I Built a Brand-New Cabin Interior, With Photos!

B

Brendan B

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Dec 3, 2023
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C Dory Year
2005
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Vessel Name
Corvus
Hello all!

Corvus and I have been on an adventure for a while: a full-on gutting of the cabin interior down to the outer hull skin due to water intrusion. I replaced the hull core and inner hull skin, rebuilt the cabinetry, rearranged the interior layout a bit. It sure was invasive surgery but the patient came out of it with flying colors, and she looks a good sight better than she did. I hope this info is helpful for folks looking to do similar work on their C-Dorys.

Link to the story is here: https://imgur.com/a/2005-c-dory-22-crui ... ul-oac1amp
 
I like how you leveled out the deck in the cabin center walkway.
 
Well done. Do you mind sharing the total time and materials budget, excluding tools?
 
That is fantastic! Excellent craftsmanship.
 
Great work, thanks for the detailed write up!
 
Great redesign and craftsmanship. I love the very good documentation with wonderful documentation in photos.

Well done, Sir!

Did you cut limber holes in the bilge supports for the floor?

Was there any compromise of the aft cabin bulkhead lower laminate, or compromise of the balsa in the cockpit floor?

How did you handle the box for the bilge pump, or did you elimated that?

Thank you.
 
Dave: Hahaha I think I've spent the past year avoiding a calculation of the time and money involved... but I'll give it a shot:

Time
-Old cabinet removal: 4 hours
-Hull core and inner fiberglass demolition: 14 hours
-Core and fiberglass reinstallation, including coosa board floor: 8 hours
-Paint: 2 hours
-Laminating plywood for cabinets: 4 hours
-Cutting and installing new cabinets and seats: 12 hours

Money
-New foam core: $300
-Fiberglassing (incl. fabric, epoxy, thickeners, and supplies): $600
-Coosa board: $250
-Okoume plywood: $550
-Countertop laminate and contact cement: $400
-Teak: $300
-New seats and hardware: $300
-Paint: $150
-All the other tiny things: about ten million dollars, it feels like

I'm sure if I showed these numbers to my wife, she would roll on the floor laughing and tell me I HILARIOUSLY underestimated everything...
 
Bob: great questions!

Limber holes: I did not cut any. The gap under the flat coosa board floor is completely sealed on all sides by fiberglass and I don't anticipate any water entry into that space. That said, I will be keeping an eye on it just in case, and if any water gets in, I'll just cut an inspection port into the floor over the lowest part of the bilge, install a deck plate, and make sure it stays dry that way. Nothing in that space can rot.
I also cut an inspection port into the forward compartment under the portapotty spot, so that I can get water out of that space; I really like that there isn't a part of the boat that I can't see into pretty easily, and get water out of quickly.

The aft cabin bulkhead lower laminate was fully intact, to my relief. Everything above the immediate level of the floor was sound.

Compromise of the balsa core in the cockpit: yes, I have every expectation that the cockpit core is compromised. There's probably mild softening within a 10-inch radius of the old bilge step, and only core dampness through the rest of the cockpit. My assessment is that repair can wait; I'll be retiring in 3-5 years and will tackle cockpit rebuild then. I plan on building a flat floor into the cockpit as well, based on coosa board stringers and flooring (I'd rather spend a little more to build with coosa board and know that it's highly moisture resistant than put any wood components back into the hull or flooring).

Bilge step: I stared at that thing for hours, trying to figure out how to keep cockpit water out of the cabin. I drew up various Rube Goldberg-esque means of one-way valves, low profile pumps, etc etc. In the end I just yanked it out, glassed over the hole, and sighed with relief. I continue to be pleased with the decision to just get rid of the thing and keep a dry cabin.
 
Thanks, Brendan. And I hear you on the underestimating, I'm that way with time. My wife will ask how long a project will take, and then verbally double whatever I say from genuine belief. "Oh I dunno, 4 hours?" "Ok so 8 hours". "No, come on, 4, mayyybe 6." "Ok so 8 maybe 12 hours" She's always right.

To your time and budget, I was relieved to see the perhaps underestimated figures. Thanks for the transparency, I suspect there are others like me who fear a $5,000 and 100 hour project when it comes to wet balsa core, taking furniture out, etc.. But it's really not (it just may feel like it).

Now go make sure it's insured and don't park under any trees :)
 
Thank you for the reply.

We used Nidacore--lightest material for the cockpit floor in the 2003 C Dory 25, where it had to be replaced. Cost should be about the same as Coosa 20. However we have a local source so there is some savings on shipping. One layer of 1708 under, 2 layers on top: one 1708, and the other could be 6 oz cloth (lighter) or another layer of 1708 (stronger).

Recore the cockpit area, go with your foam
 
Hi, Looks like a lot of work. My understanding is the balsa core in our boats is "structural" and allows our boats to be built without stringers. The whole boat bottom is balsa core. Is the floor now weaker "structurally" with the use of foam core?

Dr Bob?
 
Great read and well illustrated with your photos - nice job!
 
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