PocketShip.net

Hi Everyone:

I was reading ahead in the manual just now and realized that there was no call for flotation styrofoam in the watertight transom compartment. Seems to to pass the common sense test that this compartment should be filled with either the 2" styrofoam, as recommended in the bow compartment, or the spray-in styrofoam sold by Jamestown Distributors.
I emailed John Harris/CLC on this also and will share his response.

May I have your thoughts please?

Thanks and good luck
Jimmy Vitale

It's a miss in the manual. It's in the plans. If you look carefully at the plans, you can see the placement under the footwell. Also, other builders and bloggers have noted this, too (if you're not reading Dave Curtis' blog, I highly recommend it).

Here's my entry:
http://sunmonkeypocketship.blogspot.com ... twell.html

My styrofoam is actually 1.5" inches thick, which I found to be just the right size. If you use lazarette 'floors' which some people have, you can add more flotation back there. But the specs just call for it under the footwell.

I used polystyrene for facades

Beware, the hatch covers leak, and you will not be able to get in there and dry it out. I removed the polystyrene from mine as I was concerned at the possibility of rot.

By the looks of those cleats I'm guessing that hood is planning to glass in plywood panels to seal off the foam from leaky hatches. What's more they could be made to drain into the footwell or even directly out through holes in the transom. Pretty clever.

yes water to drain through the holes into the legs and out through the transom

I glued in a plywood plug to seal off the footwell underside from the lazarette compartment. Template easily made by cutting cardboard and tracing onto 4mm plywood. The sealed off compartment doesn't have a vent now, but I'm considering drilling a 1-inch hole and inserting a drain so I can air it out when on the trailer.

Dave Archer wrote:Beware, the hatch covers leak, and you will not be able to get in there and dry it out. I removed the polystyrene from mine as I was concerned at the possibility of rot.

I've not had ANY problems with the hatch covers leaking. I live in FL where the thunderstorms and inches of rain per hour are legendary and haven't yet gotten a drop of water in the lazarette. I believe that my success in keeping water out of this is I used butyl tape http://www.sailrite.com/Trimmable-Butyl-Tape-3-4-Bedding-Deck-Hardware-Sealant# to seal the hatches (and port lights and for all the bedding needs). This stuff is much easier to work with than any other bedding material. simple mold it to any shape/thickness needed and install. When you tighten down the fasteners some will ooze out over the next day or so you just go back with a plastic knife and trim off the ooze out and pull it off the surface.

It also remains pliable for years so re-bedding is easy as the old stuff comes off clean. So nice compared to other methods.

Bill

Many thanks for the advice and pics, Guys. I just heard back from John Harris/CLC on this issue and wanted to share it with you. John reviewed this thread on the Forum before he replied. Here's his feedback (paraphrased): '..he enthusiastically endorses the build up of the floors of the lazarette compartments so that they become self-draining; and the addition of the foam adds more safety. Downside is the lost volume in the lazarette lockers and the creation of an enclosed space not readily accessible for maintenance/ventilation. Suggests fiberglassings the compartments....'

Good luck
Jimmy Vitale

Thanks for the pictures! Nice examples of two ways of tackling the situation. Great timing, I am just at this point in my build...decision time. I am leaning towards the "maximum capacity" route. The flotation loss in this option is minimal. Also I really was proud of the fillets I did in the corners of the transome : )

On a related note, I saw my first completed Pocketship this weekend at a local (Port Aransas, Tx) wooden boatshow. Captain Charlie trailered his down from Arkansas. I had a million questions and climbed all over his boat. Thanks Charie! Anyway, He had gone with the "maximum capacity" and along with the tape sealant had no leakage from the hatches.

I noticed the hatches that I just received are different from the ones Charlie had. The latches twist and fold down on mine and look to be a bit more secure. Could be an update.