Deck glassing - from earlier this week

first layer on cabin side and hull joint

second hullside layer and single deck layer under peelply

the cabin side and hull joint got a double layer of glass,

easier to fair than a single layer (and adding fairing compound between the strengthening tapes) and stronger IMHO than fairing filler/microballoons and glass tape. 

Deck got single layer of glass.

deck is now completely glassed

 Deck glassing in progress

 Transom cap done

 Transom cap and final things before glassing

Today I added the hardwood cap on the transom, a good piece of Sapele, just needs some rounding over -pity it will be under the glass,

added the final parts of the filleting to the inside of the hatches so they can be glassed at the same time as the hull

and checked the hull for any little depressions that needed filling before the deck and cockpit glassing begins. If you catch these at the right stage in the epoxy cure cycle, they can be cut clean with a chisel, most requiring almost no sanding

 Hard Dodger and hatch idea finalised

The companionway and dodger concept has been finalised, it worked out extremely well, so well in fact that I can use my  original mock up as a final item with a slight modification,The hatch will be secured to the boat with a piece of dyneema and use a small low friction ring that I am not using somewhere else on the boat to allow  it to be tethered to the boat while still allowing it to move easily. The curved frame of the companionway entrance will allow a relatively comfortable seat with no sharp edges while I am sitting under the dodger, I am thinking of 2 eyes on the front of the dodger and also a skylight in the roof of the dodger that will allow light to pass thru the skylight, and through a portlight in the companionway hatch and thru portlight in the part of the deck (under the hatch) when the hatch is stowed under the dodger. When the companionway hatch is closed light will come into thebnoat thru the port on the hatch, and also thru the portlight in the deck (under the dodger). I am not going to put any openings for portlights in the hullsides, in fact I may not put the portlights in the deck and in the roof of the dodger - Originally my thinking was only a portlight in the companionway hatch and one in the front of the dodger - I may revert to this original idea - I do not like windows in boats as from experience they invariably leak, even when using the correct sika and the correct sika primers(, and also any window in a hullside or coachroof compromises strength).

The Dodger will have a hand grabrail that is the same profile as the companionway rim  -which has proved to be a really comfortable and secure handgrip

 Companionway hatch test fit

The hatches are in progress -there will be a separate infill washboard to close
the companionway to the cockpit seat level, to comply with SAC rules - I had thought about hinges, overlaps and other solutions to make the main hatch multi purpose but could not find an elegant solution - the integrity of the main hatch was most important and I did not want to compromise its features

 Making Hatches

Today was spent making hatches

 sand deckhead fillets, mast bulkhead watertight hatch installed

today the mast bulkhead watertight hatch was installed onto a sapele frame that is epoxied onto the mast bulkhead, in effect increasing the size of the mast support. It still has to get its seal and the closures and of course some epoxy coating, 

and it can be removed and stored away if not needed, or used for chartwork, etc etc, ala James Wharrams flexispace

The coamings for the lazarette hatch are made and they will be epoxied on once the deck is glassed as it will be easier to glass the cockpit without the hatch coamings in place

and the deckhead fillets are being sanded

 Companionway Hatch "biscuit tin rim" done

Today the companionway hatches biscuit rim was done -  it was rounded over to enable glass to easily conform to the curve and cover it when the deck and cockpit get glassed

In this pic you can see the tell tale white low density fillet to the left of the installed rim, it is only the cosmetic final fillet that will be covered over by glass - the cockpit has lots of joins and to make them easy sandable before glassing and to create a nice looking joint,  I am putting a thin low density fillet over the High Density joins -  Underneath it, is a substantial high density fillet as has been used throughout the build 

here you can see the difference between a low density and high density fillet
- low density are really white but are easily sandable to create a nice smooth radius.

this example from the Gougeon Brothers book shows the failure of a low density fillet  - you can increase the strength of low density fillets by putting a layers of glass or biaxialglass over them, in effect creating a hollow beam type fillet. IMHO without glass they offer minimal strength. - unless they are Huge.

the Setka design doesnt need fillets when built properly, but I think for the little extra weight and time,  a high density fillet increases the strength enormously and also makes for a nice looking joint , and besides I enjoy making fillets , some people dont - of course this is all my opinion - do your own research
if you are interested West epoxy offers a free download of the book at
click the link

https://www.westsystem.com/instruction/the-gougeon-brothers-on-boat-construction-book/

the rim with the fillet, this should create a nice dry relatively leak free hatch because the 60 degree slope of the bulkhead creates a nice gutter - I see a bit of fillet "runout" mess  in this pic that needs to be cleaned before it cures - I am on it.

 Making hatches and prepping decks and sanding

the hatches have been in progress for a while, and I have decided to remove some of the material on the locating face of the originals - it lightened them considerably - it was done using a router and a template and a guide bush

- I managed to wreck the crash box hatch in the process - so I made a new one, (see the bottom pic for the small triangular crash box hatch) the curves for the companionway hatch are in progress - this will be the biscuit tin rim, and the mast bulkhead watertight hatch is having a sapele mahogany  "stile" added to give the hinges a secure base (bottom pic)

of course the  deck sanding and prep is ongoing