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

 boat is tented, deck sanding in progress and 
a new youtube video

The boat is tented to allow work on the deck

the rounding over and sanding and filling of the screw holes is in progress ,
I prefer to get surfaces as fair and perfect as possible before glassing as I feel it makes for less fairing compound to be added and sanded off at the fairing stage

Bow deck to cabin deck transition in progress