Glueing updside down and our keel stepped mast

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

So today I wanted to tell you about one of CAI's techniques. He has an abundant "toolbox" of various techniques that make building this boat possible.  In this case it's about gluing or bonding. Gluing is a very common process in the build out of AtLast.  Nearly everything is glued and screwed together, unless it's fiberglassed into place.  When pieces are both glued and screwed together it prevents these mating parts from creating unpleasant creaking noises when the boat is moving on the water.

When using glue, pieces are clamped together while the glue cures.  For an example, see the photo below when CAI was bonding the slats to the top of the companionway hatch:

CAI adds clamps to the companionway hatch while the slats are being glued in place.

But it's not always so easy.

Recently CAI was gluing reinforcements to the inside surface of the cabin top in the location where the mast will be.  Masts are either keel stepped or deck stepped.  Keel stepped boats have a mast which goes down through the deck (cabin top) and to a mast step at the keel in the hull.  This design is the classical way and the most secure way to install the mast.  But when using this approach, the mast protrudes through the cabin top or deck and that hole is a vulnerable location of the boat.  To strengthen that area, CAI glued additional pieces of marine plywood to the underside of the cabin top.

In this next picture, you can see the 4 pieces of marine plywood glued to the underside of the cabin top.  This is an AFTER picture, after the job was completed. 

Looking UP at the mast boot support. 
The mast will stand in this location, just aft of the forepeak.

So you can imagine it's impossible to use traditional clamps to apply pressure to the plywood.  We are gluing upside down here so we can't load the parts under bags of sand or lead either.  So CAI's solution was to place several 4x1's underneath each piece of plywood and they exerted upwards pressure to compress the plywood against the cabin top.  

The forepeak was off-limits for a day or two while this was going on. 

The Beginning of our Galley (our kitchen).

Here's a preview of the galley.  It's one of CAI's many projects on the boat these days.  I'm helping out with details but he's the master mind behind it.

Here are a few features of the galley.   When you climb down into AtLast from the cockpit, the galley will be on your immediate left, at the bottom of the stairs.  CAI put it here to make it convenient to directly hand hot food to the captain or whoever is on deck.  In rough seas, this is a real advantage as you will not have to walk and manage a plate of food when the boat is being tossed around.

I have to say, I read these words as I type and I am really NOT looking forward to dealing with this kind of weather.  But I'm confident that we will have a boat designed and built to deal with it.

OK, more about the galley....

AtLast will have a refrigerator.  This is a real luxury on a low budget cruising boat, which ours definitely is.   We will have solar panels and a wind generator to help supply power for the fridge.  It's a real power hog.

The stove is a "Force 10" brand and it is gimbaled.  That means it will stay level even when the boat heels to the side. CAI has to allow space for the stove to "swing" when he installs it.

When the stove is not in use, there will be a shelf that can be pulled out over the stove to provide more counter space.

We will have a shelf for a microwave.  This is another  luxury and we will use it when we have access to AC "shore" power.  So we probably won't use it much while we are underway.

DOUBLE CLICK on photo to enlarge it for a closer look.

CAI and Jackie's galley.

A side view of the galley.

Any guesses?

Any guesses what this might be?  

This picture is looking up from inside at the cabin "ceiling."

Here's the view from outside on top of the cabin and deck:

It's our "hi-tech" winter fresh air circulation system, a 250W box heater.

You see, it's getting pretty cold outside.  The highs are in the 30's and it's definitely freezing overnight.  We are continuing to work with some pretty smelly and dangerous chemicals.  Of course we need to circulate in fresh air to dissipate the chemicals.  But who wants to blow in cold air?  So, instead, we set up a simple routine to keep the air in the boat warm and fresh.

First we try to paint or epoxy at the end of the day.  Then we let the heater continue to run all night, pushing in warm clean air.  By the morning the fumes are pretty well cleared out.