By August of 2001, much of the basic hull has been completed. The first layer of the four bottom layers is complete to within twelve feet of the transom. At this point I had to switch from applying bottom panels to installing interior structure like the engine beds and stringers, and some minor floors that separate the bilge into different areas ('Floors' in a boat are not the thing you walk on, they are structural elements of the framing, usually under the sole, which is what you walk on!). It's much easier to install these things while the hull bottom is open, and fair them along with the keel and chines, than to add them after the hull is flipped over, trying to fit them into difficult angled areas. Of course they add additional strength to the hull for the turning over as well.

The picture below shows a stringer fitted in the pilot house area. It is the 'board' running fore and aft, attached to the floor timber forward. The narrower piece crossing the stringer, from keel to chine is a butt block, where the plywood bottom sheet will meet. This first full sheet will run from where the diagonal planking ends, at the very top right corner of the picture, to the middle of the butt block. The cabin sole ('floor' to a landlubber) sits on top of the stringers and the floor timber forward.

In the next picture below, the engine beds have been installed. They are screwed to the bulkhead, and tabbed with epoxy and fiberglass cloth as well.

The beds are about 42 inches long, 16 inches high at the bulkhead, and 3-1/2 inches thick. They are laminated lumber, with a facing of plywood each side. If you look closely in the shadows to the left, you can see a broomstick between the beds, This is simulating the prop shaft. I have drilled the shaft hole thru the keel. The deadwood (skeg) is visible at the top of the picture.

The big picture below shows the beds more clearly. The dead wood and rudder are only placed in position for purposes of checking location, drilling for keel bolts and for drilling the shaft alley thru the keel for the prop shaft. The other end of the broomstick seen in the pic above can be seen sticking out where the shaft exits the deadwood, where the propeller will go, in front of the rudder.

After the engine beds were installed, the two stringers in this area were next. These are actually 28-inch high "walls" that run fore and aft between the bulkheads, and support the cockpit sole, as well as the hull in the large open area between keel and chines. These stringers, two feet out from the centerline (or four feet apart) form the sides of the engine 'room'. The fuel tanks are outboard of the stringers. For comparison, on many sailboat designs, these stringers (walls) would separate the quarter berths from the engine room.

In other words, the fuel tanks are where the quarter berths would be on many sailboats. The picture to the right shows one of these stringers being fitted. The object at the top is the deadwood, flopped on its side to get it out of the way. One engine bed is visible behind the stringer. In front of the bulkhead carrying the engine beds the stringer noted at the top of the page is visible (silver clamps hanging from it). There is a partial bulkead, which will form the battery box area, forward of the engine bed bulkhead. The bulkhead at the left side of the picture is the one separating the cockpit from the lazarette.

The picture below shows things from a different angle.Looking from left to right: the stringer being fitted and the installed engine bed; the main bulkhead. The next stringer forward (with clamps), and the partial battery box bulkhead. Note the plywood sheets ending over the butt block shown at the top of the page. There are two layers of ply applied at this point. Further forward, by the ladder leaning against the hull the end of the horizontal third layer of diagonal cold molding bottom planking can be seen.

The photo below shows the fourth and final layer being applied, working from the stem backwards.