Alright, where do I start looking for a design?

I know, I am a disaster. haha.
Thank you for all the help, though.

I have been calculating square ft area roughly just be calculating the boat hull size if it were a box. Real measurement would be a little different, but not much, as the hull is reasonably close to a box haha.

Just educated guessing so far.

Let's try an 8 ft wide design and see what happens:
8x48=384 square feet, x 3.52 = 1351 lbs for the hull bottom.
I figure about 576 ft square feet for 4 ft hull sides, 2027.52 lbs.
So that brings us to 3378 lbs for the hull plating.
That seems a lot more realistic, just a skinnier boat.

1/8" decking would add 675.84 lbs, and the cabin walls would weigh 450.56 lbs.

That brings the total to 4506.5 lbs for all the plating for the 48x8 boat. Including 1/4" ends where the folding parts are.

This is closer to a reality, but still needs more work on a plan, I will work on it harder.

 

You're not listening.

You cannot use 3mm aluminium plate for decking because it's too flimsy. To get adequate stiffness you'd need to use a lot more ribs & stringers, adding back the weight and complicating the build.

In addition welding 3mm aluminium and keeping it fair is not going to be simple or quick. It'll distort as soon as you put a MIG gun anywhere near it. Do you want your deck to look like a ripple board?

If you drop anything on it, the deck will dent. If you bolt anything to it, unless it's bolted to a stringer, beam or reinforcing plate underneath, it will likely tear out as soon as it sees any load.

I wouldn't, personally, use anything less than 5mm and I'd be taking the advice of a naval architect as to scantlings regardless. If it can't be safely built to your desired weight, then it can't be safely built and it's best to get over it early and move to plan B.

FWIW my sailboat hull has 4mm steel decks.

PDW

 

I'm already at plan "f" lol.

 

OK, a step back.

One of your limiting factors is all-up weight so you can tow it.

So, why tow it yourself?

Where I live, it's pretty simple to get a side-loading truck that can handle 12m containers. Trucks with tilt trays that can handle 40' containers also are available. 20' ones are common.

You could design for a heavier vessel and plan on moving it, provided it wasn't every weekend, on a self-loading truck. Their weight limits are a lot higher.

We used to move our 12m workboats about in this fashion. Those boats were designed to be stable with a 20' container sitting on them so a houseboat structure wouldn't be a drama.

I'm tossing this idea out there in case it sparks a plan G....

PDW

 

On the lake we like, there doesn't appear to be much, if any parking for larger boats, which means We'll have to yard it out frequently.

I think the only thing to do is downsize it enough so it can be towed, and if we magically end up with waterfront one day, or a good parking spot in a marina, just sell it and build/ buy a new boat.

I keep getting hung up on thinking I could pull a houseboat thats big enough to live in for months, and that's simply not going to happen. A big 5th wheel camper is barely big enough, and it maxes out the weight already, and it has it's own trailer, no hull, no engine, etc.

So simply put, it's not going to happen at that size & weight.

Best bet is definately a box shaped aluminum framed camper sized cabin, with pontoons.

 

OK so I might have found a guy, an experienced aluminum welder.
We are talking about a 8'6" wide boat, about 36 ft long.

I have been reading lots, and am wondering about welding/ riveting and some other things.
Would I be best off, getting the hull welded, as a skin, and then installing all the framework inside using rivets?
Or halfway; the hull skin welded, beams welded on the hull, rest of frame riveted....

Or should it all be welded together?

Which will be strongest?

 

My vote goes for full bottom and side framing connected by the keel, transom, bottom battens, side battens, chines, stem, shear clamps, etc. all fully welded together. Then weld the 3/16" OR 1/4" side and bottom plating over.

 

Buy a set of plans from a designer who's done this before and those plans will have all the details you need to know about putting the thing together.

If you can't or won't pay the pittance of a percentage of the total cost this represents, you're on your own, sunshine. Good luck with that.....

PDW

 

So definately weld the frame, and then the skin over?

I am thinking I would get a guy to come with a laser survey tool, and set up a bunch of cement patio blocks to build the hull upside down at first. Once the skin was welded, it would be flipped over on tires and hay bails, and we'd use the laser level and tape measures to insure it's sitting straight before welding again right side up...

 

I can find BOATS with the same design as I want, but not plans.

This boat has the hull shape I want, not the whole boat, just the hull.

If you have any idea where I would get plans for a hull that looks like that, but 8'6" wide and 36' long, I'm listening, I've been looking.

 

Here is info and plans for a 36' and 40' pontoon hull done by a naval architect and you can modify them somewhat. You might consider 10' wide so you can still trailer it but with a permit--no other requirements--the state gets a little more money. Be careful about being top heavy--it is dangerous.....................................http://www.glen-l.com/designs/house/marktwain.html There are engineers who can convert the scantlings from wood to aluminum.

 

That a pontoon boat, though.

not trying to be a smart arse, but if I wanted a pontoon unit, I'd just buy the pontoons with frame kit, and build whatever I wanted on that.

10' wide would be really nice. I don't mind permits, as long as I can tow it myself though.