help identifying inverted vee modified sea sled

My dad and I built one back in the 60's. We got the plans from Popular Mechanics magazine. Ours was plywood with small Morris Fairbanks Diesel , was mom ever mad when we showed up with that, money was tight back then with four sisters. We started in Waveland Miss ,and after the second big hurricane Camel our house was lost and finished it in Fla. Those were the good old days on the Indian river fishing just about every night.

 

The plans that appeared in Popular Mechanics was a Bill Jackson version, which saw some reasonable improvements to the design. The photos aren't of the Jackson model.

 

thanks for that par.i checked popular mechanics not much info have emailed a few other sites will have to wait to see what that brings out of the archives in the meantime I will just keep searching.cheers

 

Are you still looking for info on the boat? I built it.

 

Do tell us more Wurlyfish ! This will interest a member here, Dog Cavalry, who is contemplating a sled build

 

Hi, I became interested in the Hickman Sea Sleds a few years ago. I contacted the guy in NZ who built a ply one. From there, I got in touch with a guy in the states who had some info. The stories of the boats and the ones they made in the War are amazing. There are very few plans available but I was able to get info from various people and took it from there. I wanted an aluminium one, but after a course at tafe and buying a mig, it wasn’t all that easy. You need a pulse welder. I had the front V’s rolled out of 6 metre sheet, so explaining to fab shops what you want puts you in asylum territory. I made a jig from a 6 m pallets the sheets came on and welded it under my house. Sorry neighbours.
I am currently looking at building an inV SUP. Hence my visit to the subject again. If anyone wants any ideas I am happy to give you my thoughts. I still have some plans, but they are not formal boat building, just things I have picked up.
I ran into life near the end of the build and had to stop. A guy from Rocky wanted it and I believe he lost his house after the floods few years ago, so I lost track. Good to see it again, I hope someone has some fun in it. I had a 70 hp tiller steer Mercury on the Back when I sold it. Also had a ply floor ready to screw down.
I still believe the sleds are fantastic. Building one gave me an insight into a lost design and I enjoyed the journey. Don’t believe the negative reviews, some of the early models were high speed sea going. A forty foot Ali cruiser was for sale in Brisbane couple of years back, but unless they followed all the designs, it wouldn’t be more than a barge.

 

I will send that other member a message, he is sure to be interested in what you have to say. And while I think of it, what is a SUP ?

 

Sorry, been reading too many abbreviations. I have a 5.5 centre cab cat I want something small I can use to & from the beach & boat that’s small enough to carry. I have a kayak, too heavy & too big. I had a zodiac, too complicated and too heavy. What I am looking for is a small, maybe stand up paddle board SUP type. Which led me back to thinking about an inverted V ski thingy, in plywood.

 

And here's Dog Cavalry! I'm all ears, and tail.

I really regret the loss of PAR. In the absence of good buildable plans, I'm drawing my own.

Thanks for the steer, Mr Efficiency.

I think the OP has left the building, along with Elvis (and my hairline). I'd love to know how he made out.

 

So Wurlyfish, I tried starting a conversation with you but the system wouldn't let me. But I'd love to hear what you've learned.

 

Hi, you can email me brian@gladstonesheds.com.au but please don’t give my email to Donald T.

 

Wurly, do you have any photos of your sled that you can post on here please?

 

Post #3 bajansailor, says he is the maker of it

 

Ooops, sorry, I should have gone back to the beginning and had a look again, thanks.
DC John, I guess that your sled will be fairly similar in shape but a fair bit bigger.

 

Some similarities for sure. I have more deadrise in the tunnel. Marcus Lee in Sitka Alaska built a dozen of welded aluminum, and he said it was fine to significantly increase the beam, provided you maintained the original deadrise.
I'm not going as wide as he did. He built one 25' by 11'6". I'm only going to 10' beam. But the waters off Sitka are no joke, so he gives me some confidence.

My chines at the transom are very similar in proportion and deadrise to what I see here. Looks like these keels run in towards each other to make space for the non-tripping chines. That's how Hickman did it in his first ten thousand boats.
Mine run parallel, like in the Jackson sleds, and the TX18 from bateau.com. I didn't like the idea of having a sharp knuckle in the buttocks aft, where the buttocks lines crossed from the tunnel into the non-tripping chine.

I'll post some lines and a sketch of layout, hopefully offsets too, this weekend.