Reinforcing the V-Berth / Battens / Ceiling Boards

[Rob Osterman]

Hello,

I’m just wrapping up my batten project while I’ve been waiting for the yard to complete some other tasks.

For those who reinforced the v-berth — did you go with installing the vertical strips/battens AND adding fiberglass to the entirety of the flat section?

Can anyone provide input on if I added enough glass to properly reinforce the forward sections?

Here’s a quick write-up of what I did –
1) Removed liner — thoroughly grinded out the glue and goop (what a mess!)
2) Added one layer of 1.5oz mat to length of flat section. Let dry.
3) Added 1″ x 1″ firring strips. Used epoxy+filler to get a fillet around hard edges.
4) Added one layer 1.5oz mat over firring strips and length of flat section.
5) Added one layer 1.8oz (I think) woven roving (S-glass.)
6) Added 1.5oz mat to all gaps around anchor-locker bulkhead, above and below shelf. Added two layers of 1.5oz mat on top and bottom of shelf back to the hull.
6) Secured mahogany battens and Reflectix insulation.

I was surprised how thin the flat section up front really was. You could flex it by putting a bit of pressure against it! The new glass work seems significantly stiffer compared to what it was like before. I still have a bit of cosmetic work on the anchor locker bulkhead and other places, but, the battens sure do look nice!

Attachments:

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   1_Layer1.jpg
   

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   2_Dry.jpg
   

3. 

   3_Ribs.jpg
   

4. 

   4_Ribs2.jpg
   

5. 

   5_Installed.jpg
   

[calicojack]

Hi Rob

That looks fantastic. I may make a winter project out of it. Thanx for the
photos.

Jack on “MOJO” Oriental,NC

 

Calico Jack

1 user thanked author for this post.

Rob Osterman

[Miss Kathleen]

Just been through this process but slightly different.

The removal of liner, sanding and grinding is all the same. Very messy!

1) I noticed that the shelves had both broken away from hull toward the bow.
2) Removed shelving as I was going to stiffen from the bunk and upwards of the shelf but since reading that the shelf is ‘structural’, it was probably best to leave it attached to the hull
3) Put the shelf back with quadraxial fabric above and below the hull attachment. Added a bracket between the shelf and anchor locker
4) Followed Bill Shaw’s advice but chose foam core in five sections rather than a single balsa panel.
5) Added vertical strips (4 off) to form box sections. Used 600gsm quadraxial fabric
6) Glued in 12mm foam core between the strips.
7) Covered everything with two layers of quadraxial 600gsm fabric
8) Re-lined with vinyl

Looking forward to a test run.

Definitely not on my list of to-do-again jobs!

Cheers

Dennis

Attachments:

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   V-Berth2.jpg
   

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   V-Berth.jpg
   

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