Mini-Trawler Conversion -- Part 5

Cabin Top

Once all of the cabin supports were in place I could dry-fit the top. I needed a couple of nice, clear days with no rain or thunderstorms, and not too hot, so that I could move the boat out of the shop, attach the top to the sides, and then glass it. That weather window finally happened on Labor Day weekend, and I pushed the boat out of the shop and onto the gravel tarmac early in the morning. On Day One I epoxied the cabin top onto the sides and cabin cross frames, clamped the edges to the cleats, and filleted the front and back bulkheads. A small fan blew air inside the cabin while I worked away on the fillets. Once those joints were strong enough I worked on the front of the cabin, fitting the panel to the temporary jig across the front to induce the slight bow that matched the cabin top.

With all the panels now epoxied on I could trim the cleats and fair the joints before the starting the glassing. I purposely left the cleats a little proud of the cabin top and used a Shinto Planer Saw Rasp (www.duckworks.com/product-p/wood-153778.htm) to match the cabin bow.

The Shinto rasps are one of the most valuable hand tools in my shop; I use them to trim everything. The portholes in the photo were for ventilation inside the cabin while I was working on the epoxy fillets, and they will eventually be replaced by the window openings once I figure out the dimensions.

With the boat back in the shop, I laid 4-ounce fiberglass fabric across the top and let it sit overnight to relax. The next day I brushed on a coat of epoxy. After the first coat kicked, I brushed on a second, let it kick, and then brought the boat back inside the shop so the epoxy could fully cure. The glass cloth was wide enough to cover the top and overlap the cleats and joints, sealing them all up tight and adding to the strength of the corners.

I trimmed the glass on the top and then set up to glass the cabin front, overlapping the joints by about an inch on top and front. This eliminated the need for a cleat on the inside to support the joint. After everything cured I still had some fairing to do, and I used Silver Tip’s QuickFair fairing compound (www.duckworks.com/product-p/s3-qf-parent.htm). It’s not as convenient as the 1:1 mix ratio of other fillers that I have used, but it was economical, cured fast and was easy to sand down, especially the ridges. And because it has a lighter color than other fillers, it was easier to cover with paint. Based on how much time I spent sanding and applying additional layers, I still have a lot of learning to do. But I got it done.

The final tasks were to cut out the hatch and stiffen up the trailing edge of the cabin top. The hatch opening is narrow, and it should keep me slimmed down and away from too many potato chips if I don’t want to enlarge it.