This is how my 1981 H-33 cabinet face looked after removing from the boat. Access is/was tight.

The way we were.

The (almost) completed project. The doors shown are birch plywood left over from my drawer project, until I get tinted lexan or plexi cut to fit. Much much better access. Min-wax mahogony stain applied. Actually matches the original color much better than the photos would lead you to believe, different lighting in shop and boat. To do: plug the defunct alcohol tank hole, and put some dividers into the cabinet. Will post when done.

The way we are

Note cleats on both sides and bottoms to secure to the rest of the cabinetry. The top cleat was left installed on the boat. Rabbeted cleats for top and bottom door slides, and small cleats for door stops.

Original inside view

Just a close up.

Original detail

For the bottom cleat. Mahoganoy 1 wide, 1 1/4 high, 4 long. After cutting to size, I drilled and countersunk 4 holes for the original brass screws to secure the cleat to the counter top. Then at the table saw two passes over the dado cutter to plough out the rabbets for the doors to slide in. Rabbets on bottom cleat are 1/4 deep, on top cleat 1/2 deep. Counter sinks leave screw heads well below bottom of rabbets.

My solution

In their final resting places. The bottom cleat was pre-drilled and counter sunk for the original screws, then aligned with the bottom edge of the cabinet face and screwed down. Temporary 11 pine verticals were installed, then the top cleat was installed similarly to the bottom. At this point I had to back-track. I removed the cleats, Taped 1/4 x 1 x 4 scrap over the rabbets (actualy the scrap I removed when cutting the top and bottom cleats to 1 1/4 high) to serve as guides for my router. The temporary verticals were cut down to 10 1/2 and reinstalled. Then...

New Cleats Installed

I clamped the project face up to a workbench , chucked a 1/2 straight bit with a guide bearing on the end into a router, set the depth so the guide bearing would ride on the strips I had taped over the rabbeted cleats, and made one pass with a router to create the new larger opening.

The routed opening.

The guide strips and temporary verticals were removed. On your left the mounting cleat will stop the doors, the original door stop was re-attached on the right. This leaves the cabinet face overlapping the cleats by 1/4 on 3 sides. On the left (in the photo) a larger overlap was left to help conceal planned future wiring. Temporary doors were cut (until I get the tinted plexi) 1/4 less that the total distance from the bottom of the bottom rabbet to the top of the top rabbet. You know how it works. The top of the door slips into the top rabbet, then drops into the bottom rabbet. Cabinet face re-installed. Wife is happy. All is right in the world. Another check mark on the honey-do list.

From the inside