Yep, that's what I want to do. Partially, at least. I started a thread a while back on
cabin heater ideas. I've decided to buy the little
sardine heater. Quite a beautiful little unit. Thank you so much for all the info. and advice. My choice ended up 180' from where I started.
Now I have to make room for the little guy to fit, and I have a structural concern. Since I unbelievably don't have a digital camera I'll try to explain the situation with flowing prose:
The bulkhead seperating the saloon from the head/hanging locker area is in two halves with a centered walk-through. I would like to put the
stove on an insulated shelf in what is now the hanging locker. Then I was thinking of removing the top, inner portion of that bulkhead so it visually becomes part of the main cabin.
The bulkhead on that side already has a huge hole in it from a built-in bookcase which came stock ('68 Bristol 27). All I would be removing is a flimsy little piece on the inside of the walk-through, 2" wide, and a little near the top of the cabin, inside of the side deck, maybe 16" wide and 12" tall. The rest of the bulkhead would remain as is. The bulkhead supporting my deck-stepped mast seperates the head/hanging locker area from the v-berth.
So, should I build a wooden beam to bear the load over this new span? Any ideas on how to attach it at both ends? Would I be removing so much structural integrity that the whole project is suspect?
I think this project will add a lot to my little cabin's atmosphere, but I don't want to make my cabintop weak.