Suggestion for testing interior space…

[A. Mason]

I was recently reviewing an aarticle written by Carlton Mitchell about the early construction stages of FINISTERRE, in which he noted that he had the yard do a complete mockup of the interior out of plywood, so he could test out the dimensions, sizes, shapes, etc. of the interior.

For many people, reading plans can be a bit of a challenge and I thought some might find it advantageous to put together an interior mockup. An alternative to cheap plywood might be foam core board, which can be had in 4x8 sheets.

It's just a thought folks, but I believe it might be very helpful for those who are considering a small sailboat and are having some doubts whether they can comfortably function in the limited room available. It's certainly a less expensive way to find out than building the whole boat.

In the case of FINISTERRE, the interior was re-designed as a result of the mockup. Mitchell didn't like the heights and edges of some of the built-ins.

Hope this helps,
Anita

[Ian McColgin]

Here! Here!

I'm expecting to do just that when I rebuild Grana to be sure of what works and advocate it for everyone.

[imported_Dutch]

even cheaper is cardboard which can be had for free and a roll of duct tape.

[mmd]

When a half-inch makes the difference between comfort and pain, and the price of good marine ply and mahogany for the interior of a small cruiser is close to a month's salary for most, a mockup is the best and least expensive insurance you can buy. The last three boats I have designed were all mocked up on the loft floor using construction spruce and 1/4" meranti ply and were worth every penny spent. They were particularly useful in locating the galley tables and, on one boat, a rather intricate curving staircase. Money and effort well spent, IMHO.

[Bruce Hooke]

A cheaper route than foam core that allows for a bit more precision that cardboard might is 1/8" or 1/4" luaun "doorskin" plywood...