Another First Post

Hi All,
I have been looking around for a boating forum to join,
After reading some posts here , i went ahead and signed up.
please tell me if I am wrong, but it looks like all boats are welcome here, from small to huge,
old, new, and still being designed.
I am retired, have many other interests, do not have a lot of money, but we are in good shape
for the shape were in.
All of my projects have been built on a tight budget, including boats.
that's OK, and a lot can be done if your willing to invest the time.

It's my wife that likes to fish so much. I get to play with the boats.
We are in western Oregon, and fish mostly in the coastal lakes, rivers, and bays.

The latest boat project, now 5 years later, started by parting out 5 old boats, saving anything
that might be useful.
Stripped the 21' fiberform down to the bare glass, added new stringers, floor, raised deck, pilot house and cuddy cabin. Deep V, 5,500 lbs dry. Running a chevy 292 -6, with Mecury out drive.
We made our own plans from my doodles and sketches. Every thing was "test fit" as it was built.
Now we have a boat that can stay at home, on the trailer, but big enough to spend a few days in.

I am looking forward to reading some more stories, tales, and info here.

kent r

 

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like to you have the illness we all eventually seem to develop. There's no cure, though sharing some photos might help ease some of the discomfort.

 

No known cure,
Too late to turn back now.

I did save some pics from the Fiberform build, where is the right place to share them?
Building, Design Forum, Gallery, Album, ??

We named this boat "Flotsam", seemed appropriate at the time.
Still some interior work to finish, but been using for overnights anyway.

i know that I am blessed to have a wife that not only supports my projects, but helps with the work,
and won't let me sell.

kentr

 

Upload directly from your hard drive into this thread.

 

OK,
To much to upload all at once.
To start, Here are some of the nearly finished, and usable boat. From 2016.

 

Thanks for a place to share. Quickest uploads I've used. Will leave most pics as 'thumbnails for the rest of this
build story.
What an amazing amount of info about boats, old, new, and "under construction" here at Boatdesign.net
kent r

 

Hi Kent,

Thanks for the pictures, looks like you have a nice cruiser and a nice truck there, plus a wonderful wife with a complementary hobby . .

Please keep on posting info and pictures . .

Wish you both well . .

 

Next I'll post some of the "doodles" that we made when talking about what we wanted.
I use a very simple and "old school" planning program.
5" x 8" file cards, a small clipboard, and pens.
After taking a photo, printing it , and holding it up to a window, the backside is "traced" and I have a correctly
shaped sketch to overlay one 5x8 card and draw again, pushing hard.
That leaves groves in the card, to again draw out.
That gives me a true hull shape. Then start adding anything topside.

By now the cards are stacked, and what is drawn on top transfers to the card under.
This allows me to make changes to the next card, and so on.
I like this part, and use this method for most projects, like the tow rig, also a "home" project, because it doesn't
cost a lot, and helps to see what something "might" be like in person.
opps, they need to be resized.

 

Hi again,
Here,s a pic of one of the recycled boats. Only shot taken of this one.
Paid $500. Sold trailer for $350. It was a "Tom Sawyer".

 

Here is the 24' Fiberform that was cut up for parts. Four of the boats were from 1971, and had 250 ci -6 chevys with
Mercruisers. On purpose, so the parts would match. All engines were junk, from salt, and freezing, but had marine parts
on them that were usable. The 292 engine used came from a wrecked pick up.
This boat had some of the better parts used.
Fresh water cooling. Outdrive. Teleflex "Big-T Rotary Helm and long cable. Mercruiser controls with long cables.
Log wet exhaust manifold. Lots of engine accessories. Deck hardware. The fiberglass panels from the big hull sides.
And the entire outside top of the deck, with the aluminum rub rail.
Paid $400. Had to drive 100 miles, one way. Sold the trailer for $300. This engine started, but worn out. Blue smoke.

 

Here is the 21' Fiberform that provided the bare hull, stripped out completely, and rebuilt.
While I might have used the 24', this one was already stripped, with new stringers before the 24' came along.
I paid $600 , and traded a 14" aluminum boat to bring this home. Had a title, which was used. The trailer
needed some work, but is a sound, double axle, and galvanized runner. Also in use.

The 4th boat was also a Fiberform, 18', and free. It had been left out in the rain and snow, was completely
filled with water, and all the flotation foam was waterlogged. However, this one was the only one that had
a useable inner transom plate, and gimble mount, Also the outdrive was good.

Thr 5th boat was a no name junk, that I cut up for fiberglass panels.

 

What's left are a few random views of the construction. Took about one summer to cut up the old, and one more summer the put things back together enough to try out on the water. Still have inside finish work to do.
Rear helm runs trolling motor. Inboard cruises at hull speed around 8 mph. Will get on plane, then 21 mph.
Helm wheels were hand made, by me.
Have installed Heart inverter and "house' battery bank. That was mostly for the 110v refer, but we found
out that a mid sized Cooler lasts us 4 days, with some added ice. Nice to have 110v on hand if needed.
Also use 110v for TV/DVD and a c-pap machine.

The original dollars goal was $5.000 , Have spent $4,000 so far, including trailer, and tags.

While I would gladly take this boat in any of the lakes, bays, and flat rivers around us,
I would not even think about going offshore with a 35 year old motor, and 40 year old outdrive parts.

This was planned as a day, fishing boat, with a sometimes 3 day weekend trip.
Also plan to "overnight" in boat, while still on trailer.

I do hope that some of you have enjoyed this thread. Thanks, Kent & Cathie

 

Hi Kent, you're building up a nice thread of what can be done on a budget . .

What's the type and the year of the Freightliner, if I have seen it right ?

 

The tow rig is an "assembled" one ton Peterbilt. Popular in USA. "Assembled" meaning it is nowhere a stock truck.
While the cab and hood top are original, and stock, everything else is recycled, from some other old truck, or made by me.
That was 1997's project. Spent ten years working on it. Many changes and redos . Fun rig, and is matched for color to boat,
and just big enough to pull it with ease. 17 mpg empty, and 10 mpg pulling the 7,000 lbs of boat, trailer, and stuff inside.

That rig, named "snowflake" by wife and daughter, and it's story would fill another thread.
kentr

 

Magnificent ! - - Thanks for the info . . ​