I am sure that before we are complete with Akupara’s refit I will experience smaller places than the anchor locker, but for now this is probably the most time I have spent in such a small space.
Fitting the new bulkhead was an exercise in patience. The last thing I wanted to do was end up cutting the pieces too short, so there was a lot of back and forth between the anchor locker and the main salon where I was cutting the ply. Shaving plywood is not exactly the easiest thing to do with a jigsaw, but it can be done.
Last part of the story, it is in.
Joints were filleted with thickened epoxy, and 5 layers of glass on all 4 corners. If this bulkhead moves again, I will give up. And I will do everything in my power to make sure that it NEVER rots again!
It is satisfying to have a job done, but the aches and pains will stick around for a while yet, I am certainly not 25 anymore.
While I was at Akupara today I also put 2 coats of Cetol, Natural teak, on the anchor locker divider. Speaking of which, I have been hoarding 3 nice industrial rubber mats that a good friend of mine gave me. They are the kind that you would see in a restaurant kitchen. They are black, about an inch thick, and are filled with holes to allow for drainage. My plan all along was to line the bottom and sides of the anchor locker with these so that air can get around and water can get underneath. Hopefully, everything I am doing will prevent another rust ball like we found when we purchased Akupara.
I wonder if the old girl is starting to feel loved again? She may have thought she was destined for the scrapyard, but with all of the cleaning, painting, scraping, sanding, grinding and a brand new bulkhead, she must know that she is on her way back to being the belle of the ball!
Next will probably be the fore-deck re-coring….this will be interesting!