Buccaneer 24 Builders Forum

Mast and rigging can easily be cut down to size.

 

Aluminum B-24

I am researching small trimaran designs, 24-28 ft, to be adapted for an art project. Essentially, the goal is to build the hulls and structure according to plan as a pre-engineered "base" and to modify (lightly) above the sheer line for the needs of the project. I am looking for design that is tested and proven, easy to build, and the plans are affordable ($150+/-)... the B24 seems to be a good fit.

I am in a unique situation, however, that allows me to build with metal far easier and less expensively then with plywood. Suffice to say, full access to material and equipment is not an issue. The plan is to use aluminum, most likely .090 to .125 for plating

To that end, I am interested to see if anyone would have some constructive input on such a task, and the feasibility with the B24 design. I haven't seen plans in detail, but the curves look relatively easy and the double-chine hull could work with metals panels. If anyone knows of a design better suited to this task, I would be very interested.

This won't be my first boat, but it would be the first in metal... however I design and build with metal all day every day and am excited by taking on the project.

Thanks for your help,
TR

 

You are right about the B24 for this project, if only because none of the panels
in the hulls are completely flat.
However the major factor is how to make the structure stiff enough without incurring excess weight. For the B24 to achieve its target performance it has to be both stiff and light.

 

Alloy B-24

It should be quicker and easier to build in alloy- and I guess it would be a first? The hulls should work fine, but the deck and cabin may need some backing to keep them light if keeping to the stock design. B

 

With fine gauge alloy, you could use the material similarly to tensioned ply (but with possibly more interior frame and stringer reinforcement). I've seen photographs of a round bilge, 55 foot multihull built in this manner and it looked very fair. That method would surely be faster than the multiple chine construction of the B24. Also you could cut completely most of the welding or riveting by using metal gluing epoxies. Just a thought.

 

alloy

In my area, rec boats from 8' prams to 100' houseboats are built of aluminum and almost all work boats, all shapes and sizes. The Buc panels really look adaptable to alloy, I hadn't thought of a epoxy bonded structure, but a good welder can manage the thin sheet. Aluminum has a lot of appeal right now, I have just spent the last month repairing rot in my floats- I could have built new ones in the time I have spent. B

 

Gary - Could you expand on what exactly you mean by "use similarly to tensioned ply" and why you would think that quicker than the multiple chines?

I have been considering the implications of welding today. It is definitely a job to produce long linear welds in thin gauge aluminum. The primary reason I am thinking of thinner gauges is weight - 1/8" alum is about 3x heavier than 1/4" ply. My welder would probably call for 3/16" alum. but I think that might result in a floating tank.

The idea of epoxy is interesting, although I might not want to solely rely on that to hold everything together (aluminum doesn't love bonding, and I would want to have it alodined). Perhaps if linear welding proves difficult I could do good tack welds 16" OC to hold it all together and then epoxy to finalize and seal the joint.

Thanks for the responses - TR

 

Just wondering - has anyone compiled a record of photos of their building of a B24? This thread is excellent, but it would be great to see some process details at various stages of the project.

 

TR, tensioned or compounded ply construction is very well described in the Gougeon brothers' book, on wooden boat building; it basically is taking thin sheets of ply, scarfing them together to the length of your boat, drawing your hull shape and cutting out the two scarfed sides, then glue/taping the keel lines of both hull scarfed sides together, letting it cure, then bending the two sides to fit into a deck jig where the inwhales, stringers, bulkheads, transom and so on are glued inside.
Alternatively you can build your master central section bulkheads, attach keel timber, gunwhales, stringers, fixed or removable frames, then bend as above over these hull formers, gluing, clamping, stapling the ply to them.
In my experience, if alloy is roughened or etched at glue and glass connection areas, there has been no problem with joint failure. This is on alloy masts strengthening and stiffening (glass first then carbon), alloy beam to hull connections, alloy core, wing mast, wood frame connections ... but I have never done light alloy plate gluing ... although I doubt there would be a problem.
Maybe someone here has this experience.

 

Modern aircraft are bonded/glued together. A few rivets to help with sheer loads and alignment might help. One of the big benefits is eliminating welding distortion, the other is getting rid of non sealed overlaps and other corrosion traps.

 

B24 Plans, how to purchase?

Oldsailor, how do I purchase a set of B24 plans?

Rick

 

B24

Rick. Just post 4 more posts on these forums and we can converse by Private Messaging.

 

Thanks

Oldsailor, thanks. Will do.

 

my b24 had a 3m x 3m boom tent with 3 flexible sail battens sewn into it. It worked well and just rolled up and tied it to the tramp when sailing.

 

Samnz.
I really love that picture.
It really epitomises the laid back pleasures a multi hull can give just gunkholing on a lazy summer weekend. I have a blowup of it in my room.