything maybe two layers of glass on top but I'll say with much surety that even with1/4" ply and one layer of glass and epoxy on top of 12" centers, you'll be WAY FINE.

Just put the plain 1/4", or whatever you're using, on top of two things 12" apart and jump up and down. Doubt it will break, flex maybe but not break.

Coat the underside with epoxy, attach to braces/stringers and glass the top. You'll be fine.

I went back through and found the testing site.

The reference was glassed 6MM versus unglassed 10MM, the glassed 6MM had a higher breaking load (red) and also required much more pressure to get it to bend 1" (blue)

bateau2 (http://bateau2.com/content/view/97/28/)