SUNBIRD's afterdeck

Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
A few questions on the post about Javelin centerbord issues, concerning my added stern deck, gave me the urge to start this new post.
The afterdeck on my DS II gives me some covered (but still open to the cockpit footwell) stowage, allowing a good place to keep my 3-gallon gas tank. It also gave me a place to easily mount a flag staff socket and the socket for my 360deg white navlight that serves as my anchor light and sternlight for under engine power. The deck is 2 layers of 1/4" plywood laminated together and screwed down across the top of the transom as well as to 2 wooden cleats added to the insides of the cockpit coamings under the afterdeck. There is a supporting bulkhead across the boat, creating 2 storage shelves between the underside of the afterdeck and the tops of the seats. This deck is actually strong enough to stand or sit on. One other big plus is that the deck reduces the tendency of having water come over the lee side near the stern while sailing as the deck covers the aft 18" or so of the cockpit (I forget the exact length of hte decking.... but it is about 18-20").

I'll have to take some better pictures and do some measuring...
 

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May 5, 2014
44
Oday Daysailer II Eugene, OR
Very nice. I particularly like the idea of not getting pooped by waves over the stern. I sometimes wish I had a DS III just to get another inch or so of freeboard. Questions:
1. It looks like you don't have any sail controls at the stern. Do you have a traveller at the mainsheet post, or did you just stay with the original 3:1 fixed system?
2. I like your storage shelf, but how hard is it to access the bailer well? Like, if you drop a screwdriver under there or if the bailer gets clogged with leaves that wash back in the scuppers...
3. Any effect on boat trim? My little Honda 2hp (around 30 lbs) is mounted at about the same point as your motor, and it noticeably tips the boat aft and port. Most people say the DS II sails best with the weight forward. How much weight do you figure you have added to the stern.

Looking forward to more photos.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
I have the original 3:1 fixed mainsheet, mid-boom, and I have thought about a traveller, but finacially that isn't happening for a good long time. I've been unemployed or under-employed for the last 13 years and my savings is running empty.
I don't know exactly how much weight I've added, but I don't think it is all that much. The boat still sits with the transom only immersed about 1-2" even with my 38# 4HP Johnson clamped to the mounting shown. I do store my rudder forward in the cuddy and the 3-Gallon gas tank is in there (just forward of the aft bulkhead starboard side). Access to the bailer is pretty good, I hace covered the cockpit sump with a pair of floorboards, one holds the 3-gal gas tank while in use,the other is under the pail i nhte picture (I'll try to take a few pics of this). The smaller of the floorboards is to port and easily lifts out for access to the sump and the bailer. Even with the tank and the outboard both aft, the transom still floats with the lower gudgeon above water. For racing, yo udo want to get weight forward rather than aft.... due to the sharp bow cutting the water with less drag than would come from too much weight aft, but with weight moved furhter aft..... I can get her up on plane on a good broad reach! While sailing I tend to sit just aft of the centerboard trunk if alone, maybe slightly forward of the aft end of the trunk depending on conditions. If I have my Dad with me, he sits forward near the cuddy, often leaning against the aft bulkhead of the cuddy and I then sit between the aft end of the CB trunk and the forward edge of the aft deck. We don't get up on plane as well when Dad is with me... I can't get him to slide aft a bit to help the bow lift....... he's too comfortable lounging forward against the cuddy <GRIN!>.
Here are a few pics underway and moored to give examples of how she floats with the weight factors. Also a pic under the deck with both floorboard removed (shows how much water comes in through un-corked bialer).
 

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Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
The deck is one layer of 1/4" luan plywood (good-side down) laminated with epoxy resin to a second layer of 1/4" luan plywood (good-side up) then a layer of fiberglass cloth was laid over the top and saturated with epoxy resin. I don't remember exactly how I clamped the two layers together while the resin cured......although I do remember screwing both layers down to wood cleats screwed to the inside of the cockpit coamings and across the top of the transom. Screws are under the fiberglass.

I weigh 200#+ and the deck barely flexes if I stand on it, the crown (upward curve) of the deck combined with the 2 layers glued together makes a pretty stiff panel.

I still intend to post a sketch/drawing with dimensions.
 
May 5, 2014
44
Oday Daysailer II Eugene, OR
Hm. I did a waterproof hatch for the cuddy on my DS II using 1/4" + 1/4" and have always regretted it because of the weight (but then the hatch is something that you have to move a lot, unlike the afterdeck). I wonder if you could get the same strength out of 1/4" marine plywood with stringers. I also note that the deck is below the level of the cockpit coamings. Would there be any disadvantage to making the deck flush with the coaming?
 
Jun 28, 2014
47
Hunter 22 Trailered Various
.... the crown (upward curve) of the deck combined with the 2 layers glued together makes a pretty stiff panel....
Wondering since you mentioned it has a crown shape... is that something you had to fashion by bending before lamination? Is there any bracing of the forward part? Really looks great and bet it is very functional.
 
May 5, 2014
44
Oday Daysailer II Eugene, OR
I just realized that's another reason why I'm interested in thinner plywood with stringers. Seems like you could cut whatever arc you wanted into the stringers, then screw the flexible plywood to the frame, without having to worry about shaping. I have tried to create my own preshaped plywood using heat and a frame, and my skills are not up to the task. Interested to hear how Sunbird's deck was fabricated.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
The whole operation of laminating was done in place on the boat. Curve of afterdeck matches the shape of the top of the transom and one reason the deck is slightly below the coamings is to again match the top of the transom. Forward edge is supported by a partial bulkhead between the tops of the seats and the underside of the afterdeck (see my original post for pics). Yes, I suppose a single layer of plywood could be used with stringers underneath, but the two layers of plywood once glued together are more or less self-supporting t oavoid hte need for frames, one layer might even work without stringers due to the curved shape..... but, I am satified with how it came out and it is still solid after 17 years.
You could force the plywood into another radius curve (or even build it flat?), but using the curve of the top of the transom was easiest for me and I felt it would look best to keep everything constant. Plus, again, the curve/crown is what give the deck it's strength.
Kind of wishing now that I took more pictures as I was building/installing the afterdeck!