Lots of progress made these last couple of weeks.
Casting platform and anchor locker tabbed to the hull, faired and fitted for the drop in hatches. Still plenty of detail work to do but the major grinding and fitting is done.
The fuel tank vent was always a problem being aft next to the fill, with the hose running from the forward end of the tank back. It always got fuel in it and I had to mind it while filling the first 1/3 of the tank to catch any fuel sputtering out of the vent. So, I built a fairing (got the idea from this site, just did it a little different) to cover the vent line up the hull side so I could take it directly from the tank up the hull side, with no low spots. So now I should never have a problem with the vent line filling with fuel again!
First bits of wiring and hoses are in. Stuff that would be difficult after the sole is complete and glued in.
Got the side sections of cockpit sole modeled, cut and bottom side laminated. This will be the next really big step to get these glued and tabbed in. Then I will have a complete floor to work on! I'm doing the side sections in Divinicell full length. I had thought doing them in two sections, with plywood forward and foam aft, to push weight forward, but I had enough Divinicell to do the whole thing, and I thought, why not just make the whole boat lighter? Especially towards the outside of the hull where more weight will only increase rolling moment. So, the cockpit sole is about 3/4 foam and 1/4 plywood, with plywood only in the center section under and forward of the console.
This comes back to my original CG issue... And I know you all have said you think it is stupid, but, if I have a problem with fore aft trim, I am going to ballast the bow down with some chain. I left a compartment forward of the tank that is accessible via the 8" inspection port just aft of the casting platform just for ballast, if I need to add it. I finally came back to the original thought that if the boat is significantly lighter overall than it was (which it will be, by a lot) and I still have a problem with fore/aft trim, I can put ballast forward to help trim the bow down, and still be under the original weight of the whole boat. We'll see how this plays out once everything is back together...
I laminated the bottom skin of the side floor sections, and will trim them and do a final dry fit tonight. Then I should be able to glue them in and laminate the top skin in place this weekend. I plan to tab them into the hull sides and sub frame at the same time as the top skin is laminated.
The console got a few sweeps of fairing and is looking really good. One more sweep and then it will be time for primer.
So, after this weekend I should be at the point of fairing, priming and painting, and putting things back together! Getting very excited to see it coming together, and seeing the end.
Our winter has been so mild we've had three weekends in a row that it would have been awesome to have the boat ready to go so we could get out into the islands. That must mean by the time I am done the weather will turn permanently shitty till July 4, per usual!
https://drive.google.com/folderview?...Hc&usp=sharing