While we have everything (!) removed from the boat for the current re-fit, it's an opportunity to document a past upgrade. The port side storage compartment under a hinged cockpit seat is the only access to bulk storage in the Olson. Our boat came from the factory with an optional aft water tank under there, held in by some heavy plywood structure, against the inside bulkhead, and behind the water-lift muffler.
There was never much room to access that area, but considerable bulk space once you are there. You could almost sleep on that long shelf, sorta kinda. Maybe...
I cutaway some of the vertical plywood shelf support for the shelf, leaving ample material to support it. It was heavily glassed into the hull side.
I also removed the original Ronco tank and all of the heavy plywood around it, and replaced it with a new taller 23 gallon welded plastic tank that fit much better, being a little narrower, left more storage room along the hull bottom, and was secured in place with a honeycomb panel structure that weighs only a few pounds.
Then, I cut away the 3/4" plywood storage shelf, leaving enough 'fin' to provide the designed-in stiffening for that part of the hull side. I fabricated a new shelf out of honeycomb with epoxied-on lightweight fiddles that were taller than the EY teak fiddles.
The new shelf weighs 5.5 pounds, and the original Formica-topped plywood shelf weighs 14 pounds. Confirmed with a digital scale.
When picking them up, the difference is very noticeable. Since this is against the hull side, I figured that it helps ameliorate the O-34 port list somewhat.
(Until we add back some cruising kit in the boat, which tends to happen...)
Note: making that long cut with a Harbor Freight multi-tool knockoff made the machine extremely hot to the touch. It worked, but it's almost not from the same planet as a real Fein Multimaster....
A project of some interest to Olson owners, an perhaps to EY owners wanting to change or improve their areas under the cockpit.
Working with honeycomb is really easy; it's just a shame that Boeing closed their Surplus Store, where we used to pick up odd pieces of this stuff for 50 cents a pound. Nowadays you would have to buy full or partial sheets off the 'web. Or, just use foam coring.
There was never much room to access that area, but considerable bulk space once you are there. You could almost sleep on that long shelf, sorta kinda. Maybe...
I cutaway some of the vertical plywood shelf support for the shelf, leaving ample material to support it. It was heavily glassed into the hull side.
I also removed the original Ronco tank and all of the heavy plywood around it, and replaced it with a new taller 23 gallon welded plastic tank that fit much better, being a little narrower, left more storage room along the hull bottom, and was secured in place with a honeycomb panel structure that weighs only a few pounds.
Then, I cut away the 3/4" plywood storage shelf, leaving enough 'fin' to provide the designed-in stiffening for that part of the hull side. I fabricated a new shelf out of honeycomb with epoxied-on lightweight fiddles that were taller than the EY teak fiddles.
The new shelf weighs 5.5 pounds, and the original Formica-topped plywood shelf weighs 14 pounds. Confirmed with a digital scale.
When picking them up, the difference is very noticeable. Since this is against the hull side, I figured that it helps ameliorate the O-34 port list somewhat.
(Until we add back some cruising kit in the boat, which tends to happen...)
Note: making that long cut with a Harbor Freight multi-tool knockoff made the machine extremely hot to the touch. It worked, but it's almost not from the same planet as a real Fein Multimaster....
A project of some interest to Olson owners, an perhaps to EY owners wanting to change or improve their areas under the cockpit.
Working with honeycomb is really easy; it's just a shame that Boeing closed their Surplus Store, where we used to pick up odd pieces of this stuff for 50 cents a pound. Nowadays you would have to buy full or partial sheets off the 'web. Or, just use foam coring.
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Shelf back in.jpg -
Shelf, old & new, annotated.jpg -
shelf aft supports.jpg -
Shelf support plates back in.jpg
