Messages

2701

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Can someone clarify the waterline at the stern in the FAQ?

« on: May 22, 2012, 08:59:19 AM »

Sorry ...I didn't get to the answers you want last night, and now here it is early in the morning and I'm heading off to work.  I'll try again tonight.

For "Florida-izing" the house and what not, you might take a look at Adrian's boat in the Projects forum here.  Hopefully there is contact info in there somewhere so you can write to him too, but he had lots of ideas on opening up the house and pass-throughs that let you get directly to the anchor well area from the pilot house.

Brian

2702

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Ed's boat in Perth

« on: May 22, 2012, 08:57:00 AM »

...And I'll bet the boolit shortage had something to do with government, right?  They are here to help, right?

Another benefit to forward leaning windows is that you can hang radios and what not from the ceiling in a place that's not in your face (head bangers) and doesn't take up room on the helm or dash.  I still like radios mounted near the helm, not the roof, but some people like the roof area for that.  Another benefit is that pass-throughs such as radar and antenna wiring that goes to forward gear on top of the roof can now pass through the roof in a place away from your head as well.  I like the open feeling of having a windshield sloping away from me, and it also keeps the sun off salt spray on the glass so you get better visibility too.

Just my 2-bits...

Brian

2703

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Ed's boat in Perth

« on: May 21, 2012, 11:34:29 PM »

Mmmmmm..... I want to laminate the coach roof too, prob use Divinacell - AU$280 a 20mm (3/4 frozen inches) sheet..... wot? and eithe r3mm ply sandwiched or perhaps glass direct to the foam, want to have the roof back a fair bit to cover us from the Perth sun and those 40 deg daz.... really not keen on any framing below the roof, and insulation is also a real concern so prob bight da bullet (lol) and buy 4 sheets - 2.050 x 1200 x 20mm, maybe another for the cuddy roof too.....

Do you have to vacuum bag that stuff if you are laminating layers of wood onto it?  Seems like it would make sense and I know there are 'hacker' ways of doing it with shop vacs and what not ...if you don't already have the equipment.  I've never tried it, nor have I looked too deeply into it.  Another option is to create a sandwich roof that's filled with standard polyurethane or polyethylene (my preference) foam.  I think Renn Tolman's book has details on doing it this way, and/or you can contact Neal Schlee at http://www.lasertechalaska.com and he'll send you pix on how he did it ...the guy's a craftsman.  Cheaper than the divine-o-cell fancy shmancy stuff...  Tell him I sent ya...

Brian

2704

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Ed's boat in Perth

« on: May 21, 2012, 11:39:31 AM »

Maybe you guys call them something else ...but around these parts, wheel weights are those curved lead weights that get hammered onto the perimeter of the rim (car wheel) to balance the tires.  They are a pretty good alloy for casting bullets, unless you accidentally get the new zinc ones that is.

Brian

2705

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Adrian Pau's Great Alaskan in Gresham, Oregon

« on: May 21, 2012, 11:14:17 AM »

Nobody builds slower than me... my boat's been in-progress for about 8 years if I recall (my memories only good for a few days ...not years)

bd

2706

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Ed's boat in Perth

« on: May 21, 2012, 11:13:12 AM »

...I poured buckets of wheel weights on my pilot house roof when I was laminating it this weekend.  Every try to pick up 170# of wheel weights in a bucket and pour them out?  That's how many lbs are in a 5-gallon bucket... I have them because I smelt and alloy them for casting bullets ...got about 1200# of wheel weights sitting around under the bottom shelf in the shop...

Brian

2707

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Can someone clarify the waterline at the stern in the FAQ?

« on: May 21, 2012, 11:08:56 AM »

I have answers to all your questions ...but have to open the project up in CAD at home (I'm at work right now) to give you exact numbers.  I'll do that tonight after I get home...

Brian

2708

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: What about the full transom with bracket idea?

« on: May 16, 2012, 04:37:52 PM »

There is not much of a weight difference between the 28' and 26' boat, but the 28' does have more weight capacity.  I'd build the longest that you have room for.  Economy differences will be 'in the noise'.

If you want a longer bracket, I'd go with a longer boat and possibly consider an Armstrong type bracket that adds flotation for the motor when your boat is at rest.  Note that it's not too difficult to design and build your own.  These two options give you more weight capacity on the stern.

Brian

2709

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Can you really have this little horsepower?????

« on: May 15, 2012, 08:15:56 PM »

In a word ...yes.  You're used to heavier deep-V boats.  This boat has a modest deadrise angle of only 13 degrees at the transom, 14 degrees amidships and it weighs quite significantly less than those glass deep-V's that everyone charges around in.  The power estimates are entirely accurate and do indeed take into consideration the full range of displacements for these boats.

Brian

2710

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: What about the full transom with bracket idea?

« on: May 15, 2012, 08:14:07 PM »

Which length of boat were you building?  Obviously the 28' would be more immune to a bracket than say a 26' boat.  Can't really tell about the 'cooler'.  Is there one in the picture above?  Is it actually built in on the inside of the transom, available through those hatch doors?

Brian

2711

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Can you really build your own boat?! I am very intrigued about this idea......

« on: May 13, 2012, 05:05:35 PM »

Jim,

  I've already got a drawing for a transom without the cut-out ...at some point here, I'll be releasing the new info as a stern drive option, but there's no reason you couldn't put the motor on a bracket with that same transom.  If you use a bracket, don't use more than you need and try, from amongst the various choices, to pick a motor that is on the lighter end of the scale and don't over power the boat. 

  You can raise the deck if you want, and you can raise the sheer line as well.  Someone here in Alaska is building a 28 footer and he put taller sides on the boat so that the 28 footer would look more similar to the 26 footer, e.g. height/length ratio.

Brian

2712

General Discussion about the Great Alaskan / Re: Can you really build your own boat?! I am very intrigued about this idea......

« on: May 12, 2012, 08:02:51 PM »

Hi Jim,

  Got your private email too ...been busy around here lately.  Anyway, I'll see if I can answer your questions...

  Realistically, counting trailer/glass/tanks/motors, you will likely spend $30k on this project if you take it on.  As far as longevity goes, a properly maintained boat built with plywood, epoxy, and glass, is lower maintenance and longer lasting than a (polyester) fiberglass boat.  BUT, there is wood inside the glass and epoxy, so it's up to you to fix the ding now and then to keep them waterproofed with epoxy and paint.  If you do that, then the boat will outlast you.  Epoxy, unlike polyester resin, is waterproof and keeps water away from wood cores permanently while polyester resin allows a slow migration of water past the resin and into the wood (most transoms on glass boats have wood in them).  A good thing about a wood/glass/epoxy boat is that the wood itself is structural where in a polyester glass boat, the polyester fiberglass is not ...you have to make a glass boat strong by using structure.  In a wood/epoxy/glass boat, you get a lot more interior and cockpit space than you would in a similarly sized glass boat... more like an aluminum boat would be, but 1/2 the weight and much better mileage.

  How long to build it?  It's going to vary a lot depending on level of finish and how fancy you get with superstructure and accommodations.  I tell people "around 500 hours" to build the boat... some will take longer, some will go quicker.

Hope that helps!
Brian

2713

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Ed's boat in Perth

« on: April 29, 2012, 12:36:24 PM »

Don't make decisions on that motor based on my input ...I'm asking questions, not answering them!  I would just look into it a bit and find out for sure what the whole story is before committing.

Diesel is compatible with epoxy, so you should be able to build your tanks.  Tanks outboard or inboard of the outer bearers (web stringers) should be fine.  Outboard will slow roll a tad but "in the noise" if you know what I mean.  How much fuel are you thinking of?  Keep it amidships or slightly aft, e.g. don't put it forward nor all the way in the stern.  Also ...check with your insurance company.  Sometimes homemade built-in tanks increases insurance costs, e.g. a repeating year after year payment, while commercially built tanks don't ...the long run savings may more than pay for the commercially built tanks.  That's IF the insurance rates are higher for built-ins.  Check and see... Most insurance companies are not keen with 'I built it myself'...

Brian

2714

Projects - Glacier Boats of Alaska boat projects / Re: Ed's boat in Perth

« on: April 27, 2012, 11:21:55 AM »

The motor:  Yes, higher rev for extended times, but also working hard the whole time... like driving up a steep hill with your gas pedal 80% of the way down just to break even, and then keeping it that way.  That's why marine motors have to have oversize tough bearings and good heat management.  Pushing a 4.2 to 200 hp?  That must involve some after market mods I'm guessing, e.g. high pressure pump etc. 

I can't remember what I said in the instructions, but I always use 10-oz for the sheathing on the stringers.  Remember that you are not trying to build a 'structural' glass treatment, e.g. that would require several more layers of glass, but are just trying to give them a tough (and stiff) outer layer.  The beams alone provide the strength and the glass is not taken into account when the calculations are done.  You could get by with 6 or even 4 ounce if you wanted to save epoxy, but I prefer the 10.

Brian

2715

Off Topic / Re: House keeper

« on: April 25, 2012, 12:08:59 PM »

Does she have to be any good at house keeping?