Restoring Vela: Episode 9 – Hatches and House Sides

No one likes cutting holes in boats, but when you’re opening up a new deck to install a hatch, it’s the right thing to do and it’s imperative that you get it right! Brendan takes his time making sure the new foredeck hatch is level and tight. Meanwhile the main hatch to the cabin is being fit and formed to be a beautiful piece of art. Mahogany house sides are attached and the house front and corners, and the coamings are installed. All these little detail pieces are small in scale, but massive in appearance. Vela is coming close to completion and it won’t be long until she’s out racing and overnighting around Narragansett Bay. 

The companionway hatch was designed and built by pro woodworker, Valen Coble. His skills were put to good use with joinery that impressed all who worked with him. Brendan worked through the tough hatch install, which required filling to compensate for the sloped decks. Using Thixo 2:1 Epoxy System and TotalFair Epoxy Fairing Compound Brendan builds up the sides to perfectly fit the hatch. And just like that the team is making it look easy!

This is not a how-to series teaching you step by step restoration techniques. It’s an overview of an amazing restoration we felt was worthy of showing our customers. There cannot be instruction from the crew because, quite simply, they are working and are not there making a video, as is the case with our series with Lou Sauzedde. It should be okay with our viewers that they are different things. Not every video series will teach you how-to, but we hope that doesn’t mean they are without value. We think there is a lot of value in this massive restoration. And we hope you do, too.

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