Interior modifications: a starboard berth and lockers

Ruth Avery is an owner-finished Southern Cross 31. While she was already an excellent little boat coming from the hands of her previous owner and partial builder, nonetheless, after having lived aboard for three years, I had compiled a long list of changes. Larry Pardey once stated it exactly: good boats are not invented, they evolve.

One thing I wanted to change were the cabinets on the starboard side of the main cabin. While they provide ample stowage space, a bunk with lockers behind and underneath would provide nearly as much stowage as well as a comfy couch to sit or lay down on. Also I could always sleep on the leeward side at sea, now having both port and starboard berths.
So I begin by taking things apart ...
One week later I have the proverbial clean slate upon which to build. I recycle some of the old wood (if you've purchased mahogany lately, you'll know why) for building the frame which will support the bunk:
I use two planks (joined with a half lap, and a plywood connector on the inside) of African mohagany for the under sides, and 3/4" fir marine plywood for the base. This makes for an excellent stowage space for canned food underneath, so I cut out cargo hatches. I also paint the base and varnish the under side boards.
The dimensions of this berth make it comfortable for sitting, but too narrow for sleeping. So I will make it into an extension berth. Another piece of plywood will lay on top of the base, but will slide out 6". The berth cushion will move with it, and then a narrow cushion which forms an upright back piece (lays against the vertical white back seen above) will be turned flat to fill the gap.

Next I begin roughing out the lockers behind and above the bunk. There will be four lockers, so I need to add two plywood separators in addition to the bulkhead in the center, and of course a bottom.
The piece of plywood on top will form the bottom of a shelf going back to the hull, just beneath the deck. It will be surfaced with Formica to match the coutertops in the galley.

Since the other cabinet doors have raised panels, I will construct raised panels for the locker doors. Since the panels will be painted, I use poplar, an inexpensive hardwood. The panels are cut out using a table saw with the blade angled at 30 degrees, with the plank stood up on its edge, supported by a wooden guide as shown in the photo.
The rails and the stiles, which form the frame around the panel, are joined with mortise and tendon. A groove is cut (using a dado blade) on the inside to hold the panel.

Finally comes the fun part of installing the frame and the locker doors.

Now all that remains is to add the sliding berth bottom and to restore the cherry panelling (the vertical strips seen on the bulkhead). And add cushions, of course.

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