Starting in on a Chugger

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by Bike and a boat, May 5, 2012.

  1. Bike and a boat
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    Bike and a boat Junior Member

    On either side of the two forward hatches that I have built there will be a small bike rack that mounts to the roof and the top of the forward deck. I will use conduit pipe, (easy to bend, lightweight as well) and the trailer cradle will sit on top of the pop up roof near the back of the cabin, just before the open cockpit. I am thinking of using hydraulic pistons to open and close the pop top roof to make it easier to get the cradle on and off, but that may be a "later on" project, as I am getting quite antsy to get the boat in the water!
     
  2. Liighthead
    Joined: Jul 2012
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    Liighthead Junior Member

    :D nice,
    seams like u got it planned out :D
     
  3. Bike and a boat
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    Bike and a boat Junior Member

    I have been motor shopping this week here, any thoughts on a good outboard and how much horsepower?
     
  4. fnirt
    Joined: Aug 2009
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    Location: Minneapolis, MN

    fnirt New Member

    Motor for a Chugger

    I have a Chugger (Hull #007!) and I have some experience with motors. Don't know if this helps, but here it is:

    55lb thrust Minnkota trolling motor: First motor, used it on the lakes here in Minneapolis, as they don't allow gas motors. Works great as a "freighter simulator" and moved the boat nicely, but not at all fast. Ran for an hour and a half on a full battery, but it chews up batteries (1 a year?) discharging and charging that often. Could not move me upriver on the Mississippi in Saint Paul, on a slow current day it would hold position, mostly. 3mph-ish top speed. Awesome for docking, however. :) Cost was more than I want to admit.

    3.5 hp Gamefisher (eska type) air cooled outboat: Gets the boat up to speed enough that you can "steer by lean" but doesn't go much more than 7mph. No reverse and it's louder than hall. But it can move you upriver at a walking pace, and took me downriver from Saint Paul to Lake City (80 miles) for the Pepin Messabout quite nicely. On 5 gallons of gas or so. Oh yeah, internal tank, so every 45 minutes I got to put another half gallon in. But it did the job and I would consider it a passable motor/size for a Chugger. $150 engine did the trick til I upgraded.

    9.9 Johnson (1981) OMC outboard: Now we're talking! It was pricey ($700+) but gets the boat "almost" on plane, but moves her through the water quite nicely. Trolling motor battery on one side of the boat, gas tank on the other balances quite nicely. This motor took me down the river this year to the messabout with plenty of room to go up or downriver at a decent speed. And having reverse on a motor is pretty huge. :) I think much faster and it would get a bit squirrely and put you in some awkward positions, especially turning sharply.

    tl;dr If you can swing it, an OMC 7-10hp motor would be my suggestion.

    My not-updated-enough blog (lots of pics) is here: http://fnautical.blogspot.com/
     
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  5. Bike and a boat
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    Bike and a boat Junior Member

    Thanks so much for the ideas, I have been looking at some 3-5 horse motors, so this fits in nicely with my thoughts. I was also wondering, where did you wind up on transom height? I am at 20 inches right now, but so far the long shafts I have been looking at seem to want a 17-18 inch transom height.
     
  6. fnirt
    Joined: Aug 2009
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    Location: Minneapolis, MN

    fnirt New Member

    I'd have to go out and measure it, but I've cut it down twice -- I'm all short-shaft motors, so it's close to 16" or 15" like a standard jonboat-- which makes for some slop in big waves, but if the waves are too big, I don't go out there, and if I'm beached (on Lake Pepin especially) and the big waves are rolling in I've got a shroud I cover the engine, transom, and half the cockpit with to shield water from coming onboard. It's also not all the way across the transom, I've cut a \_/ shape in the 24" transom to accomodate the engine.
     
  7. lewisboats
    Joined: Oct 2002
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    lewisboats Obsessed Member

  8. Bike and a boat
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    Bike and a boat Junior Member

    Woo-hoo! Got a motor today!!! Thanks to fnirt for putting the Eska idea into my head, I now have a 7.5 hp Eska, long shaft! Thanks to Lewisboats as well, your transom info helped a great deal!

    I am looking at launching in 2 weeks, if my other life behaves!

    More info on acquiring the motor here, it was pretty funny!

    http://whereaboatgoes.blogspot.com/2012/08/well-today-was-one-of-those-interesting.html

    A couple of pics as well.
    eska1.JPG

    eska2.JPG
     
  9. Liighthead
    Joined: Jul 2012
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    Location: Girgarre aus

    Liighthead Junior Member

    looks like a nice little motor =D
    congrats on a nice find :)

    also little off topic, but got any pictures of your trailer ?
    just curios of how it setup ( frame ect )
     
  10. Bike and a boat
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    Bike and a boat Junior Member

    Thanks for the compliment...as to the trailer, I will have pics next week, it's at the boat shop right now, pretty simple actually. A 2x4 double "H" sort of frame with 4 wheels, more of a cradle really, weighs about 45-50 lbs, is about 48" square, and will be ratchet strapped to the boat with a removable tow bar attached to the bow. I rounded up some "volunteers" and had them all stand on it, about 900 lbs worth, so I suspect it will support the boat. The hull comes in at about 400-450 lbs, near as I can tell. I have towed as much as 800 lbs with my bike, and while this is slightly LARGER than my usual tow load, it should work! While underway the cradle stows on top of the pop top roof on the aft of the cabin. Fingers crossed it will all work!
     
  11. Liighthead
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    Liighthead Junior Member

    ahh nice :D
    and yeah no rush for pics lol, a decent bike trailer would really help me get around fuel prices being like 1.40 au/L :(
     
  12. Bike and a boat
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    Bike and a boat Junior Member

    Completely off topic for this forum, but the attached pic are of one of the trailers that I build and sell here, might give you some ideas! They are made from crutches, are very light, strong and hold a huge load!
     

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  13. Liighthead
    Joined: Jul 2012
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    Liighthead Junior Member

    thanks =D
    really good idea, was thinking of making a frame from square alu. tubing or something like that :)
    pretty much same thing haha
     
  14. Bike and a boat
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    Bike and a boat Junior Member

    Chugger Number 11 launches on Aug 26th! Since I ordered a porta potty for it today, I figured it's about damn time to get the thing in the water! The boat, that is, with the porta potty inside! Just some painting to do, some shelves to make, and the trailer hitch to fabricate this next week! oh, and some sort of alcohol to pour over it as well.... hmmmmm...
     

  15. lewisboats
    Joined: Oct 2002
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    lewisboats Obsessed Member

    Can't wait for pics

    Steve
     
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