Mast Compression Beam

The compression post is installed.  Now some of you may recall I mentioned planning to install an aluminum post.  That was my plan.  My friend Mitch even had a heavy duty thick walled piece of tubing for me.  But then I started figuring how I needed to put on some sort of metal end brackets and would have to measure the length perfectly and get the angle right on the first try and would still need some sort of wood block to match the contour of the cabin top.  I decided it would be easier to just build a hollow post out of clear yellow pine.  It ended up being 3"x2.25" and only weighed 3lbs.  I figure it should take around 6500lbs of compression (which is probably more than the floor will! :) so it should be plenty strong.  I was able to use the sander to sculpt the top and bottom to  perfectly match the contours of the floor and ceiling.  This post was the last structural component on the inside of the boat.  Now I need to do a bit more fiberglass reinforcing.  Then it will be time to sand, fair, and paint the inside of the boat.  Making progress!

A Step In the Right Direction

 

Started work on the mast step. Laminated multiple layers of marine ply and then cut the wedge shape.  Next I used a belt sander to contour the underside to the shape of the hull.  To get it to conform perfectly, I plan on bedding it in thickened epoxy.  The mast step is stainless steel and is hinged (which should make stepping and un-stepping the carbine fiber mast an easy job!)

What I Think About A Sink

 

It's been a while since my last post, but I have been working a bit on the project now and then.  Just been busy with the family and working.  But I did manage to install the chainplate supports for the mast shrouds.  Hopefully they are in the right place (or at least close enough!)  I ended up finding some Melges 24s sitting on trailers in Seattle and did some measuring.  I then used my boats dimensions and did some interpolating and came up with these chainplate locations.  I think this should work, I just always get a little nervous about my calculations!  As you can see in this picture, I also made the storage cutout in the sink pedestal as well as put in the "sink"  The "sink" is actually just a really deep plastic salad bowl.  On my current boat, I almost never use the sink.  When I do use the sink it is a pain to drain because I have to reach below and open a sea cock (which is normally closed to prevent it from flooding the boat when we are heeled)   It also seems that gooey nasty stuff is always clogging the drain.  And also having a hole in the hull means there's always a chance something could break, and the boat sinks.  For simplicity, I'm using a bowl that easily pops out and it's contents thrown out the main hatch..overboard.  No worries about sea cocks, plugged drains, or sinking!

A picture of the port chainplate support structure.