Installing Bulkheads

Click on any image to enlarge it. Blog begins with Sept. 23rd post.

At the bow and stern, I applied 3" (7.5 cm) wide fiberglass tape and epoxy over the seams not already covered with fiberglass cloth.

The two bulkheads were put in place and aligned to the basket mold with boards and c-clamps (bow shown here).

I used a mixture of sawdust and epoxy for added strength on the side of the bulkheads that will be covered by the deck and will not be seen. On the cockpit side, I used the wood flour/ silica filler for color matching. It is also much easier to apply smoothly and needs less sanding.

The rear bulkhead before being epoxied in place.

The bulkheads were set 97" apart, which will allow an 8' (240 cm) long double paddle to be stored inside the cockpit.

Deck supports were cut from the plywood that won't be used for the deck. Each support was made from two pieces glued together for added strength (in case anyone sits on the deck).


The notches in the bulkheads were sanded to the size of the inwales.

Each inwale was made from a sixteen foot long piece of 1 x 1" northern white cedar. I chose cedar for light weight and flexibility.

The pencil line shows where the inwale will be cut to fit next to the rear stem.

The deck supports were given a circular cut-out with the Roto-Zip tool. I used "L" brackets to hold them in place in the hull while the wood flour/silica/epoxy mixture was applied. The radius on the top of each pair of deck brackets was taken from the information provided by the Hulls model.

I want the deck to be wide enough so that if the canoe gets knocked over by a strong wind, it will float on its side without taking on any water. They should also be wide enough should anyone want to sit on them.

After the deck supports set up, I glued the inwales in place with a sawdust/ epoxy mixture. I set them about 1/4" above the shear line so that they can be planed to the proper angle to receive the deck.

The hull is now considerably stiffer with the inwales in place.

I glued a 1/2" thick pine stiffener to the top of each bulkhead. This should give enough surface for gluing on the deck.

This is the rear bulkhead.

View from the cockpit side.

At the bow, a brace was glued in place where the front of the cockpit opening will be. I plan to have a mast step at this location, so the extra strength is needed.

I glued plywood rings to the bulkheads to give the access hatches extra thickness for mounting screw attachment.