Adding a bulkhead to seal the engine compartment area/Altair

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amytom
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Re: Adding a bulkhead to seal the engine compartment area/Altair

Post by amytom »

Now that I know where you wanted to put the new bulkhead my only concern would be flex. I would consider the same thing especially as the starboard side houses my air conditioner including the water intake.
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thinwater
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Re: Adding a bulkhead to seal the engine compartment area/Altair

Post by thinwater »

Good point.

I would study the bulkhead in front of the head; does it have any reinforcement where it meets the hull, to avoid hard spots? There may be a few layers of glass, I don't recall. I think a 6-inch wide pad consisting of 1 layer of mat and 3 layers of 6 oz. cloth would be plenty, plus an epoxy fillet and tabbing with 2 layers of 6oz. tape.

I would try to match the stiffness. That bulk head is ~ 5/8" thick (I have the core I removed when installing the bathroom fan to measure) with 1/16" skins and balsa core. 1/2-inch plywood should be equal (I will be on the look-out for some more high-tech material, of course!). I would glass it to the under-bunk liner as well and put an access hatch near the bottom.

I am just discussing this at the moment. Real (more than 100 miles) off-shore work is at least a few years off, and this is a 3-day project at most.
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