48 cu. in. Hydro Project

[Blastoff]

Hi all My name is Jeff and I just received a set of plans to build a 48 cu. in, 11' Hydro.
The plans are from Clark Craft:
http://tinyurl.com/58tklf
There does not seem to be to much info on the net for this boat.
Can any one here point me in any direction to links or related websites ???
I would really like to build this boat with a 850cc jetski motor.
I would also like to shop for related hardware like steering, rudders, props....But have no clue who sells these parts ??? The plans call for parts from Debbold Marine ??? I think they are gone ???
I have a lathe and mill in my garage machine shop and I have been making carbon fiber rocket parts for 10 years now so the finished boat would have a carbon fiber skin for strength and looks.
I am really excited about this project but have no idea where to start ??? I am a building contractor and can read the plans but the there is no real direction on where to begin.
My First question is why would the outer sponson's be open in the back ??? The plans show how to make drain channels. Why would this area be open ??? Would it not be better to fill this area with foam and seal the ends ???
Thanks in advance for any one taking time to help rookie !!!

My last project went Mach 3.1 until there was a glitch !!!
http://www.rockethigh.com

[AuxiliaryComms]

I don't get why they use props on these things... I'd hate to thing about coming off the back of one or reboarding improperly.

[Blastoff]

Priceless !!! Thank you AuxiliaryComms for your input !!! Now I can go ahead and build my dreamboat !!!
Thank you so much !!!

[SamSam]

Priceless !!! Thank you AuxiliaryComms for your input !!! Now I can go ahead and build my dreamboat !!!
Thank you so much !!! It's a rule here that you should have more than one post before you can get snotty. ;)

Clark Craft should have an idea on where to get parts, it would seem. It doesn't make sense to me either why the sponsons would be open in the back, but it's hard to say without seeing plans.

Glen-L has some plans for small hydros, maybe they have parts.
http://www.boatdesigns.com/departments.asp?dept=10

Here's another site with hydro plans, maybe they will shed some light on construction procedure, etc...
http://www.svensons.com/boat/

Are you going to put the carbon fiber skin over plywood?

[Blastoff]

Thank you Sam Sam !!! Yes the idea was to laminate the hole outer boat, But then I read that I would not gain any strength by doing this ??? Now I am stumped ??? I would still like to laminate the hull with carbon fiber for aperarnce.
I found this site for parts:
http://www.boatdesigns.com/departments.asp?dept=35
AuxiliaryComms AuxiliaryComms is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2008
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I don't get why they use props on these things... I'd hate to thing about coming off the back of one or reboarding improperly.
__________________
Jason
I'd hate to thing about ???

[AuxiliaryComms]

Yeah, typing error, they happen some time. You know, Blastoff, I don't know if I'd be such a smart-arse if I couldn't do something so simple as typing 'Diebold Marine' or 'Marine Parts Suppliers' into Google.

[Blastoff]

coming from a guy that would mount a 11' hydroplane with the motor running

[AuxiliaryComms]

coming from a guy that would mount a 11' hydroplane with the motor running

So I assume you have plans to install a kill-switch all ready then? Or will you be swimming to shore and building a new hydroplane each time you come off? Otherwise your hydroplane will still be running when you reboard.

[eponodyne]

Most combined clutch/throttle controls from Johnson, Mercury, etc., come with a killswitch built right in. It's no trouble at all to install one.

[AuxiliaryComms]

Most combined clutch/throttle controls from Johnson, Mercury, etc., come with a killswitch built right in. It's no trouble at all to install one.

Thanks, that is what I was looking for.

[SamSam]

Thank you Sam Sam !!! Yes the idea was to laminate the hole outer boat, But then I read that I would not gain any strength by doing this ??? Now I am stumped ??? I would still like to laminate the hull with carbon fiber for aperarnce.
I found this site for parts:
http://www.boatdesigns.com/departments.asp?dept=35


I thought Glen-L might have parts. They also have a good line of books.

Plywood is a lot lighter than a glass laminate with equal strength. Strength means a bunch of different things and in a boat is a combination of a bunch of different things, even opposites. Especially in a fiberglass type laminate. In a lightweight boat, it's handy to have something on the outside that resists deforming and abrasion, something stiff that holds the designed hull shape, wears smooth when it does wear and resists breaking and deforming when loaded, and something that is flexible on the inside, to more or less hold the outside pieces together when they are overloaded and finally do break and to hold the water out until repairs can be made.

To make a fiberglass laminate skin boat usually means laminating inside a mold, the construction of which takes more skill, time and money than building the actual boat. Plywood is still usually the easiest and lightest and cheapest way to go.

You would be best to stick with a plywood skin which you can cover with a thin layer of fiberglass which you can fill, fair and smooth out to look as fine as any mold made fiberglass boat.

Glen-l's customer's photo archives will show how good plywood can be made to look, depending on the effort and skill applied. They will also show you procedures followed in building, which are somewhat universal.
http://www.glen-l.com/picboards/picarchv.html

I still wonder about the sponsons being open in the back, it would be nice to get a small glimpse of the plan details.

[Blastoff]

SamSam I thought that by glassing the outer hull it would fall under the composite law. Carbon fiber is very strong but not very stiff, Two layers of the same material would not make the same product stiffer, But if you add a simple layer of foam (between the two layers of carbon fiber) It becomes very rigid. Like an "I" beam.
I made the mistake of going to the site you linked !!! Now I may change my build to the Tiny Might, Just not sure now ??? I will order the plans and go from there.
Still the big mystery of why the sponsons are open with drain channels ??? Wouldn't the sponsons work better if they where filled with foam and the ends plugged ???
Here is a link to a composit project I just completed:
http://tinyurl.com/4amh6d
I just love the look of carbon fiber so what ever boat I build it will have a carbon fiber skin with a deep clear coat.
Cheers

[SamSam]

I've never heard of a "composite law". What is it?

You don't mess around when it comes to rockets. That thing is huge!

I thought carbon fiber was noted for stiffness, very low stretch. Its possible you could put fiber on one side of some foam, put that on you boat frame and then glass the other (out) side, but you would have fairing work to do which would spoil the carbon look. And the laminate still has to be designed for replacing the plywood.

I don't know about the foam, it only comes into play when sinking and tends to cause rot, but it doesn't make sense to me that the sponsons are open with drains. That would almost defeat their purpose and tend to cause rot also. Can you post a link where the boat might be seen?

If the Tiny Mite (Tiny Titan?) comes from Glen-L, they have a book, "Boatbuilding With Plywood" that would help, but I suspect they give instructions along with the plans. Otherwise, similar plans on the http://www.svensons.com/boat/
site would have similar building procedures.