Design thoughts?

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Stumble, Oct 19, 2021.

  1. Stumble
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 1,913
    Likes: 73, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 739
    Location: New Orleans

    Stumble Senior Member

    I am at about $11,000 in parts give or take, so I had the budget for some small toys....

    - The anchor winch is just a person favorite, particularly if you are dropping anchor a lot. Not so much for being lazy, but so you don't end the day covered in mud. the bottoms here are nasty.
    - The material costs on the top are about $1,600 (its a soft top not hard btw, just a pipe frame and sunbrella). Making it smaller once you have the frame saves some, but not very much I think it was about $200. Most of the cost is in the uprights, and there just isn't a good way to avoid that bill without removing it entirely.
    - The door is planned to be sheathed plywood, I have the cut line planned such that the doors are scrap from the frames... Basically it adds a little glass and hinges, but not much in parts. Labor however...
    - Ya I have a bag of required goodies personally with absolute CG minimums. I plan to duplicate that for the boat.

    Thanks for the thoughts.
     
  2. Stumble
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 1,913
    Likes: 73, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 739
    Location: New Orleans

    Stumble Senior Member

    An autopilot is much more expensive than a trolling motor and far less effective since they typically can't control the throttle as well. I would love to include one, but it comes down to budget. The ones I know of run about $1,500, substantially more than a top of the line trolling motor but with less required functionality. But if there is a cheap way to make it work I would love to hear it.

    As I mentioned this design has a hull draft of slightly less than 6" and a skeg draft of 11.75. Any larger motor and you necessarily have a deeper draft. With the exception of some of the jet drives.

    For a push boat yes a flat box will always be shallower than a catamaran, but if you constrain yourself to the draft of the skegs catamarans do very well in the marsh.
     
  3. gonzo
    Joined: Aug 2002
    Posts: 16,790
    Likes: 1,714, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 2031
    Location: Milwaukee, WI

    gonzo Senior Member

    Have you considered a surface piercing propeller? That would allow a shallower draft. They are not very good on reverse though.
     
  4. Stumble
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 1,913
    Likes: 73, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 739
    Location: New Orleans

    Stumble Senior Member

    I don't have anywhere to put an inboard, and for an outboard you run into intake problems. I guess you could go with an air cooled long tail mud motor... but it wouldn't work for this application. For a really shallow water flats boat its an option, but not one most people want to live with.
     
  5. rberrey
    Joined: Oct 2010
    Posts: 553
    Likes: 56, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 112
    Location: AL gulf coast

    rberrey Senior Member

    We deal with about the same mud in the Mobile delta as you do , but ours doesn't smell as bad . I take it you are not looking for a flats boat which I think is the assumption , but a boat that can take some chop near shore and deep bayou,s , and run shallow,s . you might add a couple of rings and poles to anchor in the shallow's , cheep add on .
     

  6. rob denney
    Joined: Feb 2005
    Posts: 890
    Likes: 285, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 436
    Location: Australia

    rob denney Senior Member

    Greg,
    Off topic, but did anything happen with the kit ply fishing boats you were sending to Haiti?
    Rob
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.