Well, it has been awhile since my last update, but progress has been steady (and slow). I finished installing and taping the forward bunk and the cockpit floor. I spent quite a lot of time preparing the settee top for installation. The top has two access panels in it for storage with rims made out of marine ply. Seemed like an easy and quick job, but it took me a couple weeks to cut the ply rims, glass them, and laminate them onto the settee top. In any case, the top and openings look very neat and should finish well (if we ever get to that stage!) I also cut the reinforcement for the side of the companionway out of white oak and glued it to the bulkhead. In the photo looking aft, you can see both the settee top with access ports and the companionway with reinforcement.
Here is a view of the underside of the settee top after it was installed in the port hull half. The panel has been glued in place and a fillet run along all seams. I also went back and added partial fillets along some other seams on adjoining panels. I left the top six inches of panels yet to be joined to panels in the starboard half lose for final tweaking once the hull halves are joined. Next I will tape the filleted seams and apply peel-ply for a clean finish. I am very happy with the taping when I use peel-ply. Although the peel-ply is sometimes a headache to apply, it gives such a nice finish that it is definitely the way to go. But you also have to remember to peel it off before installing additional elements. I came close to glueing panels on top of peel-ply a couple times today.
Here is the underside of the settee top for the starboard hull half. I prepped both panels so it won't take as long to assemble the starboard half. The marine ply rims are taped to the panels on the underside. Since we will be sitting on, crawling over, and generally abusing the settee top, I figured it was worth applying a little extra reinforcing. For a clean finish, the rims were laminated on the panels on the vacuum table. The peel-ply is still on the panel shown.
Once the settee top is taped in place, I will install the settee front, and then we just have the cockpit seat to install. So hopefully this stage of construction is close to finished, but no guarantees!
