GA 26 in Homer Alaska

[Cannon]

I too am in the process of putting together a GA. we had a few deaths in the family which moved everything to the back burner for well over a year. I am now starting to pick up the process once again.


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[Dave Collett-Paule]

Looking through your photos, I noticed that you put a send sheet over the entire bottom. I was wondering why as opposes do to scarfing in 3/8 on the bow?


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Cannon, not sure what you are asking here.  I built the bottom per the manual, with 3/4" aft and two layers of 3/8" forward.  Best of luck with your build.

[Cannon]

My mistake, after looking at the photo again, I see the error in my perception!


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[Cannon]

I see from the photos that you have done a spectacular job! The fit, finish and the attention to details combined with your having thought through every step raises the bar for all of us!

[Dave Collett-Paule]

Thanks, Cannon.  Just don't look too close.  So many times I was figuring out details as I went along.  Most worked out, some didn't.  I intend to put together a list of things I would do differently if I were starting again.  It will be a short list.

[Brian.Dixon]

Thanks, Cannon.  Just don't look too close.  So many times I was figuring out details as I went along.  Most worked out, some didn't.  I intend to put together a list of things I would do differently if I were starting again.  It will be a short list.

i would love to see that list... 

[Dave Collett-Paule]

OK here goes.

1.  Build 28 feet.  Shop space be damned.  I could have a more useful main cabin, and the cost for the added two feet woukd be negligible.
2.  Raise the deck 4" above the stringers rather than 2-1/2"  My scupper tubes just get wet when there are two people in one aft corner of the fish deck.  Not a big deal but in hindsight...
3.  Better brace the stringers on the jig with spreaders and clamps.  As it was, with my weight on top when I screwed the bottom to the stringers, they squidged out of straight.  (yes, "squidge" is a word, at least in my shop). Not enough to distort the shape of the fairbody, just enough to be annoying.  Would have preferred them to be perfectly straight.
4.  Make the sheer shelves 1-1/2" thick with 2 layers of 3/4" ply with the joints scarfed and staggered, and make them the full 9 or 10 inches wide.  Eliminate the 1/2" covering board.  This may or not be a good idea, but I think with stronger, stiffer sheer shelves I would not have had as many problems with them twisting and distorting during the build.  I found myself using them to stand on while working on the bottom and had to brace the crap out of them.
5.  Move the aft cabin door 6" to starboard.  This would allow the head to be positioned athwartships rather than fore-and-aft.  I just couldn't get knee room on the head in the athwartships orientation with that main door centered.  Then I could have had space for a small cabinet forward of the head with a countertop and some drawers.  Of course, if the boat were 28 feet more possibilities open up.  I should make a sketch for when I build the next one!

That's about all.  Did I ever mention that I LOVE THIS BOAT?

[Dave Collett-Paule]

Latest project, washdown pump.

[Dave Collett-Paule]

more washdown pics

[Saxe Point]

That's my kind of installation Dave, if I'm right that you didn't put a hole below the waterline for your washdown intake. That's how I'll do mine. Did you base it on something you saw or just design it yourself? 

I've read too many horror stories about below waterline thru hulls failing. I'm going to try to avoid ever putting any in my boat.

[Dave Collett-Paule]

Exactly right, Saxe.  Same reason I didn't put a drain plug in the stern.  Something about a hole in the boat below the waterline just gives me the heebie-jeebies.  This installation kind of just designed itself, but I have read about others who did similarly.  On the fishy-fish forum, B&B (user name Luk Diver) described his system but he used rigid pipe instead of hose.  I may convert to that.  The advantage is that the intake stays in the water at planing speed, whereas mine can only be used at trolling speed.

[Saxe Point]

I'm not sure how often one would need to wash down while planing. Flush to the scuppers when stopped or while trolling and then plane if you need to get the stuff to flow out the scuppers. Not sure if it's worth the hassle of hard plumbing.

[Brian.Dixon]

I'm not sure how often one would need to wash down while planing. Flush to the scuppers when stopped or while trolling and then plane if you need to get the stuff to flow out the scuppers. Not sure if it's worth the hassle of hard plumbing.

AFAIK, the only reason for wash-down while planing is so the muck goes shooting out the back (off of a deck that's sloping down towards the stern).  Probably not much better than washing down while trolling though... if better at all.

Brian

[Dave Collett-Paule]

Next project is trim tabs. I want them for side-to-side adjustment to compensate for uneven weight distribution while running.  Of course, when I mounted the transducer block I did not think about trim tabs, and naturally the location I chose was smack dab in the middle of the trim tab.  So first step is to relocate the transducer.  More pics as I progress.

[Dave Collett-Paule]

More transducer block relocation pics.