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Date Posted: - Wednesday - 08/ 9/06 - 9:57pm
Author: Randall, M31, Murre
Subject: Sequence on Murre
In reply to: Steve Cox M32 Pyxis 's message, "Rebuild sequence" on - Wednesday - 08/ 9/06 - 4:17pm

Here are some thoughts based on our rebuild of Murre back in 2003. I say "our" when in fact all the major construction was done by a Japanese carpenter named Iki, a real pro ... but as I was in the yard much of the time doing other “important” but less skilled work, I feel I’ve earned the right to be included in the story. :)

We replaced the deck and cabin sides entirely. We did not replace the cabin top.

WE TORE UP AND REPLACED THE DECK FIRST AND ONLY IN SMALL SEGMENTS. Only when the deck was fastened in place did we attack the cabin sides.

The DECK was replaced in three sections and in this order: from the stern to roughly the area of the aft cabin bulkhead, from there to the fore of the cabin, and from there to the bow. No reason that I can recall for Iki to start at the stern vs bow except it’s square-ish and looks easier. On the 31 the one challenging aspect of the stern was fitting the new deck UNDER the aft end of the cockpit coaming.

Each section of deck was removed and replaced before moving on to the next. It appears that the deck was made of 4 x 8 sheets; on Murre there were butt blocks under the deck at the seams, so it was easy to predict where you could make a clean break.

Part of Iki’s rationale for not removing deck and cabin sides together was that he thought he would only have to patch the cabin sides, not replace them. However, when he started to pull the glass off the sides he realized … well, it was a big job he was in for.

That said, I think it is very smart to do small pieces because, to your point, the topside framing and the ply wood work together to form a strong structure. Alone, the framing is pretty weak. Taking small bites also gives you an easier way of recovering from mistakes, like the “oops, I forgot to measure” crap I always run into (although I measure a lot).

The apparent lightness of the framing contributed to our decision to add fiberglass to the ply (front and back on the deck pieces and on the outside of the cabin sides). I also had Iki ADD framing under both the aft (behind the cockpit) and bow (in front of the house) sections of the deck.

Following this construction sequence will make fitting the deck around the cabin a little more difficult (i.e. with the cabin sides still on), but having the deck in place before the CABIN SIDE work commences gives you a nice clean surface (the new deck) as a guide for the cabin side bevel, which is important.

It also means you have a strong surface to work from (the new deck), which is a must. The cabin side work can be a little challenging because of the bevel where the sides meet the deck and because of the inward curve and shear as the side moves toward the bow. The side is heavy, 1” ply. You should expect some fitting and refitting sessions, and then bending the side in place will take some real elbow grease. I’d hate to be doing all that from a deck surface either absent or not solid.

The cabin sides are one roughly 15’ piece of ply per side, so you don’t have much choice how it comes off, but, like the decks, we did do ONE SIDE AT A TIME to avoid as much shifting of the top joints as possible.

Please be really careful when disassembling these sides because where the joint meets the cabin top, the ply is fastened w/screws AND ring nails. You have to hunt for the nails and doing this w/out damaging the frame is tough (but very doable).

Obviously you’ll only have access to 4 x 8 sheets for the cabin side, so will have to decide were to put the seam. We put it at the split in the split cabin—i.e. where the cabin goes from being raised to not raised. On the inside of the seam we installed a butt block of 1” by something or other mahogany.

It seems the coach roof could easily come last. On Murre it certainly WILL as I’ve not done any work on the top yet. :)

That’s how we did it, but I’m sure there are many ways to skin the cat.

Hope that helps a little.

...as Bill likes to say... "take lots of pictures..."

RR

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Replies:

[> [> Rebuild sequence -- Steve Cox M32 Pyxis, - Wednesday - 08/ 9/06 - 10:17pm

The place to start on Pyxis has turned out to be the lower cabin top. I started to remove the handrails and hardware in this area and found a rot spot that has turned into rot through the cabin top and into the main beams supporting the mainmast step. The water intruded where the wires came out to go to the mast and ran down the starboard side. The beams are gone, the cabin sides are rotted for about three feet and I havent't gotten to the deck yet but I want all of it out. It seems like the sides need to be off before the deck can be fully inspected and removed. The cabin top needs to be off so the bevel can be cut in the cabin sides before the top goes on. The cabin side on Pyxis is essentially one piece with an airplane scarf about where the cabin changes height. The original sequence of construction seems to have been side decks, cabin sides, then cabin tops with the framing thrown in somewhere in the middle. I am a cabinetmaker by trade with a degree in boatbuilding to boot so the construction details don't bother me but the boats aren't built like anything I have seen before so I'm having a hard time thinking through a construction sequence without tearing the whole boat down to the sheerline.


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[> [> [> Sequence -- Peter Truog, - Thursday - 08/31/06 - 6:41pm

I don't have to do the top, but I started with the bow of the deck and have been moving slowly aft. I have removed the cabin top side (port) and have had to replace one small piece of the framing that adjoins the top to the deck near the coaming (the freezer there has caused quite a bit of rot to the framing around it).

Thanks for the reply Randall, I always enjoy reading your steps as you give good details on what you did etc.. (and of course you were there first. :) )


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[> [> [> [> Neither first nor last -- Randall, Murre, M31, - Saturday - 09/ 9/06 - 3:30am


Thanks for the comp, Peter. I remember reading in some old crusing book about a guy who bragged he would be the first man to single hand around the world and NOT write a book about it. Sadly, that would not be me. I like the writing-up almost as much as the doing-of.

No, I weren't there first, man, and you know it. :)

RR


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[> [> Rebuild sequence -- Pete, - Sunday - 01/ 7/07 - 7:19pm

Randall, would you be able/willing to either email me or post an image taken from the interior of your cabin that shows the cabin side butt block? -- I'm wondering how it looks as I am doing the same project now. -- I am also wondering how much "camouflage" it may require.

Many thanks, Pete

"Obviously you’ll only have access to 4 x 8 sheets for the cabin side, so will have to decide were to put the seam. We put it at the split in the split cabin—i.e. where the cabin goes from being raised to not raised. On the inside of the seam we installed a butt block of 1” by something or other mahogany."


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[> [> [> Cabin Sides Butt Block -- Randall, Murre, M31, - Monday - 01/ 8/07 - 4:00pm

Here you go. The attached photo is of the interior of the new cabin side, port side facing forward. You can see that the cabin sides joint (under the butt block) is just forward of the step for the raised cabin.

The block is approximately 3” wide (maybe 4”) and about 1” thick. It extends all the way down to the bottom of the drip rail, but has a small notch cut out lengthwise so that my electrics for the main mast radio antennae can pass through on their way forward, and water (if things are going badly) can pass aft. The piece is glued and then screwed to the cabin sides from the exterior. This leaves the interior sides of the block looking clean.

One might ask why the block wasn't bolted as were the butt blocks at the joints of the old deck. The answer would be that we applied several layers of 1.5 oz glass over the whole of the cabin side's exterior, which means the butt block isn't carrying all the joint's strength.

The wood is Santa Maria (somewhat similar to Mahogany). I painted the interior of the cabin sides white, but varnished the butt block as it’s a pretty nice looking piece and matches the other structure and trim pieces of the cabin interior.



Remember, you can click on the below image to enlarge it.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Hope this helps,

RR


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