Summer Kyle

Discussion in 'Powerboats' started by Marco1, Mar 14, 2014.

  1. Marco1
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    Marco1 Senior Member

    Hi there!
    On the quest for a low draft boat I stumbled on "Summer Kyle" by David Gerr.

    http://coveyisland.com/assets/downloads/SummerKyle004.pdf

    I couldn't find much more than the above comments on this design and have a few questions on my own.

    To build this boat the way it was designed in strip plank and epoxy, I was quoted $500,000. However to build it in steel, conceded at a different ship yard, it is $350,000.

    So my first question is, does one need to request special plans for steel construction or are plans generic and it can be built in any material of choice?

    The doubts of the author of that article on the tunnel design are noted. Not sure how seriously must I take them. It seems that if the tunnel should be lower, Mr Gerr would have done so. Yet intuitively I can see that in reverse it would suck air in the tunnel. (?)

    Last but not least, I wonder how this design would perform at sea. Can a flat bottomed boat really venture at sea?

    Your replies are very much appreciated.

    Marc
     
  2. TANSL
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    TANSL Senior Member

    Only answer one of your questions, I'll say that constructive solutions for steel or wood are totally different, so would have to make some new plans for the steel boat.
     
  3. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Drop Dave Geer an email or give him a call. Generally, the shape of the hull will change a bit on a conversion from strip plank to steel construction methods (as TANSL points out) to accommodate the weight difference. He may have already done this for someone else, so give him a yell, he's very approachable. Then again he might also just tell you to make the keel a few inches wider for a steel version, to accommodate the weight difference, who knows, but an email is cheap enough.
     
  4. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    $500k sounds like an awful lot of dosh for that boat, which to my mind is not going to have great re-sale market appeal, with its retro lines. Maybe it will come back into fashion though ! But I wouldn't bet on it.
     
  5. CDBarry
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    CDBarry Senior Member

    You may want to investigate composite: wood over CNC steel.

    The weight change will be much less and the hull shape won't have to change to a developable surface.

    See the 2012 CPBS videos for a presentation on this technique.

    However, it is worth remarking that any design is best optimized for a specific construction technique and material.
     
  6. tom28571
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    tom28571 Senior Member

    Chris makes a sensible suggestion. Many similar boats built in this area are in that material and its at least a good as strip. I like this boat although the sheer does not appeal to me. Its the discontinuity between the flare forward of the break and the slope of the aft cabin that doesn't seem to fit.

    Summer Kyle is obviously optimized for shallow inshore water and may not be at its best in offshore conditions. These tunnels are known to ventilate in reverse as well as in some wave conditions that lift the transom.
     
  7. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Any links re " wood over CNC steel" ? Not familiar with it.
     
  8. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    I think he means wood rather then steel.
     
  9. Marco1
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    Marco1 Senior Member

    All interesting post.
    However I am still a tad confused.

    The designer of the boat tells me it can not be built in steel due to steel being too heavy for this shape/size boat plus the curves are too complicated to follow up in steel without special bending machines.
    The ship yard tells me that if they have strip plank plans they can convert to steel no problems.

    :confused:

    Perhaps rather than trying to change the material I must change shipyard. I agree with mr efficient that 500k is a bit too steep. only 3 years ago it was listed at $260,000 !!!
    Disagree with resale value. The few that are for sale, ask almost the same money as new construction.

    Anyone knows a decent shipyard in Turkey or China that build in strip plank?

    As far as the boat's performance I read 4 or 5 different owners write up with their experiences. As much as this write up may be embellished and can not be the only criteria for a purchase, what they do with the boat far outstrips what I will ever do in my lifetime, so the choice of boat seems to be the right one for me and I love the 1930 shape.
    Most importantly I could moor her to my pontoon in my backyard. Can't beat that.
     
  10. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    So what are the boats you see for sale on the secondhand market, constructed from ? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt it would be steel. If it can be done in steel, it can be done in alloy, and with much less maintenance, and worry about excess weight.
     
  11. Marco1
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    Marco1 Senior Member

    They are all build in wood/strip plank epoxy and all by the same shipyard covey island.
     
  12. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    You are not interested in second hand ? Or they are an ocean away ?
     
  13. Marco1
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    Marco1 Senior Member

    Oh no, nothing wrong with second hand ... if the price is right. And the ocean is no problem.
    One just sold for 410k ... (?)
     
  14. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    It would be nice to try before you buy, it might come up short of your expectations. That boat strikes me as a design tailored to relatively low ( by later standards) engine power, as much as shallow draft, but still able to cruise at a respectable semi-displacement type of speed. Wide bodied boats with the need for more hp were relatively uncommon in those times.
     

  15. Tad
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    Tad Boat Designer

    Custom built boats are very expensive, and costs have gone up considerably (in responsible yards) in the last couple of years. There is no way a custom boat can be built for the asking price of a used one, or the cost of a new production boat. Currently a Beneteau Swift Trawler 44 (23000 pounds) is base priced at $475k and delivered with basic options at about $530k in the Eastern USA. That is the bottom of the cost ladder, any custom boat will cost more, probably a lot more.

    And there are numerous builders on the edge out there that will lowball anything to get you in the door. Custom boatbuilding is tricky and filled with horror stories. Just look around and count how many smallish custom powerboats are under construction at professional yards?

    Expect to pay somewhere between $40-65 per pound for a quality custom boat built in the USA.
     
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