boatbuilding advice wanted

hi all i recently purchased plans for a bruce roberts design(waverunner)i tried emailin bruce himself to answer some of my questions but to no avail so i wonder if anyone out there can help me my first question is
1/when putting in stringers am i best to erect the frames first then mark along the frames where the stringers are going
or do the stringers have tobe in certain positions i plan to put 12 stringers each side

2/is it possible to submit single engine in semi planing hulls instead of the recommended 2

3/where can i find advice on boat fittings eg. i plan on buying a second hand engine which will be basic i presume but i will need to know all the fittings i will need from inserting the engine to getting all the gear up and running

4/i do not have markings on my plans on where to start inserting the deck stringers

5/what kind of primer is best for protecting the hull and frames when in building stage

yes after reading this you are right to think what this idiot is doin tryin to build a boat.i've never tried anything like this but i would like to make a good job
thanks
baz

 

Baz
Bruce Roberts has several Waverunners, 24-45 ft. I would think the plans would show the engine options, the web site shows one engine. If this is your first boat I would start by adding to your library. Two good books for epoxy/plywood construction are.
The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction and Devlin’s Boat Building. These books won’t make you a boat builder but you’ll know a lot more than you do now. Take things slow you don’t want to waste a lot of time and money. I would continue to try to contact Bruce, if you bought his plans he owes you at least some support.

 

hi again sorry i should have made clear that its a wr 55 and its steel im attempting to build in i did buy one of bruce roberts books(metal boats)but i found it aimed more towards kits and sail boats
baz

 

You might find more help at the site below. I have no experience with steel. It would be nice if you kept us posted on your progress.
Metal Boat Builders Forum

Gary

 

thanks very much for the web link its very much appreciated and yes i will keep you up to date on progress i will join the site first

 

If this is the first boat you are building, I might recommend you look at some boats that are in progress. My first boat was a little 14ft daysailer and now I am in the process of designing and building a 28ft sailboat (I am taking it agonizingly slow, want to do it right).

My dad built a lot of boats, strip plank and ferro-cement, and I was lucky enough to be around, helping (willingly and unwillingly).

You asked about primer during construction...., don't use any, let the weather do a little rusting on it to remove slag and scale(mostly) and then when you have finished welding, sandblast to apply your primer and finish coats. If you primer before construciton, the primer contaminates the welds. I believe that is the recommendation in the roberts book "Custom Boatbuilding, page 127", is to use the weather as a friend.

I believe, and there may be some that know better, very large ships, calculate the the useful lifespan of ship by how much rust thins the hull (military), dry dock, etc.

And as duluthboats suggested, if you are not going to use this boat for a commercial application, take your time, have fun.

And keep us updated....

Bob

 

I believe Bruce Roberts still has a web site and an active bunch of builders from which you can get more information and thoughts about the exact design you're working on. I'll bet several are currently under construction now.

The last I heard the site was Bruce Roberts International, so do a search for that and it'll pop up and with a little clicking you'll find all kinds of BR fans and friends.

 

Waverunner 55

Hi Baz ,

Are you building this boat ? please inform me perhaps you can share information , help in this project.

many thanks ,

Patrick