Patent ID: 7409920

Claim:
A method of making a boat hull with at least one integral working deck, said method including; placing reinforcement in contact with a relatively rigid first mold portion to form a layer of reinforcement for a boat hull precursor, placing a working deck forming insert on the first mold portion at a desired location, said insert extending along a substantial portion of the length of the layer of reinforcement for the boat hull precursor; placing a relatively flexible second mold portion adjacent the first mold portion capturing the insert and reinforcement in a mold area between portions of the first and second mold portions said second mold portion having a molding surface configured generally to a desired interior shape of the boat hull with at least one working deck; reducing pressure in the mold area below atmospheric and thereby compressing at least some of the reinforcement between the two mold portions and thereafter; infusing resin into the reinforcement and at least partially enrobing the insert in resin forming an integral boat hull and working deck structure comprised of reinforcement, resin and insert, said integral boat hull and working deck structure having a said boat hull and at least one said working deck with seamless construction between at least one junction therebetween said working deck having a generally upstanding sidewall member defining one side of a channel, said generally upstanding sidewall member extending from a stem portion to a bow portion and being continuous therebetween; hardening the resin; and removing the integral boat hull and working deck structure from the first mold portion.