Fitting inserts

While the keel seam cured, I spent some time marking placement of deck hardware so I could fit high-density (HD) foam inserts.  The HD inserts allow the deck hardware to be bolted down tight without risk of crushing the hull structure.  The process starts with very carefully marking the location of the inserts.  This is a good time for using the "measure twice, cut once" axiom.  Once I was sure the placement was correct, I carefully cut the perimeter of the foam to be removed with a sharp knife.  Biggest concern at this steps is cutting through the interior glass and epoxy.  We only want to remove the foam.

 Next, I used a sharp chisel to excavate the foam inside the cuts. The foam tends to crush as much as it cuts (hence the need for the HD inserts), in spite of the razor sharp chisel.  With patience and some sharp taps with a mallet, the chisel works through the foam. Again, going slow is worthwhile to ensure the glass/epoxy matrix is left intact.

Here's the hole after the foam is removed and the edges cleaned up.  Next we cut the high density foam to fit.  The HD foam is much tougher to cut than the standard foam.  It is 2.5 times denser than the standard foam as well.  The higher density is achieved during manufacturing through the generation of much smaller bubbles in the foam.

The last photo shows the HD insert fitted into the space where the shroud tensioner pad eye will go.  In areas where the hull is curved, I heated the insert and bent it to match the hull shape.  It took a couple tries to get it just right.  When the weather cooperates again, I will bed the inserts in a thin slurry of epoxy and microballoons to fill any gaps.  In some locations, additional layers of glass also have to be added for reinforcement.  Then the inserts will be faired along with the rest of the hull, and they will become invisible under the exterior laminate.