White bulkheads?

[Sanlen]

Thank you Bob, I'll try that. I guess it is the same procedure with the sliding panels.

We knocked the bulkhead trim off without difficulty. It seems to be glued only to the plywood edge and the old glue is quite brittle, so it removed cleanly without veneer damage. A block of hardwood laid flat against the panel, parallel to the trim, and a sharp rap with a hammer is all it took. If you clean up plywood edge & trim channel, it could glue back on no problem.

We want to add a vertical post near the companionway on the port side, at the head of that settee. There is a step or two in the Ballad's salon with no high hand grips, & my partner finds coming down the stairs without something to grab at the bottom a bit nerve-wracking.

The other decorating issue that will affect the wood/white balance is fabrics -- cushions and curtains. It is a third variable that can change how warm or cold a Ballad feels inside. Herreschoff liked ivory and green-gold Jacquard fabrics for his interiors; we probably want brighter colors on Fionn, but it may be some time before we get to cushions and curtains!

[dahlke]

Thank you Bob, I'll try that. I guess it is the same procedure with the sliding panels.

We knocked the bulkhead trim off without difficulty. It seems to be glued only to the plywood edge and the old glue is quite brittle, so it removed cleanly without veneer damage. A block of hardwood laid flat against the panel, parallel to the trim, and a sharp rap with a hammer is all it took. If you clean up plywood edge & trim channel, it could glue back on no problem.

We want to add a vertical post near the companionway on the port side, at the head of that settee. There is a step or two in the Ballad's salon with no high hand grips, & my partner finds coming down the stairs without something to grab at the bottom a bit nerve-wracking.

The other decorating issue that will affect the wood/white balance is fabrics -- cushions and curtains. It is a third variable that can change how warm or cold a Ballad feels inside. Herreschoff liked ivory and green-gold Jacquard fabrics for his interiors; we probably want brighter colors on Fionn, but it may be some time before we get to cushions and curtains!

I would be a little careful with the trim form the sliding doors. In my boat those were held I place by both glue and brad nails. I did destroy a couple while trying to remove them. Be gentle

[Sanlen]

I checked the inside of the roof today while trying to take pictures of the toerail. It looks like I have to take the plunge and also paint the roof , it would be stupid not doing this when the interior is out. Oh well, at least I can forget my concerns of too much contrast against the whitepainted bulkheads

I have also decided to remove the remaining main (mast) bulkhead and will fit a pole or two between the roof and floor to keep hull deformation to a minimum (thanks Mads for your pictures ). The windows will also be removed before painting.

It's funny how easy the scope in a project like this can expand

[dahlke]

I don't think you will regret painting the ceiling It was fairly easy to do and made a huge difference down below.

I actually stole the idea with the pole from Peter but thanks

Looking forward to seeing some photos when spring comes around. Fingers crossed for an early and exceptional worm spring

[Sanlen]

Looking forward to seeing some photos when spring comes around. Fingers crossed for an early and exceptional worm spring

It has been an exceptional warm christmas holiday so far. Unfortunally I've got the flu and spent the entire holiday in bed instead of painting the ceiling as planned. According to forecasts the weather situation will remain a week or two so I hope the painting can be done before it gets colder.

The interior is in a dedicated room at home where I can work on it regardless of weather. I will post some pictures later on

[Sanlen]

We have now decided to paint all transverse bulkheads in white, the same combination with satin-varnished trim as on Mads pictures . We think it looks great and will make the cabin brighter.

Since the plywood is in good shape we are reusing the bulkheads, sanding out and filling old marks and holes. I do need some advice about the indentations from the chainplates and bolts - should we also fill these out with a strong filler (maybe fiberglass reinforced) or just leave them? We don't want the filler to crack under pressure from the bolts and chainplates.

[prjacobs]

Some thoughts:
Over-drill the holes to a larger diameter, fill with thickened epoxy, and re-drill a top and bottom hole, then re-drill the rest of the holes with the bulkhead in place to get a perfect match. For the indentations you could fair with a sanding filler, as the epoxy "sleeves" will take the compression load from the bolts. The only thing I'm wondering about is the square part under the head of the bolts ... how would that work in the epoxy-filled holes?

I like the idea of re-using the old wood if it's in good structural condition. Mine had been exposed to the weather for so long they were turning to powder!

[dahlke]

Looking very much forward to seeing some pictures

I have the same indentations on my bulkheads. I don't think they are going to be noticeable once everything is put back together so I chose to leave them as-is. My bulkheads had lots of holes from screws and wiring those I filled with thickened epoxy and sanded flush.

[Bob McGovern]

Something I have been contemplating is the use of compression bushings for major hardware locations: drilling the existing holes oversized, then pressing stainless tubing into the plywood so it is just flush on both sides. The trouble with the present setup is it relies on the crush resistance of plywood to keep the bolts tight. As you can see from Jan's photos, over time the veneers shrink and/or compress, and then all the shear force is being carried by relatively small-diameter bolts. The backing plate becomes almost useless for spreading the load. Bushings in the chainplate holes would spread the load better and prevent the plywood from crushing past the length of the bushings, so the bolts could be cranked down good and hard & would stay tight. A high-durometer rubber pad under one side would maybe be useful, too.

[Sanlen]

I'll probably try the overdrill/fill with epoxy method. Bob's idea with compression bushings is also great, probably the correct way to go if the bulkheads were mounted flat to the tabbing. On Sanlen the bulkheads are mounted with some filler and/or wooden wedges against the tabbing

I have the same indentations on my bulkheads. I don't think they are going to be noticeable once everything is put back together so I chose to leave them as-is.

Have you re-mounted any of the bulkheads yet?