: Mr. ET,
: I am building your skeg and using your sequence of glassing the
: deck to the hull. I would also like to install the full
: bulkheads into the hull first "just like yours" :)
: They are easy to glass into the hull but how are you locating
: exactly where they will fit into the deck so you get the correct
: profile on the top of the bulkhead?? I was also considering
: installing 1/2 of each bulkhead into the deck and hull but I
: still have to have an almost perfect location so the bulkhead
: center split will line up for glassing. This sounds much easier
: to reach after the hull/deck assembly.
: Thank you for your help :)
: Randy

Randy, from what I remember you are building a Black Pearl. What I do is use the station form closest to the bulkhead location to mark out and then cut my bulkhead. I fine tune it to fit into the hull where I want it and fillet it in.

Then I hold the deck (already glassed inside) in place and see if I need to remove some of the top of the bulkhead. If it is too high Mark what you want to remove with a pencil and plane it down to the line. You want to have a pencil line because you want to maintain symmetry.

I aim to get the bulkhead very slightly (1mm or so) smaller than perfect fit so that there is space for thickened epoxy to squeeze in.

If you don't get a perfect fit it is ok because filleting will hide all your sins later.

I sand the deck where it passes over the bulkheads so that the epoxy fillets will stick, and around the edges where the sheer clamp will be sticking.

Then I put a bead of thickened epoxy on the top of the front bulkhead (I don't bother with the rear, it can be reached later) and on the sheer clamp and then carefully lower the deck onto the hull and tape it all down.

Once the deck has been sanded and glassed outside you can cut out the hatches and cockpit.

It is easy then to fillet the top of the rear bulkhead both sides from the hatch and cockpit openings.

The front bulkhead I fillet at the front through the front hatch opening. I don't bother filleting the rear of the front bulkhead as it is hard to reach through my small cockpits.

I don't tape these fillets. It ends up messy and is not necessary.

Your idea of splitting the bulkheads is going to end in heartache and is really not necessary.

The whole process is much easier than you may expect.

If in doubt cut the bulkheads slightly too large on top and plane down to fit the deck. Just lift it on and off until it feels right, is sitting down gently on the top of the bulkheads, and is overlapping the gunwales by the correct margin.

I hope this answers the question.

I have updated my skeg photos a little, if you go to this link and follow the album you will see a bit more what I have done regarding sealing the slot.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=366970513363768&l=cb14c50858

Et