[strick]

Hopefully this will work as I'm posting from my lap top wireless modem. Some more shots showing the area were I reinforced the deck and area were the big hatch will sit. In the original design the deck sits on top of two stringers that sit about 5 foot six inches apart. The hatch that accesses the fuel cell sits on a lip in the middle of this large span.

Although the deck on this boat is solid the one on my other 25 seafari is spongy in this area because of a lack of support under the deck and water intrusion in the deck core. In the pictures below you can see were I've added a 1 1/8 plywood encapsulated in glass and bonded to the hull. Both the deck and the new hatch will sit on these supports offering more support to the deck and hatch as well.



















Mold for fuel hatch. This hatch is going to be about 6.5 feet long.













Hooking up the sander to the shop vac makes sanding much more enjoyable





Adding flange to the mold. The base of the mold is 1/2 inch plywood sanded on one side. I did not use mdf because it is
too flexible to for such a large hatch.



Mold ready for lay up. There is 4 coats wax and 6 coats PVA over this.








A shot showing the scuppers that drain out the side of the 25 seafari



Mounting block for the seacock






First coat of Gel coat for the engine compartment and bilge








Back to the fuel hatch... two coats of duratec



Two layers of heavy mat and one payer of 1708



Cabosil and then 1/2 inch wood coring





More cabosil fills the gaps between the squares



More 1708 over the squares



trimmed and ready to be removed from the mold













Test fit






I left it high on purpose so I can later trim it flush.





Shaquille O'Neal can jump up and down on this hatch







working on the base for the fuel tank. It will be glassed on both the top and underside then bonded with cabosil and
glassed to the hull.



I managed to get the cap primed yesterday evening just before dark.




strick