Topics

31

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Getting ready for paint

« on: November 10, 2021, 09:57:22 AM »

I am mucking out the building in preparation for painting my boat.  I am using all Alexseal products for what it’s worth.  I bought a Milwaukee cordless leaf blower. Using it to blow the dust outside.  It was a lot worse in there than I thought.  Which has me worried about dust in my paint. I figure if I empty the building, 3 days of needed I can get it as dust free as I can.
  I’m curious if anyone has any words of wisdom re: the use of fans?   My instinct is to NOT use fans as they may stir any nuts I don’t catch beforehand.  I wonder if it would be helpful to run my 2 air filters while painting, but they too have a healthy exhaust which could stir particles down stream of the filters. 

Anyway anybody have any tips

32

Blood on the Deck! (And Other Grand Adventures!) / Lobster fishing

« on: October 06, 2021, 01:06:58 AM »

4 day dive trip

33

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Make fiberglass tape your bitch!

« on: September 27, 2021, 01:14:33 PM »

I needed more epoxy to finish and ebond was out of the 1285.  That’s the 30-ish minute hardener.  I got the last of the hardener they had at the time.  It was 1289 60- ish minute stuff. 
  If your using ebond  I will say 1289 is a must for taping.  It wets out different.  I was able to wrap 1/8” radius outside over outside to inside corners like it was a flat surface.    NEver has the tape went on easier.  I wish I had discovered this two years ago.   For me it would have been a game changer on the under shelf, spray rails and things like that.  Give it a try!

34

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Fairing the hull

« on: September 21, 2021, 12:44:39 PM »

I don’t have enough of a compressor to run an air file or much of anything for air tools.  I cannot find any sort of panel type sander corded or otherwise except for air tools.  Any suggestions?  My old shoulders just can’t take it anymore

35

Blood on the Deck! (And Other Grand Adventures!) / Albacore

« on: August 15, 2021, 08:16:25 AM »

Finally got out to chase some fish

36

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Mounting kicker to transom

« on: July 22, 2021, 10:26:12 PM »

Brian, should the kicker climb the hull 5/16” per 6” of offset?  Provided shaft length is the same. This is the prescribed number for offsetting the main.
Thank you

37

Boat Systems - Electrical, Electronics, Motors, Plumbing & Tankage etc / Electronics. Too many choices

« on: July 18, 2021, 12:38:15 AM »

The best I’ve done so far is choose garmin.  I’ve been using lowrance hds stuff.  I want a local dealer/installer.  It happens that the shop where I bought the Suzukis is my garmin dealer. 
  So far I have the garmin autopilot for the main.  I think I’ve settled on the 1242 for a finder/plotter.  I will view the radar there as well.  I’m considering an iPad as a second screen to move about the boat as needed. 
  Does anyone have recommendations for a radome and transducer.  I’m getting crazy looking at all this stuff

38

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / I pulled the trigger on the trailer

« on: July 02, 2021, 01:24:40 PM »

I too bought the venture COM 8800.  I noticed in my PMs today another member saying the didnt like the quality of the Venture trailer and bought a Tough trailer instead.  So something to consider if your shopping.

https://www.venturetrailers.com/trailers/commander-line/

39

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Handy way to build hatches/doors with no waste

« on: July 01, 2021, 11:34:52 PM »

I figured this gem out after I reached the cockpit or I would have built every hatch this way.   So simple!!! 
1) Build a pattern oF the door size/shape you want from 1/4” ply
2) set the router up with a pattern cutter and remove the bushing
3) place pattern on whatever panel needs the door using 3M 2 sided tape
4) route out shape being careful not to stray from the edge of the pattern
    The piece that falls from the panel is the door.   I used 10 oz.  tape around    the opening.  And 2 layers of 10 oz.  tape around the edge of the door. 
5) install a flange on the back of the panel.  Don’t forget to add an extra 1/4” if you want a semi water tight anti rattle 3/8” bulb seal

40

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / sizing kicker motor

« on: July 01, 2021, 10:55:11 AM »

Is there any reason to use a kicker larger than a 9.9?  I'm leaning toward Suzuki EFI model.  I want to be a able to troll with it, and have perfect control of the boat too.  I am using a 4" jack plate for the 250 main and cut the opening in the transom for a single main.  I will have to put the kicker on some sort of standoff mount to clear the back of the transom.  Brian has been pretty darn accommodating when it comes to adding weight to the transom.   So hopefully that wont be a concern.  I know this is exactly what  Dan B did on his. 
  Just this last weekend I had some friends out about 7 miles and their Yamaha seized without warning.  No details yet.  They made it in on the kicker, the wind came up as usual and it was a little white knuckling.  This is a much smaller boat than the GA, so I'm guessing the GA with a 9' house and 9 more feet of hull will catch the wind even worse.  So that's my biggest concern with a smaller kicker. 

41

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Epoxy shortage

« on: June 23, 2021, 10:46:46 AM »

For those of you using Ebond.  They, so I assume other brands too?  Are experiencing a world wide shortage issues due to multiple plant closures/fires both here and abroad.  They are as many as 6 weeks out for some orders.  They had just mixed up a batch of the 1285 so I feel like I kinda got lucky.  This should be the last order I make.  Their prices are steadily creeping up too. 

42

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / glassing the sheer to the fairbody

« on: June 08, 2021, 05:56:43 PM »

What is everyone doing?  for some reason Im remembering Brian Maybe? suggesting he didnt like running a router along the edge for rounding over the hard edge.
  Keeping in mind I dont know if I will use UHMW or a commercial edge finisher,

Thanks in advance
 
 

43

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / problems with tape

« on: May 07, 2021, 11:40:34 AM »

I recently ordered more 6" tape.  I store it the same as everything else, same prep, same, epoxy.  It just WONT wet out.  The supplier says they tested their supply and the techs said it was good.  the pics are hard to tell but some of the weave is totally dry?

44

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Port orford launch

« on: April 30, 2021, 03:36:28 PM »

Is this doable with the GA design?
https://youtu.be/xrgMnng0SZ4

45

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Holes in motor boards

« on: March 25, 2021, 08:04:06 AM »

Brian, what is your stance on drilling scupper holes through the motor boards.  In my case it would be one each just outside the foot print of the jack plate mount.  I bought 8”x4” ss and plan on using a glass tube that requires 1 3/4”x5” hole.  In my case with raised decks the hole pretty much centers on the router slot
   It’s pretty much exactly what Chuck is doing, except my transom is structural meaning no hull extension