building a custom boat

[elcapitan]

I design a whole variety of boats. center consoles, skiffs, offshore. everything. ive had a little bit of expieriance the past couple of summers working on some large sportfishers (all custom wood construction). im attempting to build a 23 center console (custom wood, then overlay with fiberglass). anyone have anytips before i get started. it is my own design, and the only real problem that i know im going to face, is the carolina flair (dont know how much i could get on there but im goiing to try). I know that most boats are built uspide down. anyone have any methods of different ways to build? i wanna find a different way than the offshore method. anyone who has any steps, or methods, please let me know. That would be GREAT!!!
alex z

[wdnboatbuilder]

I built a boat that had a flair and flam. Had to use 1/8" ply to get it to bend. As far as building upside down is the best.

[elcapitan]

Thanks for the reply. I have only build a 19 foot skiff in the past. I built it with wood and then overlayed it with fiberglass, what do i need to to to start it? Whats a good method for determining the keel?

[wdnboatbuilder]

lofting out the boat, picking up sta.'s building your strongback, setting sta.'s on strongback, setting keel and stringers.

[PAR]

One of the first stages in the design process is determining the scantlings necessary for the service intended of the particular design. Scantlings can be decided in a number of ways, but would be prerequisite for a successful designer to have a firm grasp of the concepts, engineering principles and construction methods needed in a vessel.

Your original post suggested you have a " . . . whole variety of boats. center consoles, skiffs, offshore. everything. . . ." did you just take a guess at the scantlings on these boats or did you do the calculations? It scares the hell out of me, to think you've designed offshore craft, without a clue how to figure the sided and molded dimensions of a keel.

[lprimina]

I have seen Ccarolina flares built right side up. you build the frame first. Right side up was the first way they were built. There are still boatbuilders down here that build them right side up. To Me Up side down is the easiest way to build them.
Good luck
Ben
I just reread my post it sure sounds confusing.

[wdnboatbuilder]

I have to agree with PAR to a point. The keel dimentions are important, if you do not have enough say deadrise and to much beam in the bottom and too small of a keel and you put say a 150 hp outboard on this 19' boat you may end up creating a hog in the keel under way, which could lead to bad things. Even if the hog is only 1/16 of an inch. So all I'm saying is be careful before you invest alot of monies into a hull that won't perform. I have even heard that this can happen on inboards.


Maybe you should have a builder and/or a designer to look at what you are about to do and get some advise on the best and easiest way to build this boat. Then find some books and start crunching numbers of the moded and sided dimensions of the whole boat.


As far as right side up or up side down, personally I would rather work over my work and not under it if at all possible.

[PAR]

I find it advantageous to build both upside down and right side up. Small hulls are easier (most methods) upside down, but I prefer traditional lap right side up. Glued lap, on the other hand, up side down. Larger hulls, right side up. The down hand position is easier for the most part, gravity always pulling in the same direction and all. Right side up has the advantage of being able to brace and wedge things into place from the ground or shop floor. Right side up makes it a lot easier to get a sweet curve in the sheer, at least to me, as I'd rather eye ball a batten that curves up then down.

[Andrew C]

Alex,
I have recently completed a 27'CC hull that I basically designed and built myself,using the foam core one- off construction method.
I cut the main frames to get the overall shape that I wanted and set everything up,upside-down *screwed on a traditional strongback.
I adjusted the frames until the hull shape basically looked about right,then I turned everything over still attached to the strongback,I suported the keel section on bricks and was then free to use long battens to fine tune everything,it was easy to add spacers under the battens or sand off frame material in the bow section to add flair.Fine tuning the boat this way was so much easier than trying to look upside down.
To complete I just turned back over and screwed on the foam core material,ready for the lamination.
For a 27' boat it was easy,all I needed was a helper and a good chain hoist,If you are building something much bigger you may have a few challenges.
I hope this helps.

Regards Andrew

[Oyster]

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I design a whole variety of boats. center consoles, skiffs, offshore. everything. ive had a little bit of expieriance the past couple of summers working on some large sportfishers (all custom wood construction). im attempting to build a 23 center console (custom wood, then overlay with fiberglass). anyone have anytips before i get started. it is my own design, and the only real problem that i know im going to face, is the carolina flair (dont know how much i could get on there but im goiing to try). I know that most boats are built uspide down. anyone have any methods of different ways to build? i wanna find a different way than the offshore method. anyone who has any steps, or methods, please let me know. That would be GREAT!!!

HEHE!! Sorry for the snicker here. Designing and building your own flared boat hull, and asking the internet will not give you a hull with all the checks and balances needed for a quality hull. Drawing up a shape, and asking here, does not sound like you feel confident in what you are atempting to do here. Save your enthusiasm for the building process. Hire yourself a true CAD guy now, that is all over the place to do your hull. Most have access to CNC tables that can cut your jigs. IN cold mould hulls , normally setting the boat up, upside down will give you a better and fairer hull and is 100 percent less work, in laminating plywood. In the upright method, that is normally reserved for framed hulls and strip plank builds, but not always the case now.

[Oyster]

Here is an example for you, in a small hull build.

[cbboatworks]

Here are a few pictures of a 27' framed up and ready for planking.