Hello from Charleston, SC

[shefloats]

Hey everyone, figured I would finally login and say thanks for all the time you guys take to document your work! Very inspiring and will be very helpful when I finally get started. I currently run a 1986 wellcraft 180 fisherman and am hoping to replace with a GA.

Looks like mine will be similar to a few builds currently happening with a built in bracket and modified sheer line. Im a lover of both Carolina style boats and salty commercial style but my better half wins this battle and got to choose design:).   

Thoughts are to raise the side panels up front and create a broken sheer line near the back of the cabin much like you see on the Carolina sport fish boats. Cap the front off flat as the raised side panels should put me somewhere in the neighborhood of the original cuddy roof. Small visor in front of the helm where the windshield would start, then mount the roof with tubing. Zippered windows all the way around.


Sorry to be long winded but if anyone decides to read all of this let me know if you see any immediate flaws with these ideas. I need efficiency underway and easy to build which the GA provides and these style mods should give me the looks for the all around perfect boat.


Thanks!
-Jeff

[Brian.Dixon]

Welcome aboard!  And yes, your ideas sound fine across the board!  When do you plan on getting started?

Brian

[shefloats]

If I had the space I could start a slow build now but I will be tying up the whole garage so looks like fall/winter of this year. I have a two car in line garage which works for the build but leaves us parking on the street.

My workshop is 35' long by 12' at the most narrow(middle section around 18' wide). My garage door is the only limit being 81'' tall by 9' wide so I will be skimmmming by to take her out and will have to be very carful not to build a ship in a bottle lol. It will be a fast paced hull build then finishing the top sides in storage once on the trailer. I will likely have to move the hull onto some sort of creeper like dollies to get it out mid section skimming the floor and wheels offset higher.   I work for a scaffold company so I have multiple options when it comes to building the jig/dollies/working platforms.

[Brian.Dixon]

... LOL.  You're not the first one to build in tight quarters!

[Cannon]

Show me a shop, and I will build to the max allowable! C asters on the jig make it doable!

[Brian.Dixon]

Show me a shop, and I will build to the max allowable! C asters on the jig make it doable!

True ... put some big casters on the corners, keep the shop swept, and hide a hydraulic jack and some blocks under the boat while you are building.  You can roll the boat clear up against a wall while you work inside or on the other side ... use the jack and blocks for leveling the jig as needed.  Been there, done that....

If you completely encapsulate parts with epoxy to make them waterproof, you can temporarily store them outside with just a little shelter while you work inside too ...

Some people build temporary garage extensions, tarped up, to make their garages longer.  I heard of one guy that had the wood header above his garage replaced with a steel I-beam so he could squeak out another 8" of height out of his garage door for getting his boat in/out.   If you're creative, most anything can be done.


Brian