I wouldn't make the beam out of stainless steel. First, a hard edged beam like that up against the hull is going to cause a hard spot where the fiberglass will flex and fatigue. You really don't want to do that as a general rule to fiberglass....especially across the boat.
I would recommend building a bulkhead beam of marine plywood that has been laminated and then glassing it to the hull. It might have to be a bit thicker, but it wouldn't cause a hard spot like the steel beam will. It also won't rust or deteriorate any time soon if the wood is properly fully encapsulated in fiberglass and
epoxy.
Another advantage to doing it in marine plywood is that you can do all the fabrication yourself.
__________________
Sailingdog
Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity (slightly edited)
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