Engine Pan Liner Top... making progress

Two posts ago I showed you how I cut up the engine pan. I had already cut the new tops and coated them with penetrating epoxy getting them ready to install. This last weekend I worked on the boat in the engine room again. I cut a bit more of the fiberglass pan of in order to give the engine more room and to make it look like it was not done by a complete amateur. (But it was....me.)  I made a ton of dust again cutting out just a few pieces. Amazing how "dusty" fiberglass gets when cut.

Here is a picture as I left it before the new cuts then a picture with the new cuts.

You can see I removed more from the aft end.

 

I cut two stringers to mount just a bit below the height of the remaining pan on the hull. This stringer was attached with thickened epoxy to hull sides. I used a lot of thickened epoxy to build up a ledge for the stringer to "sit" on and support the plywood at the hull. I then used thickened epoxy and covered the stringers with it and the pan where the plywood sits on it. I was generous with the epoxy to make sure the plywood was sitting in a lot of it to bond it well. FYI, I did scuff up the hull with the grinder and sanded the other areas with 60 grit so the epoxy had something to bite into as it cured. But it was taking a long time to cure by now as the temps were in the low 60's. 

You can see the fillets of epoxy between the hull and the 3/4" plywood.

 

I left the epoxy to cure and will come back this week sometime to apply several layers of cloth to tie it all together as one big piece.

 

One last thought. I will end up cutting my cockpit hatch in two. That thing is heavy and cumbersome to lift. I can't see having to remove it if needed in a seaway. It would be difficult at best! But that will have to wait. I want to get my engine installed!!!!