In the Commander community it's somewhat of a legend on their hulls particularly first generation being super thick, battleship, bulletproof, naval spec just to name a few I've heard. I've heard claims of 1" to 3" thick bottoms. As part of the bottom job I'm in the middle of on my first generation 42 Commander Sport Cruiser I have all the through hulls removed from the boat. I can tell you, those thickness claims are not true at all. My hull is no more than 3/4" thick, this is primarily near the stringers and chine. Away from those it's only 3/8-1/4" thick, even the keel. In general I would say this is enough as most Commanders don't have hull problems unless blocked improperly. Next time you hear some outrageous claim on how thick the boat is, remember this picture. This is from under my left engine for the sea water intake.
I thought so -- your blocking here makes a helluva lot more sense. Saving this photo. My poorly-blocked Aleda is stored now, can't be worked on at the storage barn. She has undergone this same treatment for the past 10 years at least (prior owner). She'll come out in early May and get blocked again unless I can have all I need to work on her in the shop for a day or so. Garmin thru hull transducer, new head, and an assessment of all thru hulls. Love your setup. Looks heavenly. Lordy, I need a property close to the marina where I can throw up a shelter and work on her all winter long!
Great post. From what I’ve seen on my ‘66 CCC 38, I’m guessing 3/8 to 5/8 moving toward the keel. The keel itself seems quite thick. Nobody can argue with durability and longevity. I’m curious about what kinds of issues result from improper blocking. Thx!