Forward Deck and Boarding Ladder

We have opted for a teak deck between the mast and forward beams instead of a trampoline as shown on the plans. This deck is constructed as lightly as possible to still have the required strength, and as the much of the weight of the boat, with the outboard, etc., is aft, this extra weight forward is not going to hurt the trim. The deck planking is not solid, but has small gaps for easy drainage between the planks without being spaced so far as to make walking uncomfortable.

The U-shaped handles on the four corners make for convenient tie-downs for the dinghy and other gear and aid in lifting the deck into position during assembly.

The deck is situated low between the beams, close in line with the bottom edges of the beams, and just slightly higher than the foredecks of the hulls.

This view from below shows the attachment method. The U-shaped sockets in the background are on the bottom of the mast beam, and act as receivers for the longitudinal stringers that support the deck between the beams. The extended forward ends of these stringers are lashed to the underside of the front beam, as seen in the foreground here:

Aft of the cockpit, we are also utilizing the large amount of space between the hulls by adding the custom-built extra aft beam that allows the integration of a boarding ladder with nets or trampolines to either side. Below you can see the frames for the ladder, running fore and aft between the aft cockpit beam and the extra stern beam. The cut-outs in the rails are hand-holds, that can be used by reaching up when climbing out of the water. The ladder will swing down between these rails. There is a horizontal piece on either side of these rails, attached at a right angle. These are drilled for the net/tramp lacing lines and correspond to the lacing rails on each inboard side of the aft decks.

This view from below looking aft shows how the ladder frame rails hang on the extra aft beam, and how the horizontal pieces on either side provide a place for lacing the nets. This right-angle construction also adds great rigidity to the rails while keeping them light weight.

Another project also nearing completion is the cockpit. Here you can see on one side of it the side wing that extends outward from the seat boxes to meet the curving inner face of the cabin side. This view is from the port bow angle, looking aft. There is lots of storage below the seat level in the separated boxes.