Last season I removed the deck panel between the helm seats to begin costruction of a dry storage area where the optional aux tank would be. I used marine plywood and covered it with fiberglass resin and fitted it at the bottom of the space sealing it from the bilge with calking. I added 6'' round access plates fore and aft to access bilge drain tubes if needed and added scuppers in case it ever got flooded. While the deck plate was removed I made a template of the panel out of plywood using a router so it is an exact match. During the season I was able to store items that fit through the factory round hatches and everything stayed nice and dry all year. Now I'm ready to begin construction of a new deck panel using the previously made template. I want to save the original factory panel for the future if I ever need it. I want to have a large hatch to access the storage area and another to access the forward section of the compartment where the fresh and "dirty" holding tanks are. I figure I'll go comercial with those. This area is usually cover with carpet as this is where our dog stays while underway and she needs traction. My original plan was to make the panel out of wood as I am a decent woodworker but I'm now toying with going Fiberglass over the plywood. If I go that route, how much will I have to adjust the size to account for the fiberglass mat, resin and gelcoat?
Sorry that was so long winded! Thanks for any input and I will post pics when finished.
Sorry that was so long winded! Thanks for any input and I will post pics when finished.