Guide to building 18 foot steel centerconsole

Dear all
I’m new to this forum
I’m an automotive engineer, I live in Egypt, , I love sea fishing in the red sea, and off course boats, but I’m kind of novice in that field with so much to learn
I would love to have my own boat for fishing, a boat that is averagely fast to move quickly from one fishing point to another
In Egypt, fishing boats available for rent are heavy, under powered displacement boats built mostly from relatively cheap wood
Fiberglass boats from well known builders are very expensive and most availiablecdo not take the fishing into account, less expensive pre-owned fishing boats are almost non-existent
So I decided to build my own, I found this forum and I feel that I came to a the best place ever, so many people passionate about boat building and have a wealth of information.

I seek your kind advice based on the following vision I have in mind, please correct me if you see I’m off track:
I’m on a very tight budget,
Center console style
The boat will be used offshore, no shallows at all,
Boat will be used for deep sea fishing, some trolling
Boat is to have room for 3/4 fishermen and tackle
Boat length around 18 feet to be easily towed by a small SUV
wind speeds around 15 knots is normal(waves 3-5 feet of height), boat need to absorb these waves comfortably cruising at 20-25 mph, while being very stable when not in motion, so that we can comfortably fish in these not so ideal wind conditions
Top speed in the high thirties mph is more than enough
Boat will be used 2-3 times/month, mostly towed back and washed after every fishing day.
No live-wells needed
Boat will be equipped with a portable head and portable coolers
Preferred building material is steel (cheapest and easy to find good welders around)
Weight is to be kept to minimum for easy towing, getting into and out of the sea with minimum help, to achieve good performance without need for big power
Outboard engine(preferably not more than 100 hp to minimize cost)


It would be great if you can recommend some boat building steel plans/kits, with proven performance that I can use to achieve my goal

Thanks and best regards
Mahmoud Salem

 

Protecting it from rust will be a full-time job, especially as you will be restricted to thin gauge material to keep the weight within reasonable limits, so unless you are vigilant perforations may appear sooner rather than later.

 

Dear Mr. Efficiency
Steel vs Aluminum, a very hot topic discussed hundreds of times
I may eventually switch to Aluminum especially because most of the metal plans for this size is in Aluminum, but this will cost much more in material and labour.

Thanks for your reply

 

18 foot would be at, or below, the lower limit for steel construction, and only because you need a bit of extra thickness above the structural strength requirement to allow for rusting. I guess it is possible if you are prepared to put in the maintenance, and you have a design with no hidden crannies you can't easily access to keep painted. And steel isn't that cheap these days either.

 

Hi Salem,
Your requirement is interesting and workable. We have a database of this size boats which are using for different purposes. We would like to discuss more with your requirement. Kindly forward your contact details to the following email id.
md@buoyantmar.com
Thnks and Regards
Buoyant Marine Services

 

To make it easier, I'm looking at plans for a very capable hull(as I mentioned in rough sea and when stationary), I think a modified V with variable deadrise and wide chines will be good)
I want it as basic as possible(can easily accept something as plain as formosa with non-covered structure rails)
I might consider building from aluminum

 

Reminds me very much of real estate forums, where someone asks a question like "what should I consider in obtaining an adjustable mortgage?" and then someone posts, "For the best adjustable mortgage contact me at XYZ Mortgage Company" .....

Interesting and workable? Of course it is! At least steer him to aluminum for that size of a boat....

 

Hi Mr. Wavewacker,
I think u misunderstood the case and equate to a real estate forum. Its better if you could help him rather than talking about Mortgage Companies..

 

Dear Mohamed,

Were you able to find plans matching your requirements ?
Actually your requirements are exactly matching mine.

 

Please do not try to build your proposed boat in steel - the odds are good that it will end in tears, and the cost of the hull is only a fraction of the total cost, so the savings will not be as great as you might be anticipating.
There are so many excellent plans available on line for centre console type fishing boats around 18' - or if they are not centre consoles as such, they could be fairly easily adapted.
Here are a few links that come to mind easily -
Curlew 20 – Devlin Designing Boat Builders https://www.devlinboat.com/wordpress1/2015/12/curlew-20/

This one is primarily a cabin version, but there is an option of a centre console
Wood Boat Plans, Wooden Boat Kits and Boat Designs - Arch Davis Design http://www.archdavisdesigns.com/davis_bay_pilot_18.html

Here is a very simple single chine dory with a centre console
Spira International Inc - Hatteras V-Bottom Carolina Dory http://spirainternational.com/hp_hatt.php

Ooops! Just realised that I replied to a thread that is 7 years old, sorry.

 

Well, thank you for your care.
But, can you please be more specific and list down any of your concerns ??
Building a steel boat is very tempting for me as I have hand on steel sheets and I have many professional welders and most probably the cost won’t be an issue at all.
I just need suitable plans and am good to go!

 

@M.Zouhairy, I could create the construction plans for your steel ship, if you do not find what you need elsewhere. Contact me, if you want, through my email : 657677483@orange.es

 

Go with aluminum. Based on a 24' design I did for a builder (client insisted on steel), over a period of 5 years he said it should have been built in aluminum. Steel saved him about 5% and never gave him the boat he really wanted or needed/ It was hardly worth the frustration.
-Aluminum is lighter = less power required
-it does not rust = less cost & maintenance in paint/coatings.
-cleaner environment for building = less dust, grime, etc
-more extrusions available = easy to add attractive trim to finish off.
there are many other advantages, and few dis-advantages.
make sure you use the correct (marine) alloys