| I precisely marked the bridge
deck's vertical location along both hulls, using a laser level, while
they were still in the (dark) warehouse. Masking tape was used to define
the areas which required preparation (sanding) adjacent to the hull-to-deck
joints. |
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Several man-hours later, the
hulls were ready for bonding with the 4 bridge deck panels. Notice
the step-down to the aft deck ... this will be at the sliding door's threshold.
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| Prepping the massive panels
was more time-consuming. After all edges are sanded, to remove gel
coat, Ø1/4" holes are drilled along the periphery, where resin
will flow-in, to enhance bonding and provide additional shear strength.
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All surfaces are double-checked
just prior to lamination. Here, the sanded area on the underside of
the aft-deck panel is being touched up to assure 100% bonding.
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The undersides are laminated
first. 3 layers of heavy bi-axial mat are applied, one-at-a-time, with
1" stepped edges for optimum bonding with a nice tapering edge. The
fiberglass fabric is cut 45º from the roll's warp so fibers will criss-cross
the corners for maximum strength. It's a little more time consuming
but the results justify the effort.
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The aft deck was installed
first since it is lower than the other 3 panels. There is a 4" overlap
at the transition from the aft deck to the saloon floor for added strength.
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Almost done! The 4 horizontal
bridge deck panels are laminated to the hull below- and above-deck.
Next, they will be laminated at their respective seams. Installation
of the slanted bow-panel will be postponed until the walls, pilothouse roofs,
mast tube, and main bulkheads are in-place to facilitate handling of the
large components.
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Several months later, it's
time to install the forward bow section of the bridge deck. This 1.5" thick molded one-piece
panel is over 15' wide but exceptionally light for its size. Fresh
from the mold, it awaits trimming of flash. The PVA mold-release is
noticeable in this photo.
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Precise molded-in recesses,
called "joggles", were created during lay-up of this panel. All exterior
laminations will, therefore, be practically flush with the yellow gel coat
surface. This reduces finishing time considerably. A light sanding
of the joggle areas is the only preparation required after trimming.
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Installation was a breeze.
The accurate CNC-cut templates, used to lay-out geometry on the flat mold
surface, assured proper fit. We screwed four 3/4" x 1.5" strips of
hardwood beneath the panel's desired line-of-position, then simply lifted
it in place. Four men can position the relatively lightweight bow panel
in less than one minute!
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One test-fit verified geometry,
so we floxed the sides and placed it into final position. Two boards
were wedged beneath the centerline to prohibit bowing while the flox dries.
A few external- and internal-laminations are next, followed by installation
of the 3 water tanks and stringers.
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