BULKHEAD FINISH PANEL

The bulkhead finish panel is complete.  I used what was left of the old finish panel as a rough template for the new panel.  Then the panel was fitted in place, marked, and final trimmed to the proper size.  All the mounting hardware was also fitted.  New cleats for the engine cover to rest on were made out of leftover white ash from another project.

I had a bit of a challenge trying to find a piece of mahogany plywood to make the new panel out of.  The cost of a full sheet of plywood, plus a special order charge, was a bit ridiculous.  In lieu of the more expensive mahogany, I opted for a free piece of marine grade birch plywood and stained the panel to match the mahogany.  Obviously the grain differs, but the color match is relatively close.

Here are a few photos of the old and new panel.

The window was bedded in place with Life-Calk after the panel was installed.  A padeye tie-off point for harnesses was also re-installed with a new backing plate made of 1/4" thick fiberglass panel.