Boat Building Projects Underway

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by Manie B, Sep 29, 2009.

  1. viking north
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    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    At this point white oak floor shaped floor timbers 3in.x6in.xfull beam at the floor, spaced on 20in. stations are already installed. These were epoxy coated and cross bolted to the existing alum. floor webs with ten 3/8 dia. stainless bolts each. The floors were then drilled to receive the keel bolts and the hull inverted.
     

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  2. viking north
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    This photo shows what i call the Ballast cage. The 5/8 stainless keel bolts are fed down thru the floor timbers with just 1/2 of the thread showing,and the base of each bolt where it penetrates the hull bottom is surrounded by a ring of 3m5200. The heads of the bolts pertrude thru the floors just enought to install the big stainless washers and allow screwing the nuts level.The keel bolts are then bent inward to meet and be welded to a sced. 40 stainless pipe.This is just one section of the cage, another piece was installed to run the entire length of the planned keel. Notice that the pairs of keel bolts at each station when welded to the pipe and bolted thru the floor timber form a triange , the strongest possible mechanical setup against transverse stresses.
    If you're wondering what those sleeves on the keel bolts are they are not welded joints the keel bolts are re cycled 316 stainless outboard motor drive shafts custom threaded on one end . The sleeves are some sort of sweated on guides. Gotta scrounge what one can to save money.
     

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  3. viking north
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    This shows the pre built alum. keel shell dropped down over the Ballast cage. Because i didn't have a tig welder, (Lower heat to prevent warping ) and was strapped for cash, I decided to rivet the keel shell flange to the hull using 3m5200 as the bedding compound. 300 blind, 3/16 monel pop rivets later it was fastened and never a leak for two reasons, the 3m5200 and the 3000lbs. of lead auto. wheelweights ballast was installed encapsulated in polyester resin. The ballast was installed thru 3in. holes, spaced about a foot apart, cut into the bottom of the keel shell. Once all the ballast was installed i topped the holes level with resin and installed a plastic keel shoe over it all. I first poured in about 5 gal of resin and let it set before adding layer upon layer of weights and resin. The initial layer of resin didn't leak down thru the keel bolt holes because as i stated prev they were sealed with a ring of 3m5200. Believe it or not i distributed the ballast fore and aft of midships by gut feeling only(CGT, center of gut feeling). The weight had to be distributed in such a ratio as to ballast the stern 1 foot lower than the bow. This is the recommended emersion when converting the symetrical hull of lifeboats to sailers/motorsailers. Before launching and again by gut feeling i painted her waterline and when launched Neptune was on my side, she wasn't 1/2 in off her lines, no trim ballast necessary, Now thats luck.
    Notice the red lines on the keel side, those were the two angular options i had for the shaft tube which was by the way all installed prior to fastening the keel shell in place and installing the ballast.I seem to remember it was around 12deg.Sorry i have no photos of this. The very back of the keel shell was mig welded to the existing origional keel and to the hull at the bottom edges but not longitudionally along the keel shell flange to hull joint. I worried about burn thru and warpage from heat.
     

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  4. viking north
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    Once the keel and ballast was installed, she was righted and some inital deck framing was started, and once again in my life someone made me an offer i couldn'd refuse, this time on my house and shop. So it was pack it all up put it on the trailer and ship out to greener pastures.Just what a builder needs a move mid build. So 1 yr. 300miles SW later after building a new house and small interm shop it's back to the build near Halifax Nova Scotia.
     

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  5. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    Just found these old photos of some of the deck framing. Notice how some of the webs in the walls have their corners cut out, this is making use of as is construction to serve as the fastening points for the settes Note forward how they have been cut to serve as the base of the double berth. When doing conversions think and plan well ahead to make use of existing structure.
     

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  6. viking north
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to motorsailer Cnversion

    Just located another old photo on how the deck beams were fastened to the aluminium hull. Each beam was notched out 1/4 in. to receive the aluminium gunnel of the hull. The wood was epoxy coated where it mated with the alum. to prevent poultice corrosion or chemical action between the two. The two were fastened with 1/4 stainless bolts,nuts and locktite. The extra bolt length was then cut level with the head of the nut
     

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  7. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    This photo shows the engine, (fed thru,aqua drive, deep sea seal, cutless bearing, 1 1/4 in. stainless shaft. 16in.dia. x 13in. pitch(i think) three blade prop.) The insulated sound proof engine box which also served as the saloon table is not yet installed. The engine is a 3cyl. 29hp. Perkins diesel, identical to the 3cyl, Volvo but painted blue, both made in Japan. I got a really good deal on this engine with only 10hrs on it. A customer wasn't happy with the dealer recommended install after getting caught in a storm on full power the boat was losing ground, so fought for and got a bigger engine and guess who just happened to be at the dealers when the hot and heavy was going on. I solved both of their problems by buying it for dealer cost, $4500 with #50 hurth transmission attached.Remember this was back in the 90's. Right time right place.
     

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  8. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    This photo shows several construction details,including the ugly builder 100yrs. ago.
    #1 Knees on all roof to cabin framing.
    #2 The step down from the cockpit is actually the battery box.
    #3 Where i'm standing in the wheelhouse there is 6ft 2in. headroom but as
    you can see the main trunk cabin has less than full headroom.
    #4 The laminated roof beams both in the wheelhouse and main trunk cabin have lots of
    camber(crown) an old trick to keep superstructure sides low but gain headroom.
     

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  9. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    The big day, I played no role in this move, I was a wreck that they would drop it, went to the front of my house sat on a lawn chair and drank beer until it was loaded on the flatbed. From here it was transported 1 mile to the government wharf and lowered into the water, with all sea cocks closed. My big concerns were answered in a matter of minutes, She floated and she floated on her lines with absolutely no leaks from those 300 rivets and in the 8 yrs, i owned her she never leaked either rain water from above nor sea water from below.Neptune got a drink of rum every time i went aboard. Speaking of getting aboard, notice that funky old school rudder, It's not just for looks, in those french curves are two steps in case one falls overboard it allows a quick and easy way to get back on board. When sailing alone I drag a long line astern as an added safety feature to get me to those steps.
     

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  10. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    On her mooring, home port, Village of Bayside, Shag Bay,(on the chart) (locals call it Shad Bay) approx. 26k west of Halifax.
     

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  11. viking north
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    We're goin to sea Billy, I origionally set her up as a cutter rig but wasn't happy with it, changed to a traditional sloop set up shortened the jib boom and found it much better. On this trip heading for Rogues Roost in the next bay north, Prospect Bay, to meet my uncle with crusing friends from New Hampshire
     

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  12. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    Found my friends but was at sea so long the salt water shrunk my boat. Now this vessel was a piece of equiptment, a big Rolls Royce was her propulsion, gleaming white, you could eat off it. Engine room had full headroom and one could pratically drive a car around it. AAAH but my pole was longer than his.
     

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  13. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    Had a good time with our friends now returning to port, Notice how fast i converted her from cutter to sloop
     

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  14. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Ships Lifeboat to Motorsailer Conversion

    (NOTE, ON GOING EDITING)Approx 8 reliable, safe, fun years later ready and deserving of refit. Refit was completed in my new shop over that winter,(1999) In early spring(2000) you guessed it, I was made me an offer i couldn't refuse. Sold her $12,000 and a further $3000 to make interior modifications and change the colour of her hull.They had big future plans. My initial investment was $15,000 to get her functioning afloat and a further $5000 finishing and improvement over three years. At the inital launching in the 90's she passed a marine survey with flying colours and i never ever had problems obtaining insurance.
    (Living aboard at anchor), she had a comfortable motion resulting from her full keel and final displacement of 12000lbs. One big disadvantage was not having full headroom in the heads. On hindsite i should have made the wheelhouse longer and placed the heads there. Not having full headroom thruout was a negative but this is not possible on a flat bottom shallow dept hull as raising the cabin higher would have created too much top hamper,windage,and totally destroyed her freeboard to cabin height ratio, Looks are important.
    (At sea) She rode like a 53 Buick, but was a dog going to windward however she did and had the manitory ability as they say to claw off a lee shore, very important in case of engine failure. Under sail alone tacking was a problem, an underpowered rig(motorsailer) and those dutch lumber barge bluff bows pounding into a sea killed speed. I refined the art of wearing ship(jibe tacking) as should all motorsailer crews whose vessel shows similar characteristics. I never fought it, she was a motorsailer and whenever I had to go into it i motored or motorsailed. Once I balanced her out with the sails up and the engine slowely ticking over I could match anything to windward and on 1/4 to 1/3 gal. an hr. plus heat and all electrical amenities without worrying about battery charge. A big plus in a north Atlantic enviorment.On a beam wind she was a deam, sailed for miles unattended with a bungie cord on the tiller.She was wide and flat bottomed, two good features on a beam wind and breaking beam seas. Good form stability to stand up against gusting winds and the flat bottom tends to slide a little absorbing a beam sea. Running with it she surpassed any boat i have ever sailed,thanks to that long keel and big aft hung rudder, both a big manitory for motorsailers and heavy displacement cruisers. Forget weted surface give me a long keel and a big rudder, weted surface is a factor for the Ivey League, by the way which i out storm sailed (no engine) on several ocassions with them hoping about to maintain control and me with my wet *** hanging out over the quarter rail drinking my hot cocoa. A **** eatin grinned captain drinking cocoa, in a backyard built ugly duck outsailing a $100,000 plus Ivey League hyper crewed racing machine, Don't tell me theres no heaven I've been there, very alive,and i mean very alive,(riding the edge) on several ocassions.
    (Rough Weather Handling)Factor in, i'm a former Newfoundland open sea small boat fisherman,I've built boats so i know their relationship with the sea, I've put alot of salt water under my keel, And I don't panic under stress if anything i become more stubborn, tis the Irish in me. Having pointed out the above to be honest she was a good handling rough water boat. I've "run with" 10 to15 foot close breaking seas,also "into" to 25 ft spaced out breaking seas on the tail end of a hurricane in shallow water and "into" big Atlantic blue water breaking combers. In all cases she complemented herself by handling well.She had the uncanny ability to climb a big breaking sea an an angle, green water washing up along her hull over the rail in many cases, filling the cockpit and keep on trucking without falling off. Always amazed me, must have something to do with wave technology, those reverse currents within the wave having easy access(flat bottom)to that slab sided full keel. My cockpit drains, two 2in. in the bottom,At seat level,one 4 in. feeding into a Y to two, 2 1/2in. out on the very aft quaters with flappers. All equipped with sea cock thru hulls. The idea was to get rid of top hamper at seat level and above fast.
    ( Conclusion,)was the build successful and worth it, Definately yes, The best school i could have ever attended, I had no choice i didn't have the funds to lay out in one lump sum but had enought to purchase the hull($2000) and over time thru a little cash once and awile,horse trading, looking for new and used deals, ended up with a good heavy motorsailer that while wasn't as pretty as say a Fisher 25 was a hell of alot cheaper and certainly i think more seaworthy.(don't like bulworks, they hold green water too long) The build satisfed my yearning soul for a blue water boat, funny how a build does that, working with a dream,toward the dream i guess. She gave me (us)* 8 yrs. of boating pleasure and returned almost all of her cost which allowed my boat endevers to progress. *The wife, fantastic crewmember,fast on her feet, faster on the brain, follows captains orders without questioning and to a tee, overconfident in my seamanship, doesn't panic, enjoys boating,Good cook, good bartender, Can run the boat(designated driver). Now youngins, let me give you good advise from an old sea dog, where the otherhalf is concerned weather on the dock or at sea always embillish her assets. Hope you enjoyed the show,excuse the misspelling. Geo.
     

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  15. viking north
    Joined: Dec 2010
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    Location: Newfoundland & Nova Scotia

    viking north VINLAND

    Photos of some of my dory builds.
     

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