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The design of the cockpit is a bit unusual.  It is based on several facts about the way we will be using it. First, the boat is not intended .as a world cruiser.  We may occasionally make a run to Bermuda but I am not a candidate for a two month run to Tahiti. The primary cruising ground will be the South East coast of the US, and the Eastern Caribbean so we were not as concerned about flooding from a following sea. As this is a warm weather boat, we will be spending most of our time in the cockpit and wanted it roomy. The cockpit volume is right at the upper limit of the size recommended by the CCA in "Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts".  ORC regulations for cockpit volume is .06 x LWL x beam x freeboard at cockpit. For Rutu, that is 124 cubic feet.  The ORC requires a single 1.5" drain. Rutu will have two plus a 20 square inch opening under the transom door.

If I were going to get any real sailing time, I realized that I would be single handing a lot. I wanted all the winches in easy reach of the helm. I also wanted the helm close to the companion way so I could have a warm place to sit under the dodger on a cold night watch   The wide cockpit also required a large wheel so it could be comfortably reached from either side.  The result is the forward Tee shape.

Originally, the aft cabin bulkhead was square but the wide cockpit and large helm gave the boat a sort of sport boat look and a square bulkhead just didn't look right so we decided to curve it back to the primary winch position. 

Contemplating fabrication of this curve  was kind of intimidating but I finally decided on a ply skinned foam panel with laminated mahogany framing.. I built a jig from scrap 2xs and plywood to form the curve.  Here the top frame is being laminated to the jig.  It is wider than the bottom one to allow for trimming to the cabin top level once installed

The cockpit floor is plywood skinned foam also with lateral reinforcing of white cedar at stressed areas such as across between the primary winch pads,  under the helm and where the upper rudder bearing will be mounted. 

The edge frames were laminated up from mahogany. The frame and core were laid up on the bottom skin and vacuum bagged.  The core was sanded flat and the top skin was set in place and bagged.

By accident I found a product called "Superbond Epoxy Adhesive" at FGCI that was perfect for this. It is very thick epoxy premixed with silica and cost about half as much for the same coverage as West.  The regular hardener gives about 45 minutes of working time at 68F so you don't have to rush.

The seat faces were next.  These are also plywood skinned foam with mahogany frames

The finished cockpit assembly was big. The next problem was how to get it from the lay up table to the boat and fit it in place.  The 4 mm okoume skins and foam core made it light enough for me to pick up by myself but it is so large there was no way to get a grip on it.

With some struggle and the help of an old boat trailer winch with the cable running through a snatch block hung from the ceiling, I got it standing on its side and maneuvered it off the table and onto a dolly. 

From there it was an easy roll to the stern.

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Now I had this 10' x 5' x 3' assembly on the floor, my son and his friends off at college and trying to figure out how to lift it 7', swing it forward 12' and gently lower it into place.   A little head scratching, the judicious use of a couple of snatch blocks and some slightly frayed nerves

Actually, once the cockpit was set in place I realized that if it stayed there, I would have to climb up the companion way about 100 times a day going back and forth measuring and trimming parts.  Even worse, finishing out the quarter births on either side below the cockpit would require far more dexterity than I was willing to commit to.  So the cockpit presently resides hanging from the shed ceiling as you see it here.

Once lowered in place ithe cockpit assembly sat squarely on its marks.  Perfection, or more likely compensating errors is a wonderful thing.

The parts leaning against the front bulkhead are the companion way returns. They are glass covered foam because the radius of the corner ie a bit tight for plywood.  They will be glassed and faired into the bulkhead.

Site last modified:04/12/04