[alberg30] Inspection Hatch / Deck Plate

[Rabbit649 at AOL.com]

From: Rabbit649 at AOL.com

In a message dated 2/28/00 11:29:53 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
finnus505 at aol.com writes:

>  Hi Paul,
>  Your replacement of the glass from the cut-out definitely will be 
strong!!! 
> I 
>  found that since the cut out I made in the forward end of the cockpit had 
>  it's margins so close to the corners of the cockpit sole, the L shape, of 
>  where the sole meets the vertical walls of the cockpit, is rigid enough 
that 
> 
>  no extra reinforcement seemed necessary. However, the aft margin of the 
>  cutout, did flex when i stood on the sole, and so I through bolted a nice 
>  stiff 2 x4 athwartships, an inch or so aft of the cutout. Spanning the 
width 
> 
>  of the sole as it does, it stiffened up the area considerably, and I feel 
> the 
>  sole is as strong now as it was before, and the access hatch does not 
>  compromise the structure of the boat.
>  When I was done cuting out the hole for the hatch, the cut surface of the 
>  masonite core had seperated from the laminate in a couple of places, 
> probably 
>  from the vibration of the sawsall.  With 20-20 hindsight, I realized I 
shoud 
> 
>  have changed the blade more frequently, as the heavy glass laminate dulled 
>  the blade fast, and the dull blade made the vibration.  I let GitRot, a 
>  thinned epoxy, soak into the 'end grain' of the masonite, to reunite it 
with 
> 
>  the fiberglass laminate, and to make it waterproog once the hatch was 
>  installed. The hatch is bedded in silicone caulking, so theoreticaly, no 
>  water should reach this end of the masonite, but we both know, on a boat, 
>  water eventualy gets everywhere.
>  Hope this helps,
>  Lee
>  Stargazer #255
Probably it's meaningless for such a small cut-out in an already boxed area 
like the cockpit, but when you have a structure that gets it's strength by 
being boxed, any removal of surface has got to weaken the overall stiffness 
of the structure. I don't mean the stiffness of the edges for standing, but 
the resistance to wracking that deck surface gives the whole boat against 
wracking in a punishing sea. Imagine a box with a top. Now twist it. Now take 
the top off and twist it again. Now, cut a square hole out of the top and put 
it back on and twist it. That's what I'm talking about.
Paul
#23 Ashwagh

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