Eliminate side panels - Need filler pieces!

[Ironworker]

I want to eliminate the side panels on my 31 and finish the sides and add racks/support for gaffs, boat hooks etc. under the gunnels. There is a small area (4 or 5 inches) between the deck and side of the boat that needs to be filled with some material. Looking at a number of photos, its looks as most folks have molded a piece of fiberglass with a raised lip to direct water out the scuppers.

Is there a shop that offers these filler pieces for sale? I'm assuming pretty much anything available commercially would have to be modified for each boat. Or does anyone have a mold or suggestions on how to build. Does anyone have any photos of what these pieces may look like? We are pretty hardcore fisherman and I'm considering adding a toe rail as well for added safety. Anyone else done the same?

Thanks,
Rick Ott

[Ironworker]

Here is a photo from the site of the filler pieces between the gunnel and floors. Any suggestions?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ocbq96k63x35i ... z.jpg?dl=0

[Tony Meola]

Looking at that photo it looks like they used fiberglass L's like these: https://www.mcmaster.com/fiberglass/str ... 90-angles/

They glassed them in and cut out the necessary ports. Most of the boats without the side panels, actually run the deck almost to the hull and they leave a gutter for the water to run down. To do that you need to cut piece of material like COOSA Board or something similar, so that it fits and follows the contour of the hull. It would only need to be wide enough to meet and maybe extend an inch or two further than the edge of the deck. You could router or cut the piece at the edge, leaving a lip so that the edge of the deck could sit in the groove you just made. Glass that to the hull, but make sure you leave maybe a 1/16 of an inch space at the hull so that the hull can flex without cracking.
Perhaps someone who has actually done it can offer some more advice.

[Yannis]

Guys,

Don't get carried away into various assumptions by the design superiority of the 28!
This is my 28 without side panels, with teak vertical gunnel supports and a cleat installed at an angle to facilitate rope handling.
The cleat is through bolted on a teak slab, itself bonded on a custom “ Π “ shaped fiberglass construction. The whole unit is glassed onto the boat corner giving hand space from below to tighten the nuts.

[Ironworker]

Thanks, I'll be working on the boat this weekend and will get a couple of photos of the deck and post here.