building a PM38 a few questions

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by rocco611, Jul 30, 2020.

  1. bajansailor
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Location: Barbados

    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    Re the battery, will you need to have electrical equipment like a bilge pump and navigation lights fitted?
    If not, it might be easier to keep things simple and just have a pull start O/B motor?

    I presume that you will have a wheel for steering - will it be a cable system?
    Or would it be easier / simpler to just have tiller steering?

    Re a fuel tank, you could perhaps just buy an 'off the shelf' plastic fuel tank initially, and move it around the boat to see where the 'best' location for it might be, before committing yourself to a tank that fits the space available?
     
  2. rocco611
    Joined: Jan 2019
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 16, Points: 8
    Location: Madera Ca

    rocco611 Junior Member

    The motor is for remote controls , it is pull and electric start. I have already installed the steering wheel etc. I thought of what you said about using a temporary tank and moving it around. I have some time before the motor arrives so if there is a way to calculate the best location for the tank I would like to have everything done as much as I can.
     
  3. rocco611
    Joined: Jan 2019
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 16, Points: 8
    Location: Madera Ca

    rocco611 Junior Member


    After reading over USCG requirements of permanently mounted fuel tanks, a six gallon portable tank is the best option . I was going to tig weld an aluminum tank together and mount it behind the seat, but I have no way to have the tank certified. I do plan on selling this boat as some point and starting another. I took the boat and trailer to California DMV , got the trailer registered , but they said I could not register the boat because is was not complete. I finished the boat a couple weeks later (was missing the seat and the motor) went back to DMV , turns out you can register a home built "wood" boat without having it inspected or even seen by a DMV employee. "fiberglass boats require inspection" they assigned a HIN and gave me the registration stickers . I will be sewing up the seat upholstery this weekend. white tuck and roll with blue trim. the pleats are done just need to sew them into a cover. true tuck and roll, blind stitched with stuffed pleats is a lot of work but looks real nice. will post some pics of the seat when I get it done. The Yamaha F25 I ordered is back ordered with no definite ship date, according to the yamaha invoice it was supposed to ship may 15, then june 1, now no date . I caulked the deck the other day, turned out to be move difficult than I though to get the caulk completely smooth. I used masking tape and a bondo spreader.
    The next build is likely going to be from Glen L plans. after this build I really get how important good plans are. during Covid , the LS engine in my Silverado ate a cam lobe and the metal ended up in the oil pump. I went through the engine, balanced , blueprinted , ported polished and cc'd the heads. the truck always ran good, but now its just amazing, the throttle response and smoothness. I had never built a small block that ran this good. The Next build will be and inboard with a marine-ized LS engine.
     

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  4. rocco611
    Joined: Jan 2019
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 16, Points: 8
    Location: Madera Ca

    rocco611 Junior Member

    The Yamaha F25 outboard is still on backorder, I borrowed a honda 7.5 hp and put it in the water recently. no leaks, seems to handle fine, will just get on plane with the 7.5 hp at wide open throttle.
     

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  5. rocco611
    Joined: Jan 2019
    Posts: 63
    Likes: 16, Points: 8
    Location: Madera Ca

    rocco611 Junior Member

    I received the Yamaha f25 last week Wednesday that had been on back order for quite some time. Cruises real nice at 20mph 4300 rpm After 2 hrs of break in. GPS 30 mph 5700 rpm with two people on board, battery and six gallons of fuel. About 5mph faster than I expected. One person in the boat 35 mph hits the rev limiter just over 6100 rpm. the motor cavitation plate was 2" below the bottom of the boat.(Yamaha recommends zero to 1" below) I raised it even with the bottom of the boat but it was only about 1 mph faster . I was hoping for 38 thinking I could make one of the PM-38 claims. cost to build the boat $2200.00 $800 of that was materials for the candy paint job. motor and rigging 4700.00 total $6900 . I am lucky enough to still have a bit of warm weather here in California for October, hope to get on the water a few more times before I start another project this winter. thanks for everyone's input, much appreciated. this was my first boat build :)
     
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