bertram31.com

What was the material used to make the original bulkhead(the one with the door and windows) on the FBC.Also, if a new one was needed what material would be used now? ...Thanks Russ

The original was Plywood covered with wood grain Formica.

That bulkhead and the one behind the engines are structural. The one behind the engines should be brought all the way to the gunnels. It wasn't as factory and that is why you have the cracks at the pilasters.

For the main bulkhead you will need something structural as well to stop the racking that takes place from the bridge and house. All the weight from the flybridge is support by the windshield up front and then the aft bulkhead and without the rear engine room bulkhead being tyed into the gunnels the rest of the weight sits on the gunnels.

The plywood in your boat lasted many many years, I like the strength of it. Maybe a mix of plywood glassed over for structure to the top of the engine boxes and then divinycell bulkhead and door with frameless windows for the rest.

That whole engine bay area should be made to be bulletproof.

Original was 1/2" plywood and only screwed and caulked in place.

I laminate 2 layers of 1/2" plywood with epoxy, configure the windows, epoxy laminate both sides with heavy Formica, then screw and epoxy the bulkheads to the boat, (whole bulkhead is made up of a port and starboard piece connected with a small header strip). Permanent installation... Could also be done with Coosa board. Would still laminate both sides with Formica.

Hancock's Bulkhead

Thank you,Rawleigh,JP,and Capt. Pat for the info. I don't know if it has to be replaced yet , but better to have the information than not... again thanks Russ

What other website could you get info from the pros like that. Go bertram31!!!

you got that right brewster

,thanks to capt Pat I used coosa board, a sheet of 3/4 glued to a pc of 1/2 troweled a coat of thickened polyester resin with a 10"drywall blade on both sides, sanded with da 100 paper, troweled a second coat on sanded with 150, rolled 3 coats of 545, coppied the template onto the laminated pc dry fitted, ground the areas to be bonded with 60 , tabbed with 1708 biax and epoxy sanded and faired the bonded areas ,more 545 and finally sanded for finish paint. I left the door opening at 22" because I eventually installed subzero refer/freezer that measured 21 1/2 " with the door off,created a 2" door jamb/ casing to hold the 18" coosa door on both sides, the jamb assy is edge fastened wiyh 4" recessed screws hidden by wooden bungs, I can easily remove if needed in the futher

Capt.Patrick Do I understand that you want about 1/4" gap between the wood bulkhead and the hull to be filled with thickened epoxy? Do you tab the bulkhead to the hull w/fiberglass? On Hancocks boat you added a 1" filler strip. Is that because the boat was a sportfish? I would like to replace my bulkhead next winter.

Frank

No... Doing that would be the same as butting the bulkhead directly to the hull and creating a hard spot...

Either leave the space void or place a strip of Divinycell or similar foam, but not bonded, only tabbed over with a generous radius to the tabbing.

The spacer is actually 1 1/2" in thickness and was done so the bulkhead met the overhead curvature of the house in the proper spot.

Thanks Patrick. Are you going to make a perment link for the work on Hancock's boat?

Thanks again.
Frank

Patrick:

When are you going to officially publish the B31 Bible ?

For me that would be the mother of all my boat books !

How about an e-version with all your fixes in .pdf format that can be downloaded fix by fix ?

Frank,

Yes, after all is finished, I'll endeavor to refine and link Hancock's project permanently...

Preston,

Don't know... While it's been a thought for years, the reality is rather foggy.

Thanks Patrick. Pictures make thing lot simpiler than reading about it.

Thanks again.