Just a quick note that I don’t think I’ve mentioned here yet - I changed up how the water ballast tank works. I was originally thinking I’d build a small doubler for the valve similar to what I did for the centerboard pin on either side of the centerboard case. This doubler provides enough thickness that the entire valve can sit on top of the board and not protrude down into the centerboard case itself, or in this case down below the level of the hull itself.
But I realized, based on a comment made on the Scamp forum, that by doing that, I’d never be able to fully empty the water ballast tank without getting in there with a sponge, since the drain hole would now be significantly above the level of the water.
So I changed it up. I glued a bottom doubler over the entire bottom of the water ballast tank and cut a sunken section that the valve will sit in, just at or below the level of the new “floor” for the water tank. All the water should now drain through the lowest point - the drain itself.
I’m guessing that’s what the boards labelled as “Ballast Tank Dbl” that I found back in October that I thought might be part of the footwell. Again, these parts weren’t mentioned in the plans or the build manual, but they came in the kit. Frustrating, but at least they have a functional home now.
I didn’t actually cut the hole to install the valve yet - I’m thinking I’ll do that after I’m finished glassing and maybe even painting the hull itself. Without the hole there it’ll be a lot easier to glass and epoxy the hull, and I should be able to cut it afterwards pretty easily through the hole in the sole that gives access to the drain plug.