floor board strips

This is a shot taken about knee level from the inside of the starboard hull looking into the forward  cabin.  A cross wise lower hull stiffener will also be glassed in place mid ways between the forward bulkhead and the mast bulkhead.  Once this stiffener is in place, I will glass over the floor board strips that I have glued in place and which will support the floor boards. 

Dancing super models

Since it's winter time in the Pacific NW, the main cabin has become my new shop.  I covered the floor with 6 mil plastic sheet to keep from getting drips of epoxy everwhere.

There are a total of 12 floor boards in this boat and each one will be glassed and vacuum bagged to save weight and just in case, to withstand the compressive forces of 20 dancing super models wearing high heels.....that's 40 high heels. Given the average weight of a super model of say 65 lbs, and the area of the average high heel being  1/2 in x 1/2 inch this introduces the very real possibility of sustaining pressures on the order of  265 lbs per inch ^2 on the composite laminate ........or further still if the dancers perform moves that require high stepping , the pressure of a dancer standing on one high heel may soar to 536 lbs per in ^2 . ......  Perhaps a placard next to the US coast guard "no discharge notification" should read. "When dancing, all Super-models should refrain from high-stepping along both the port and starboard floor boards".

If I do two panels at at time per day, that's only six days........"only six days he says!"  Like I always say, if it's cold and raining outside you may as well be vacuum bagging dance floor boards.....I'm always saying that......I wish I could stop saying that

Double  Vacuum lines

heating the interior of the boat to cure the two panels.

  260 # / in^2 potential destructive pressure.

both of the twin diesels are in bed now

I distributed the load of each engine by supporting a 4 x 4 in three places and used a chain hoist to allow me to wiggle the engine into place. 

Starboard side engine resting in a gloss white engine bed.

Putting the engines to bed

 2 x 6 cross beam with rolling trolley

 sliding the engine down into the hull

 Walking the engine down a plank to it's bed.

 Using a 4x4 positioned over the aft cabin hatch, I was able to inch the  port side Engine into its place......

In order to allow me to quickly diagnose possible engine problems due to oil or  fluid leaks, I decided to lay  down a  gloss white epoxy coating inside the engine compartments.  To do this,  I mixed 2 quart of A side epoxy with one quart B side epoxy then mixed 1 cup of Titanium dioxide powder along with 1 cup of cabosil to create a thixotropic hard coat epoxy "paint". I then rolled it on nice and thick.   Now I should be able to wipe this surface down clean every time I check the engines.