The finished hull, stll in the mold, is moved to a separate area of the building, where virtually all structural elements are laminated in place.

Stout floor beams and athwartships stringers, laid-up on an impressive set of tooling engineered for a precision fit, become an integral part of the hull. This system will accept and distribute the loads imposed by the rig and keel.

The main structural bulkheads are introduced. These are fully laminated to the hull and, later, to the deck.

Every interior surface receives an easily-maintained finish, and there are no raw edges waiting in the shadows to nick a finger.

Gradually, the major interior moldings, berth risers, and secondary bulkheads and partitions are laminated in place. All are now an integral part of the Dehler's rigid structure.

At this stage, the magic happens! Dehler's unique monocoque structure is the result of simply eliminating the weakest link of every boat's structure: the hull-to-deck joint. Whereas most boats wear their decks like hats-- glued and then bolted, screwed or riveted in place-- Dehler has always treated the two as a single piece.

Video loading. Press play to begin.

The process of joining the hull and deck is spectacular to behold. The deck-- still in the mold to avoid any flexing-- is craned over the mold containing the completed hull and interior structure. The two are precisely locked together.

The companionway is cut to gain access, and the interior is transformed to a workshop for the all-important hull-to-deck union. Ventilation and lighting are set-up, and the hand layup begun.

The layup is complex, and mimicks the sandwich construction of the hull and deck. An "external" laminate is laid-up against the interior of the hull and deck "seam" (visible behind the rubstrip in the image above), followed by the sandwich material, and finished with a laminate extending well into the deck above and hull below.

Once the layup has fully cured, the deck mold is removed, the light of day striking the deck's exterior for the first time. The floor becomes quiet as the overhead gantry moves into position. What comes out of the molds-- lifted by the deck!-- looks very much like a sailboat.

It is a special occasion that never fails to raise a little chill in one's spine. A Dehler is born.