74' frameless steel boat in building

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by WarrenM, May 1, 2016.

  1. WarrenM
    Joined: May 2016
    Posts: 2
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    Location: PA, USA

    WarrenM Patternmaker/boatbuilder

    There is a boat being built currently by an extremely smart guy, Doug Jackson.
    This has been happening for 5-6 years now. I have searched every way I know how and have not found any mention of his build on design net.
    He has a website www.svseeker.com
    He posts on you tube weekly(350 currently) on what's been going on. He is trying to do almost everything himself with help for volunteers who join in for a few day to help with what ever needs doing. http://youtu.be/lcKn6N0SHV0
    He really is incredibly inventive in his design, he uses a small Cnc plotter type plasma /router/ Miller for a lot of the smaller parts
    He is even Casting his own bronze and aluminium parts.
    This is all happening in Oakoloma!
    It's generally rough workboat type finish.
    Design wise he has take the frameless to the extreme . Although he has a couple of bulkheads he is basically building with out framing, just the structure like tanks, engine beds etc that he is installing. All Based on jack Carson sketches!
    There is a very old thread 'Frameless steel hulls: Is there a lenght limit?' where
    jehardiman and others made some very important comments about the need for proper framing in a hull of this size (1/4" plating).
    Has anybody seen this build going on and have any comments on the design?
     

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    Last edited: May 1, 2016
  2. waikikin
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    Location: Australia

    waikikin Senior Member

    The guy seems to enjoy it.
    It certainly does seem to have minimal framing. I'd be concerned about the keel framing and transmission of ballast and grounding loads. Might be fine.. lots of boats don't do much work or stay in the river.
    70' home builds have a habit of outliving their owners before launching, seems distracted by other projects while there's still the weld out to dop of what's been fabricated.
    I have seen a 50' frameless, has been launched for 25 plus years & done cruising around, never sailed on it but know someone who has, apparently some startling deflections represented... basically copied VDS34 & enlarged to 50' plating went from 4mm to 6.. with a deep bulbed keel.
    Hope the guy goes ok.

    Jeff
     
  3. Tad
    Joined: Mar 2002
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    Location: Flattop Islands

    Tad Boat Designer

    It's not really "Frameless" at all. If you look at the video you see bulkheads, lots of deep floors, at least two full length stringers in the topsides, and a lot of gusset frames between the deck and the topsides. All of those are parts of a framing system. Whether its enough is another question and much will depend on the service she undertakes. Calm water cruising she'll probably be fine. I'd want more framing if heading deep sea for many years.
     
  4. Skyak
    Joined: Jul 2012
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    Location: United States

    Skyak Senior Member

    The guy has a great attitude, wife too. This is reality TV worth watching! I give them a 50% chance of reaching the water -which is 1000X the chance I give the average 70ft backyard first boat builder.

    The framing does not seem to comprehend the sailing. The rigs are short and junk distributes loads better, but it still seems like a shell as sailboats go. Is there any mention of a NA checking the design? A steel boat will deflect quite a bit before failure -likely crack at the welds.

    I watched a cool vid of them casting a brass prop blade. There was some porosity. I wonder what quality problems they will have at sea.
     

  5. WarrenM
    Joined: May 2016
    Posts: 2
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    Location: PA, USA

    WarrenM Patternmaker/boatbuilder

    Welding

    Doug is the type that will probably finish but he admits it's the building that is fun, he advises buy a finished boat if you don't enjoy the building. This is not his first big project.
    Posting all his activity in u tube is certainly open of him. I have learned some things from him, like when he welded the "skeg" area of the hull into a tank to use as a cooling tank for the engine. It took him 3 days to fix all the weld leaks to hold pressure. We were making a low pressure cooling tank for a process and checked our welds.......took us a day to fix the leaks... Could have been embarrassing and expensive.
    http://youtu.be/I5-tY-Cskfw
    It does make me wonder about his welding as most of it is done in the outside and by his pick up helpers with varying degrees of skill.
    I think the hull framing is sketchy. There is no N.A. Involved. He is a bit anti establishment .
    The 10000# of lead in each bilge keel is only supported by the shell welded to the hull and some small webs as far as I can see. And the lead of course shrunk back from the steel..... So water will be in the crack leading to risk of accelerated corrosion....
    The boat will be a work in progress even when it's finished but he should have the skill to fix anything that comes up that needs fixing.
     
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