Glacier Boats of Alaska - Builder's Forums
Great Alaskan and Boat Building => Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects => Topic started by: Djeffrey on February 21, 2019, 06:27:29 PM
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Wood is on its way
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Looks like a boat to me! ;D
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Brian, sorry for the crude drawing, not a high tech guy. This is what I came up with for the transom. Wanted to get your thoughts. I want to raise the rear deck 4 inches as many others have, the rear platform will be that same height. Drain scuppers will drain out of deck as shown. On the left of the drawing is a question mark. I am not sure what that distance should be to allow the motor to tilt up safely.Can you help me with that and any other thoughts.
Thanks dj
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I think you're picture is very good .. very clear! In any case, Sheet 021a Drywell provides your answer (below). The 30-1/8" shown is a generic distance that accommodates all motors and would be the distance you need at the top. Applying a little trigonometry and measurements from Sheets 008a and 008b (transom loftings), you get your question mark distance as about 4- inches less than the 30-1/8". Your question mark distance is about 26". This assumes the top of your forward transom is rounded as in my original no-cutout transom layout. You can probably shorten the bracket length (question mark dimension) to 24" if your forward transom has a flat top - what I would recommend. If you have a motor selected, then get the tech drawings from the manufacturer, likely available online, and they'll show trim/tilt angles and dimensions that will help you refine the answer further.
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Thanks Brian, do you think the thickness of the transom and secondary transom is thick enough. Is this design going to effect the performance of the boat you designed?
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Thanks Brian, do you think the thickness of the transom and secondary transom is thick enough. Is this design going to effect the performance of the boat you designed?
2 inch thick transom w/motor hanging off and a forward transom that is 1 inch thick? It'll work fine. Keep in mind that the curvature that you are adding gives the transom more strength as well. The main deck inside the boat is glued/glassed in, as is the deck on the swim platform, and the main stringers are extended through to the aft transom. It'll be strong. Keep in mind that you'll need access to the lower motor mount bolts. They'll end up under the swim platform deck, so make sure you put both a transom drain into the bottom of the aft transom and a reasonable deck plate on the swim platform so you can get to those bolts. Deck plates on horizontal surfaces always leak, hence the reason for the drain. You can use a screw-down, with gasket, homemade deck plate that'll be leak-proof, but harder to remove when you want to. Commercial grade aluminum ones are available but spendy. I would just pick up a Bomar or equivalent and let it leak a little ... just open the drain and throw the plug inside the transom extension/bracket while the boat's parked.
Brian
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A little progress today
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Nice work! Feels good to get going, doesn't it? I like your shop too :)
Brian
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I know it’s a long haul, but it is nice to get started. I have been planing and researching a build like this for over 15 years. I am giving myself a launch date of summer 2020. Plan on taking my time and really enjoying the build. I want to do it right.
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Ready for glass. Cutting went really well
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From here, they look beautiful ... perfect! Nice job! Those beams are heavy, aren't they? :)
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They are very heavy. Going to be a job getting them in the planer to remove the wax.
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They are very heavy. Going to be a job getting them in the planer to remove the wax.
I thought you had a power hand planer? Seems like that would be the easiest .... go buy a nice Bosch one if you don't already have one
bd
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CAn someone elaborate on the wax deal? My supplier told me the lvl were not coated. I asked. I did plane the paint off the edges of the transom pieces. Is it necessary to skin the faces before glass? Sorry for the hi jack
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CAn someone elaborate on the wax deal? My supplier told me the lvl were not coated. I asked. I did plane the paint off the edges of the transom pieces. Is it necessary to skin the faces before glass? Sorry for the hi jack
Some brands of LVL have a wax coating since they are used in semi-outdoor locations such as shops and garages, but some brands are just naked wood .... same exact product, but no coating. Since the waxy coating can interfere with epoxy adhesion, it needs to be removed if it's present. To avoid grinding it into the wood by sanding, the best method for removing it is to use a planer that has it's cut depth set to just 'skin off' the wax layer and cut into fresh wood 'just a little'.
The LVL used in the Great Alaskan are over-strong, so skinning off a little wood is OK. Also, as long as the majority of the wax is skinned off (some will remain in crevices and low spots) with a planer first, it's OK to then hand-sand the few spots where wax may remain. Hand sand the rounded top corners of the LVL (opposite the beveled edge). Epoxy and glass as usual. Many waxed LVL beams have been used successfully following these instructions. Also note that Douglas Fir -or- Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) is fine. Some regions provide LVL made from one, some from the other. The wax coating seems to be a regional thing. If you have to order your LVL, ask if they can get Boise Cascade brand LVL ... no wax coating on those.
Brian
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I'm not sure which brand lvl I have. I don't think they are coated. I'm betting if it's not obvious by sight a scrape with a pocket knife or drag a carbide scraper over should tell the tale
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I'm not sure which brand lvl I have. I don't think they are coated. I'm betting if it's not obvious by sight a scrape with a pocket knife or drag a carbide scraper over should tell the tale
You can easily see and feel it if you have it. If you're wondering .... then no, your wood is naked and had no coatings.
bd
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This is great info, I was wondering for a while (until I read this) if I was going to have to redo my stringers and transom, as after the fact I re-read the wax part. They are BC Versa-Lam though so, according to this, they are fine! :P In all honesty though, while I was contemplating it, I did double-check that the glass was firmly adhered to it, and there is no getting it off without basically grinding it, so I assumed it was fine. The only thing that made me question it in the back of my mind was that one side looked a little darker than the other, but if it was coated in wax I am pretty sure it wouldn't have just been coated on a single side. Good to know, and glad to see some sawdust being made here.
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Yea I do have a hand planer Brian. After you mentioned it I am going out tomorrow and use that, had the standing planer in my head and didn’t think of that. Todd, jump in anytime that’s what I love about the forum, I get lots of ideas here. Just to jump in on what brian said, the wax is really light. I got most of it off with a hand scrapper. I can see how epoxy would not stick to it.
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My Bosch power hand planer is one of my 4 favorite tools:
- Bosch jig saw
- 5" Random orbital sander (several brands - I'm partial to Milwaukee)
- Sandvik carbide scraper
- Bosch power hand planer
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The mag 7 1/4 is in my top 3. I love it!
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My Bosch cleaned off the wax perfectly. Now I have to wait on epoxy and plywood to get here, hopefully next week
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My Bosch cleaned off the wax perfectly. Now I have to wait on epoxy and plywood to get here, hopefully next week
Hurry up and wait, eh?
:D
Brian
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Ive bought versalam and some had wax and some didn't. you will know right away...
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My Bosch power hand planer is one of my 4 favorite tools:
- Bosch jig saw
- 5" Random orbital sander (several brands - I'm partial to Milwaukee)
- Sandvik carbide scraper
- Bosch power hand planer
I have two new favorites... the harbor freight 4.5 inch flap disk.... omg that takes off anything!!! next, the wen air filtering thing... amazon. it clears the shop in minutes.... its very nice to have
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My Bosch power hand planer is one of my 4 favorite tools:
- Bosch jig saw
- 5" Random orbital sander (several brands - I'm partial to Milwaukee)
- Sandvik carbide scraper
- Bosch power hand planer
I have two new favorites... the harbor freight 4.5 inch flap disk.... omg that takes off anything!!! next, the wen air filtering thing... amazon. it clears the shop in minutes.... its very nice to have
I wish I had a shop air filter.... :(
Brian
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Got all my stuff today. I know there’s a cool ass boat in there somewhere. Built a heated epoxy cabinet into the bench, thought it can’t be good to freeze epoxy, plus it’s always warm for use. Only heat the shop when I need it.
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That's what I did in Alaska ... but my hot box was heated by a 40w bulb and was made out of 2" thick foil-backed foam ... just lift the box off to use the epoxy. I kept the shop at 38 F until within a day of working on the boat, then turned it up to 60 F and allowed both shop and boat to come up to temp before using epoxy again (24 hour heat-up).
Brian
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Can I glass the main stringer once I flip the boat over?
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Can I glass the main stringer once I flip the boat over?
You certainly can. I generally like to glass the main stringers before they're installed, but you can install them and then glass them after the boat's flipped if you want. Glass them before adding the stringer-to-hull fillets and glass tape so that it'll overlap the glass already on the stringers. Otherwise, go for it. Whichever seems easiest to you.
BTW, the reason that I like to glass them before they go in the boat is so that I don't have to trim the glass to fit the hull that way ...you just add the glass, then when mostly cured, you use a random orbital sander w/80-grit along the edges (bevel side that fits the boat hull) to trim glass off .... fastest glass trimming in the west. The downside to glassing ahead of time is that you usually have to flip (or hold on edge) the stringer to do the 2 sides separately (or all at once if held on edge). Big and heavy beams ... no method is perfect. :)
Brian
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I was thinking of glassing after I flip so I could roll the glass over the stringers and onto the hull. I would then build up with tape over that. Not sure if that’s clear or not.
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I was thinking of glassing after I flip so I could roll the glass over the stringers and onto the hull. I would then build up with tape over that. Not sure if that’s clear or not.
You can do that. It would be strong to use a small fillet along where the stringers meet the hull so that the glass cloth can make the turn from the stringer's sides onto the hull, then go back and add a heavier fillet and the required glass taping. BTW, running glass out onto the hull toughens up the boat for things like roller bunks on trailers (they create point pressure on the hull while trailering). Not necessary, but fine to do.
Brian
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You bring up something I have been thinking about. Living in Colorado I will be trailering a lot . I feel it would be best to have a trailer with bunks under the main stringers rather then rollers. I feel it provides better support. What do you think?
Dennis
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You bring up something I have been thinking about. Living in Colorado I will be trailering a lot . I feel it would be best to have a trailer with bunks under the main stringers rather then rollers. I feel it provides better support. What do you think?
Dennis
Bunks are best for trailering, especialling on pothole roads. The only time I don't like them is if you don't back the trailer deep enough into the water and the boat 'grips' the bunks while you're trying to slide it on or off. OTOH, some don't like rollers because the boat rolls off too easily. Rollers are more forgiving if you drive the boat onto the trailer like some do, but you usually need a pal to hook you up if the boat's trying to roll back down into the water. Decisions .... decisions..... :) I've owned both and I like and dislike both for different reasons.
Brian
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Making progress. Having a blast. Used my power planner to scarf the 3/8 plywood but found a router jig worked best for the small scarfs on the chines.
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Nice jig .... simple, effective. The scarfs turned out perfect too :)
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I concur. My scarfs didn’t look that good, not even close. Thankfully the epoxy joint hides all your sins. An you do multiple sheets with the jig as it is in the photo?
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I concur. My scarfs didn’t look that good, not even close. Thankfully the epoxy joint hides all your sins. An you do multiple sheets with the jig as it is in the photo?
Personally, I like rough or crooked scarfs .... you get more epoxy in the joint if things don't fit tightly, and that both helps make it less likely that you'll have glue starvation and it makes the joint stronger. Just align the parts so that in spite of scarf imperfections, they are glued together straight.
Brian
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Todd, I can only do one scarf at a time. It took about 30 minutes to do the scarfs on one chine, not bad.
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Slow progress this week. On the beach
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Productive day
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I wanted to say that I have been a woodworker for over 35 years, and I can honestly say I have never followed such precise plans in all that time. After fitting the molds and opening the bottom section I keep waiting to find a flaw that I need to correct. None yet. Well done Brian, I think I made the right choice in choosing the GA.
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I wanted to say that I have been a woodworker for over 35 years, and I can honestly say I have never followed such precise plans in all that time. After fitting the molds and opening the bottom section I keep waiting to find a flaw that I need to correct. None yet. Well done Brian, I think I made the right choice in choosing the GA.
Thanks ... that's quite a compliment and I appreciate the kind words! Your boat (now it's a boat ... it's all curvy!) is looking fantastic! A job well done!
Brian
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Brian, do you find it odd that I don’t need a spreader on my bow. It measures out without one?
Dennis
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Brian, do you find it odd that I don’t need a spreader on my bow. It measures out without one?
Dennis
As it should! The spreader is just a 'guarantee' that even if someone's plywood bends differently, the bottom is forced into shape anyway. You're the first one with truly average bow curvature and didn't need the spreader! (I'd use it anyway - it provides support and confidence....)
Brian
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Chose to do my seam a little different. Rather than wetting it out in a box I cut to full length, rolled it up and rolled it out a little at a time as I wet it out in the boat. Let set for about one hour between layers. Worked great. Made a great wet on wet seam with no joints.
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I agree ... that looks a lot easier than the piece-by-piece in-a-box method. And you can't argue with the results .... very professional :)
Brian
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Maybe I will try that on the next one
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I think I need to make some friends. What a pain in the ass doing this alone.
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Sorry .... I had to laugh at the PITA remark :D
I did it alone too ... only no tractor. Just block-n-tackles ... no chain hoist, no friends (my mug scares them away unless they have the beer before helping out :D )
Brian
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I hope to be caught up to you before the weekend is over! If it makes you feel better I will be handling the fairbody lonesome too.
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Todd,Eat your wheatis . That sucker is a handful. Was reading your posts on your build, I have used almost half of the epoxy you have used. I have notice that my okoume plywood does not seem to soak up the epoxy too much
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Brian, I was studying plans today and am looking at drawing 21a. In the top left corner ( view from aft ) I see two supports for deck. Is this the 4 inch raise in the deck everyone is talking about or is it 4 more inches above that.
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Brian, I was studying plans today and am looking at drawing 21a. In the top left corner ( view from aft ) I see two supports for deck. Is this the 4 inch raise in the deck everyone is talking about or is it 4 more inches above that.
Nope ... check step #4 in the drawings. Those supports just support the drywell - they rest on top of the deck - not required but if you use the removable front panel concept, with the bilge being wide open behind the removable panel, then those two side 'supports' just add walls on the left/right to keep stuff on the deck from rolling around and ending up in the bilge. You can leave them out if you are using a deckplate for bilge access since the deckplate will prevent stuff from falling into the bilge.
To raise the deck, people add additional wood right on top of the cockpit area stringers before putting the deck in - not a bad idea, especially if you slope the deck towards the stern to assist the cockpit in being self-bailing. If you have plywood with a natural warp, this is a good place to use it too ... put the crown upwards and it'll help water drain to either side of the cockpit deck, and then aft to the scuppers.
Brian
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Have you built your shelves and transom yet? I built all the parts before doing any assembly. I do have a bit of epoxy on the floor. I scraped a lot of epoxy with my carbide scraper between jobs too. I still need to make my fillet mix thicker where it can run out of the joint. I predict 5 gallons gone by the time I tape the exterior joints. I am using hydrotek plywood
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Have you built your shelves and transom yet? I built all the parts before doing any assembly. I do have a bit of epoxy on the floor. I scraped a lot of epoxy with my carbide scraper between jobs too. I still need to make my fillet mix thicker where it can run out of the joint. I predict 5 gallons gone by the time I tape the exterior joints. I am using hydrotek plywood
Slightly wet when filling bottom panel seams is better than slightly dry when it comes to your epoxy mix. Just tape the bottom side to help prevent epoxy from running out. I'd rather see the end grain saturated as well as possible. I do like to have milled glass fiber in the mix for hull seams too, although not absolutely required.
Brian
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Groovy. I have way more milled glass than I will use if I stick to the plans. I will use some up on the exterior chine seems. I used plastic packing tape to hold back runny epoxy. Works pretty well if you peal it off as soon as it cures. Otherwise it’s a bear!
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Yea Todd that is why you have used more then me. I am still working on shelves and transom. I will catch up to you I’m sure. Still thinking through my transom a bit, I’m doing a custom swim platform with a rear door. Going to be a head scratcher, but fun. Enjoying your posts
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Looking at your above pic I see a roller there behind d your tape. Every time I use one it seems to just lift the gas off the project. I've been going the squeegee route. Hows it working for you?
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I like laying epoxy down with a squeegee first then I roll it out with the aluminum roller that has grooves in it. That seats the cloth and removes air bubbles. Lastly I back roll it with the foam roller to even out the epoxy.
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Can you post a pic or a link to the aluminum roller you mentioned. I might like to try it. Especially for my next cloth project.
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You can find them on Amazon. Look up laminating roller.
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Will do. Thank you
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Brian, any serious issues with not running the stringers through the transom but rather butting them up like the picture below. I think it will weaken them if I cut that much out of them.
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No ... it's kinda 6 one way, half a dozen the other. With a regular transom, I like the combination of a mechanical / epoxy connection. The slots in the transom create additional wood/epoxy surface. For your extended transom and it's narrow transom at the center (almost like a bracket), I'm not sure I'd cut the slots either. What I would consider however, would be silicon bronze large screws (#12 or bigger) run through the outside of your transom into the ends of the stringers as a back-up mechanical connection. Might keep things together if you hit a fishing wier, runaway deadhead log, or buoy some night! If you lag or big-screw through the transom into the ends of the stringers, predrill and countersink so the installed screw is just below the surface, and don't feel bad about burying it under epoxy and glass. Silicon bronze doesn't corrode from any residual wood moisture, and they don't swell up if they do. Run the screws at opposing angles ... top one angled downward, bottom one angled upward - 2 screws/lags is enough. Also, use nice large fillets with milled glass fiber on the inside and glass well - you already know all that.
Brian
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Thank you. Great idea on the screws. Making some good progress. I keep waiting for something to not fit right but it is fitting together very smoothly.
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Looking great, and you're starting to see how big the boat is too ... exciting!
Transom - When you glass and glue the swim platform on, that adds a lot of strength too. 'Box' structures are strong.
I did have one guy complain about parts not fitting together right ... he was a professional machinist of fine and delicate parts ... and was concerned when he spotted a 1/16"+ gap between bottom panels .. :D . The CAD work was accomplished with (stacked) fit tolerances to 1/32" of an inch, so if each part was made perfectly and all wood bends just exactly like the surfaces in the CAD model, a 1/16" gap would be the worst-case expected error. Feedback so far is that everything just fits ... goes together without funky gaps or odd fits. That's one of the reasons that computer-designed boats are good ... the parts fit. :D
Brian
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Man, your build looks great. Very clean and well done. And you are making great progress. How many hours a week are you spending if you don't mind me asking? You are going to have a giant boat at your disposal in a minute. :)
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Not sure how many hours a week I am spending on The boat. I bet my wife knows🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. I try and do something every day. Yesterday I shaped and glued in the stem. Maybe took an hour. Json, you where smart to make and cut your transom before you hung the bottom. I have not built mine yet and am left with the added task of trying to do it upside down.
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Hey Brian, because I am building a custom transom, should I just fit the stingers where they look good and even?
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Hey Brian, because I am building a custom transom, should I just fit the stingers where they look good and even?
You mean as they pass through the slots in the forward transom? Good and even is fine if I catch your drift...
Brian
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. In other words there is no measurement that I should set them on forward or aft.
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. In other words there is no measurement that I should set them on forward or aft.
Oh ... you're talking about fore/aft. Yeah, the way it works is that you put the sheer 'shelf molds' in the right place on the jig, then put the shelves on them in correct position, then put the stem in place so the tip meets the tip of the shelves. The top end of the stem establishes where the bottom panel assembly goes in the fore/aft direction - after you've planed and fit the bottom panel into it that is (see manual). While doing this work, the temporary framing and transom will be carrying the stringers so that the bottom panel assembly can rest on them. The stringers will be close to their final position, but can be adjusted fore/aft. AFTER the stem has been fit to the bow of the bottom panel assembly, then you can lift the bottom panels just a hair and slide the stringers fore/aft to fit the bottom panels exactly where the ended up. Hopefully that makes sense.
I think the short answer to your question is yes, once the shelves, stem, and bottom panel assembly all fit together (temporary framing and transom in place and carrying the stringers), then the stringers are slid fore/aft to fit the bottom panel assembly at the bow end. Does that answer your question, I hope? :D
Brian
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Yep. That is exactly what I am doing. Just wanted to run it by you
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Yep. That is exactly what I am doing. Just wanted to run it by you
You got this!! Your fine boat is coming together fast too!
Brian
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Brian how can I send you videos for your fb page
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Brian how can I send you videos for your fb page
Good question... I'll have to look into it. What i've done in the past is to upload videos to YouTube and then share from there - It lets you share to FaceBook (but I would have to share yours so it'd show on the Great Alaskan FB page)
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I’ve been told that this is standard bolt pattern for outboards. True or not
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Brian can you tell me how to measure a 28 ft boat I assume it is the very tip of bow to bottom of transom?
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Brian can you tell me how to measure a 28 ft boat I assume it is the very tip of bow to bottom of transom?
Yes, length overall doesn't include things like lights, anchors, motors or motor brackets or motor legs on sterndrives or props, and railing ... but does include rubrails, bulwarks, and other items that more or less provide shape to the hull itself are included. That said, you measure from the furthermost point of the hull horizontally back to the aftmost limit of the hull. If authorities want to measure your boat, they'll drop a plumb bob off the bow and stern and measure the distance between the points. Same with width and the State Trooper who thinks you're over 8-1/2 feet wide with no permit! Plumb bobs....
Brian
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I’ve been told that this is standard bolt pattern for outboards. True or not
Yes, that is the standard outboard hole pattern for any motor that would go on these boats - but if you're going to mount a motor from the early 1980s or earlier, double check - not all motors from the pre-1980 era have standardized on this mounting pattern. Most motors/brackets have a series of holes for the top bolts and slots for the bottom bolts which allow you to adjust the motor up/down an inch at a time. I don't drill holes until I have the motor and I like to double check that the top holes don't end up too low for the motor.
bd
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I am not sure if you have a solution for this Djeffrey, but I was thinking on how to make a flat surface for mounting the main. My initial thinking was to laminate a 12x16" piece front and back aligned with the top and on center, and then use a router to cut it flat. That got me thinking that maybe I wouldn't like the ridge from doing this on the outside, so I started contemplating laminating a whole new layer on the outside and then routing a flat spot in that big enough for the motor. Doing it that way would allow the glass to lay flat when sheathing it. I wonder if I would even need another layer though or if I have significant thickness from laminating 4x12mm together.
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You only need mounting surfaces right? Just a fairly thin block that's wide enough to cover top and bottom motor mount holes on one side of the mounting pattern, one block for each side, a couple of degrees of taper on the back to match the curve? Epoxy it in place, use big washers or an aluminum plate to distribute motor loads?
bd
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You only need mounting surfaces right? Just a fairly thin block that's wide enough to cover top and bottom motor mount holes on one side of the mounting pattern, one block for each side, a couple of degrees of taper on the back to match the curve? Epoxy it in place, use big washers or an aluminum plate to distribute motor loads?
bd
Right, ya, that's an option too. Probably best that I don't overthink every single thing so I end of finishing at some point. :)
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Json. I was thinking like you of putting on a slab of 1/2 ply and planning flat. The idea Brian put out would work as well, but I like a challenge . Hell I did put a nice round ass on the old girl, might as well give her a bikini to go with it.😂😂😂😂
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Json. I was thinking like you of putting on a slab of 1/2 ply and planning flat. The idea Brian put out would work as well, but I like a challenge . Hell I did put a nice round ass on the old girl, might as well give her a bikini to go with it.😂😂😂😂
Hahaha.. I was thinking what would look the sharpest and definitely not afraid of the challenge, but at some point I am going to have to make choices between sexier work and slaying some of the 200+lb bluefin that have been hanging around here for the last few years. If you do it post deets and pictures for sure, I am probably going to chew on it for a minute and figure out if I want to invest the time or not while I work on getting the keel upside down.
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I will keep you posted. I would love to hit those tuna as well. I know nothing about it but have friends that have been over there a lot.
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Brian, can I use stainless screws on the transom? Having trouble finding long bronze ones
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Getting the transom cut and fitted.
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Nice. Better fit than mine! :o
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Brian, can I use stainless screws on the transom? Having trouble finding long bronze ones
They're out there ... the biggest issue is finding a small enough pack to make them affordable. I just looked a little and fount 3 inch long #14 silicon bronze screws at the link below ...but they want to sell you a hundred of them for $153. Who needs a hundred? Crazy.... but maybe something similar can be found somewhere else, or maybe a phone call to them might allow working a deal ... give them a few bucks apiece for a set of 5 (you need 4, but Murphy's Law says you'll bust one of the if you only buy 4 ... and if you buy 5, they'll all go in perfectly and you'll have a useless screw #5, LOL).
https://www.boatdesigns.com/3-14-Bronze-Wood-Screws_100/productinfo/11-219C/
The reality with other stainless types, say 316, is that they may pick up slight surface corrosion over the years if left buried, but in spite of the 'best advice' to use silicon bronze (96% copper, 4% silicon), 316 stainless can be buried in epoxy/glass/wood and last longer than your lifetime anyway. Don't feel bad about that. And even though I know of at least one person who has even buried el cheapo drywall screws in epoxy, I do recommend at least sticking with 316 stainless. Lower than that is not rated for offshore saltwater environments .... but I know, if buried, you could argue 'who cares?'. It's your call. I just think that having a little mechanical back-up to the glass/epoxy mating of the stringers to the transom is not a bad idea if not running them through the transom ... but sigh, we're still talking overkill. Overkill is not a bad thing for a high speed offshore planing hull that may experience impact loads. You always want to get back home, even if you crack something major.
Extremely awesome curved transom, BTW! It's looking hot!
Brian
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West Marine has a pack of 10 #14 3 1/2" silicon bronze screws for $30... Maybe we can start a pool to share them.
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/fasco-fastener--silicon-bronze-frearson-flat-head-wood-screws--P013_390_002_050?recordNum=3
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Perhaps the "best" method to attach the transom to the stringers would be a mortise and tenon joint, rather than the "through stringer" or the "butt stringer" joints. :o
Hell, you could go hog wild, and do a blind shoulder tenon! ;)
Has the benefit of extending the build time by several hours, and wowing and impressing the forum members, until it is covered and painted!!
8) 8) 8)
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Perhaps the "best" method to attach the transom to the stringers would be a mortise and tenon joint, rather than the "through stringer" or the "butt stringer" joints. :o
Hell, you could go hog wild, and do a blind shoulder tenon! ;)
Has the benefit of extending the build time by several hours, and wowing and impressing the forum members, until it is covered and painted!!
8) 8) 8)
I do agree.... :)
bd
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Thanks json, I found that today as well. Still pricey but I ordered them anyway.
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I feel like I’m over the hump. Big week of work on the transom
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Thanks json, I found that today as well. Still pricey but I ordered them anyway.
Teensy little price compared to the total cost of the project, and you'll feel good about having the right stuff in the boat. Keep in mind that silicon bronze screws are 96% copper or so and NOT as tough as the various silver-colored stainless steels out there ... still many times tougher than the wood that they go into. I only point this out because you should pre-drill for silicon bronze screws (really, any screws), and the size of the drill bit used should result in a little bit of wood compression by the main shaft of the screw. Hold drill bits along the screw and choose one that is just a hair (highly techinickel term) smaller in diameter than the shaft of the screw - not counting the width of the threads. These screws are strongest if the main shaft of the screw slightly compresses the wood while the threads cut into the surrounding wood during installation - this is different than how deck and other screws work ... but is the standard for boat construction and the screws that are used.
Brian
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That's a sweet transom! I love it when people put a curved transom on the Great Alaskan. It not only looks great, but it's stronger that way and it helps the boat resist broaching in a following sea - there is no downside! (Other than the extra work and more time spent noodling how to do it)
Brian
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Thanks for the input Brian. I have zero complaints. Having a blast with this project.
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Thanks for the input Brian. I have zero complaints. Having a blast with this project.
And you're doing a great job with it! Pride of workmanship shows!
Brian
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Running a little low on wood filler. Can I use straight silica until I get more? Also thinking of just doing a black graphite on the bottom, do I just add graphite to epoxy and roll it on?
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Running a little low on wood filler. Can I use straight silica until I get more? Also thinking of just doing a black graphite on the bottom, do I just add graphite to epoxy and roll it on?
Wood flour keeps the mix cheaper. Silica cures hard as stone - no good if you want to sand and scrape it after it cures. Otherwise, silica by itself works fine.
I think I give the approximate ratio for graphite in the manual? Close is close enough though. I roll it on in sections, tipping each new section back into the previous with a foam brush. Do at least one whole half of the boat at once, e.g. transom to bow, chine to fairbody ....do the other side the next day.
does that help? :D Wife is calling.....
Brian
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Yep that helps. I am putting second layer on the bow.
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I thought that laminating the second layer on the bottom would be harder then it was. Looks like sides will start going on this weekend. 😀😀😀😀
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Ahhhh the wonders of 3D CAD and the development of developable panels .... :) Everything bends right and fits right! Glad it's going together easily for you :D
Brian
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A little mock up today.
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Wow. Your making crazy good time!
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Looks beautiful! It's a boat!
Brian
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Sides glued up. It’s a boat..... kinda.
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Your cruising! Which house are you building?
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Sweet! Nice neat work too!
Brian
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How wide should this be for a 200 outboard?
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Here's a couple of drawings ... One shows the motor mount template for 150-300 hp motors, and the other shows a twin setup and how the holes fit around the stringers (use the upper end of the lower slots if mounting twin outboards). The motor mount template fits on a 14-1/2 inch wide by 14 inch tall area - but it can be bigger too. My favorite setup is to have an aluminum plate made according to the outboard template, then mount a short (4" or 6") bracket or jack plate to the hull ... and mount the outboard to the bracket or jack plate. That makes a nice clean mount, room for the steering gear, and easier adjustability for tuning the height (jack plate).
FYI - The upper holes are 3/4 inch apart, vertically, measured center to center.
FYI - Also, if using a jack plate, you don't need a set of holes and a lower slot ... just 4 holes, the top 2 holes on top, and the top end of the slot on the bottom... do the adjusting with the jack plate. Even a low-cost manual jack plate (or bracket with adjustment built in) is fine.
Brian
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Lots of sanding and faring
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Looking great! Your neat work will minimize the fairing that you'll need to do. Are you using, or will use, the System III Quick Fair product? It's a time saver too and goes a lot further than you'd guess.
Brian
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I think I will order some up. Just using microballoons right now
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Wow, your hull is looking great Djeffrey! Quick question for you, where did you locate the side frames since your shelves don't connect to the transom? I am not sure where I am going to put mine yet, but wanted to see what you did with regard to that.
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I just guessed where the rear panel will be then came forward 30 inches and then 60 inches. Don’t think it’s an exact science on that it just stiffens the side walls a bit.
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Cool, Ok, that's about what I was thinking. Good to know that it's not too critical.
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Yes, that'll work fine. The framing pieces do have a purpose, but it's non critical exactly where they're placed as long as they're in 'about the right spots'.
Brian
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Brian, correct me if I’m wrong but I think I read somewhere that if you put shelves and other structure in that area it is less critical the position of them.
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Brian, correct me if I’m wrong but I think I read somewhere that if you put shelves and other structure in that area it is less critical the position of them.
I'll stand by my statement above ... :)
You may also be remembering a statement that I made about the splash rails on the outside of the boat. They are necessary for stiffening the side panels aft of the pilot house ... typical pilot house and cuddy structure provide stiffening from that point forward. Now .... if you don't want splash rails on the outside of the boat (you won't get much spray regardless), then shelves along the inside face of those side panels are both useful and also provide the desired side panel stiffening. Does that sound familiar?
Brian
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That was it😀😀😀😀
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I'll stand by my statement above ... :)
A good engineer stands behind his work................................never under it! :o :-\
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A good engineer stands behind his work................................never under it! :o :-\
LOL ... ;D ;D ;D 8) ;D ;D ;D ...
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Feel Im getting a little carried away on my faring. I hope it will help when I put the final glass on.
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Looks good. I do recommend fairing between glassing steps and it does reduce labor later. I use a carbide scraper to taper the edges of glass, then a wide knife/blade (whatever they're called) ... 14" or so ... to fill/fair the glass-to-hull boundaries. Then sand and glass, repeat. Final coats, done.
Brian
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Final glass on the sides today
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Looking sweet! That's a lot of glass ... you're working fast!
Brian
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Been working on rails. Decided to cover them all with 4 inch glass. Didn’t like the idea of unglased wood below the water line
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First ahh poop. Wanted a flat spot to mount the engine so I carver out a piece of plywood and mounted it to the transom. Hated how it looked so took it off before epoxy cured. Decided I will deal with the curve when I mount the jack plate. No biggie.😜
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Most people with curved transoms just make a wedge-shaped piece for left/right sides of the bracket to give the bracket a flat surface to bolt against. Good idea to use the same inside so the bolts/washers are tightened against a flat surface as well.
Brian
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Feel Im getting a little carried away on my faring. I hope it will help when I put the final glass on.
Great name for a boat "Carried Away"
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Lol, yes it is.
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Lol, yes it is.
Plus one.... :D
bd
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A few photos from this week. I was not sure if a 1/8 inch dip mattered on the chine so is used a piece of 2 inch steel tube and fared in super flat. Super happy after first coat of graphite. All that faring payed off.
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Looks awesome! And no ... go take a look at big water sometime and then ask yourself if a 1/8" variation in a chine flat matters, LOL... Just do the best you can and then go forth an conquer! Your boat's turning out great!
Brian
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Pulled her into the sunshine for the first time today. Going to let all that expoy harden in the sun for a couple days then flip on Sunday or Monday. She is heavy.
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Looks awesome! How will you do the flip? Keep the pics coming.
Bob
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Too cool! Very nice looking hull. Can't wait to see what it looks like right side up.
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The big day. Tractor, ropes and good wife. Flipped and tucked back in bed. I will put it on the cradles tomorrow. I need a nap 😴
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That is so cool! Congrats on the flip.
Bob
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WTG! Big step towards an awesome boat. That curved transom looks great, can't wait to see how you finish that thing.
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Any progress here Dennis? It feels like the next pictures you share any day are going to be a finished boat... haha...
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Been up in Seattle cruising the San Juan islands so progress this month wasn’t much. Got back and am working on the back of the boat. Trying to fit a curved back wall to a straight boat. Lots of head scratching. Will post pics when I’m done scratching.
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Interesting, so you are installing the rear bulkhead now? I am thinking to leave mine off until I have done a lot of the interior work so that it's easier to get in and out. Any particular reason you are installing it now or just the next logical thing to tackle?
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Yea I get your point. It is something that I feel I need to do. It seems like the natural progression. I will have a door in it, so that should make getting in a little easier. Your correct, it could be put off until the end.
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Rear bulkhead glassed and ready to go in
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Love it when a plan comes together
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You sure did a fine job fitting that bulkhead to the boat! It's really looking great!
Are you going to put a centerline knee inside the transom to help support the upper part where the motor mounts? I worry a tad, probably not for any real reason, about hinging flex at the bottom of that upward extension. A knee would stiffen it up a bit...just keep it out of the way of motor mount bolts and steering gear.
Brian
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Brian, I am thinking about stepping up the swim platform right in that area. Two reasons, I want to support that tall transom area and two I measured out the bolt pattern and the lower mounting bolts fall right in line with the platform. Raising that area would give me room for the motor bolts inside a sealed hatch.
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Djeffrey,
It looks like you have been building boats all your life, very impressive skills you have!
Cant wait to see more.
Rbob
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Very nice! That thing fits like a glove! What's the reason behind a raised motor mount on the curved transom like that? Swim platform closer to the water? I saw it on Ed's boat in AU too, but wasn't sure why you would do it that way. I would definitely like to know what I am missing here with that. Aft bulkhead looks tremendous though.
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Brian, I am thinking about stepping up the swim platform right in that area. Two reasons, I want to support that tall transom area and two I measured out the bolt pattern and the lower mounting bolts fall right in line with the platform. Raising that area would give me room for the motor bolts inside a sealed hatch.
That'll work!
Brian
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Json, yes the reason for lowering the swim platform is so it’s closer to the water line. Also I am putting a door in the rear bulkhead for easy access on and off the boat. It will look like the boat here in this pic
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Json, yes the reason for lowering the swim platform is so it’s closer to the water line. Also I am putting a door in the rear bulkhead for easy access on and off the boat. It will look like the boat here in this pic
Got it, makes sense. Can't wait to see the finished product.
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Working both ends hoping too meet in the middle at some point.
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Love the curves that you add to everything ....really puts a pro touch on your boat. It's going to be a great one! The new transom support pieces look like they'll do the job too.
Brian
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I didn’t really plan it but I ended up with two flotation chambers on the back of the boat, one on each side of the engine. Also doing a little mock up on the front deck
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Looking good! Are you going to put drain holes and plugs into those transom 'flotation chambers' for when the boat's in storage? Not required, but I do like to be able to drain all compartments.
bd
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Already done Brian. You taught me well on the forum
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Already done Brian. You taught me well on the forum
;D ;D ;D ;D :o
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Spray in bed liner in the anchor well. Just a little added protection.
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Will you have a hatch to access the anchor locker? Which windlass did You go with?
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Good glassing plus that bed liner is a great idea for the anchor well :D
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Todd I found a new,used windlass on craigslist this summer while I was in Washington. As far as a hatch the answer is yes, just need to decide if I want it outside or inside the birth.
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Brian, I am looking for help in placing my fuel tank. I am having an 8 foot single belly talk built out of aluminum. Boat is right at 28 ft with rear platform. All my bulkheads are very close to your drawings. I am putting a 26 gallon water tank in the belly in front of the fuel tank (216 pounds of water) 200 hp engine. Fuel tank will be 128 gallons max. I think that all the work I did on the back added about 100-150 pounds to the back. Not sure what else you need?
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Working on an access hatch for the swim platform. To cheap to pay 3-4 hundred on an aluminum hatch. Think this will work. Don’t need to get in it a lot, just to mount the engine
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I'm curious how you decided on the 200 hp engine? For my GA28, the rpms are around 3600 for the ~ 22 knot cruise the boat was designed for, and still comfortable at around 4200 rpm up to about 28 knots, past which the engine still performs well but starts sucking a lot of fuel - and that's on a brand new Suzuki 250. I have to believe the 200 would be awfully wound up at 22 - 28 knots and you wouldn't have much speed on top of that without really straining the engine, and might not have much reserve for a heavy load.
Anyway, this is just a curiosity for me - what your final boat weight will be (which depends on how you build/outfit it) and how you plan to use it drive the choice to some extent.
Also, on your fuel tank, a bit of advice - my rear fuel tank will not take on fuel at full flow from the pump - I have to go painfully slow filling it, or it burps up gas through the vent. I have the problem traced back to the vent tap being only 2" from the fill tap.....which is the only difference from my other, nearly identical tank. The lesson is to be sure your vent tap on the tank is at least 4" and preferably more from the fill tap.
Have fun, it's looking good!
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DAN, Can you expand on why the distance between the two makes such a difference when it comes to filling?
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Dan, I chose a 200 hp strictly from what Brian is saying on the forum, that combined with the fact that I am not a fast boater. May want to revisit that subject. Thank you for the fuel tank suggestion but I am a little unclear what you mean when you say 4 inch vent, can you post a pic or explain further. Thanks again
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1) Vent ... for belly tanks, I do prefer and suggest having the vent on the same end as the filler ... but yeah, filling belly tanks is more difficult and on the water, more difficult to run empty without gulping air. For the fill-up, find a gas station where you can have the boat on an uphill slope that keeps the fill end higher than the other end. Belly tanks are nice in that they utilized under-deck space that might otherwise be underutilized, but every 'solution' has upsides and downsides.
2) 200 hp or ??? There's a guy in Oregon running only 140 hp on a 26-footer and finds it to be entirely adequate, but he said it 'grunts on hard turns'. I know someone running a 300 hp motor that's too heavy on the stern and still has throttle left over when he reaches 44 knots and picks up some porpoising (no trim tabs). I think that definitely, the 200-250 hp range is the happy range, with 175 hp being a practical lower limit and 275 hp being a maximum that won't buy you much as compared to a 250 hp. The typical rule is 25# per horsepower or so for satisfying power. If your typical on the water displacement is a day-tripper 4500#, then that says the 175 hp is likely fine for you. If you have a more typical displacement of say 5800#, then a 225 hp would be very satisfactory, and a 200 hp perfectly adequate. If you run extra-heavy at over 8000# ... say 8500# on a larger GA, then you better aim for the 250-300 window if you can get the weight onto the transom (see the construction manuals for guidance and choose your motor by weight - including bracket weight - short brackets weigh a lot less). Personally, if I had a 28-foot day tripper built for fishing more than luxury living, then I'd be perfectly happy with the 200 hp motor and be OK with it being worked hard if or when I loaded her up to be a lot heavier, say for a long camping trip in SE Alaska. It'd be a fair trade-off.
Brian
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Thanks Brian, not sure if you saw my post on tank placement. Was looking for the center of gravity? Can you chime in on that? Thanks dennis
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Thanks Brian, not sure if you saw my post on tank placement. Was looking for the center of gravity? Can you chime in on that? Thanks dennis
Maybe I am guilty of shallow reading .... :D
CG on a 26-footer is about 9' forward of the transom and it moves forward a few inches for each 2' of boat longer than that. Close 'nuf. If you look at the plans for a stock boat, e.g. not an extra short or extra long house, you more or less want to balance your fuel weight fore and aft of the aft pilot house bulkhead. Look at the construction profile drawing ... the two belly tanks shown (dashed lines under deck) straddle that point. What is 'optimal' varies with what else you put on the boat, and in which order you burn fuel etc ... but like I said, close enough is close enough.
Brian
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On my attached fuel tank drawings, you'll see with a bit of study that the horizontal distance (centerline to centerline) between the 5/8" vent and 1 1/2" fill is only 2" on the aft tank. On the forward tank, that distance is greater (it's not called out, but ended up being about 4-5"). I have zero problems filling the forward tank, and have to fill the aft tank VERY slow. I think the aft vent/fill distance is too little, such that the "spray" of gas entering the tank is intercepted by the air venting out of the tank, and thus if I fill too fast I get fuel froth coming out the vent.
If I was to do this again, I would put them 12" apart just to be sure. It would have been easy to do!
Regarding the engine sizing, I found this online calculator to be quite helpful and with the hindsight I have, surprisingly accurate:
https://btb.fishing/boat-horsepower-calculator/
I wanted to run a 200hp engine, but adding up all the various weights of *everything* that was likely to be on the boat, it wouldn't let me :) It kept pushing me to a 250, and thank goodness it did. I think a 200 would be fine for a stripped down fishing boat that you're only going out for the day or short overnight in. But my boat is weighted down with additional systems, gear, etc. for staying out for a week and being halfway comfortable. But if you stay out a bit late fishing, land a bunch of heavy fish, and the weather kicks up a 4-5 ft+ sea and it starts getting dark.....do you want the 200 or the 250 then?? Your answer may validly still be the 200, it's just that you have to ask the questions and go through the scenarios to honestly determine what your use will be.
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Sorry for the hijack, but does the flange that overhangs they sides support the weight of the tank on the stringers keeping the tank off the bottom of the hull?
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Thanks Brian and thank you Dan. Dan can I ask how much your boat weighs
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I'd say my boat weighs 4900 - 5000 lb with the anchor system, etc. but no movable parts like pot puller/davit, etc. The local concrete pre-mix outfit allows me to weigh it for free pretty much any time they're open, so if you have one close to you that may be an option for you. It's nice to really know what weight you're at. Drive your trailer across it before you load the boat onto it first so you can subtract that weight off of it, if you can.
And yes, the flanges support the weight of the tank on the stringers, such that the tank side walls have about 3/4" of space between them and the stringers, and the bottom is at least 1" above the bottom of the boat. Works perfectly. Be sure to bed the ENTIRE flange area with sealant so no moisture can be entrained between the stringer and the flange....otherwise pit corrosion most definitely will occur and you might have a loose tank in a few years.
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Very good. Thx
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Hard cut to make. Cutting the door in was a little nerve racking, I was worrried about added spring back on my curved transom but ended up with none. Very happy with how the back is turning out. Still working on both ends of boat and a little in the middle as well
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Hot darn, you are cruising! That transom looks fantastic. Question for you, where did you get your bow eye? I am looking for one as I want to install and use it to flip but I don't think the ones I got for my transom are long enough.
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On amazon,
NovelBee 2-Pack 5/8" Stock Stainless Steel Stern Bow Eye U Bolt with Welding Plate,Washer and Hex Nuts (Thread Length:5-1/2")
Sold by: Novelbee
36 bucks for two but if you are using it to flip the boat these have the beef you need
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Those are burly. I wonder if 304 stainless is going to be an issue on a trailered boat that's primarily operated in salt. The ones I have for the transom are 316 but only 3/8", so not nearly as thick. I don't think they are long enough for the bow either. Maybe I can reduce the thickness of the stem/bow where they are installed with a router or something to allow them to be bolted through. Are you worried with those about corrosion at all?
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304 is OK if accessible and you rinse it off after salt exposure. 316 is better, but as you point out, you can't necessarily find everything you want in 316...
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Roger that. 304 it is. :)
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I drilled a small 1/8 inch hole in one of the spots I was going to mount the bolt, that allowed me to pass a wire into the hole and then I measured the wire. These bolts have about an inch or more thread showing when installed on my boat. Hope that helps
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It does, thanks! Got my pair of novelbee's on the way, might get them installed next week.
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Few pics. Working on cabin sides tonight. Went well, glassing insides tonight while flat on horses,will install tomorrow.
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Windshield
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Hatch work
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As always ... beautiful work! You're making great progress! Gonna launch next summer?
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That’s the plan
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That’s the plan
Can't wait! You've got a good head of steam up ... think practical and get the boat in the water, fine tune, modify, and add stuff after the primary goal of launching and using the boat is reached. Many get lost polishing the apple and miss a whole boating season as a result. Just my 2-cents.. your boat's going to be fantastic!
Brian
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I love the door onto the rear swim step!
I could still make it happen for me just cant seem to decide and do not understand if there would be a structural issue, maybe
Brian will chime in.
Rbob
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Brian, I agree all the way. I would have it out the same week the motor is mounted if all my lake were not frozen over. I’ll have all the wood put together this winter and work on details as I go. Heading to Salt Lake City next week to pick up the trailer, gas tank gets picked up in Arizona over Christmas.
Rbob, I ran the back of the boat by Brian before I did it. I was going to put the door in the side and he suggested I put it there. I must admit I really put extra glass under the swim step and I feel that the platform is a very solid box to mount the engine to. Cheers!!
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<snip>
Rbob, I ran the back of the boat by Brian before I did it. I was going to put the door in the side and he suggested I put it there. I must admit I really put extra glass under the swim step and I feel that the platform is a very solid box to mount the engine to. Cheers!!
Yup ...The door shouldn't interrupt structure that the motor depends on, e.g. motor boards. Where shown above is a good solution.
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Did your novelbee bow eyes show up? I’m having trouble getting mine shipped
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Did your novelbee bow eyes show up? I’m having trouble getting mine shipped
I ordered these on amazon prime a couple months ago (I think same ones as djeffrey has) and they arrived in the regular expected time, they currently say they have 2 left in stock... They are really beefy, maybe overkill, but seem like they should get the job done nicely. They are also 304 stainless so more prone to salt corrosion than 316.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TWWTCH6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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I think the plans call for 3/8”. The long eyes are really hard to find. It looks like mine did ship after a week. Amazon is nothing like it use to be. I should have them middle of next week
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I think the plans call for 3/8”. The long eyes are really hard to find. It looks like mine did ship after a week. Amazon is nothing like it use to be. I should have them middle of next week
If you can't get long enough shanks, get the longest ones you can. Inside the bow, use a spade or Forstner bit to drill an oversize hole that's big enough for the U-bolt and washers. Drill deep enough so that the shanks will extend into the hole enough to take a washer and nut. Coat the bejeebies out of everything with epoxy, then install the U-bolts from outside ... and on the inside, tighten them in with a washer and nut. Use caulk when you install. In other words, buy the longest shank 3/8" stainless (316 is best) U-bolts that you can find, then countersink on the inside of the stem deep enough for getting the washer and nut on.
The stem is strong enough even if you drill a hole clear through, so don't worry about it ... do the best you can with the longest shanks you can get.
Another option is to use a barrel-nut to add all-thread extensions to the shanks. I know of one guy that did this with great success, but the technique above is preferred.
Brian
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Sorry, was out of town. Yes got mine, very heavy. Overkill is good
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My hatches arrived sans bow eyes. Hope they are not far behind.
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Tank in.
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That's quite a tank ... size? What's your plan for hold-downs?
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124 gallons. Glued down with 5200. Going to block around edges with blocks between the stringers.
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I think that's the largest tank yet ... 400-500 miles range :)
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Very nice. What is the depth, length of that rascal? Where do you plan to route the fill tube?
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8 foot long, 30 inches wide, 12 inches center, 8 inches on sides. I am routing hoses out the back. I will post pics in the next few days of hoses. Working hard to get under floor stuff done so can get my rear cabin wall up.
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Djeffrey,
Great job getting a big tank in there! I have a concern about the fuel fill, it is based upon my Raider aluminum boat which fuels from the rear as yours is set up. It is problematic to fill since the boat sits higher in the front and the fill and vent is in the rear of the boat which is lower than the front. Hope that makes sense, it (my Raider) does not take fuel well. I have no scientific data or engineering degree but it seems to trap air once the fuel is nearing full and causes fuel to burp out of the fuel fill.
Maybe others with experience and knowledge will chime in and agree or disagree with my take on things. (you might not have nothing to worry about)
If you turned your tank around you could fill from the high point in the tank and vent from the high point also. The only thing I see is you would have to add a bung for the fuel pickup at the other end of the tank.
It may not be worth the effort but something to think about.
You are doing a great job on your build and I enjoy watching the progress.
Bob
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Thanks bob, I put a vent on both ends of the tank just because of that concern.
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That will do it, good thinking on your part. Only thing that will suck is filling it up the first time. Keep the pics coming!
Bob
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Metal craft trailer. Custom built it Salt Lake City. $6500
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Nice! And that folding tongue is a real life saver for getting it back in the shop too ... looking good! (Even though you'll have to drive fast since you have racing wheels on that rig :D )
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Nice find!
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Is the new trailer painted or powder coated?
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Powder coated
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Score! Nice trailer! Boat's looking great too...
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Djeffrey,
Can post some more details about the trailer, length etc?
Your boat looks like it fits perfectly, maybe a pic of the rear. I checked out their website they deliver to Washington so that is a plus for me.
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28 foot trailer. I sent him some of Brian’s drawings and he put it together. Did a nice job
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Rear view
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That was quick! It looks even better from the rear, haha!
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Nice having the transom door swing in, I have fixed my buddys 250 Yamaha engine cover twice because someone leaves the door open and raises the motor into it...
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Rbob, I had him put bunks under each stringer and under both outside corner. I also added electric brakes and the folding tongue. He will customize with anything you want
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Awesome, I will have to get one.
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That IS a really sweet trailer ... love those steps at the stern. Of all the people that finished their boat after it was on a trailer, you'll have the easiest time of all. Beautiful....
Brian
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I plan to install load rails once I get the boat finished.
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I plan to install load rails once I get the boat finished.
I believe in them .... when it's windy and/or a current are trying to spin your boat around, you'll really appreciate them.
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Progress
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What a good looking boat! You've made a LOT of progress too! Are your side windows going to be sliders, with screens? Do you know what brand windows you'll be getting?
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You are making great progress!
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Getting a couple bids on window. Looking at motion windows and I think it was Wynn . Front side windows will slide with screens
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Getting a couple bids on window. Looking at motion windows and I think it was Wynn . Front side windows will slide with screens
Good .... you'll appreciate the ability to open windows and get some ventilation. I like Wynne, but haven't looked closely at Motion ... only enough to know they're fine. The (very expensive) Cadillac option are Diamond Seaglaze ....
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Brian, do you recall what windows dan b used on his boat?
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Brian, do you recall what windows dan b used on his boat?
No .... maybe if you PM him he'll tell you. Dan rounded up on quality on everything he did to build his beauty, so I'm sure that whatever they are, they're nice.
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I used Wynn. Had a problem with the sliders being set up for a wall thickness thicker than I specified, so highly recommend talking to them on the phone to thoroughly understand your options on wall thickness. Very good customer service on the phone and otherwise.
The slider in front allows me to access my forward fenders/cleat from inside the cabin - in practice this is way more useful than I figured it would be.
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Are you making all your own hatches? Are the rectangular openings at the bolder?
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Yes I am making my own hatches the square ones on the back deck are just easy remove as they will be in the floor of my battery compartment. The round ones will be topped with thin aluminum and be screwed and sealed on the deck. The round ones are just if I ever need to replace fuel lines so don’t need to get into them much
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Gotcha. I’ll be there soon enough!
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Hooking up a few things before the floor goes down. Water pump for domestic water and wash down, blower for fuel tank compartment under deck and bladder water tank, 26 gallons.
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Looking good! Any reason for the bladder vs a hard tank?
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Easy to remove and clean, replace, weight.
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Looking more like a boat every day
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Djeffrey,
You are making progress in leaps and bounds, my hat is of to you. Watching your build reminds me of watching Cannon's build, you both know how to get things done in a timely matter.
I am betting a summer launch for you.
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Trying to finish up the glass outside
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If you haven't yet put glass tape on that upper seam, it's easiest if you slice off that glass right along the bottom of the upper house side panels after you've rolled epoxy into it ... let it green up a little, then remove the cut off glass. The 4" glass tape and fillet will bury the edge. Less fairing...
Brian
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Door work
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Excellent door! That's the way to do it if you want it flat and stay flat. Looks like solid wood for hinges ... are building a hinged door or a slider?
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Nice door, cant tell if it is 1/8" skins or 1/4", either way it will be solid.
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Building a swinging door. 1/4 skins.
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Good job mortising the latch ahead of time, it was a pain for me afterwards.
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Door
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You are making it look too easy... Amazing progress, I am seriously loving watching your build. I was initially saying no way to making a door but now I am contemplating it. The split is a nice touch too (I bet my wife would love that).
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I agree, making it look easy and I like the split door also.
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Shower/bath work
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What is the white box underfloor?
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Todd, it is a shower bilge pump box. It has several inlet ports, so water enters the box from my shower, kitchen sink and anchor well. The box has a float in it, so when box fills it is pumped out . The clear hose is the through hull port.
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Rule Industries White Standard 98B Shower Drain Kit 800 GPH 12V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L38SRC1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_d19uEbXPFTNDX
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Sounds interesting. What about food scraps that enter the drain? Is the through hull above or below the waterline? What are you doing for hot water? Sorry so many questions, but you have my attention
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I will have to be careful with food scraps. Sink strainer. The box also has an easy open lid and there is a secondary strainer inside that is removable. I am going to try something new on hot water. I am going to hang a camp hot water heater on the rear wall outside the shower and run water through the wall. Many boat guys are going to cus me for it but I think it will work well. I will post pics as I work on it.
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Not much saltwater in Pagosa springs. I would be tempted to use a 5 gallon bucket with a bulkheAd fitting in the bottom and just boil some lake/river water and add that to the bucket. Set it on the roof and your set.
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The solution for 'stuff' that may end up in gray water is a macerator pump ... basically an inline garbage disposal:
Jasco Macerator Pump (https://www.boats.net/product/accessories/67GT-JABSCO-18590-2092?msclkid=6a06d1d05c8e136aeccd8f857fce8913&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TNT_Text%20-%20DSA%20-%20All%20Website&utm_term=boats&utm_content=All%20Website)
Brian
(https://cdn.boats.net/MTA/pi/0/MjYzNjU3-022ed578.jpg)
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Thanks Brian. I did not really think of that. I may need to add something like that in the future.
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I read the link Brian posted. Looks like the pump is water activated. Makes it super simple if I read it right. The list of trinkets keeps growing.
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Thanks Brian. I did not really think of that. I may need to add something like that in the future.
Most people do without a macerator pump. If you're ever on a charter and see a big cloud of brown water around the side of the boat .... it means they've got on on theirs!
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Warm day finally. Pulled her out and rolled on a little primer. All that sanding seems to be paying off. Little more faring and then a second coat of primer. Windows came in, they look great.
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Beautiful boat!
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Looking good, nice to have windows. I don't remember what windows you went with but I am still jealous!
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Did you use or consider using any foam in your roof of your pilothouse or cuddy? I am sort of at a crossroads with that. Boat is looking great though, it's awesome how quickly you are blowing through your build. I keep getting mental hurdles that I need to cross, doesn't appear that you are running into those haha. :)
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Json. Lmbo, Mental hurdles are just a part of this. My advantage is I am retired and when the boat is in my head and keeps my up all night I just sleep in. I did not go into the foam thing. It looked interesting but decided on a single layer of 3/8 in the end. Added supports underneath and it seems to be strong I can stand ontop.
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I like it simple ... no foam in pilot house or pilot house roof. Cuddy just needs adhesive-back carpeting on sides and roof if you're sleeping in there and don't want a lot of ventilation (can be cold). My 2-bits...
brian
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Agree Brian. Just got my carpet in on friday for the cuddy. It also covers sloppy epoxy. Less sanding is good.
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I like how carpet on everything looks too. Not sure how hard it is to install, but if it were me, I'd fit thin cardboard or something to the boat (in sections) so I could make sure I'm cutting out the carpet accurately ... buy extra and don't be bashful about having to do something twice! (I do that a lot! :D )
Brian
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5 Yards Dark Gray Upholstery Durable Un-Backed Automotive Trim Carpet 40" x15 FT Roll
Sold by: USA Online Direct
$49.50
Sold on amazon. Very moldable around stuff. I glue it down with spray contact cement.
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Interesting to read opinions about insulation in the cabin. If you're out in cool or cold weather, and your cabin top is only 1/2" plywood, you WILL have a fair bit of condensation on the underside of the roof, and it'll run to the sides of the cabin, and run down the walls, and drip on whatever is below. Best make sure you don't have electronics or electrical connections where it will drip off the sidewall. This is just simple physics. With humans respirating inside and the temp difference between inside and out, the dew point will likely be high enough for condensation to form. Keeping a couple windows open to keep the temp differential minimized will usually work, as long as you have a way to keep rain out of the windows or you happen to be lucky and get good weather every time you sleep in the boat......
For that reason, I was sure to add insulation to my cabin roof, and Anthony (my marine carpenter) pretty much insisted on it as standard issue for him. Further, we used 1/2" foam for the cabin sides and cuddy roof to avoid condensation there.
Thin carpet on the inside of the hull helps a lot with noise and touch. It also helps some with condensation, but needs a way to dry out somehow or it will mold. Thus my forced air heater is ducted halfway down one cuddy wall so air will circulate through the cuddy. The folks at Fine Line in Anchorage who did my upholstery installed my carpet for little additional cost - and yes they used 3M spray adhesive and had a super thin paper they use for all their templating.
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Dan, do you have any pics of the insulation before the carpet was installed. You all got me thinking I’ll put 1/2 insulation in before I carpet.
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I too want to do insulation. What I don’t want is to have to sandwich it all with plywood. Doubling the weight of every component. I like the look of the thin fabric/carpet treatment in the cuddy and cabin. I sure don’t want my boat all sweaty like my camper gets!
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I am sort of more leaning towards bare walls and dealing with moisture and/or venting and circulating air to deal with moisture issues. I am kind of more worried about oppressive heat in the summer on the water and radiant heat. If the heat isn't radiant heat I can likely just get some air flow or window opening configuration to deal with it. I am thinking maybe I need to stick a sheet of plywood in the sun and see how much heat radiates from it before I make a decision. Right now whenever the sun shines on the tarp I am under it is so bad, there is probably no amount of air circulation that can make it better. I could definitely see something like that being the case out on the water on some days if my roofs have no insulation, although white paint should help. Maybe there is some way I can paint the roofs reflectively (best tent sleep I ever had in a sunny morning had a reflective emergency blanket draped over it). Carpet sort of feels like it's going to be prone to mildew and moisture retention (mental images of a past mechanic vacuuming water out of someone's cabin carpet are haunting me even if they aren't probably particularly relevant).
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Windows that open, dorade vents or hatches all good way to let air in. My big ol bow hatch has a locking partly open feature that I’m kinda excited about. In the colder climates I can see moisture retention more of a problem than in the Channel Islands for instance.
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I used 1/2" PVC foam core *instead* of plywood for the cabin and cuddy sidewalls, cabin roof, cabinet bulkheads and top half of the aft cabin bulkhead. This saves substantial weight, adds insulation, and dampens sound. The weight savings were on the order of 30%. I added 1/4" plywood to the cuddy roof since this gets walked on a lot. In the cabin ceiling, I sandwiched 1 1/2" foam between stringers and skinned the inside with 1/4" plywood. That made a wiring chase for the cabin and back deck lights. I only put carpet on the inside of the hull in the cuddy and between the forward port seat and aft cuddy bulkhead. There are pictures in my build thread (Kachemak Skiffs title). I did not put carpet anywhere there was insulation. If you go the foam core route, think ahead for fastener locations and block those small areas out with some plywood so it will take a screw. The weight savings come with more design effort and forward-thinking but weight was a major consideration for me.
The forward cuddy hatch is excellent for ventilation as long as you devise a proper bug screen and some sort of rain cover. I will add a slide-in removable bug screen (or hinged, haven't decided yet) to the inside of the hatch, and plan a hoop-style rain fly to go over the outside of the hatch. This will allow a lot of ventilation even if it's raining and buggy.
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I used 1/2" PVC foam core *instead* of plywood for the cabin and cuddy sidewalls, cabin roof, cabinet bulkheads and top half of the aft cabin bulkhead. This saves substantial weight, adds insulation, and dampens sound. The weight savings were on the order of 30%. I added 1/4" plywood to the cuddy roof since this gets walked on a lot. In the cabin ceiling, I sandwiched 1 1/2" foam between stringers and skinned the inside with 1/4" plywood. That made a wiring chase for the cabin and back deck lights. I only put carpet on the inside of the hull in the cuddy and between the forward port seat and aft cuddy bulkhead. There are pictures in my build thread (Kachemak Skiffs title). I did not put carpet anywhere there was insulation. If you go the foam core route, think ahead for fastener locations and block those small areas out with some plywood so it will take a screw. The weight savings come with more design effort and forward-thinking but weight was a major consideration for me.
The forward cuddy hatch is excellent for ventilation as long as you devise a proper bug screen and some sort of rain cover. I will add a slide-in removable bug screen (or hinged, haven't decided yet) to the inside of the hatch, and plan a hoop-style rain fly to go over the outside of the hatch. This will allow a lot of ventilation even if it's raining and buggy.
Your entire boat was/is extremely well thought out ... Other builders would be doing themselves a favor by combining what you've done together with post-build advice that you've given. I appreciate your contributions to the Cause :). You're the first to do such extensive foam work and it turned out great and has lots of advantages.
General note: When using wood (for mounting hardware) in a foam-core, or similar, structure ... it's a good idea to mark where the wood is in some way so that when everything is finished, you know where you can mount stuff. 'Marking' can be a couple of small dents made by a very shallow drill (like a small countersink) along centerlines, a small groove filed into the wood prior to epoxy coating, etc.
Brian
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A little of this and that
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Nice job on the wiring, just need 12v power and ground!
Makes me want to go back out and do some more work...
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Looking good .. nice drip loops too :D
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Happy birthday too me. The wife says this should cover my birthday gifts for now on out.
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Hell yah!
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Sweet, you can get Yamaha this year! Could not get them anywhere in the country in 2018 when I was shopping. I'm happy with the Suzuki, but love the lighter weight of the Yamaha. Looks like you went with a 200, is that right?
Also, I'm very curious what you're up to with the wiring from the fuse block to the terminal strip - why take up all that space instead of just running the field wiring to the fuse block directly? On every boat I've worked on I'm always fighting for space. Nice looking wiring...you must have something up your sleeve.
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I’ve been told that the reason for the strip is easy diagnostic check. I am following a diagram I found on “new wire marine”. By the way What size wire did you run to your panel. How many amps were you going for? I think I can get by with 60 amps to the panel and not even use that.
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Interesting - just a suggestion, before you get too far along, be sure you will have enough space for whatever electronics/electrical equipment, gauges, etc. plus plenty space for wire runs before you get too far along. I personally see no advantage to the terminal strip, it only adds wire distance and terminal connections, all of which add to the complexity, time to install, takes up valuable space, and also adds expense.
I ran #4 wire to the panel and I'm happy with that choice. Heater, fridge, 3 wiper motors, all the electronics plus relatively long run justify the wire size.
Sure wish I had a heated boat shop to work on, I'm itching to get into the final outfitting!
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Is there end all be source for wiring a boat? It won’t be long until I need to do it. I don’t have any experience in this department and would like it clean and simple and semi expandable
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Todd,
You can make it simple as you want, blue seas has support and diagrams.
I am using circuit breakers on the pot puller, windlass and downriggers.
https://www.bluesea.com/systems (https://www.bluesea.com/systems)
Wiring: Both makes custom battery cables:
http://www.bestboatwire.com/marine-electrical-supply (http://www.bestboatwire.com/marine-electrical-supply)
This ebay seller : https://www.ebay.com/str/Genuinedealz?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 (https://www.ebay.com/str/Genuinedealz?_trksid=p2047675.l2563)
Just get a ratchet style crimper and marine grade shrink terminals, Some people use flange fork terminals but I really like the snap fork terminals, they get a little narrow and you just push them on the stud they will snap in place and stay.
There is a ton of info others who have done amazing jobs wiring, you should check out Dan Boccia's thread for more detailed info.
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Rbob, I have tried to avoid it because I am not a big reader but I have stepped back and started reading Nigel Calder’s “ boatowners mechanical and electrical manual” . There is so much info when it comes to electrical you need to understand why you are doing what you are doing. Lots of videos on utube as well.
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Dido on the books, I have that one and the 12v bible.
No way to avoid it! lol! Unless you pay someone else to do it.
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Dennis, I am positive that reading Calder's book and understanding his message is going to result in a lot of time saved. In particular, understanding how batteries charge and discharge and why, how to size cables correctly and conservatively to avoid risk of an electrical fire (including bundling, temperature rating, voltage drop, understanding ampacity), how to protect the wires with fuses and breakers and why, how to avoid electrical interference with electronic equipment, and finally, the importance of good terminal connections so you can avoid corrosion and again have a safe boat.
I remember slumping down in my chair in mild frustration, going back to that book, and realizing I had all the info I needed all along, I just had to take the time to read it and understand it. Keep tweaking your design sketches as you go. Keep your credit card in your pocket until you're confident your sketch reflects what you really want and is safe and convenient and you have the components selected that best fit your needs.
As we discussed, Jeff Cote at Pacific Yacht Systems has fantastic youtube videos on boat electrical design and installation, including solar. Those videos really cemented some things from Calder.
One resource I have not yet mentioned yet is the "Marine How To" site, which has some of the best info I've been able to find on the construction/installation side of things - what makes a good crimp connector, what tools work the best, how to get a good crimp, etc. Especially this page:
https://marinehowto.com/marine-wire-termination/
Finally, I recommend ordering the current Blue Sea Systems catalog. It was very helpful to have the whole catalog on hand rather than going to the website all the time. And as I mentioned to you in private, I've grown very fond of their Circuit Wizard phone app....but was only able to use it confidently after reading Calder.
I know Brian has talked about putting together a basic electrical schematic for folks, but we all use our boats so differently, and electrical is such a safety issue, that I think if we're going to wire the boat ourselves, we need an education.
You're doing awesome everywhere else, once you get on step with the electrical fundamentals your electrical system will be on par with everything else you've done!
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Couldn’t take one more minute of faring and sanding. Had to throw some paint on to see if all the sanding is worth it. Used alexseal top paint over alexseal finish primer, I like this paint. I did not use any reducer on the first coat but think I will on the second. The paint is very thick without reducer but still looks great.
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It's so awesome to see some paint on a boat! I am sure without a doubt that your sanding and fairing was worth every minute. (I agree the sanding / fairing process sucks)
Good to see progress.
Bob
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Alexseal is the product I decided I would use if I was unhappy with System Three paint. I do strongly prefer water-based (System Three) so I can avoid the fumes. Awesome to hear you liked it! How did you apply it?
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I applied with mohair mini roller from redtree. Yes the fumes are stronge.
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Will you be using adhesive-back nonskid or other nonskid treatment on the 'swim platform'?
Looking fantastic!!
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I am going to use soft sand for non skid. Some good videos on utube about how to apply
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Good choice, you can order samples from softsand which include both application methods of different grits.
I ordered the samples, just cant find where I put them..
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Good choice, you can order samples from softsand which include both application methods of different grits.
I ordered the samples, just cant find where I put them..
Jump up and down until you see them! ;D ;D ;D :o ::)
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Getting things done. Decided not to paint inside of boat until next winter, don’t want to rush it and do a half-ass job. Almost ready for paint on the topside. Sink, stove and icebox in. Shower/head ready to use. Going with a cartridge camp toilet, mostly for the wife (personally I’m a nature boy 😝). Carpeting inside of berth. Almost half way on electrical stuff.
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More pics
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You are making amazing progress, nice to see it come along. I am liking the aft inner side panels with toe holds.
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Me too. Nice job. Will you have hot water to the house? Any pics for the starboard interior? I like what you have done
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Yes I will have hot water to the sink and shower. Will post more pics soon
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Finish work is a little more fun than sanding
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We started at about the same time and I’m eating your dust! What model toilet are You using. I found this
https://www.globosurfer.com/best-marine-toilets/
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Todd, I was not sold on any yet but that just might be the ticket right there.
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Very impressive to see a build come along so quickly and well thought out, I have trouble figuring out relatively simple stuff. I can tell you have been around wood working for years, you make it look easy.
Hats off to you!
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Looking great as always, so, on the water by end of May? :P
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I wish I was on the water that quick. The motor controls are going to slow me down a bit, I’ve never done that before
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Take your time. The pressure to get on the water gets in the way of staying focused, doing good work, continuing to learn and possibly having to rework a few things, and generally enjoying the building process. When the time comes to splash, it will come.
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I agree Dan. The process is a big part of it for me as well. I am going to wait until winter to paint the inside just so I can take my time. Will have it on the water this summer.
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I agree Dan. The process is a big part of it for me as well. I am going to wait until winter to paint the inside just so I can take my time. Will have it on the water this summer.
Have you decided where you'll have your first launch?
bd
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Will most likely be a local lake here in Colorado. Won’t get it to the ocean until this fall or next summer but who knows I might just get a wild hair and do it sooner.🤪🤪
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Cool ... Looking forward to your launch :D
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DJeffery ... Question (that someone asked me)... It's hard to tell the relationship between the motor mount on the swim step, the transom door onto the swim step, the top of the motor boards (where they would've been), and stringers etc.
Your transom door's bottom looks lower than the top of the motor mount that's on the swim step. So ... Is the swim step and bottom of the transom door below what would've been the top of the motor boards? Or is the motor mount on the transom higher than what would've been the top of the motor boards? Can you explain all the transom related heights of things to me?
Thanks,
Brian
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I’ll try to explain my heights, I also included a couple pics that I hope will help. If I don’t answer your question please let me know.
My motor mount height is set per the drawings for a 25 inch shaft motor. My swim platform is raised 3 inches above the stringers and is level with the back deck. The bottom of the door opening is about 4 inches above the swim step. The bump up in front of the motor mount is also about 4 inches above the swim step, so they are almost level with each other. The top of the motor mount is 6 inches above the bump up.
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More pics
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I’ll try to explain my heights, I also included a couple pics that I hope will help. If I don’t answer your question please let me know.
My motor mount height is set per the drawings for a 25 inch shaft motor. My swim platform is raised 3 inches above the stringers and is level with the back deck. The bottom of the door opening is about 4 inches above the swim step. The bump up in front of the motor mount is also about 4 inches above the swim step, so they are almost level with each other. The top of the motor mount is 6 inches above the bump up.
So ... If I read you right, that sounds like the swim platform is about 6" above the waterline? Not taking deck and chine plywood thicknesses into account, the waterline is about 3-1/2 above the chine more or less. The stringer tops are about 2-1/2" above the waterline. Total from waterline to top of swim platform (and raised decks) is about 6+ inches above the waterline. Since waterlines are measured outside the hull and decks sit on top of the wood that raises the deck, that means you're around 7" above the waterline for both swim deck and interior deck. Should be fine... but as with brackets and swim platforms in general, water will wash over it when you slow. With the door and no dry well, you'll want to manage that so you don't stop fast enough to cause a real slapper of a wave to make it over the f'w'd transom ... having it full height as you've done should be fine. Does your door open outward or inward? How will you secure it? Scuppers?
Brian
PS: Thanks for all the photo and tape measure work!
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That is correct Brian about 6 inches above the water line. The swim platform will get wet, very wet from time to time. Although the door will stop most splash water, some will make it through and wash out my scupper holes.
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Counting chine and deck plywood thicknesses, CAD says you're closer to 7" above the waterline. I don't see scuppers? Will the door swing in or outward?
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Great written reply and as they say pictures are worth a thousand words. This helps me out in planing for my Kodiak. I hope with twin 115's I'm planing on I get enough room for a door and step. Great work BTW looking real sweet!
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Door swings in. Scuppers on outside of hull. Might need to put some kind of splash cover over them. It’s all one big experiment. I will admit that I have had many restless nights about my design (swim step) nightmares of watching my $16,500 outboard snapping off in 300 foot of water and sinking to the bottom. I think I am ok considering the hours I have mulled over it during the build. I think some changes are inevitable when you build yourself however I must admit that between the forum and Brian’s help this has been a dream build for me, you all have made it easy....easier,lol.
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All good .. thanks for the many pix! Will you have a way to plug the scuppers? Pipe plug or big cork - wine fermenting / beer making shops often carry a wide variety of big white rubber corks that often fit.
bd
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Aaarrrggg, Brian can you tell me what the measurement between the two arrows on the picture should be. I think it should be 25 1/8 inches, which mine is not. I think I forgot to cut the top off before I finished it. Crap, s&#t, f#&@.
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Spent last few evenings reading you thread. Thank you so much for sharing your great work!
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From the manual
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Todd, that’s what I am seeing as well just wanted to confirm with Brian before I take skill saw to my newly finished transom. >:(a
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Todd, that’s what I am seeing as well just wanted to confirm with Brian before I take skill saw to my newly finished transom. >:(a
Yes, measured on the OUTSIDE of the hull, assuming your 'aft transom' leans aft at 14 degrees like the original transom would have, the measurement from the bottom of the 'V' in the hull to the cut-out in the standard transom is 25-1/8". It would be 25" exactly if the transom were vertical, but with a little bit of trig, you can see that the hypotenuse (measurement of the distance flat on the outside surface of the transom) is actually 25-1/8". Your new 'aft transom' should also measure 25-1/8" from the 'V' to the top of your motor mount, measured on the transom. What does it measure right now?
Brian
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Almost 27 inches. I could use a jack plate to lower it but that’s just another $300. Arrrgg. I have to blame you for this Brian, the only reason I measured it is because of your question about the swim step heights, 😂 . I’ll post some pictures of what skill saw does to a finished transom.
By the way good word “ hypotenuse” , that’s a new one for me.
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Almost 27 inches. I could use a jack plate to lower it but that’s just another $300. Arrrgg. I have to blame you for this Brian, the only reason I measured it is because of your question about the swim step heights, 😂 . I’ll post some pictures of what skill saw does to a finished transom.
By the way good word “ hypotenuse” , that’s a new one for me.
Well ... technically, the dimension in the design is already adjusted to place the cav plate just barely into the water a little.
Example)
h cos(14) = x, where x is the shaft length and h is the measured distance on the transom itself, the hypotenuse.
h = x / cos(14), which is 25 / cos(14) ... which comes out to about 25-3/4" inch.
There's a little more than 1/2" downward adjustment in the 25-1/8" measurement to make up for minor motor mounting errors. It's better to be down 1/2" than to suck air ...
bd
PS: It's better to have to remove a little wood than it is to add!
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Ok now your just showing off!!
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Ar ar arrr..... :D Trig is one of the most useful types of math. You don't have to remember it all either, just basic triangles, cos() and sin() stuff.
bd
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I can taste the salt air..... almost
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Sexy looking boat!
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Wow! Cool looking boat! Love the long house ... very professional :D
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Scuppers
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Misc
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Lookin good! I like the wood rails on the roof.
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Outstanding!
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Another big step
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That is a beautiful sight! I cant wait to see it in the water which looks to be soon and I am amazed how fast your boat is coming together.
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Looks like you trimmed the motor mount and have the anti-cav plate lined up pretty good? Is that bedliner coated on the motor mount? Good idea!
Brian
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Yes I think it lined up well after I cut the top off the mount. Decided rather than spend all that time priming and painting I sealed it up with several coats of epoxy and then sprayed it with bed liner which made mounting the motor a lot easier, I didn’t have to worry about chipping the paint.
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As always ... very professional work. I definitely agree that bedliner on the top edges of transom cut-outs and motor mounts is a good idea. Maybe I'll do that on my little 14' skiff with the clamp-on motor .... :D
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Official weight, empty no fuel or gear. Trailers like a dream. Couldn’t be happier with the weight results.
Total weight of trailer and boat. 4900 pounds
Weight of trailer alone. 2395
Weight of boat and motor 2505 pounds
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WOW and congratulations! What an awesome boat!! 8) ;D 8) ;D 8)
Brian
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Amazing. I have loved watching your build progress, now on to the fun part of getting it wet! Also, that seems incredibly light, trailer + boat less than 5k is great, that must be very very easy to tow.
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It does seem a little light - by 500#? ... How'd you weigh everything?
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That’s sweeter than kicking out the last bale in your biggest field!
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Yea I agree on thinking it was light. I am going to call the trailer people and confirm the trailer weight. Also makes me wonder if the kid at the scale had a clue. It does trailer light and easy. Will have to double check it on a different scale. Brian, I pulled it onto the scale, unhooked the truck and just weighed the trailer and boat.
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Wow! I am so happy to see your boat on a trailer looking fantastic, I just went back to when you started, 1 yr and 4 months. Way to go and congratulations.
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Yea I agree on thinking it was light. I am going to call the trailer people and confirm the trailer weight. Also makes me wonder if the kid at the scale had a clue. It does trailer light and easy. Will have to double check it on a different scale. Brian, I pulled it onto the scale, unhooked the truck and just weighed the trailer and boat.
Cool ... Weighing large boats and trailers is difficult to do accurately. At 45# per cubic foot of wood/glass/epoxy average in boat construction like this (the most accurate weight I could come up with), my CG spreadsheet says a 26-footer with glass, tanks, normal accommodations, weighs around 2900#. Motor adds to that. Boat length adds. Fewer or different accommodations and construction details can take away from that, plexiglass takes away from that (H-channel and plexiglass is lighter than aluminum frames w/real glass) etc. Ball-park is the best we can do. But the good news is that your boat turned out on the lighter end of the spectrum and has LOTS and LOTS of payload capacity .... figure a payload of 4000# to even 5000# is not too much for your boat.
Brian
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DJeffrey, I am trying to look on your rigging of your yami, did you rig using the digital steering and control or did you have to go the mechanical route? I can't find information about a yamaha hub for the digital control or really anything else about it other than it exists (just people showing off the joystick), and can't quite tell from your pics if you have a hydraulic unit back there. Any further info about how you went about rigging your steering and controls would be awesome.
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Json, I used a standard seastar power steering unit. I had to order the hoses separate because the kits didn’t have hoses 26 feet long. Very simple to install.
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This is my rigging
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Awesome, very helpful. Thx!
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A few pics of my recent work. I’m thinking it should be on the water in two weeks. I won’t be done with some of the finish work but that can wait.
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Wow ... you're sure doing great work! Love the roof and bright-finished wood combo in the house too ... very very nice!
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Some cool details, especially your cabin ceiling, nice! Great to see the progress.
One caution: That Xantrex battery charger is mounted right near a fuel line which WILL emit fuel vapors and two batteries that may discharge a bit of hydrogen gas - especially that start battery which will get overcharged by the outboard alternator. The battery charger is not explosion proof so to me this presents a real hazard. Perhaps not super likely, but real enough that I would want to re-consider the location of the battery charger and consider some active ventilation, realizing gas vapors will sink to the bottom of the cabinet and any hydrogen will rise to the top. If you ever work on those batteries in that space, I would be sure to ventilate that cabinet very well before doing work.
Nice work with the MRBF battery fuses - all wires protected right from the battery is the way to go!
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Few pics before launch. Waiting on a prop to arrive this week after being told by my local marine shop that he ordered it 2 weeks ago, He didn’t. Anyway, shower and toilet in an functioning, put in a pressure tank to reduce water hammer and noise from water pump, what a difference. Sprayed white bed liner on rear deck, great stuff for diy. Moved xantrex battery charger into cabin,( thanks Dan) installed xantrex battery moniter, going to love that thing.
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Also built a motor support for trailering .
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Nice motor support ... "transom saver". Well worth your efforts to have that, even on normal pave roads (ask me about the time I turned into a driveway too late, nearly a U-turn to make it, and the 10" curb that I bounced the boat trailer over ... and cracked the transom corner because the motor kicked so hard ... a transom saver would've prevented damage caused by my bad driving). It was a McDonald's driveway if I recall... :D
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Launch day. Boat did fantastic. Only got a couple hours of breakin today. Back out Sunday.
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Your boat looks amazing, can you elaborate on motor performance and what prop you went with etc?
Many have went with 250hp motors, I opted for a 200 also.
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Robb, I went with a 14 1/2 by 15 inch stainless prop. I was unable to really get into much speed today as it takes several hours to break in an engine properly. I was able to get it up on plane before I left the lake and it popped up to 30 mph really fast, but like I said I did not keep it up long. I will post more results next week as we are planing on spending a couple days on it next weekend. Keep in mind my lake is at 7000 feet . I will need to find a new prop when I go to sea level.
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Well it sounds like there is plenty of power for a boat that size, mileage should be great also. Cant wait to hear all the details when you get back from your outing.
Congrats!
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Awesome, congratulations!
It will be interesting to see the test results after your first post break-in oil change.
Have fun!
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Congratulations!! Now you have a BOAT instead of a project! What a fantastic boat you've put together! Looks like the swim platform turned out just right too ... out of the water yet accessible :D
Brian
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Killer! Congrats!
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A little soft sand on the swim step
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You'll put sand on the sheer decks and f'w'd too, right? Any thoughts on handrails? Will you service the anchor via the Cuddy hatch or go around the side of the house?
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Absolutely, sand on the rest of the decks. Really like how it turned out. I think rails will have to wait until I can get over to the coast, not a high demand for that custom stuff in the Rockies. I think I can service the anchor either way. Still need to wire the anchor lift.
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In Anchorage, the best companies for stainless steel railing are the larger mechanical contractors who get into stainless piping on larger commercial/hospital/brewery, etc. jobs, so I would call around to see if any of them are game to do it - their welders have to be certified to higher standards than most boat building outfits and their jobs look awesome!
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More sea trials today. I find myself in the same position at Dan B . I need to raise my engine a couple inches. My cavitation plate is to low. Will be raising it today. Dealing with my self loathing that I cut off the top of my transom, oh well I’ll get over it. I also need to go down in prop pitch, at full throttle and a 15 pitch prop I am at 5000 rpm. Meaning I am leaving up to 1000 rpm on the table. Going to start by raising the engine and then move onto the prop. I feel I will gain some RPMs by raising the engine. I was always under the impression that it was better to have the engine to low then to high, I now believe it’s better to be high and work down. In driving the boat for several hours I find that at 3000 RPMs the low cavitation plate is pulling the back of the boat down, at 3200-3500 it pops up. I also find that when I am at full throttle and try to trim the motor it pulls the boat down. Dan b video posts are great and help me understand my real life experiences.
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I concur with your findings and your approach. I just got back from a fishing trip and again had improper conditions to be hanging out the back trying to video, but I did go back and look while a buddy was running the boat and the anti-cav plate always seemed just a bit out of the water, just perfect as far as I can tell. Go up two holes and let us know how it looks!
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I like the approach of starting too high then working down. Unfortunately, it's common in Alaska to hear the suggestion that the cav plate should be 3/4" under water or so. But that's typical for a work boat, not so much a sport boat. The Great Alaskan is light enough, regardless of what you use it for, to justify more of a sport boat tuning of the motor height. The risk of cavitation occuring on a hard hole shot is low, so why not? You'll get better efficiency, and I suspect we'll hear from Dan on, with the cav plate higher ... less drag AND the line of thrust being higher on a planing hull makes it more efficient.
bd
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Day three on the water. Raised the motor 2 inches, gained 500 RPM, way more then expected. Up to 5500 RPMs and happy with that at 7000 feet elevation. Last week I felt like the the back of the boat was pulling down, it was. I was getting water in through my scuppers when I would turn. Today no water in the scuppers. 37 MPH. More then I need most of the time.
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Wow! Going up 2 holes gained you 500 rpm? That's more than I would have thought too! I would say you've got the engine height set about right and the prop is just about right, congratulations! That must feel good.
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I forgot to mention that two hundred of that RPM came from trimming the engine up
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Day three on the water. Raised the motor 2 inches, gained 500 RPM, way more then expected. Up to 5500 RPMs and happy with that at 7000 feet elevation. Last week I felt like the the back of the boat was pulling down, it was. I was getting water in through my scuppers when I would turn. Today no water in the scuppers. 37 MPH. More then I need most of the time.
Yup ... all boats are a teeter totter around the center of gravity. Trim the bow up and the stern goes down and vice versa. If the motor is too deep in the water, then you've got an undesired trimming up of the bow ... Note that when a boat is on plane, the center of gravity is above the waterline (around 9" to 12" in a Great Alaskan). In an ideal world, you'd have the line of thrust (prop) at the same height as the center of gravity, but that's impossible when on plane. The deeper the motor, the more leverage the motor has on boat trim. The higher you can run the motor, the better ... as long as you are getting cooling water pick-up in all conditions and operations (hard turns) and your prop is not cavitating (including jamming the throttle on slow speed hard turns - aka 'evasive maneuvers' when you need that thrust!).
Brian
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Little finishes along with rub rails
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Looking fantastic! I know how time-consuming all those details are ... you're making FAST progress and the results are worth every minute!
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You have done a great job, something to be admired!
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Great workmanship. I’ll be stealing some of your ideas.
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Just had our first several night outing on the Auzzy. Everything went fantastic! Spent two nights on jackson lake ( Grand Tetons ) and 3 nights on Yellowstone lake. My power useage is so small I didn't even plug in at the docks at night. The icebox I built instead of having a fridge still had a sliver of the block ice in it after 6 days. Lots of work still to do before next years Alaska adventure but that's stuff I can do while injoying the boat. The canaster toilet worked fantastic! It's nice being able to get waist off the boat easily, no odor on the boat at all.
One note for you guys who are still building: go back and read the forum conversations about sloping the rear deck. When my boat is empty the water runs out my rear scuppers just fine. Once I put gear on, the rear deck slopes slightly forward causing water to collect at the rear door. ( I have a fix in my head) you guys may want to slope it aft at least an inch or more
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Awesome! Cool that you got out to feel how things work.
Interesting about water puddling at the aft cabin bulkhead - I have not had that happen yet and my deck was built level with the stringers. Your Yamaha 200 is about 145 lb lighter than my Suzuki 250, plus last I saw, you don't have a kicker mounted on the transom, so that's another 125 lb difference from me. So you're 270 lb lighter on the transom than mine, which I'm sure makes a pretty big difference on where water runs on a "level" back deck.
BTW, if you plan to get on the ocean heading towards Alaska or anywhere else, a high-thrust 9.9 kicker is basically mandatory. You have to have a second power source in case something goes wrong with your main engine, and it's enjoyable to putt around coves sometimes with the little engine, and it is certainly way better for trolling, since idling the main engine is probably the worst duty the main engine could have.
Anyway, just a few thoughts. Congratulations on getting a good trip in!
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Thanks Dan, the wife and I were just talking about a kicker for our Alaska trip. One we can move over to an inflatable. Suggestions?? Shaft length? I find it amazing that all our boats are all so different, my floor is level with the stringers as well. My front bunks are very level on the water, I think you said yours tilted. I wonder if my swim platform has something to do with it. Most likely it's where the fuel tank sits. So hard to get that center of gravity right.
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Jeez that's a beautiful setting. I might have to tow my boat up there when I finish. Nice work Dennis, thanks for the heads up on the water ingress at the ph bulkhead. It's something I have been wondering about so I can take a look at that now while I have it open. I was planning on a bracket but who knows about that, it's probably better just to plan a bit high on the deck slope to make sure that doesn't happen. You might have an 8" hydraulic bracket in your future... :)
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Wow, a lake with a view! You are very lucky to live near enough to enjoy such a place.
I wonder how your boat will sit with half a tank of fuel or less all else being equal.
Glad you are enjoying your boat!
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Dennis, you need a 9.9 high thrust as the minimum engine that will reliably push these boats fast enough to be able to steer against current, wind, seas, etc. Many would argue, with good reason, that a 15 or 20 would actually be better. All that said I'm very happy with my Suzuki 9.9 high thrust.
And any 9.9 would be too big for typical dinghies, so I would recommend a much smaller outboard for the dinghy....like a 3 or a 5 or maybe even an electric one. I personally do not run an engine on the dinghy, preferring to row, and I'm quite happy with that.
Also, last time I brought a level on the boat, my bunks turned out to be level while at rest on the water.
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I think it is wise to slope the deck aft if you can. I did on mine
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Thanks Dan, the wife and I were just talking about a kicker for our Alaska trip. One we can move over to an inflatable. Suggestions?? Shaft length? I find it amazing that all our boats are all so different, my floor is level with the stringers as well. My front bunks are very level on the water, I think you said yours tilted. I wonder if my swim platform has something to do with it. Most likely it's where the fuel tank sits. So hard to get that center of gravity right.
The ideal trim, FYI, is when the bow is about 1-1/2 inches higher than the stern ... hard to measure, I know. It's less than half a degree (measured on top of the stringers). Your best measure is as you've done ... check which way the water drains on a level deck. If loaded up for a Big Trip tends to put the boat a little down at the bow, one fix that can be considered is to put the motor(s) on a bracket (for those that have a standard transom) or move weight to the stern ... batteries, ice box, add a kicker as Dan stated etc. "Boat's are teeter-totters, never level"...
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Brian, I don't want to make your head swell but I ran into a couple sea dory guys at Yellowstone who usually spend there summers on the water between Skagway and Prince Rupert. They love your boat. They looked it over top too bottom and said it's the perfect alaska boat. Couldn't say enough about the design.😀😀😀😀😀
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Brian, I don't want to make your head swell but I ran into a couple sea dory guys at Yellowstone who usually spend there summers on the water between Skagway and Prince Rupert. They love your boat. They looked it over top too bottom and said it's the perfect alaska boat. Couldn't say enough about the design.😀😀😀😀😀
I appreciate the kind words! When I first designed it, I had dreams of exploring SE Alaska with it, taking it across the Gulf of Alaska over to Anchorage, Kodiak etc ... but so far, life happens and none of that has worked out for me :(
bd
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Well we are picking up the torch and heading up next summer. Planning on trailering to prince Rupert and cruising up to Scagway then back down to Rupert.🤞🤞🤞🤞
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That'll be awesome :D
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I did the Rupert to SE leg on the ferry as a kid. Love to do it again. The summer drive through Frazier River canyon was a bearcat in a 78 Ford with no AC
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I did the Rupert to SE leg on the ferry as a kid. Love to do it again. The summer drive through Frazier River canyon was a bearcat in a 78 Ford with no AC
The drive through the Frazier River canyon is worth it for the beauty...
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FYI - It's the "Fraser Canyon" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Canyon).
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FYI - It's the "Fraser Canyon" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Canyon).
Thenk yoo. I sit humbully correxted...
:o ;D ;D 8) ::)
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Thats the memory of a 3rd grade boy, who by the way probably got c in geography if he was lucky. I'm sure the scenery is.second to none. I just remember it was hot as hell
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This discussion is inspiring. One big goal with this boat is to do the inside passage to Glacier Bay when it's done. I'm making a lot of design notes that will help me do that. Is there a thread out there that talks specifically about long haul cruising or favorite anchorages? I hope when you go you're able to post pictures of your trip. I spent a week at Port Harry a couple years ago and it was amazing.
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This discussion is inspiring. One big goal with this boat is to do the inside passage to Glacier Bay when it's done. I'm making a lot of design notes that will help me do that. Is there a thread out there that talks specifically about long haul cruising or favorite anchorages? I hope when you go you're able to post pictures of your trip. I spent a week at Port Harry a couple years ago and it was amazing.
I know that Dan Boccia's boat was built for longer trips and he did a thorough and bristol job on his ... but there are others who built with the same intent. A link to his main build thread is below. Also try searching the forum on related topics such as 'head' or 'refrigerator' or 'stove' or 'heater' etc. Regardless of anything, boat camping and exploring SE Alaska is exactly what this boat was designed for ... room for a head and appliances, queen-size bed up front, seaworthy, and goes a long way on a gallon of gas...
Dan Boccia's build thread (https://www.glacierboats.net/forum/index.php?topic=509.0)
Brian
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After spending a week on the boat I agree that this boat was built for just that. I have found that this forum is great for boat building but cruising the inside passage is an animal all by itself. There are many books,video, and forums just on this subject. Anchorages, tides, weather, saftey, fuel are just a few things you need to understand before heading out.
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;D 8) Thanks for the kind words! As far as I know, it's the only stitch-n-glue boat in its class. There are some framed boats in this size range (Gerr), and slow boats (Devlin), but no fast and big boats like this one... :)
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After spending a week on the boat I agree that this boat was built for just that. I have found that this forum is great for boat building but cruising the inside passage is an animal all by itself. There are many books,video, and forums just on this subject. Anchorages, tides, weather, saftey, fuel are just a few things you need to understand before heading out.
Yup, I’m reading some books and watching videos. I got my masters license This last winter and figure I have several years to bone up on things. I don’t intend to do the passage until I’m good and ready.
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Rheny, one of the major factors of longer-range cruising is range, and therefore both building as light as possible and putting in as much fuel storage as possible. If you want to maximize fuel storage, you really need tanks custom-fit to your hull between the stringers. I wish I had put a little more effort into making my forward tank bigger with a customized front end to the tank - even 5 or 10 gallons makes a difference. So that's one consideration.
Another consideration is building light - to do that I used only okoume, which is quite a bit lighter than other marine plywoods (and nice to work with), and my cabin is mostly made with foam rather than plywood, which has its advantages and disadvantages, but is about 40% lighter than okoume.
I stuck to the glass schedule that Brian specifies, and avoided overbuilding by putting on "extra glass". Extra glass is just not needed, I think Brian's design is proven enough at this point. Extra glass, and therefore extra resin, sneaks up on you in the weight department.
We have arrived at the moment in which lithium marine batteries are widely available and (barely) affordable. I could shed 50 lb off my boat simply by replacing the batteries, and at the same time have more battery capacity and faster recharge times.
One place where I splurged and added weight is by installing an anchor winch. The good thing is this weight is way up on the nose, which is good because it counters all the engine weight on the stern. The winch is the cat's meow of anchor retrieval systems - way less fussy than a windlass, takes up way less space than a windlass (no chain locker needed), you can easily have 600 ft of rode by using 1/4" dyneema backer, and is fast, powerful, and super convenient. Putting the hook out for lunch or whatever is so simple now I do it way more frequently and as a result have a lot more relaxed, enjoyable downtime, which is the whole point of cruising anyway, mostly.
The planning and dreaming stage is super fun - enjoy it!
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Hey, thanks for taking the time. I am enjoying the learning stage and gathering lots of info as I go. I looked at your build and was curious about the winch and the advantages over a windlass. Where do you find something like that, and did you have to modify the hull at all to take it? I plan to stick to the build schedule. 40 years of building large model aircraft has taught me that overbuilding often creates more problems than it solves on a well engineered plan, and this seems well engineered. I do plan to use Okoume, I was hoping to use the Moeller 90 tank plus a 40 gallon custom but I also want a fresh water tank. I visited with another builder Oregon City who is making great progress and he had some great ideas as well. I still plan to begin the platform build in October after deer season. Thanks for all the great tips and things to think about. I really appreciate it.
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Who is building in Or. City? Is this a finished build?
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His handle here is Jg, name Jeff. He’s working on the cuddy now. Hull is very well done and he’s done some beautiful work.
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Cool, not familiar With that build
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Cool, not familiar With that build
JG is new in the forums ... not sure I've seen any posts from him yet (hint hint!)
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I know Jeff he has built at least one other very nice boat with lots of bright work. He purchased my 28' GA that was partially built. I Wasn't too far along when I sold it. The bottom was attached ready for the 2 front 3/8" bow skins. We still stay in contact and he sends me updated photos. He is doing a very good job..
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I know Jeff he has built at least one other very nice boat with lots of bright work. He purchased my 28' GA that was partially built. I Wasn't too far along when I sold it. The bottom was attached ready for the 2 front 3/8" bow skins. We still stay in contact and he sends me updated photos. He is doing a very good job..
Nice ... hope he jumps in and posts pics here :D
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Finished up windless. Adding a little soft sand on the deck.
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That looks great!
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How much of that soft sand have you used? I am thinking about going that route but haven't got there yet, would love to hear your thoughts...
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Just ordered my third bag from amazon. To get good coverage you have to put it on heavy then sweep off extra, so will have left over I’m sure. I found that putting the sand in a jar and drilling 1/8 inch holes in it and shaking it on works well
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Rheny, advantages of a winch over windlass: Most compact way to have a lot of rode - 500 ft of 1/4" dyneema, 80 ft of double braid nylon, 40 ft of chain, in my case. No rode locker taking up space in the v berth. Can use any kind/combination of rode you want. All the dirty, messy rode stays on deck. Powerful, fast, reliable. Disadvantage is it's more expensive and some people don't like the look. Only modification I made was doubling up the plywood underneath the mount to stiffen things up.
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I do like your set-up. Found my windless on craigslist cheep, so took a chance on it. Works well. I think I could get 4-500 foot of rope in my locker. I’m sure you get the money saving thing at this point😂😂😂😂
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This thread is great hub of useful info.
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Rheny, advantages of a winch over windlass: Most compact way to have a lot of rode - 500 ft of 1/4" dyneema, 80 ft of double braid nylon, 40 ft of chain, in my case. No rode locker taking up space in the v berth. Can use any kind/combination of rode you want. All the dirty, messy rode stays on deck. Powerful, fast, reliable. Disadvantage is it's more expensive and some people don't like the look. Only modification I made was doubling up the plywood underneath the mount to stiffen things up.
I love your set up. My dad has a windlass on his 24' Osprey. It requires 2 people to raise the anchor. It constantly needs the rode in the locker to be leveled out, and the splice for the chain and rode has to be manually routed through the windlass. I think the winch style would be a much more valuable setup and less headache long term.
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I like the utilitarian look and style of the winch ... but I also like the yachty look of the windlass.
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For those still building to get on the water, it gets even more fun after you get on the water. Adding some details you want and like is a lot of fun, I don’t know if I will ever be done working on little things. Working on more soft sand along the sides on the walk deck today.
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Just ordered my third bag from amazon. To get good coverage you have to put it on heavy then sweep off extra, so will have left over I’m sure. I found that putting the sand in a jar and drilling 1/8 inch holes in it and shaking it on works well
What grit did you end up going with? I am considering softsand also, you can get bulk quantities direct from softsand, waiting to see how much you use before I order a gallon.
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I'm out of the loop ... I didn't realize "softsand" was actually rubber :D
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I think a gallon is a bit much. I think you could do the rear deck, sidewalks, and front platform with 1/2 gallon. That is if you sweep off the extra and reuse it. I wish I knew about buying direct before I bought mine.😛😛
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Thanks for feedback on the winch vs windlass. I’ll keep my eyes open as I have time before I get that far. I haven’t checked in for a while - off hunting for two weeks and now prepping to get started. I got my hands on a used Sticky Stuff dispenser and just finished rebuilding it. I’m pretty well geared up to get started. Time to start building soon! Love the bright work on that boat. Very inspiring and nicely done.
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Rainy day entertainment.
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Hi Djeffrey, you have a a fantastic boat and I have enjoyed your build thread. You did a great job! I was wondering how long your boat and trailer are? I was trying to figure the length for a new shop I was planning. I was trying to figure the minimum the boat and trailer would fit in. Thanks so much Chris.
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Sprig1 , I am out of town for a week. I will pull a tape when I get home
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You have an awesome boat and I just got done reading this whole post. Lots of great ideas I'll have to borrow for my Tolman I'm building. If your Alaska trip happens I'm in Juneau if you are heading that way. We've only been here a year though are learning the area if you need some local suggestions. Also I've got a ton of tools and a spare vehicle if you need anything in Juneau.
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Barrolrole. Thank you and I will defiantly take you up on that offer when we get up your way.
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A few winter projects. New Garmin 942xs chartplotter with radar and transducer. Windshield rock guard. Cover for rear deck and lastly articulating arm for chartplotter which allows my wife to use plotter from her seat.
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That is a fancy articulating arm! I am impressed with your skills. Good idea on the rock guard, it would suck to break a window just driving to your destination.
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Barrolrole. Thank you and I will defiantly take you up on that offer when we get up your way.
Sounds good. Give me a heads up when you have an idea on schedule, I'm in and out all summer though my wife is around all the time and would gladly give you guys a hand and attempt to give away my tools and extra boat junk while I was gone. Juneau is a pretty good spot to plan on a resupply with a Costco, a couple major grocery stores, a sportsman's warehouse, reasonable priced marine fuel, a couple fish processors that will ship out fish, and a lot of boat parts in stock in town.
I'm interested to see how you like the Garmin. I'm looking at the same package in a 7". I really like that arm, we were thinking about 2 GPS so the passenger could have one to pick out the next fishing spot thought that arm might solve that issue. When seas are rough it's so much easier to have someone else futz with the GPS while you focus on driving.
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Barrolrole. Thank you and I will defiantly take you up on that offer when we get up your way.
Sounds good. Give me a heads up when you have an idea on schedule, I'm in and out all summer though my wife is around all the time and would gladly give you guys a hand and attempt to give away my tools and extra boat junk while I was gone. Juneau is a pretty good spot to plan on a resupply with a Costco, a couple major grocery stores, a sportsman's warehouse, reasonable priced marine fuel, a couple fish processors that will ship out fish, and a lot of boat parts in stock in town.
I'm interested to see how you like the Garmin. I'm looking at the same package in a 7". I really like that arm, we were thinking about 2 GPS so the passenger could have one to pick out the next fishing spot thought that arm might solve that issue. When seas are rough it's so much easier to have someone else futz with the GPS while you focus on driving.
For what it’s worth I put the same Garmin package in my Thunderjet last winter and used it extensively over the summer. Love it! Had some foggy days where with a little practice I was comfortable going out when I could only see 50 feet or so. It could actually pick up my crab pot floats on a calm day. I have the 9” MFD on mine. I’ll be transferring it to the GA when it’s done. I may have to steel your articulating arm idea - that’s pretty cool.
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Are you connecting VHF to Garmin so AIS will display on chart plotter?
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Yes I will be doing that. I know I have to register my vhf to do that, still have to research more on that. I like that safety feature.
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Have any of you tried using the Wifi on your garmin to connect with a note pad for a second control station?
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My next radio will be a Garmin and have AIS. What the heck. I’m still figuring out the second station but I have used Garmin wifi with iPhone and even a cheap 7” tablet and it worked really well. Pretty cool technology.
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I have a Garmin 942XS and it works well for the copilot to use the HELM feature on Active Captain to screen mirror the 942XS on an IPAD. The other thing that works even better is to have Navionics running on the IPAD which has slightly different charting than the Garmin unit. Gives you 2 possible opportunities to see obstructions that one chart sometimes misses. My wife loves to have a chart to “check my work” which isn’t a bad thing. I find NAVIONICS auto routing to be much better than Garmins. Ironic since Garmin owns Navionics. I often plan my routes on the IPAD using Navionics and then transfer the route to the plotter. Sounds complicated but is quite easy.
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Little more finish work. Decided to spray in colored bed liner for durability.
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Great work!! And that spray-in bedliner is a great answer for boat floors ... you'll appreciate having that.
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Wow... lookin sharp! What did you paint the walls/interior with? I like those slide out drawers too, I was thinking about sticking some totes in my big spaces but I might have to go the slide out route, it looks like it works great.
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Json, the grey on the walls is also Raptor spray on bed liner. It was about $200 for a four bottle kit. The stuff is super tuff. If you build drawers, use the self closing tracks. They hold the drawers closed while underway without latches. I haven’t had one come open yet
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what material did you choose for the inside of the windshields and PH side walls? Did you install it before the windows and put the clamp ring right against the carpet? I like that idea, Looks good
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Djeffrey,
You are doing a fabulous job, and raising the bar at the same time.
Love what you are doing.
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New winter project. DIY bow rail.
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That's cool... How solid does that feel? Feel like you could lean into it while you are fishing or pulling an anchor or such? I have considered the DIY for my bow rail but am a bit unsure because I don't want to take an inadvertent swim by myself accidentally...
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Looks great, looks abut 2 ft tall from here. Just enough to keep you in the boat. Awesome..
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28 inches.. solid
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Sweet! Looks great!
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Once you have soft sand on part of your deck, you want it everywhere.
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do you like the soft sand better for decks than the bed liner? Trying to decide what to put on my cockpit deck.
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If you choose bed liner, I used Rapter brand and it has not turned to chalk like other brands I used in the past. I think testing the grip of each would be extremely important.
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I too used Raptor on my back deck. I like how tuff it is. The soft sand is fairly tuff as well. The thing I love about soft sand is how it removes any slip on the deck. Bedliner can still be slippery when wet. I found on our last trip that stepping from soft sand to deck without soft sand was a little slippery when wet. Cool thing about bedliner is if later you decide to soft sand it with paint it is paintable.
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I too used Raptor on my back deck. I like how tuff it is. The soft sand is fairly tuff as well. The thing I love about soft sand is how it removes any slip on the deck. Bedliner can still be slippery when wet. I found on our last trip that stepping from soft sand to deck without soft sand was a little slippery when wet. Cool thing about bedliner is if later you decide to soft sand it with paint it is paintable.
Reminds me of the time a friend washed out the inside of his boat with soapy dish soap water and didn't rinse well enough ... a few hours later in big seas and a constant drizzle, nobody in the boat could stay standing up. Lots of bashed shins, 4-letter words, bruises, and a busted fishing rod ... guess who got grilled on how well the boat WAS rinsed out before every trip after that?
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In building the boat I’ve had this concern about whether my transom will hold up over time. Since I built a swim platform and varied from Brian’s plans. I’ve pondered several mechanical fasteners and decided on this. I took a couple pieces of stainless all thread and connected the transom to the rear bulkhead. I slipped it through a nice piece polished stainless pipe to dress it up.
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Your boat just keeps getting better and better. Congratulations!!! I hope you are enjoying the summer. My question is we’re are you mounting your kicker?
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I’m out of town right now but wil post a pic when I get home of the kicker mounted
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Thanks so much! Enjoy your trip
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Your non-skid (softsand) turned out fantastic.
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Upgrades
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Nice, I really like the bright dash... I might need to do something similar, it turned out great.
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Beautiful wood!
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Ribbon or Quartered Sapele which ever you want to call it is probably my favorite wood. It's so gorgeous!!
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A little added comfort for the trip to Alaska in a month. It’s a little difficult finding a canvas shop at the foot of the Rockies so I got the wife’s 1970s model Kenmore sewing machine out and got it done. Not as clean as a professional shop but will keep the rain off. For those who want to do there own upholstery “ Sailrite” has all the hardware and great videos for diy projects, check them out.
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Looks great to me. It adds privacy too ... for those quick cockpit sponge baths or bucket showers... But of course, in MY case, I don't need privacy. People only look ONCE! :D
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Ya… I like it too. What is the pole for mounted outside the pilot house at the port corner?
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Very cool! Ya, I took the plunge about a month ago and bought a sailrite ultrafeed. I am flirting with a bunch of small canvas projects but I haven't actually done one yet other than run some test seams through the machine. It's a beast though, can do leather or like more than 8 layers thick of outdoor boat canvas. I think your project looks great though, awesome that you just found a way to get it done.
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looks good, I did a project like that 15 years ago and it is still working. There is something about being warm and dry that we all love. Did you use the UV protected dacron thread? It is worth the extra money.
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Todd, the pole is part of a small hoist I rigged up to lower my tender down. It is removable for travel.
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Speaking of tenders, has anyone used a nesting tender?
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Wow...Looks amazing! I sure love all the great ideas you guys come up with!!!