Messages

1456

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: GA 28 built by Kachemak Skiffs Wasilla, AK

« on: July 11, 2019, 07:06:31 AM »

I will not have another boat running with me on this trip, so not likely to get any decent photos. That will happen on a future trip unless I get lucky. I'm stoked to get it wet finally!

I'm stoked too!  All your time and effort will be worth it when you look out through that windshield and hit that throttle....

Brian

1457

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Epoxy over graphite

« on: July 10, 2019, 06:55:46 AM »

That does t sound so bad.  Thx

Yeah .. barnacles and sea plants are pesky to get off your boat, and methods such as scraping or powerful pressure washing can damage the boat.  Ammonia was a great discovery once we found out about it.  Just pull the boat out when you can (at the dock) look down and see stuff starting to grow below the waterline.  Get it before it's been growing too long and it's a lot easier to clean off.  If docking is going to be your standard yearly procedure, then switch to an anti-fouling coating instead of graphite and it'll be even easier to maintain the boat.

Brian

1458

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Epoxy over graphite

« on: July 10, 2019, 05:06:07 AM »

What seems to be the “time in the salt” Cutoff point  before your hull turns into a Reef?   I don’t like the idea of scraping or cleaning the bottom.  I have heard rumors of “hot” marinas and don’t think it a good idea to enter the water while moored for cleaning.  Graphite seems like it last longer and is way less maintenance. 
   I will be required to make this decision in the next few weeks.

The time for growth to appear varies depending on the location and weather/water temperature etc.  In Alaska, it's a little slower ... in the Pacific Northwest, it's faster (weeks to a couple of months).  To clean, pull the boat from the water and use a pump sprayer to hose down the bottom with strong ammonia/water mix and let soak, then wash and hose off with your hose sprayer set to a 'jet' stream.  Repeat.  There should be very little growth left on the boat to manually scrub off.  The ammonia releases protein and plant / animal stuff from the hull.  Works great for cleaning bugs off your windshield too, BTW.  Some people soak with ammonia then pressure wash ... just be careful if you do and only pressure wash the black graphite epoxy coating - it's tougher.

Brian

1459

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Epoxy over graphite

« on: July 09, 2019, 02:27:20 PM »

I thought that that was the whole point of graphite - that it keeps UV penetration to the very surface keeping the epoxy underneath from getting damaged. Is there some other benefit? Perhaps it's slippery so if you beach you will 'slide' off of rocks?

There used to be a lot of talk about graphite making the epoxy self-lubricated ... easier beaching and trailering etc.  There were even some experiments where people tried to make sleeve bearings out of epoxy with graphite in it - the experiment failed.  The amount of graphite required to make epoxy 'lubricated' is enough to wreck the epoxy and it loses strength.  Regardless, there are some out there that still claim it's self-lubricating (one particular drift boat plans seller in Oregon I believe).  Sorta like copper powder added to epoxy ... same results, but failed at making the epoxy into an anti-fouling coating instead.  I think there's still a company out there that markets a copper epoxy additive for this, but as far as I know, it doesn't work.  Realistic expectations are that additives don't change the epoxy significantly, but black graphite does block UV well and repairs very easily.  I'd rather repair a black graphite bottom than have to get out the paint ... which means 'fix the epoxy first, THEN paint'.  Why not just stop at the 'fix the epoxy' step and git fishin'!?

Brian

1460

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Epoxy over graphite

« on: July 09, 2019, 10:36:45 AM »

Thank you I was worried about how well it would stick.

I also found that barrier coat type primers stick just fine as well.  It kinda made me wonder why we put graphite in the epoxy if it had no surface effects... but whether it does or doesn't, it's still a great easy-to-repair bottom coat that blocks most UV from making it past the surface.  And it's free.  You had to put those last couple of coats of epoxy on the boat anyway, right?    Paint and primer costs moolah....

Brian

1461

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: GA 28 built by Kachemak Skiffs Wasilla, AK

« on: July 08, 2019, 08:44:18 AM »

Fantastic on the upcoming launch!  Seward's a beautiful place to christen the boat and have it's first launch! 

Brian

PS: Are you planning on arranging for some good on-the-water pix, perhaps including side views of the boat on plane and what not?  Just curious ... looking forward to seeing your beautiful boat action

1462

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: My Official build thread. 27 1/2’ GA

« on: July 08, 2019, 08:37:43 AM »

I measured my buddies Honda 150 at its widest point lock to lock.  It needs 1/2” more than the inside clear. I have decided to knock off the stringers and put a swim platform on the starboard side.  Nothing to worry about hitting.

Another idea is to put the outboard on a bracket that moves it further aft, and maybe shortening the swim platform and otherwise use your original ideas.  This may put the widest swing point just behind the swim platform. 

Brian

1463

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Outdoor build of GA Kodiak, Orange, CA

« on: July 07, 2019, 06:53:38 PM »

All good.  I know a guy in Alaska that built mostly outdoors ... and even got rain on fresh epoxy.  It cured with neat little dimples all over it, but other than sanding and needed a leveling coat, it didn't hurt a thing.  Warping (uncoated) wood is the worst fear.... not so much on other stuff (assuming you aren't going to store it unprotected from UV for a year or something.)

Brian

1464

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Epoxy over graphite

« on: July 07, 2019, 06:50:01 PM »

I worried about doing that too, wondering if the graphite may affect bonding of the new coat etc.  But I did it on a skiff of mine and all I did was wash the hull real well with ammonia (takes off critters - protein) then laundry detergent (takes off oils and everything else) ... then hand sanded with 80-grit and coated with epoxy - a repair coat in this case.  No problem.  New epoxy bonds well on clean sanded graphite-impregnated epoxy.

Brian

1465

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: My Official build thread. 27 1/2’ GA

« on: July 07, 2019, 06:46:51 PM »

Good idea.  I was concerned about “stuff” too close to the bottom

Stuff on the back of the transom won't affect planing since it's all out of the water when on plane.  A couple of knees doesn't add any appreciable weight.

Brian

1466

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Bob from Olympia, 28 GA build

« on: July 06, 2019, 10:00:56 AM »

Not sure what you mean by gap between cabin door and door jam?  And which door?  Cuddy door or pilot house?

On the roof construction, there's nothing wrong with doing it off of the boat and then putting it in place when ready. Either mold will work  Nice thing about a female mold is that you can place weight (sand bags?) inside to press the roof into the mold.  On a male mold, you have to put a row of clamps along the outer edge to hold the roof down.

Spring back?  If the roof springs back after removing from the mold, it'll pull back into shape when installed.  No worries.

Suggestions:

- I would still use 2 fore/aft roof stringers to support the roof over the pilot house... one on either side of the center companionway.  The are also handy for providing handles or grips (see the plans manual).  The foam roof w/thin ply outside and in is very strong, but the stringers will give the roof more weight capacity and stiffness.

- Be sure to build in 'nailers' (stringers) that run fore/aft or athwartships inside the roof so you have something to screw into for roof-mounted items such as antennas or whatever.  You can also provide solid wood 'hard points' (square areas) instead of foam for those areas as well - nice for cable pass-throughs or vents etc.  And I know it's difficult to do sometimes, it's a good idea to use a drill bit to make a shallow dent on each end of the stringers' centerlines or corners of hard-points.  Later, after the roof is painted and you've lost or forgotten the details, these little divets tell you where the solid wood is when you go to mount stuff.  Just sand them a tad so there's no sharp corners around your little countersinks, and coat w/epoxy and paint as always.

Brian

1467

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: 3D views of the various styles?

« on: July 06, 2019, 09:46:38 AM »

Brian, do you have any 3D views of the different styles of the GA?  I just can't envision the differences between the Prince Rupert and Newport versions in the area around the pilot house and forward.

Not really ... not with great detail.  I can see if I can render something very basic out of the 3D CAD model, but keep in mind that the model was produced not to envision a boat, but to calculate center of mass and weight for a CG spreadsheet back when I was designing the boat.  Sort of an engineering model you might say.  I'm going to be short on time for awhile though ... camping and vacation this week, now behind on everything this weekend, and we're headed to Alaska next weekend right after work on Friday .... it's summer!

Brian

1468

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Outdoor build of GA Kodiak, Orange, CA

« on: July 06, 2019, 09:43:52 AM »

Looking great!  Yup .. BIG boats are BIG fun!

Good on ya for giving the kids and family some time.  Building a boat can be rough on the family life if not managed well

What's in the cinder block building with the red stripe?  Looks like an Action Auto or something   Curious... Love your tenacity and creativity in building outside.  Good thing you're in sunny California ... 

Brian

1469

Boat Building Materials / Re: Okume Blowout Sale

« on: July 06, 2019, 09:40:16 AM »

I was at Edensaw in Port Townsend yesterday, they had a full stack of 3/4" Okume for $60 a sheet!  Wish I needed some.

Nice!  And it's my favorite wood too!  Wish I were building a boat right now...

bd

1470

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: My Official build thread. 27 1/2’ GA

« on: July 06, 2019, 09:39:24 AM »

Looks like that should work for the swim platform.  Just to make it pretty, but also help with loads, I'd add some curvy knees on the bottom of the extensions in the bottom corner where they come out of the transom.... more boaty and more stronger

Brian