CS17 keel batten

[Ken_Potts]

On the CS17 Hull construction plan there is a note about the keel batten. The batten is shown in the uppermost view going from the forward bulkhead, through the aft bulkhead and to the transom. I managed to miss this detail when cutting the aft bulkhead and stitching/taping the hull together so there's no hole for the batten to go through.

I think that the aft bulkhead adds enough rigidity to the structure that installing two pieces (one forward of the bulkhead, one aft) will be alright. on the other hand I'm not afraid of hacking a hole through the bulkhead to accommodate a single piece keel batten.

My question is twofold: Have any of you guys goofed in this way and if so, how did you deal with it?

[mustangermatt]

Actually, I did exactly the same thing. And I used two pieces.

Looking at the structure I figured that you don't get the strength from the keel batten itself since a flat sawn 1x4 laid flat in the bilge is not exactly rigid in and of itself. But it will hold the V form in the bottom in the area where it is shallow, and the V form in the bottom IS very rigid. This will prevent the "oil can" effect on the reletively flat run aft. The aft bulkhead does the same thing at the keel batten joint.

I originally planned on installing a knee on both sides of the bulkhead on the batten, but could not induce any flex in the bottom before they were installed so I dropped that idea as overkill. I have already added extra framing and weight in my boat.

Of course this is just my opinion and I am sure Graham will have the input that really matters :-)

[Ken_Potts]

Sounds like consensus so far. Any dissenting opinions out there?

While we're at it - Any tips on installing the inwhales? I'm planning to use full length pieces, start at the bow and clamp my way back. Has anybody had problems getting it all done before the epoxy kicks or gets scraped off? I might make a practice run without epoxy to make sure I know what to expect.

[Brent]

A practice run without epoxy is a really good idea.

If you have any doubt about the keel batten, I am thinking it would not be real hard to run the full length batten through a nicely cut hole in the aft bulkhead. The hole will have to be a little taller than the batten to facilitate getting a more or less straight board into a curved space. Epoxy will make quick work of filling the hole. No hill for a stepper.

[Roger Peterson]

I had the same issue with my keel batten. I removed the rear bulkhead and cut the notch for the batten and then re-installed the bulkhead after the batten was in place. T'was not that hard to do.(for a stepper)

As for the inwales... I had a few problems with my inwales being too stiff... the bow end on the port side slipped out of the clamp and ripped the plywood side down about 8 inches. See the pictures in the gallery under my name for the resulting repair. My problem was mostly due to me working alone without a helper... My 2 cents,... get a helper and look at each step before you start. :roll: Do a dry run if you can and remember, it's made of wood so it can be reworked if you run into any opertunities.

Roger

[mustangermatt]

I actually didn't use clamps for the inwales, I used sheet rock screws. Starting at the stern I drilled a pilot hole, put in a screw, drilled a couple more, put in screws, all the way to the bow.

Then I pulled all the screws, glued the inwale and the ply, started at the stern and screwed it back in.

I did it by myself and had no problems, but I might just be lucky :-) A helper would certainly make life easier and give you someone to talk to while you work as a bonus.