Forepeak - Stiffening the hull

This post is about the forepeak where we have been adding stiffeners to the hull. Stiffening the hull will
make the boat more rigid and therefore stronger and quieter.  I think most people can imagine continuous creaking sounds that boats make.  We want to minimize that.
CAI also warns me that when the bow of a boat hits large waves the hull can ring almost like a gong. The stiffening will reduce those effects too.  Fortunately storms and weather that produce big waves should be the exception, not the rule.

Flashback to 2013: 

2013: In this ooooold picture of the forepeak, CAI has attached paneling onto the forward bulkhead.
He has also built and installed the overhead beams which will support the deck/cabin top. 

October 2016:

2016:  In this recent picture, the forepeak is almost all enclosed.
The bulkhead and cabin top are both completed and storage compartments are built up.
But there were no stiffeners on the hull yet.

Here's an overview of the forepeak:



Last week I built the stiffeners, or ribs, on the hull sides in the forepeak.  The completed installation looks like this:

New ribs or stiffeners are shown here on the starboard side of the forepeak.

Here's a summary of the construction method for the ribs:

To prep the hull I sand it and then clean it with acetone.

Then I build pillars with 4-inch blocks that CAI made.
The bottom-most block has to be shaped to match the contour of the lid of the storage compartment below.
Once everything was fitted OK, I epoxied the blocks onto the hull of the boat.  It's an overnight cure.

Next I cut the fiberglass that reinforces each tower of blocks.
I cut it in batches, 3 pieces per rib, and numbered them to keep them organized.

Then I applied the fiberglass, layering 3 pieces per rib,using epoxy to adhere each piece to the hull.

 I demonstrate the fiberglassing technique in the video below: 

The epoxy that we use with the fiberglass will "go off" in your cup if you don't use it up quickly enough.
It gets really hot, smoking and smoldering like a little cauldron.  It will melt your cup.  You learn to move fast!

The next step is to add insulation in the spaces between the ribs. More on that later.