This year seemed like the right time to install a pressurized fresh water system after my manual foot pump in the galley developed a leak. Part of the design included a propane instant-on hot water heater. Since the unit was to be mounted in the head, adequate ventilation would be required. An exhaust blower in the head through a low profile Vetus Ventilator worked nicely. For the intake I wanted to bring air into the cabin at the forward portion of the main salon thinking it would be ideal at the head of the pilot berth. I always liked the look of Dorades and I had some leftover teak from other projects so I ordered some manuals online to learn how to cut dovetails.
http://www.handcutdovetails.com/default.asp
Since big projects are just a lot of small projects stuck together I thought I'd share some of the Dorade results. After reading the manuals half a dozen times or more and procrastinating for several months I finally got to work with dovetail saw and chisels. I only had enough teak to get it right the first time. The manuals were a great help for the layout but I was pretty much on my own when it came time to make a straight cut on a compound angle even with both sides of the board marked. The joinery turned out fairly good and definately strong but far from perfect. I'll try and get some tips from a pro before I cut any more dovetails.
https://picasaweb.google.com/101274627576818259928/DoradeBox02#
scott