Aluminium Expedition Cruiser Cockpit Takes Shape

When I last wrote about the aluminium expedition cruiser build in British Columbia the cabin was being built and the side decks had been fitted.

There is a lot of detailed construction in the cockpit that takes time to build. It includes the casing of the swing keel, the drainage trough that runs full-length of the long cockpit, the seating for rowers and helming, and the outboard engine well. All of the seating houses storage lockers for equipment and personal gear, with watertight lids that require careful construction. That cockpit work is now nearing the end.

View along the cockpit, nearing completion. The channel down the centreline is a drainage trench to dump water fast through the keel slot and engine well if she were to find herself in rough seas and take a big one aboard. It will be covered by a flush perforated plate. There are 8 rowing positions, with watertight crew stowage under them. Between the seats are food and ice lockers with watertight hatches through the cockpit sole. The horseshoe seat aft is for helming and has outboard engine stowage under it. In the U of this seating is the well for a small outboard engine for in-harbour use. The swing keel is ballasted and raised with a heavy duty trailer brake winch.

Overhead view of the cockpit.

Owner Tom McPherson has an Instagram site that has more photos, construction videos at various stages, as well as videos of the beautiful wilderness areas where his boat will be working, offering adventure cruises for teenagers. View them at Seaforth Expeditions.

I am still detailing the last drawings of this design, so it is not yet on our website. To see our other designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.