I am building this boat mostly fore to aft, and so it is time to build up the self bailing cockpit area. The fuel tanks will be enclosed in the pilot house and so the enclosures will be passively vented with outside air. The intake will be below the gunwales in the rear bulkhead and then vent through the bottom of the bulkhead, and out to the splash well. In theory, the airflow at the stern will create a negative pressure and draw air from the bottom of the enclosure, where any leaked fuel or vapors might settle. (this is a design from Paul Nelson)

 

Three additional cockpit stringers have been added, glassed, nailers added to their tops and all raised 1.5” above the original stringer height before the sole is added. 2” foam insulation fills most of the remaining voids with an area left open for bilge inspection from a splash well hatch cover. (next blog post). My rough calculations indicate that the foam will displace about a 1000 lbs of water. Once the 1/2” ply is added for the cockpit sole, I will drill out the transom for the scupper valves I purchased from Skiff Kits.