The New Guy

[C-mack]

Just wanted to say Hi!
I have been enjoying your site from the sidelines for a few months. I have a few projects I want to start when the weather gets warm here in North East Pa.

First project is to increase the lenght of a 14' Mfg hull to 18' for a slow cruising overnighter. I'm a dreamer of completing the Great Loop trip some day and this is how I plan to start.

Next is to cut down a 17' fiberglass canoe 2' and make a square stern on her. Maybe add a sail kit and 2 side hull pontoons

The third is to build a plywood kayak for a friend by September for his retirment

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by C-mack

Just wanted to say Hi!
I have been enjoying your site from the sidelines for a few months. I have a few projects I want to start when the weather gets warm here in North East Pa.

First project is to increase the lenght of a 14' Mfg hull to 18' for a slow cruising overnighter. I'm a dreamer of completing the Great Loop trip some day and this is how I plan to start.What kind of hull? Next is to cut down a 17' fiberglass canoe 2' and make a square stern on her. Maybe add a sail kit and 2 side hull pontoons. Drawings?

The third is to build a plywood kayak for a friend by September for his retirment From what plans?

Welcome. 3 potentially good or bad projects, depending on starting points and strategies.

[souljour2000]

Interesting projects all...keep us posted...pics and plans and drawings,sketches etc. are all great eye candy for many of us here...I actually like drawings and photos more than alot of the cadware stuff...thats just me.

[C-mack]

Originally Posted by hoytedow

3 potentially good or bad projects, depending on starting points and strategies.

Drawings?? they are all in my head....I'll show you the picture when they are done.
The 14' footer is and old 1969 Mfg runabout. 6 foot or so beam nearly flat at the stern. I'm rethinking the lenght to 17'. I like boat ratios of 3to1 (Length to beam) . I have seen cabin design like a AF4 or the bird water from Bolger?? Just need a place to sleep ( raised platform off cabin sole). a space behind bunk area to house camping stove. opposite that a seat to get in out of rain. Being a Big guy I like to have the cabin overhead open the lenght of the cabin up to a bow cleat to anchor up. there is no walking around the cabin to get to the bow. A ten horse on the back to push it all along.
Friday I'm in Florida on the space coast for a few days to do some fishing (Reds) and my brother in law has a few boats for me to check out for him.

[PAR]

Water temperature here isn't going to help your fishing right now.

There are a lot of things that aren't going to work well with you 20% stretch of this runabout. Considering you can literally have 17' bare hulls for the asking in most places, why would you want to attempt this project?

In other words, unless you have a crap load of 'glassing experience and just like to itch all the time, I'm pretty sure you haven't any idea what you're in for. This of course assumes you can come up with sufficient enough new scantlings, for the loads imposed on your stretched boat.

There's a 18' something right up the street here, needs a sole and probably a transom too, but this is a fair bit easier then modeling a hull extension. It's free, bring a trailer.

[nukisen]

Hello!
And welcome to one of the worlds most snowbounded forum.
In here one of each other are more or less insaine about boat. If you are equal to us then you will enjoy this forum a lot.
Anyway welcom!
As for a few years ago I did have the same thinking as you have.
This is a good start.
Read and learn. And you will gain knowledge.
cheers!

[C-mack]

[quote=PAR;335887]Water temperature here isn't going to help your fishing right now.

There are a lot of things that aren't going to work well with you 20% stretch of this runabout. Considering you can literally have 17' bare hulls for the asking in most places, why would you want to attempt this project?

In other words, unless you have a crap load of 'glassing experience and just like to itch all the time, I'm pretty sure you haven't any idea what you're in for. This of course assumes you can come up with sufficient enough new scantlings, for the loads imposed on your stretched boat.

There's a 18' something right up the street here, needs a sole and probably a transom too, but this is a fair bit easier then modeling a hull extension. It's free, bring a trailer.[/QUOTE
ok! I get the point.... find the $200 hull to play with

[C-mack]

Originally Posted by nukisen

Hello!
And welcome to one of the worlds most snowbounded forum.
In here one of each other are more or less insaine about boat. If you are equal to us then you will enjoy this forum a lot.
Anyway welcom!
As for a few years ago I did have the same thinking as you have.
This is a good start.
Read and learn. And you will gain knowledge.
cheers!

yes, but should I just buy a cheap hull the lenght I want to have and make a great cabin?

[PAR]

Making a cabin isn't nearly as difficult as fairing out a hull bottom, that will work with the rest of the design.

Build light weight, so you don't kill the performance of the boat. You shouldn't need anything thicker then 1/4" plywood for walls and roof, if it has a fairly good 'glass sheathing. Seat tops, 3/8" plywood is fine. There's no place for thicker pieces, especially at the front of the boat.

[nukisen]

The way I did was to read read read, and also asked.
Then I did download the freeship software and started to create.
Also I did use Sketcup for make cuts of the surfaces.
Actually I did build my own boat after a while, a prototype to see the hydrodynamics worked. And it did! Almost exact as calculated.
Now I have write another smaller boat and want to start building this spring.

This was my way to get it done. So now after a little more then a year I have teach myself a lot. Using this forum. In here there are also professional designers, be polite and read what they have say.

As it isn´t that easy to just make a scetch and build a good boat. You need to figure out how the hydrodynamic works. And also what hydrodynamic you are asking for.

Also you can buy a hull to start building on. Of course!

If you don´t want to be fanatic then don´t begin to draw by yourself. As this is awsome fun you will be like us others. Totally snowbounded!

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by C-mack

Drawings?? they are all in my head....I'll show you the picture when they are done.
The 14' footer is and old 1969 Mfg runabout. 6 foot or so beam nearly flat at the stern. I'm rethinking the lenght to 17'. I like boat ratios of 3to1 (Length to beam) . I have seen cabin design like a AF4 or the bird water from Bolger?? Just need a place to sleep ( raised platform off cabin sole). a space behind bunk area to house camping stove. opposite that a seat to get in out of rain. Being a Big guy I like to have the cabin overhead open the lenght of the cabin up to a bow cleat to anchor up. there is no walking around the cabin to get to the bow. A ten horse on the back to push it all along.
Friday I'm in Florida on the space coast for a few days to do some fishing (Reds) and my brother in law has a few boats for me to check out for him.

Just be careful about camping stoves and gasoline fumes. Not a good mix.