The next step was to remove the outer pattern boards so that I could work on the final filling and sanding of the new fiberglass.  The backboards were left in to act as a mask when it came time to prime and paint the cabin trunk.  After the painting was done in late spring of ’02 it was time to put the windows in.  Aligning them was a bit difficult since it was not so easy to judge precisely where the centers should be even though the patterns were centered in the old openings.  This was due in part because of the converging slopes of the cabin top and deck and in part due to the sloping rain hoods of the ports themselves.  It took some tacking in and standing back at a distance to make sure they looked right.  Once one side was done measurements of them were used to make sure the other side was the same.

Sealing the ports was a royal pain.  Trying to maneuver a caulking gun was a challenge with the ports so close to the deck and with the rain hoods sticking so far out.  The polysulfide caulking I used was incredibly messy and gooey and stuck to everything I touched with it, especially me.  I went through a lot of acetone for cleaning as I went along.  To add to the frustration the caulking shrunk a bit as it cured and caused little voids, which had to be filled again later. 

But after all that I think it was worth it.  The intended effect of making the cabin trunk look less tall was achieved, and it gave the boat a more contemporary look, don’t you think?