Boat Cabin Re-model Pictorial *PICS*

Boat Cabin Re-model Pictorial *PICS*

Garrett in Victoria BC

>Over the past few months, I've put up a couple of posts describing a renovation project to improve the sleeping arrangements on a boat we purchased last year. I finished last week.

It all seemed simple enough at first glance. Just tear out the old, build and install the new. The first step was easy enough, then reality started to seep in. The marina is 20 miles from my home and shop, and, no matter how careful, I often forgot something... Nothing is level or plumb on a floating boat, there are few straight lines, all curves are compound, working space is cramped, doorways are VERY small, and it's best to not screw anything to the outside "walls". Plus the weather really sucked this year as the Pacific North West set all-time records for rainfall and windstorms.

Lots of posts on WC ask questions about glue. Believe me, you haven't met anything like it until you meet 3M's 5200 marine adhesive. It comes as a caulk and glues anything to anything. Once set, the seal is unbreakable, so separating pieces is destructive. And difficult. Despite my hopes, the only salvage from the original was a set of 3 small drawers that I installed in a new cabinet. Of course, that decision then forced me to match them perfectly in construction, design, and finish, an achievement I found quite challenging.

However, aside from a lot of aching muscles from the cramped environment, I did enjoy this undertaking and it has produced not only far more comfortable sleeping arrangements, but a terrific increase in usable storage and floor space.

Here's the pictorial history.

The original

Ripped out

Shop trial assembly

First install on the boat

Completed

There would have been room to install an island queen bed rather than the vee berth, but that would have required that we give up the half bath that's in this cabin but not visible in the photos, and we decided against that option.

Oh, and here's the boat

Cheers, Garrett