It fits.....

This is where the port side centerboard case will live out it's useful life.  I've positioned it in place temporarily and will remove it so that I can install the other support webs.  The case is offset nicely and it leaves plenty of walk way floor space inside the hulls. Notice, however, I have not yet installed the floor supports so you are looking at the curved bilge of the hulls.  Also you will notice that the case fit is not yet complete because the top portion of the case needs to lay flush with the top surface of the side web.   Regardless, I will sleep better tonight knowing that it is going to be possible for me to actually build this cat with centerboards........As Ian Farrier says : It's a lot more work. He's right but I still want to be able to run this ship over unseen sand bars without having to worry about smashing a dagger board or ripping an unwanted slot in a hull. 

Stressful sawing

Cutting a gaping hole in the bottom of the port side hull was a stressful thing to do.  After days and days of stretching string lines, making measurements, swinging plumb bobs, wielding levels, shining lasers and pretty much convincing myself that I knew where to cut my centerboard case hole, I went ahead and cut it......will the case fit...... or will I have to build a new boat?  The wood piece is a representation of the cross section of the centerboard case and here, I am using it to check the fit of the case before I man handle it in place.

Marking the location for the port side centerboard case install

Although this is not the most elegant photograph of the interior of the port side hull, it shows a number of sharpy pen marks that I have made to convince myself that I know what I am doing. ( measure five times, mark three times and cut once )

You can also see the multi layer unidirectional upright web along the left side of the door opening. This, along with several more reinforcing webs will provide ample bonding points to distribute the forces that will be generated by the centerboards.

Port side centerboard case trimming

The forward end of the centerboard case nests into the inner hulls forward of the mast bulkhead.  The lower edges of the case protrude through a slot cut in the boat and will be trimmed to match the curves of the hull.