Sovereign 17B, Page 2 |
Sovereign 17B, Page 2 |
The Interior
I like wood and don't mind the sanding and varnishing required to keep it looking in Bristol condition. With teak prices so high though, I chose Douglas fir to dress up the interior. I finished all the woodwork with a teak stain followed my three coats of semi-gloss varnish.
I first enlarged all the openings in the galley front and cut out the small plastic sink, making room for a wood top and a 10-by-13-inch stainless sink. I also cut an access hole in the compartment on the starboard side under the vee-berth and in the compartment behind the head. Then I cut out openings for the sink and spigot in two pieces of 1x10 fir, joined with a tongue-and-groove joint. I connected the spigot to a Whale foot pump on the sole and ran the water lines to the 5-gallon tank under the vee-berth.
I framed all the openings with 1x2 fir. Doors for each opening were cut out of 1x10 and beveled to look like raised panels. A 1-inch hole drilled in the center of each door provided ventilation and access to the handle.
I fit fiddles to both the cabinet and the galley top. One rack to starboard holds coffee cups and another holds three jars on the bulkhead beside the galley. Another rack on the port bulkhead holds books and charts. As a final touch for the galley, I attached a Forespar gimbaled mini-stove between the doors.
Using 3/8-inch plywood, I made an 18-by-22-inch table, covered it with Formica, and added fiddles. It sits abaft the mast compression post. The local RV dealer supplied me with a pedestal and three base plates. One plate was screwed to the sole, one on the underside of the table, and the third to the cockpit's sole so I could use it inside or out.
I cut six lengths of 3/16-by-1 1/2-inch lattice strips and screwed them with ½ inch stainless screws to the inner liner beside the vee-berth and quarter berth. These add warmth to the white, fiberglass interior.
I made a small door to cover the rode locker in the forepeak and installed a clock and barometer on it. I even cut an access hole through the sole to the bilge and drilled a hole in the bottom of the ice box to all it to drain into the bilge. A bilge pump mounted under the companionway keeps the bilge dry. On each side of the rear bulkhead, I mounted two lights from the RV dealer, and I installed a chart light on the after side of the post above the table.
I decided to name my boat Pocket Change. The total cost for the modifications was only $567, the name seemed appropriate. Looking back on a full season of sailing, I can't think of anything I would have done differently.
