Replaced your forward house?

Hello
The last bastion of rot on my 76 34' D/C is the forward house. I was hoping to scarf in good core, but it's too far gone.

I've recored the decks, the cabin top, the bottom foot of most of the house, a huge piece of wall in the rear head, and the wall where the shore power goes.

My concern is what holds up the front windows. They appear to be supported from the top, and they sit on the bulkheads that make the forward head, and the forward locker.

If you rebuilt the forward house, did you find it necessary to support the front windows? Or did they hang from above while you slid the new core underneath?

Obviously I'm concerned about tearing off the forward house and having the front windows collapse.... Thinking of building a support to hold up the front of the flybridge, and another support from the forward cabin sole... but would really appreciate hearing from someone who's done this job.

Thanks


Alan Robbins
76 34' MTD/C "Sea Moose"
84 27' Bayliner Ceirra "Lil Moose"

Wow, you have put a lot of work into your T.T. How about some pictures.

Can't help you on the current project but I would be pleased to see the progress.

pete

There is a thread where the cabin in front of the windshield is being replaced due to rot on a trawler similar to yours. The poster has good pictures.

Pete Meisinger said:

Wow, you have put a lot of work into your T.T. How about some pictures.

Can't help you on the current project but I would be pleased to see the progress.

pete

Click to expand...

Hi Pete
Thanks! Search for my threads, I started a thread a few years back "Show us your rot porn" those photos all came from mine.

Greetings,
Mr. SM. We rebuilt the front "house" on our 1974 MT. OEM was plywood sides and "roof", covered in a thin external layer of FRP.



For the sides, I removed all the rotten ply from the skin and glassed in about 4 or 5 layers of new FRP against the old skin (scuffed it up first). I chose to re-use the existing skin so I wouldn't have to fiddle around with the exterior fit and finish. That lip at the bottom I filled with strips of marine ply, also glassed in (laminated). I figured that would add longitudinal support to the deck next to the house. Sides now nicely re-done (a good 3/8" as I recall). For mounting the oval ports, I laminated in a 1/2" marine ply "frame" amongst the layers. Oval opening, rectangular ply. Used polyester throughout. Didn't know about epoxy, at the time.



I removed the skylight and rebuilt it off the boat. I stripped the old FRP and the old ply from the outside of the "roof" thus exposing the, essentially non existent beams. I don't recall the exact construction of that section immediately below the front windows BUT I did run a 2x4 underneath with 2x4 legs to the cabin sole. Never noticed any cracking or sagging.


Rebuilt the crossbeams. Over that, several layers of ply (I think about 5/8" in total, maybe a bit more). Reglassed over the edges faired in the seam. Re-installed the skylight.
I used marine masonite for a vertical liner and re-used the original patterned liner for the overhead.



Hope this helps and REALLY hope I'm remembering correctly (many years ago).