13 Bananas New Jersey Kodiak

[Brian.Dixon]

Well ... you're officially on the naughty list now!  That's 4 feet beyond recommended and I also don't recommend the 'lift out of the water' style (aka Armstrong) brackets.  It'll be interesting to see how the boat turns out.  Make sure you build heavy.  (You been drinking with Dave again?)    Love the moaning chair ... hope you don't need it!

LOL.  Dave was one of the (aka Armstrong) bracket yes votes.  Theory is this is a 31' 6" boat on plane with the bracket out of the water.  We'll see if there are any ill effects.  I'm not worried about the chines walking...  only porpoising.    I believe your design wouldn't porpoise until the low 40's at 31' 6".  (Even if it would!)  I'm hoping for the best, but always have the moaning chair for backup.

--dave

The advantage of the Armstrong type bracket is that it allows the water to rise behind the boat, which in turn lets you run the prop higher, which in turn means the line of thrust is closer to vertical center of gravity ... which is always above the water in a planing boat on plane.  The more you can line up the prop's line of thrust with the VCG, the more efficient the boat will run.  The only downside is that without hull support under or just ahead of the motor, your CG *will* move aft versus the waterline ... this can be an issue with lighter weight boats ... and comparatively, the Great Alaskan is lightweight compared to commercially-built equivalents.  You're on the right track using those heavy and taller-than-required stringers (they're a beast!), but the note of caution is to NOT build too light.  Building heavier will help balance out the weight of the motors behind the boat... As Dave has suggested in the past, float the boat with motors on it and then use buckets or bags of sand in the boat to 'model' how the boat will trim when finished.  Try your best on this.  Your 34-footer should trim about 1-1/2 inches high at the bow versus the stern if the CG is in the 'window'.

Brian

[cj8mule]

Well ... you're officially on the naughty list now!  That's 4 feet beyond recommended and I also don't recommend the 'lift out of the water' style (aka Armstrong) brackets.  It'll be interesting to see how the boat turns out.  Make sure you build heavy.  (You been drinking with Dave again?)    Love the moaning chair ... hope you don't need it!

LOL.  Dave was one of the (aka Armstrong) bracket yes votes.  Theory is this is a 31' 6" boat on plane with the bracket out of the water.  We'll see if there are any ill effects.  I'm not worried about the chines walking...  only porpoising.    I believe your design wouldn't porpoise until the low 40's at 31' 6".  (Even if it would!)  I'm hoping for the best, but always have the moaning chair for backup.

--dave

The advantage of the Armstrong type bracket is that it allows the water to rise behind the boat, which in turn lets you run the prop higher, which in turn means the line of thrust is closer to vertical center of gravity ... which is always above the water in a planing boat on plane.  The more you can line up the prop's line of thrust with the VCG, the more efficient the boat will run.  The only downside is that without hull support under or just ahead of the motor, your CG *will* move aft versus the waterline ... this can be an issue with lighter weight boats ... and comparatively, the Great Alaskan is lightweight compared to commercially-built equivalents.  You're on the right track using those heavy and taller-than-required stringers (they're a beast!), but the note of caution is to NOT build too light.  Building heavier will help balance out the weight of the motors behind the boat... As Dave has suggested in the past, float the boat with motors on it and then use buckets or bags of sand in the boat to 'model' how the boat will trim when finished.  Try your best on this.  Your 34-footer should trim about 1-1/2 inches high at the bow versus the stern if the CG is in the 'window'.

Brian

Thanks for that sound advice Brian!

[cj8mule]

Getting a little bit of work done






A word of caution from those who would choose to build with fir MDO.  It's a great product, but it will not make the bend for  the 3/8" bottom panels.  Since other types of 3/8" marine ply was unavailable to me, I made it work with 3 layers of 1/4" fir.  I can only assume the thin paper they use on the mdo keeps it from making the bend.  I'm pretty sure it'll make the bend at the bow for the sides, but a definite no go for the fairbody. 

I was looking for some pictures of the failure, but can't find any. 

Anyway,  back on track!  We'll be putting the jig together this weekend.

--dave

[Djeffrey]

Looks great.

[Scott L]

Looks like every thing fit together great and the glass work is first class. Are building the Kodiak or the Great Alaskan?

[cj8mule]

Looks great.

Thanks Djeffrey

Looks like every thing fit together great and the glass work is first class. Are building the Kodiak or the Great Alaskan?

  Thanks Scott.   I'm building a Kodiak for a fellow out of New Jersey.

Unfortunately, progress slowed a little while I remodeled a ladies bathroom the last couple of weeks.  However, some work did get done.









There's still a layer of 1/4" fir to go on the bow.  Certainly hating not being able to find 3/8" marine ply around here.  Waiting on the owners design for the engine pod.  I suspect the bottom of the stringers will be ripped down around 3 or 4 inches, then I'll mortise a 3/4" slot for the pod bottom into the transom.

Still on schedule for a July 4th weekend flip.  We'll see...  lol. 

--dave

[cj8mule]

Keel and chines are taped as well as a layer of 10 oz on the bottom.  I'll be fairing the bottom before I put the sides on since this Kodiak is so tall and wide.  I'll just stop short at the chine to bottom joint since the side/chine joint will be needing tape

[Brian.Dixon]

Dave ... thought of a name for the boat ... "Jersey Behemoth" ...

[cj8mule]

Dave ... thought of a name for the boat ... "Jersey Behemoth" ...

Definitely a big girl.   Gonna be interesting getting her flipped over.

[Brian.Dixon]

Dave ... thought of a name for the boat ... "Jersey Behemoth" ...

Definitely a big girl.   Gonna be interesting getting her flipped over.

Lots of Pizza ... it's the secret to making the boat flip easier

[cj8mule]

Dave ... thought of a name for the boat ... "Jersey Behemoth" ...

Definitely a big girl.   Gonna be interesting getting her flipped over.

Lots of Pizza ... it's the secret to making the boat flip easier

I did that for the green 27' Jumbo.  The grey 24' Jumbo was during the covid shutdown and the owner and I pulled it out with a very old 2 wheel gravely tractor. Then winched it back into the barn with some carpet.  This Kodiak is on another dimension...  I'm thinking John Deer front loader and 10 guys with a dozen large pizza.  lol

--dave

[cj8mule]

Had to take a couple months off to work on some other projects, but back at it.






(bow's not set on the port side yet...  needed the scarf to set first)

--dave

[cj8mule]

A little progress.







I was pretty pleased to get some of the boats stringers through the pod into the motor board.  I'm not sure how much of the motor pod I'll do until the boat gets flipped.  It'll be much easier to scab in more stringers and fillet right side up 

[cj8mule]

2 months went by quick...  guess an update would be appropriate 

Fairing is almost complete and will be time to add the spray rails soon.









It's been tough working on the boat these last few days.  We lost a great friend and mentor.  We'll miss you Dave Nolan!






With Tanya's permission (Dave's wife), this Kodiak will be named the "F/V Uncle Dave" in honor of a legend.  As I'm spending 2 months fairing and sanding, I hear Dave tell me "I'm building a fishing boat and not a grand piano".  I used to get a chuckle out of that every time he said it to me.  My OCD will not allow me to fair with a 60 grit flap disk and call it quits.   

--dave

[cj8mule]

Preparing for the move to Florida in the next few months.  While I was there finalizing the deal on the house, I drove on down to Miami and picked up a trailer for the Kodiak.  Not a bad price for a tandom 12000 pound trailer with disk brakes both axles.  $7600.00

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