All that framework is there to hold the 6mm plywood that forms the bunk tops and seat tops.
As you can see in the photo there is a lot of curvature in the hull up front. All that curvature makes fitting the bunks tops a bit of a challenge.
Making the tops out of as few pieces as possible keeps them light and strong. Meeting the hull on two or more sides is very tricky because if you have to do a little trimming you can end up making the panel too small.
To get around this problem I made a template out of a couple of pieces of scrap ply. That way I could individually fit each side until it was just right. Than I secured the two halves together.
Here I am laying out the pattern on my good plywood.
The result was a very nice fit.
I tried using cardboard to make a pattern and it works alright. The cardboard is a little compressible though so you do not get as accurate a fit as with the more rigid plywood.
If the bunk or the seat top meets the the boat on only one side or on two adjacent sides you have it a little easier. You can get a rough fit and than use a block of wood and the side of the boat to scribe a line on the plywood. Plane down to the line and you should have a nice fit.
Once you have the piece shaped to your satisfaction you can "offer it up" to the boat.
My boat has never accepted my offering the first time around. Sometimes after many attempts I just say that will have to do.
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