How to measure the angle

BlowMeAway · Mar 23, 2016

Siamese, perhaps I don't really understand the query from BO and I surely haven't seen the interior of a Compac 23. But placing a pre-fabbed cabinet in any sailboat has got to be a challenge. I can only suggest, as many writers have contributed...Pictures Help...and it couldn't be any easier than on this forum to upload a pic/file or two. No argument with what your suggesting, but I just don't get it. Besides I'm a dog person, allergic to cats.

Joe · Mar 23, 2016

Here's a variation that may be useful. It's called the "tick stick" method.

sesmith · Mar 23, 2016

I would bag the level. A good eye for how things look is more important. Assuming you are framing it next to the companionway, you can trace out a rectangular "opening" for the companionway. In other words, make a reference line next to the companionway as if it were a rectangular opening and frame your cabinet up to that. To do the reverence line, the diagonals of the imaginary rectangular companionway opening would have to be equal, so the rectangle would be square, plumb, whatever you want to call it. Then your drawers will be parallel to the top of the companionway opening and all will look good when you see it from the other side of the boat. You could probably drop a square from the top or bottom edge of the companionway and accomplish the same thing.

sesmith · Mar 23, 2016

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you want to do, but there's a decent pic in this ad of the interior of a Compac 23:

http://sailingtexas.com/201301/scompac23127.html

I'd just line things up relative to the ledge under the companionway.

Johnb · Mar 23, 2016

That tick stick is clever - thanks for sharing.

centerline · Mar 23, 2016

sesmith said:
I would bag the level. A good eye for how things look is more important. Assuming you are framing it next to the companionway, you can trace out a rectangular "opening" for the companionway. In other words, make a reference line next to the companionway as if it were a rectangular opening and frame your cabinet up to that. To do the reverence line, the diagonals of the imaginary rectangular companionway opening would have to be equal, so the rectangle would be square, plumb, whatever you want to call it. Then your drawers will be parallel to the top of the companionway opening and all will look good when you see it from the other side of the boat. You could probably drop a square from the top or bottom edge of the companionway and accomplish the same thing.

most companionway entrances are trapazoidal shaped... no matter how one wants to guess and build by eye, if they really want it to look nice after all the expense and work they put into it, the proper measurements to insure the fit is important before the cutting takes place.
a template not only makes the size and shape in real life size, but it IS also a visual tool you can see how much space it will take up, and it is the actual pattern you can cut from a week or two later when you start the project in your garage many miles from the boat.....
I agree that diagrammed "blue prints" could be used as well, but the template is still much quicker and can have nearly as accurate results on something like a small cabinet.
builders who build in tight areas or with curves and odd shapes, who never use templates are very slow at getting the project finished.... a lot of times this is due to the mistakes they make.

kito · Mar 23, 2016

He is just wanting to put up a shelf so stuff doesn't fall off guys! A string with a weight will do the trick. It's got to be done in the water though. Use a square against the string an subtract a few degrees

woodster · Mar 23, 2016

you can't use a level on a boat in the water ...every time you move the plane changes and renders the level inaccurate...you could be all day and into the night and never get it right ...best to do a scribe on the hull side (compass with a pencil...not a divider) and work your way out nothing....... is ever level on a boat in the water ...you can be on the hard and have your boat blocked level and then get by with it .......i did this on my boat when rebuilding the inside......you also need a base line like your cabin sole to relate to.....and if you think i am nuts St Peter is a punk

Siamese · Mar 23, 2016

There's no need to make this complicated.
Like I said, the companionway bulkhead is FLAT. You don't need a tic stick or a template, because there's no curve. It's flat, okay?
Level the boat up fore and aft using the tongue jack and proceed as I have described. All that's needed is a stick, a small level, and a ruler.

planoron · Mar 23, 2016

Get a miter finder. Done

Apex · Mar 24, 2016

Tick Stick is elegant solution for scribing large and new templates: WHY, a compass can't share the angle, only distance. As such, retaining a constant plumb or level orientation of the compass is important for the user. Note the template in the video wasn't even close to the right size. I LIKE IT.

Siamese · Mar 24, 2016

I give up.

justsomeguy · Mar 24, 2016

Wise, Siamese.

woodster · Mar 24, 2016

Bad Obsession said:
View attachment 121008
Bad picture but it gives you an idea of the area.

So the cabinet would align parallel to where the cabin meets the deck (right above the plastic sprayer bottle). That would be the bottom of the cabinet. It would go over about 15" from there.

The thing that I am trying to measure is the back of the cabin to make it fit the bulkhead there.

Another question. I bought a mirror, 1/4" plexiglass which is 12" by 12" in size. That will be my door for the cabinet. I thought of framing it into wood but I may not do that. I could probably cut it to size of the cabinet and attach the hardware into it (it should be strong enough for that). Still, I have to cut the plexiglass. Anyone know how hard that is and what to use?

all this time i thought you were mounting to the side of the hull .....take a framing sq and set it on the under side of the companionway trim short leg up ...then measure the distance form the long leg back the the bulkhead at the bottom then you have your angle for the wall side

sesmith · Mar 24, 2016

2nd stab at it...now I see what you want (fore and aft angle). I would pull the seat cushions off, use a large square (or an extension on a large square), and an angle finder and get the angle between the long leg of the square and the the bulkhead, using the seat area as a base for the square, since the seats should be more or less on the level line of the boat.

You could probably also get the same angle measurement from outside the boat by placing the square on the cockpit seat and measure the angle between it and the back side of the cabin wall.

pateco · Mar 24, 2016

Always like an excuse to buy a new tool Digital T-Bevel, Angle Finder Lowes $29.98

Pat · Mar 24, 2016

I agree with Kloudie1. It is visually important to keep the angles similiar so that you look at it each day and wonder why you did it the other way.....if there is a decent distance between the cabinetry items, you may get by with them being different...if very close, maintain the existing angle as much as possible. Just my opinion. Pat