Above is a start on the cockpit. The material is honeycomb core fiberglass 4' x 8' panels. Two panels were joined together with a mahogany spline to form the cockpit floor. The floor was cut to finished dimensions of 77" x 96". The sides are epoxied in place while clamped to keep everything square and straight.
I don't enjoy working with this material as it has given me a case of fiberglass itch for the first time in this project. Wearing flip flops and short sleeve shirts, while cutting this fiberglass material on a table saw says I was asking for a case of itch.
The panels came coated with white paint that did not stick well to epoxy so the paint had to be removed with a new belt sander. The paint was removed where joins are made. The paint was very difficult to remove, it must have been some great paint.
Cutting the panels slices through the honeycomb cells leaving voids in the cut surfaces. The exposed cut surfaces can be filled with thicken epoxy to create a finished edge.
A person could look at the image above and wrongly ask, "Why the built-in banjo cases?" I might look at the inquisitor askew and wonder how it is I come across as so hillbilly.
A pair of electric outboards will retract and fill the banjo cases. There will be no visible indication that outboards are on board when retracted. The battery placement is controlled by the power cord length extending from the outboard shaft. I feel very lucky that the outboard equipment could be modified to suit my purposes.
A removable cover provides access to the retracted propeller in the event the anode needs changing, or the propeller needs to be cleared. With the propeller lowered into the water and an improvised seat, this opening could serve as a backup to the composting toilet (may the day never come to pass).
These simple parts may not seem like much, but many concepts were conceived, rejected and iterated on to distill into the above parts. These parts will mount the motor batteries and a motor control connector.
To the right is the underside of the battery case. Battery case slots engage with the two smaller mounts to prevent fore and aft movement.
The single aft mount lifts the battery end 1.5 inches so that the motor lead exits the battery in a more horizontal position to better accommodate the limited vertical space,
The motor mounting screws are positioned about midway through the cockpit floor thickness. The motor mount gives the motor a downward thrust of five degrees and retracts the propeller to a position too high for the available space. The motor mount, above, overcomes these obstacles.
Here the motor mounts are seen in profile with wedges added on the aft (right) face. The wedges assure that the motor shaft is 90° to the cockpit floor. The mounts are epoxied to the underside edge of a cut out in the cockpit floor to form a shallow pan below the cockpit.
The finial cockpit form emerges with the addition of the inner locker walls. The motors and batteries are contained in the lockers below the cockpit seats. The width required for outboard installation and the adjacent batteries compelled a 22 inch width to the cockpit seats. The seat width is too much for comfortable sitting but is better for laying down on. The wide seat might be the perfect spot for a comfortable bean bag chair.
Fillets and fiberglass are applied along the length to the joined panels. Gaining access to the joined surfaces is much easier with the cockpit resting on its' side.
The inner combings (walls to block water from entering lockers) complete the cockpit's major construction. Notice that fore and aft are square sections spanning between the right and left lockers. The square sections carry wiring around the entire cockpit perimeter. This wiring will provide for the following:
- anchor and navigation lights
- outboard motor control signals
- fore and aft 12V DC and USB outlets
- transfer solar and battery power between hulls
- depth sounder output and power
A coat of primer and the cockpit will be ready for fitting.
Possibly you recognize the person in the picture who is about to board his vessel for the first time.
A friend helped with the cockpit install, the images and celebration. Regular readers may recall the four wheeled single axel dolly used to move the hulls. Two 2"x4"s repurposed the dolly into a rickshaw like device to hold the cockpit at the correct elevation to rest on and between the crossbeams. Clearance between the hulls and cockpit is about 1/2 of an inch. I was rather astonished at how well this contrivance worked; I'm thereby encouraged to try any wild ideas that may occur to me.
Looks like wanta be boater boy is pleased with the new perch. Shortly after this picture, about 10:00 am, was the occasion for the first ever cockpit cocktails. It turned into a pleasant cockpit day with a constant breeze, shade and new surroundings to contemplate.
A contribution slot to Davey Jones locker exists between the cockpit and the hulls. Anything on board is sure to fall through these slots.
The cockpit/hull gap is characterized with a template.
This filler plate should limit Davey Jones's take and block or reduce water splashing up between the hulls and the cockpit. The locker lids will mount to the filler plate bolted to the inner combings.
