Subdecks and bulkheads

[Stephen G]

Hello all,

After a couple of stalled atempts at fixing up my PT, mainly due to buying a house etc it's back on the agenda.

I need to redeck my plywood PT. While I've got it opened up I want to install a sub deck and bulkheads to increase the hull strength.

The boat was built in the 80's and is in reasonable condition and is lightweight. It does have some internal bracing, but these are basically just sticks across the hull, some have fallen out. There are no bulkheads or stringers under the deck.

Does anyone have tips on the construction of the subdecks and bulkheads? i.e. material to use and maybe reasons why. Maybe even some photos as a picture generally paints a thousand words!

My options are foam, plywood and even carbon, but carbon may not be worth the expense. I've done a fair ammount of woodwork , fibreglassing etc so should be able to do most stuff.

Any help or comments would be appreciated.

By the way how do you post photos? I could post a pic on the current internal braces.

I wan to get this done over the next few weeks so I can sail her this summer!

Thanks,

Stephen

[pondskum]

Try http://photos.papertigercatamaran.org/

There is 3 or 4 different builders with photos they all have different ideas to reach the same goal.

Cheers

Denis

[Stephen G]

Thanks, I have had a good look at them. I've emailed Neil Waterman and he has been quite helpful in how and why he put the foam subdecks in his PT.

I understand that foam was a requirement for buoyancy but no longer is. I hadn't seen any foam subdecks locally

Seems the general opinion so far is for ply sub decks.

[pondskum]

Happy to help the Paper tiger guy's are more than willing to pass on information they don't keep to many secrets it seems the more boats and the closer they are the better they like it.

Regards

Denis