BYYB Forums

Thought I'd post a few photos:

[attachment=1]  The boat so far.

[attachment=2]  The lazarette extension to the hull sides for the seating modification.

[attachment=3]   Companionway detail.

[attachment=4]  Stringers for the seating Modification.

Dave

Just a note to clarify some points.  I "beefed up" the margins of the companionway cutout with 3/4" stock.  The look is more finished, and the opening is more stable.  At the bottom of the combing around the companionway are three "scuppers": Brass tubing through the combing to drain water from the channel in which the hatch sits.

Looking good David.  Nice workmanship. 

I attached the cockpit coamings before enclosing the seat backs, but long after the sides had been attached.  That way I could come up into the first layer of the coaming(s) from below.  I had fabricated them completely before disassembling them and then attaching them to the deck and cabin. 

From a practical point of view:  Paint and finish everything you can that is inside before attaching the side panels.  Then fit the panels to the sides and mark off all the stringers, etc. on the side panels.  Mask off those areas and then finish off the inside of the side panels before attaching them.  Ask me sometime about waiting to do the final coats of paint in the forepeak after attaching the sides.  You'll be amazed at how much you will actually have completed by doing this at this stage.  And how much time/effort and frustration it will save by doing it at this stage.

Another tip - depending on how you are setting up your steering you may want to get that out of the way now too.  I mounted 2X4 blocks inside the hull to hold the U-Bolts that the steering line blocks are attached to rather than mounting them to the side of the hull where they would protrude.

Thank, Andrew.  I am planning to install the 2X4's as per your idea.  Is there a "minimum" distance they need to be from eachother to allow full swing to the rudder and also accommodate the pulleys and/or turnbuckles?

Dave

Wow Dave, your making great progress.

Greg

You may want to set those interior mounts as far outboard as you can reasonably get them and still access the nuts on the eye bolts .  I set those 2X 4 mounts so that they could also function as a mount for a rear deck cleat for mooring or if needed towing another boat.  With a simple step attached to the bottom of the transom at the corners it can also function to help get you back aboard if you end up in the water.  Checkout the step/handle from Duckworks.

You don't want as much swing as you can get to the rudder tiller.  You want to limit it to about 30-35 degrees either side of center.  Any further than that and the rudder begins to act more like a brake in the water than a steering device.   A simple block attached to the underside of the rear deck that limits the movement of the tiller to either side will accomplish that easily.
A number of builders have had issues with tacking and once they limited the throw of the tiller, they didn't have nearly as much of a challenge getting thru a tack.  A rudder with a rounded leading edge and a tapered trailing edge will  generally function quite well.

Also keep in mind that you may end up having to change those blocks at some time.  I found out after the sides were on that I'd dripped resin on one of the blocks jamming it.  I ended up having to twist it off the U-bolt and replace it with one attached with quick links - one handed and without being able to see - and that was WITH a transom hatch.  Since I'd previously had the block on the U-Bolt though, it took 2 quick links to have it in the right orientation - chewing up 3 or 4" of space.

For the cleats that Barry is talking about, I used a 4X4 to make the stringer to connect the deck/transom so had lots of backing already - and a large notch to cut out of it to allow for the tiller stub.

I've attached some pix of different steering setups.  The first is mine, the second is from Nelson and I don't remember where the third came from.  Another mod I did was to use steel pipe and a floor plate for my wheel.  The Stevensons do that in their pedal cars - not sure why not in the boats.