The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

Chapter 26 – Interior Construction 319
Figure 26-3 An IOR 1 ⁄2 ton racer. Bulkhead and partitions in
the set-up are mixed with temporary particleboard molds.
admit that there are some problems with installing
interiors in inverted hulls—such as learning to measure
upside down—but there are also many benefits.
First, work can continue on the exterior of the hull as
you build the interior. This is particularly efficient if you
have a large crew and are trying to finish the boat as
quickly as possible. When you work on the floor, you
have much more room than in an upright hull, so you
can use more people and machinery. Some upright
boats have only enough space for one or two people.
With these, working from the floor can allow two or
three people to move around and also make room for
machinery. Another benefit is that you can set up small
benches and machinery such as a band saw, disc
sander, and jointer inside the hull, and this saves labor.
When the hull is inverted, you can save time by
avoiding a lot of climbing. <strong>The</strong> average builder goes in
and out of his hull several dozen times in the course of
a day. With the hull upside down, you will only have to
duck under the sheer. You can also raise it 2' (600mm)
or more to make crawling in and out easier.
Another advantage of building the interior while the
hull is upside down is that work in progress is always
much cleaner. Shavings and sawdust drop to the shop
floor rather than into the bilge, so constant cleaning
isn’t required. If you are building a boat with minimal
shelter, an inverted hull can protect joinery, machinery,
and stock from the elements.
Figure 26-4 Interior construction in an upside-down hull of
an IOR 1 ⁄2 ton racer. Lighting and tools are set up in the hull.
Note the band saw in the background at the far right.
<strong>The</strong>re are, however, some disadvantages to working in
an upside-down boat. Since good lighting is essential to
quality joinery, you will have to set up a lighting system
inside the hull, and this may be inferior to general shop
lighting. Overhead work tends to be tiresome and hard
on the arms. Finally, you may need platforms or
scaffolding to reach some portions of the interior.
Installing Interiors in Upright Hulls
As we have discussed, a major problem with the hull in
the upright position is getting in and out of it. You
should do anything you can to minimize this timeconsuming
problem. We always try to keep the hull as
close to the floor as possible, installing all appendages,
such as keels and rudder, late in the construction
process. <strong>The</strong> difference of just 1' (300mm) in height
means that workers have 1' less to climb up and 1' less
to climb down each time they either enter or exit the
hull. With hundreds of trips, this saves many extra
hours.
Other steps can be taken to facilitate access to the hull.
With some boats, it’s possible to leave the transom open
so that workers will have easier access. Sometimes you
can erect scaffolding to create a substantial amount of
floor area at sheer height, and on this you can set up
handy tools and a bench. In our shop, we have a
second-story loft 8' (2.4m) above the floor. We adjust
the sheer height of hulls even with the loft and work