Interior Parts

Paul's Simmons Sea Skiff 18

Here's some pictures of the assorted interior components. This is my first boat and although I had been an experienced carpenter in the past,I still had to come up with ways to use up all of the better quality BS1088 plywood for components in this boat. I didnt have much left over and Simmons had indeed designed this boat around an even amount of materials.You won't have much waste at all in this project when it is all said and done. I may have enough left over to make a cigar box or 2. At any rate,I am confident and satisfied with the way these parts came out and I was able to utilize the remaining drops of the leftovers. I am not going to finish the undersides of these hatches until after it is in the water. Then I can do them one at a time instead of as a whole little project in itself.I wasn't sure if I was going to paint them or not and now I am just going to leave it with a clear finish.Easier to repair come refinish time.

The hatches on the fore and aft raised decks are very sturdy,yet light. Heavy enough to give a solid feel upon lowering into their openings. The center hatches,although only 3/8ths plywood,are quite substantial being they are supported every 12" by the floor frames. Also,the grain orientation in reference to the framing,makes them stiff enough to walk on without any mushy feeling.

Here is the raised foredeck hatch with it's tapered undercarriage. The ends set in tapered mortises to match the tapered supports. This also makes the hatches self centering when setting them in. The plywood for this wasn't large enough so I added the ends with the grain crossed to also stiffen them even more.I have heard to this referred to as breadboard construction. I had made splined slab table tops like this before which was to keep them from warping. It works with plywood as well.

The rear hatch has 6 points and the front 4 points of support via the ramped rails. This is overly adequate to support the centers of these hatches, without having to have had larger dead dimensioned lumber that I would have needed to support a perimiter framework.This made for more clearance under the decks.The entire perimiter of these hatches is also supported by the recessed framing around the openings.Just sticking the plywood in the holes flush wouldn't have been adequate. The mortises are ramped to shed water.

Aft raised deck hatch cover is the same way as the front.The lack of hinges was to keep the amount of screw holes into my deck to a minimum. There is stainless steel pins on the rear where the hinges would normally go that are blind when closed. They fit into mating holes in the opening to keep the rear of the hatch from popping up, allowing it to only have to be subdued in the front by the springs. The stainless wire(316 SS welding filler wire) is designed with fish hook technology. Bent in such a way that the spring tension doesn't put pressure on the screw that is holding it in.In a well designed fish hook,they won't bend because the pressure is aligned with the straight part of the wire to the line. Same idea. The stainless pins are not visible in these pictures. They are installed in the mahogany rails at the rear of the hatch with mating holes aligned in the mortises.

Hatch showing where the tension cord fastens

for the spring latches.

Rear hatch and spring latch.Can almost see the

cord by the keel plank

One of the main deck hatches. Can see the hook for

the bungee.

Rods in stow holsters under gunwhale.

Another view of rod stowage.

I haven't figured out what I am going to put to keep the rods from banging on the sides of the boat. Foam pads,felt pads,canvas or what. I have considered mounting flush mount rocket launchers in the rear deck on either side of the outboard for while underway and then removing them to the under gunwhale stows when we get set up just to keep them out of the way. Probably the best solution.