Ray, Tom, Graham and other experts, HELP

[Maria CS20 104]

???  We have the hull together, all interior seams filleted and taped, looks really great.  I think I am supposed to put in forward bulkhead and then Keel Batten.  Next I think I put in the rear bulkhead and tape and glass all.  What's next?  Turn boat over, do seats, frame deck, or what?  I think I am on track, need input from the experts, kinda stuck here, I don't want the hull to deform when I turn it over so I think I am supposed to do the items listed but I may need to do more???????????????? :-\  Help, PLEASE

Thanks, Jim Atkinson

[Charlie Jones]

I install all that, then the seats up to putting on the tops, and the centerboard case. THEN I turn the boat and work on the bottom, until it's ready for paint.. Might even paint the actual bottom up to the chines. Then turn it back and finish the interior.

This pic will show where I turned the last one I built- this is a CS 20.

Note the 2 x 4 inserted where the front sling rides- that's screwed in from the outside and prevents the sling from distorting the hull. I align the after sling with the after bulkhead. I can turn a 20 hull by myself, as in the second piture.

[Maria CS20 104]

Thanks, I am enlightend from my ignorance.  I note your seats go all the way aft and I think I see two watertight bulkheads in the seat.  Any reason for taking the seats all that distance or will you connect bith a bench across the back?  Thanks again Charlie.  By the way, how did you, family and boats fair in the storms.

Thanks

Jim

[Tom Lathrop]

The main thing is to make the boat rigid before turning.  You can either do as Charlie says or install the seat tops before turning.  Got to thoroughly epoxy the tank interior first though.  No matter how you do it, check periodically that the alignment remains fixed properly.  Once the seat tops are in, it's harder to twist the boat.  That is why I mention doing them before turning.

The seats serve as rescue air tanks so they go all the way unless Graham explicitly says differently.  They also make excellent dry-storage lockers for beach cruising.  I don't think that builders of boats from competing designers fully appreciate the value of this for either safety or convenience.

[Charlie Jones]

Took 'em back that far because that's what the plans showed, and that boat was for a customer, so........

I did install a light shelf across the aft end of the cockpit for him to stow his fuel tank under. Not really a seat though.

And we took a clean miss on the storms- highest winds here were 50 knots. Tehani, our Meridian 25 was out in a small bay lying to four anchors, all with chain and all having at least 200 feet of rode- in 8 feet of water before the surge. She rode fine although we did have grass stems on the deck when we went to get her.

Tom- see the 1 x2 across the seats and centerboard trunk? That's also what that's in there for- to keep the boat a bit more rigid. But putting the seat tops on first certainly wouldn't hurt at all. I did that on the 17. You could even frame the deck and side decks for that matter. When I built the Princess 22 I totally finished the bottom while it was upside down. Painted up to the chines, then painted the sides down once it was finished and right side up. I figured I didn't want to turn that boat but once ;D

The CS 20 is easier and the CS 17 is a piece of cake- I only used a single sling line turning that one, set right at the balance point. Took maybe 10 minutes all together, once it was all set up.

CS 17 being turned.

[Tom Lathrop]

I always deviate from Graham's plans on one point.

I like to have a drain plug just above the keel in the transom.  Once I put in a PVC pipe through an aft sealed tank for a drain but someone else built that boat.  This is for when the boat is stored outside.  Park the boat with the bow lifted so any water that collects for whatever reason can get out.  Also helps draining  when washing the boat.  There is always an Andersen bailer in my small boats but it will rarely drain all the water.

[Randy C.]

Charlie,

I notice on the 17 you show turning over, the seat tops aren't the way most are. How do you make them watertight?

Thanks,

Randy

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

The seat longitudinals are the boat's main fore/aft structure.  You want them in and filleted and taped prior to taking the boat out of the molds.  Like Charlie says...do as much inside the boat as possible before rolling over.  I rolled mine over once.  The interior was complete and painted and decks on before rolling.  I sprayed the interior and then brushed the decks after final roll back upright.  Only reason I rolled mine over was to glass and paint the hull exterior.  Well, maybe needed to fair the centerboard slot too and put on the keel.