Began working on a 15.5 foot ski boat on June 23rd. This one will be available via my website.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Squirt Update
I finished the Squirt in June and launched it in early July. I immediately started my next project, a ski boat to market. In between days working on the new project I've been working on the performance on the Squirt.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Finally, a sunny day and temperatures near 50.
It looks like winter is finally giving in to spring. It was sunny and warm enough for a couple of hours on Wednesday to get a little more work done. I cut the radii for the foredeck cockpit fit (I improvised using a metal cookie tin with the correct radius as a template; which was easier and quicker than using a compass. You'd be surprised with what you can do with what you have lying around), rough cut and laid out the side deck pieces and seat before it started to get cold again.
As soon as the weather is warm enough I'll be wet sanding and adding one or two more coats of paint and then clear coat to the sides before installing and finishing the deck. In the meantime there are lots of little things like the steering, controls, bilge pumps, ventilation system, floatation and wiring to install.
Here is a website for information on just about everything you need to know about Coast Guard reqirements for boatbuilding. http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/hin.html
Here is a website for information on just about everything you need to know about Coast Guard reqirements for boatbuilding. http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/hin.html
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Saturday, March 19, 2011
Boat building Services Now Available
I have obtained a new and larger location for my boat shop and am able to offer full custom building services for small power boats up to 22 feet. Whether you want a small outboard fishing boat, a classic style outboard or inboard runabout, or a small cuddy or cruiser I have many designs and options available which can be customized and equipped per your specifications at reasonable prices. Using modern building methods these wooden boats are stronger and lighter than their fibreglass counterparts, and with new encapsulation materials will not suffer deterioration as both older wooden and fibreglass hulls do. All hulls are constructed of oak or mahogany frames and mahogany veneer plywood planking per design requirements with fibreglass covered bottoms and topsides and completely encapsulated with epoxy resins. A variety of finish options are available.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
Squirt Build Update
The weather finally cleared yesterday after our 2 foot snowfall; and I had some time to work on the Squirt. It's still too cold outside to do any epoxy work, so I brought the pieces inside and assembled the cockpit floor in the basement. The plans had called for a 1/4" plywood floor; but I elected to use 3/4" white oak in that area for added strength. It also looks great. The added weight is negligible and I feel safer knowing some of my prospective passengers are over 200lbs. The bracing under the flooring is leftover mahogany. The braces double as stops between the two bottom frames. I wanted to be able to remove the flooring for access at a later time in case af a need to do some repairs. The picture shows the bottom side of the flooring with the braces, still clamped on one end while the epoxy cures. I left spaces between the planks for easy drainage into the bilge.
The second picture shows the flooring including outer pieces between the stringers and the chines. I wanted to place the floor as low as possible in order to have adequate height for the seat and still sit as low as possible in the cockpit. Once the floor is installed I will be setting the seat framing on top. I have also elected to make the seat removable for access to the engine compartment from the front.
Another issue I had to resolve was the placement of a fuel tank. The original design of the boat as an outboard had space for a portable tank in the stern, However, with the addition of the jet tunnel there was no adequate space there. I also needed to have space to route the steering and reverse gate cables through the transom and install bilge pumps on each side of the tunnel. The option of placing the fuel tank under the foredeck was poor as this positioning had left another builder with the bow riding too low when the tank was full. I found the resolution on the Glen-L builders' forum and had a tank built to specifications from RDS Manufacturing in Perry Florida (their pricing was the most reasonable) to mount in the engine compartment. I had chosen a starboard helm position so I ordered the tank to fit on the port side. The largest tank I could fit was 10 gallons. I had to make two minor modifications to fit the tank and have the most available fuel. I cut a notch in the carling near the aft end for height clearance and then drilled a 1" hole through the carling at the forward end of the tank to allow for the vent tube to pass through. The filler was installed on the inner side to allow for a secure hose fit and for clearance under the deck beam. The fitted fuel tank is shown below. Notice the placement of the filler pipe centered between the deck beams. It was important to plan the location carefully due to the very narrow deck area, only 6 inches.
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The second picture shows the flooring including outer pieces between the stringers and the chines. I wanted to place the floor as low as possible in order to have adequate height for the seat and still sit as low as possible in the cockpit. Once the floor is installed I will be setting the seat framing on top. I have also elected to make the seat removable for access to the engine compartment from the front.
Another issue I had to resolve was the placement of a fuel tank. The original design of the boat as an outboard had space for a portable tank in the stern, However, with the addition of the jet tunnel there was no adequate space there. I also needed to have space to route the steering and reverse gate cables through the transom and install bilge pumps on each side of the tunnel. The option of placing the fuel tank under the foredeck was poor as this positioning had left another builder with the bow riding too low when the tank was full. I found the resolution on the Glen-L builders' forum and had a tank built to specifications from RDS Manufacturing in Perry Florida (their pricing was the most reasonable) to mount in the engine compartment. I had chosen a starboard helm position so I ordered the tank to fit on the port side. The largest tank I could fit was 10 gallons. I had to make two minor modifications to fit the tank and have the most available fuel. I cut a notch in the carling near the aft end for height clearance and then drilled a 1" hole through the carling at the forward end of the tank to allow for the vent tube to pass through. The filler was installed on the inner side to allow for a secure hose fit and for clearance under the deck beam. The fitted fuel tank is shown below. Notice the placement of the filler pipe centered between the deck beams. It was important to plan the location carefully due to the very narrow deck area, only 6 inches.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Boat Plans and Kits
When I was looking for plans to build my small jet boat I decided to forego purchasing a complete kit and build strictly from plans and patterns. I chose Glen-L Marine for my plans as they included full-size patterns for the frames, stem, transom and breasthook, and included a complete fastening schedule. This saved quite a bit of time that would have been spent transferring the dimensions to layout paper. They also have a wider variety of designs.
I elected not to use the bronze nails and purchased additional screws instead. I found it better to use screws as, in some instances, it is difficult to drive nails when there is no solid backing; such as in laminating the sheers. When using screws in these areas it is important to countersink and plan the location of the fasteners to limit the need to remove them when fairing the members.
For first time builders who might feel intimidated with the prospect of cutting all the patterns there are full kits available from Bateau, Clark Craft or Jamescraft (Bisconti Boat Works). Each of these companies has several kits from which to choose offering rowing, sail and power boat options. Of the three mentioned, Clark Craft is the most affordable. Jamescraft has the highest prices, but does offer completed boats as well. Considering the Jamescraft prices I'm tempted to open my own boat building business.
There are additinal companies listed online which offer more specialized options, such as driftboats, canoes and kayaks and Adirondack Guide Boats.
There are also free plans available from Svenson's and other sites for those of you who might wish to do your own "lofting".
I elected not to use the bronze nails and purchased additional screws instead. I found it better to use screws as, in some instances, it is difficult to drive nails when there is no solid backing; such as in laminating the sheers. When using screws in these areas it is important to countersink and plan the location of the fasteners to limit the need to remove them when fairing the members.
For first time builders who might feel intimidated with the prospect of cutting all the patterns there are full kits available from Bateau, Clark Craft or Jamescraft (Bisconti Boat Works). Each of these companies has several kits from which to choose offering rowing, sail and power boat options. Of the three mentioned, Clark Craft is the most affordable. Jamescraft has the highest prices, but does offer completed boats as well. Considering the Jamescraft prices I'm tempted to open my own boat building business.
There are additinal companies listed online which offer more specialized options, such as driftboats, canoes and kayaks and Adirondack Guide Boats.
There are also free plans available from Svenson's and other sites for those of you who might wish to do your own "lofting".
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