The Boat Shop

With the stringers in place the deck is the next piece to manufacture.  Having our deck material already sealed on the underside simplified things greatly.  A section was removed on the first piece, effectively creating a “bilge” area so that any water that collects on the deck is quickly contained and disposed of.  A spacer was fitted along the edge of the cut-out so the deck doesn’t sag in that area before it is glassed in place.

Bilge cut-out

Using Special Tool #76 the deck was jogged on the official board for Valkyrie.  Taking time and a large number of points ensures a good job.

Travis using SP#76

Deck measurements on the official board

With the points from the board transferred onto the deck material the 28V saw came out to play.  Putting a 45 degree angle on the blade to get a snug fit against the hull added some difficulty to the curved cuts but the end result was very good.

Cutting curves using a circular saw is always fun

Work platform fitted and in place

Using station 2 as a make shift bulkhead allowed us to play with various angles and positions for what will eventually be the face of the storage area.  The work platform was removed so that a full-length tape of 17-08 biaxle cloth could be set in place along the transition between hull and transom, reinforcing an area that won’t be accessible from this point on.  Once the deck was back in place, the layup schedule for the work platform  was very quick and easy, one layer of 1.5 oz mat, one 8″ full-length tape of 17-08 biaxle cloth on each edge and one layer of 17-08 biaxle cloth over the entire surface.  On the main area of work platform we trimmed the sides back to allow for a small gutter to channel any liquid that appears on the deck aft to the bilge area.  The final layer of 17-08 was rolled to the center on one side of Valkyrie so that the tape and mat could be soaked through before unrolling the 17-08 back into place.  The same system was used on the following side, allowing the wet edge to be brought around and not having to fight the resin through 3 different layers to the deck material underneath.

Fiberglass being layed in place

Along the deck/transom edge, tapes of 17-08 were used and a full-width transom piece was put in place and laminated covering all of the edges for one smooth surface.

Work platform fiberglassed in place

After another long day Valkyrie was allowed to set and cure over night.

Reading: All decked out