Motor lid.

Last time I installed or at least built a motor well for the outboard motor. I have not yet installed it but that is a simple mater of some glue and screws. All the parts are made but I'm trying to think ahead or at least not do something now that I will regret later, so I haven't glued and screwed it in yet. Today I started working on the motor cover, or the lid to the engine compartment might be the proper term.

This is just the framework for the cover. It will be split, half on each side of the motor and will hinge up and out.

Next I will laminate a couple of thin ply sheets to make this curved cover then we'll attach it with a pair of piano hinges.

Where to put the motor?

I was pretty sure this boat needed a motor at the start and I was pretty sure I didn't want to hang it on the transom too. So I figured I would make a motor well somewhere just in front of the transom. There are a few things to consider. On a sailboat you will hopefully only use the motor to get around the marina and tricky places where you don't want to run into anybody. Also for the occasion when the wind fails to cooperate or when you have stayed too long and need to get home faster than might be possible under sail. The outboard motor can be tilted up out of the water when you want to reduce drag while sailing or you can disconnect it from the mount and put it away if it is small enough.My boat has a rudder hanging on the transom right in the middle of the boat so if the motor were there it would not be able to tilt up. I could move it to the side about a foot or so and then it would be able to tilt up out of the way of the rudder. After much consideration, I decided to keep it in the middle and simply put it away when I didn't need it. There is a bulkhead in front of the motor creating a sizable storage area so I should be able to just lift it up and lay it down sideways getting it out of the way. Well here is what I have done so far, there is a lot of work to go so stay tuned if your interested.

The first and really scary step is to cut a hole in the bottom of my boat!!!

The to contain the water coming into the boat, I built a box around the hole.

The forward side of this box is the mount for the motor.

The motor hanging from it's mount.

From the cockpit.

The business end

I opened up the transom so water can now flow past it instead of creating a dam, I hope!

This being the new motor transom, I cleaned it up a bit so I can reach the motor clamps and use the tiller. I am also planning to install a nice big scupper (one way flapper) at the rear of the footwell to drain any water that comes aboard into the motor well and out the back.

I am working on where the motor will go when it is not in use. I don't necessarily want it hanging down in the well while sailing as it adds drag. The motor in place while using it for power.

The motor stowed while sailing needs to lay on it's side with the tiller down in order to keep oil from leaking into the cylinder. There will be a hinged deck that covers this whole area. The only time you will see the motor is while it is in use.

Come on in and have a seat!

I worked on the cabin seating this morning. You sit at the forward end of the cabin facing aft. The seat back will fold down to make the head end of the V-birth. With the seat back folded down, there is about 8 feet of stretch out space on each side of the centerboard trunk with about 18" of hip clearance under the forward cabin bulkhead. With the seat back in the upright position there is about 34" of leg room between the seat and the rear cabin bulkhead. More than enough for me to stretch out my legs in comfortable fashion. Also plenty of room to pull out a storage container from under the cockpit seats and rummage inside the cabin. Here are a couple of pics of today's work. Done in red cedar it will get an oil finish. The seat back will in time get matching cedar slats as well.

Here is the frame for the seat bottom. Seat formers attached to 1/2" plywood then screwed sown to the floors.

Red cedar slats make up the seat bottom. After sanding they will get an wiped (on&off) oil finish of some kind.

When it's time for a nap, just fold the seat back down. The front of the seat back will get the same slat treatment as the base.

Lag'in on the Blog'in.....

Well It's been a while since I updated this thing and I got an email from a buddy down in Australia asking if I had fallen in a hole or something. He is building the same boat as me but modified in yet a different manner. Anyway, over the last month or so, me and my sweetie have been busy doing all kinds of things from vacationing to camping to putting in a garden, trimming trees and working. So Bruce, I have made some progress and here are a couple of pics to prove it.

The cockpit sides and sole have been installed and bilge back in the cockpit area has been sealed and painted. I need to go and get more plywood now to continue. There will be a bottom added under the side benches for storage and then the side benches will go on over the framework. Up at the top of this picture, you can see I am making a pattern for the v-birth.

Another shot of the cockpit area.

Making the pattern for the v-birth floor.

The floor of the v-birth is ready to be installed. The area is just where our feet and legs will go. To the rear of this are two seats facing to stern and the backs of these seats will fold down when it's bed time to make for the rest of the sleeping area. There are a couple of drawings near the start of this blog that show how that will work.

Footwell and cabin mockup

Today I fitted the footwell sides and did a little mockup of the cabin front and real to check headroon and see how it looks. I'm not sure I like it and may make a couple f changes. We'll see.

The sides of the cockpit footwell with supports for the sole.

Looking back from the cabin

Cabin mockup

Cabin mockup

Cabin mockup

Cabin mockup

Cabin mockup

Cockpit seat frams are in

I spent my Saturday morning boat allotted time finishing up whatever panel filleting that still needed to be done. Yesterday I glued in most of the seat framing for the cockpit. Now it's time to do a lot of sanding in and around the floor area, especially below the waterline. I hope to seal this area up and paint it before I actually close the areas off. After the seat and floor panels are install the only access will be thru a couple of small inspection hatches so I will need to seal and paint while I have good access.

Cockpit seat frames are installed and awaiting paint in the bilge.

Another view.

trial fitting the cockpit framing

A couple of weeks ago I did some playing around trying to figure out the best arrangement for the cockpit seating and now I have most of the frame pieces made. Here I am just doing a trial fit to make sure everything will go together. Not too many things are straight and aligned in a boat so with all these curves it pays to try things out and test fit as much as possible before attaching.

The deck carlins are permanently in so it's on to the cockpit framing.

Fitting the seat frames in place

The plywood strips across the foot well area is just temporary to help align things.