Haji

So true. And on top of it all, my mom just moved to NC in the nick of time to get rained on by Dorian. She's not even unpacked and is making me feel guilty I'm not there to help out. It would be much better if she'd stayed in Seattle where I could visit on the way to & from the boat...;-)

Meanwhile, I'm stuck in Maine preparing for the Newport boat show. Then the IBEX show, then Annapolis. Hopefully can get back to the project after Annapolis, and before METS... And I will be out in December for sure. aside from working on the boat I'll be racing the cyclocross Nationals in Tacoma...:-)

Thanks, interesting! Can you send me any links?

Inflatable gasket?

Yes, going to build an insert and tie it in vs the endless shaving it was taking to get the skeg off. This was the collective decision after a lot of discussion. And there's an NC machine 100ft away in Betts' shop...

I"ve been called an artful dodger...

I still have those deck prisms! I really like them but the glass is kind of heavy. Was thinking to look for some sort of lexan or plastic that can be cut into the proper shapes for replacements...

Perhaps a heavy duty canvas hood help tight with bungee along the edges that would keep water from going under the front the sliding hatch. When opening the hatch stretch enough does shove the hatch Ford underneath it... I'm sure there's plenty of things wrong with this idea, but I'll keep thinking about it.

We're still working on it. I haven't made it easy by wanting to have a vertical shaft with the hull angle the way it is...

Perhaps a "soft" hood....

Have thought long about that too. Leaning towards a custom sliding setup if I can pull it off. Building it, that is. Not pulling the sliding hatch off the deck...;-)

Was thinking about how it set on the deck when fully open. Sliding would be lower profile. Curved, and sliding...now you got me going.

That's a great idea! I'll bet Betts has done it before, and he has ovens there... Would look a ton better for sure. Until you open it. Hmmm....Will look at perhaps sliding hatch options...

That foredeck hatch, along with the sliding companionway and cabin side windows will all be getting new plastic (Lexan). Which will be much thinner and lighter than existing. May also put in some hull side windows, 2 or 3 per side, for additional light and visibility from below.

Just a few more...may look a bit sloppy, however most of the fairing on the glassed spots will get sanded off on the next trip. The fwd hatch sure stands out now that the rest of the deck is flush. Hmm...may try to reduce that height by 50% or so.