This weekends work involved fiberglassing what we have decided has been the hardest part of Luna’s construction. Oddly enough, measuring 72×23 inches, it’s also one of the smallest. The problem is that it contained 17 surfaces, 23 angles, curves, arches, and inverted surfaces. The good news is the poop deck toe rail and transom fashion piece has been completed. All that’s left is fairing and painting. With a little help from epoxyworks illustrations here’s what we faced.
Interior corners had to all be puttied and have a radius built in suitable to lay fiberglass into.
Exterior corner had their edges sanded to a suitable radius to allow the fiberglass to lay smoothly.
Three layers with staggered edges making interior and exterior radius corners.
So here is Luna’s not as clean as the drawing completed transom rail cap.
Luna’s transom toe rail, located at the end of the boat is complete! All thats left to do is fair it in and paint to match.
A side view of the transom railcap. Once the fiberglass was laid on the top we had to round it over the sides, and into all the corners.From the top, over the stern, into a negative angle, following the transom window curve…. easy- right?
In addition to the transom we fiberglassed the poop deck scuppers and got the beds for the steering hydraulics installed!
Somewhat shaggy looking, the scuppers were fiberglassed. the space is so tight that we have opted to let it dry completely, then trim and fair the edges. It’ll take a couple more steps to complete but they are small areas and will work out quicly.The steering hydraulic blocks have been bedded!
In today’s Luna update we are going to break away from construction and explain WHY we have certain holes in the hull. Last week we shared pictures of scuppers in Luna’s toe rails which has some folks wonder why holes would be put in boats. Normally holes in boats are bad as they let water in. In some cases we want to move water away from an area or run something through the hole so lets take a look.
So here is a scupper we installed last week. Scuppers are cut in the side of the hull, even with the deck. As water lands on deck from rain or waves it leaves through these holes, which are well above the water line.
Sometimes holes go in below the waterline. Yes, these make us nervous as we know water will want to enter the hull here. In this picture we have two holes. The rudder and propeller shaft fill them. Special fittings with watertight glands mount to the hull and the shafts fit through them keeping the water out. This is one of Luna’s two gun ports. It’s in its pattern and template stage right now. The wood piece at the lower part of the hole will prevent anything from rolling or falling overboard. The wood at the top of the photo is hinged and will fold down flush with the hull. There is a gap leading forward that is called a freeing port. It is about two inches high and runs most of the length of the deck allowing water to go overboard. This ones pretty easy to figure out. This is an inside image of a port light. The six bolts hold it in place. The hinge to the right allows the window to open and the wing nut to left locks the window in place keeping water out.Another special hole in the hull visible on deck allows docking lines to pass through and be secured with a bult in cleat.
So there we go. Some of the holes we deliberately put in Luna’s hull. Check back on Sunday for more construction updates!
