Aluminum Raised Deck Cruiser

[dick stave]

You will have to excuse all my posts lately, but, its springtime and I have the boat building bug. I bought a 10'x20' tent from Costco a while back (as my shop can only support builds to 16' ) and I want to get busy under it. Over the winter I spent a lot of time looking at "Nostalgia" boats and I really got bitten by the old raised deck cruisers. I was thinking about 20' loa with a small pilothouse and canvas extending aft for camping trips on protected waters in the salt and in the interior lakes. what do you think? A gleaming silver version of one of these historic beauties? I'm tempted ,I just need a push.

i,m pushing you, lovely idea, thing is using the ZECA primer system, and copper antifoul, a boat like this can be as near as dammit to maintanence free, Big thick layer of insulation 105mm howitzer on deck, and so on)

[openboater]

I've been working towards the same thing, but a few feet longer. My desire is approx 24' loa, 6' beam(or 6'6"). with that beautiful aluminum patina.

ease of constuction is hi on my list. I can easily get 4x12's of 5052 so a little under 24'loa makes for a hull side panel with only 1 seam. I'm planning external longitudinals and interior rib's. At the longitudinal that's 1/2 up the side, I plan on transitioning from 3/16 to 1/8" to keep the weight lighter up top. All aluminum exterior for ease of maintainance. plywood floor. furniture of Al pipe with canvas and cushions.

A cross between the Storer dayboat and Venice design.

http://www.storerboatplans.com/Boatplans.html

[dick stave]

Hey guys, I gotta vision, Stay Tuned... Thanks

Originally Posted by openboater

I've been working towards the same thing, but a few feet longer. My desire is approx 24' loa, 6' beam(or 6'6"). with that beautiful aluminum patina.

ease of constuction is hi on my list. I can easily get 4x12's of 5052 so a little under 24'loa makes for a hull side panel with only 1 seam. I'm planning external longitudinals and interior rib's. At the longitudinal that's 1/2 up the side, I plan on transitioning from 3/16 to 1/8" to keep the weight lighter up top. All aluminum exterior for ease of maintainance. plywood floor. furniture of Al pipe with canvas and cushions.

A cross between the Storer dayboat and Venice design.

http://www.storerboatplans.com/Boatplans.html

be careful eigth plate, unless you put some shape in it you can end up with lots of distortion

[openboater]

Jack, it'll have gentle bends to impart stiffness in the sheet.

[dick stave]

O.K. So,do I go with a planing hull with a 3.0 litre mercruiser inboard outboard, or go with the Atkins original with the keel cooler,jacketed exhaust manifolds, mechanical seal, (African queen) approach? They both have there merits.My gut says go with a modern version with a good turn of speed because the topsides are more cosmetic (taking stability into account) tumble home stern being preserved, it wouldn't suffer for looks

[dick stave]

Just picked up the June issue of " Wooden Boat " (damned wooden boats )and there is a design by Greg Siewert called "Sure Dave" which is based on the old Weston Farmer "Sure Mike" raised deck design. Its outboard powered, 23',and has some nice features...

[dick stave]

A few more pics.

[BOATMIK]

Originally Posted by openboater

I've been working towards the same thing, but a few feet longer. My desire is approx 24' loa, 6' beam(or 6'6"). with that beautiful aluminum patina.

ease of constuction is hi on my list. I can easily get 4x12's of 5052 so a little under 24'loa makes for a hull side panel with only 1 seam. I'm planning external longitudinals and interior rib's. At the longitudinal that's 1/2 up the side, I plan on transitioning from 3/16 to 1/8" to keep the weight lighter up top. All aluminum exterior for ease of maintainance. plywood floor. furniture of Al pipe with canvas and cushions.

A cross between the Storer dayboat and Venice design.

http://www.storerboatplans.com/Boatplans.html

Howdy Openboater,

I don't remember selling a plan into your area or being contacted by you - but that doesn't mean you didn't.

Did you buy a plan from me?

Michael Storer
Michael Storer Wooden Boat Plans

I'm a bit worried about this so I have just pulled one of the drawings from the site - apologies to anyone who was interested in looking.

[openboater]

Mik, we seem to have a bit of a misunderstanding here.

I've been doing feesibility study of weight and cost. Since I want to work in AL, not ply, I wanted to get a guestimate of what i was up against.

I was not using your designs as a biulding plaform, but as a guessing platform. it's obvious that slab sided causes too many problems with AL, whether it be yours, Bolgers, Michalak, etc.

I was suggesting your's as a possible way for Dick to go and cause I think you do a good job, but I'll refrain from suggesting you in the future if you wish.

edit - $3600 in hull AL plating, not counting ribs and longs.
$5000 to upgrade my $2000 millermatic and spoolgun . Pulse and better voltage control for thickness's down to .060. Plus cold starts, etc, etc.

Since I'm loosing interest in PLY, I guess it will be a strip FRP sheathed hull, so square is out.

[dick stave]

I have done a lot of research, and have decided on Weston Farmers "Sundance". I have ordered the study plan from DnGoodchild, and, as a guy who owns quite a few sets of plans I always pony up out of Respect.
Openboater, if youre looking to build in the mid 20 Ft. range,have a look at Wes Farmers " ELco 26" ( the model T of boats ). Its the one every raised deck cruiser was styled after as far as I can tell. Like I said, "RESPECT".

[openboater]

Yes dick, I have a lot of RESPECT, I have no raised deck cruiser in any form of build now, and should my studies take me to a certain design, I will buy it, to go along with the dozens of unbuilt designs that I didn't do my homework before I ponied up the money.

I have Bolger, Glen-l, Selway fisher, Spira International, michalak,(edit) CMD Redwing18, Oh, and a $20 set of plans for an OZ PDR. Funny thing is those OZ plans are the best of the bunch. there is more info in those plans than any another set i've bought. And Yes, I bought them from Duckworkmagazine as I reecall.

If I could only remember who designed that OZ boat.........

And I have an AL PDR in the shop right now, so I could learn a little more about AL building before I went 24' But I used the stock free PDR plans for that because I needed the simpler version for my learning curve. AFTER I paid the $$$$ for the OZ plans.

Good luck with you Wes Farmer boat,

[dick stave]

That reply was more directed at Mr. Storer... Gday

[BOATMIK]

Originally Posted by openboater

Mik, we seem to have a bit of a misunderstanding here.

Sounds like we might which is why I posted the question.

I've been doing feesibility study of weight and cost. Since I want to work in AL, not ply, I wanted to get a guestimate of what i was up against.

I was not using your designs as a biulding plaform, but as a guessing platform. it's obvious that slab sided causes too many problems with AL, whether it be yours, Bolgers, Michalak, etc.

Much relieved. The reason I was worried was because you said in your original post

A cross between the Storer dayboat and Venice design.

Perhaps if you had said crosss between a Michelak and Storer or something like that I wouldn't have been concerned at all. But because you only mentioned two of my designs ... I think it was reasonable of me to ask the question and also reasonable for me to pull one of the drawings off my site.

At any rate I was viewing my post as an initial one.

I was suggesting your's as a possible way for Dick to go and cause I think you do a good job, but I'll refrain from suggesting you in the future if you wish.

Mentioning me was not where the perceived problem was. I'm pleased to see that you didn't intend to carry out the threat anyhow :-) as you have mentioned another of my designs.

Regards
Michael Storer