Adding a lazarette to a CD30

[Keith]

I’ve wanted add a lazarette to MOONDANCE for a while now. There’s 13 or 14 cubic feet down there that is virtually unusable. So here goes.

Cutting out the hatch is the easy part.

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First test fit with the hinges. Note: the manual bildge pump had to be relocated to the port footwell.

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The challenging part is creating the drip rail. I used a piece of strapping with expanding foam and wax paper to get the shape for the male mold.

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[Keith]

Creating and test fitting the male mold

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Drip rail off of mold

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Drip rail being epoxied in place

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[Steve I]

Good looking start!

[jbenagh]

That's going to be a great change! Nicely executed.
Jeff

[ghockaday]

Very nice and worth wile, I've gotten stuck back there.

[Keith]

Thanks guys! I’ll keep updating. Working on the hatch in my basement now, was 9 deg yesterday so no work at the boatyard. Brrrrr!!

Dee glad you got free!!!! I’ve never been stuck in there but have to think about how to move each arm and leg so as not to get stuck.

I don’t know why CD didn’t put the hatch in at the factory. It’s such a waste of space.

Keith

[John Stone]

Kind of the way I built my propane locker. Except I built a reverse plug in the shop and laid the glass up over that then removed it and glassed it into place.

http://www.farreachvoyages.com/projects ... ocker.html

[Keith]

Here’s the hatch progress. Hatch gelcote spider cracks ground out.

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Cracks filled with Jamestown Distributors semi flexible epoxy and fairing on edges all sanded.

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Finished hatch with total boat nonskid (beige).

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Will do the same to the cockpit when it warms up

Keith

[Jim Walsh]

Outstanding work. Thanks for documenting your process and sharing in the forum.

[Paul D.]

Great inspiration for a cockpit sole hatch.

[robwm]

Nice work on the hatch, Keith! Unrelated question .... couldn't help but notice the drill-holes into the cockpit's sole .... purpose of these ?

[S/V Ethan Grey]

Great idea. awesome execution. Can't wait to see it finished.

[Keith]

Nice work on the hatch, Keith! Unrelated question .... couldn't help but notice the drill-holes into the cockpit's sole .... purpose of these ?

A few years ago I was getting a slight flexing in the cockpit sole. It happened when I would pull on or lean on the pedestal loop. I assumed that it was due to wet balsa core but rather then cutting up the entire sole I decided to drill a few test holes to check and to my surprise the entire sole was dry (lots of holes). So I determined that it was delimitation of the balsa to the glass on one or both sides. I made sure that the drills holes went entirely through the balsa and injected epoxy with a caulking gun. This ensured that I got epoxy both top and bottom of the balsa core. Problem solved! The same thing happened to my sea hood. I had a bit of flex when walking on it. This method worked there as well.

All of the non-skid on the cockpit seats and sole will be sanded down and new Total boat non-skid will be applied so those holes will be invisible.

Keith