Help drawing and design Texas Scooter boat

Discussion in 'Powerboats' started by Aransas Flats Rat, Jan 31, 2020.

  1. Yellowjacket
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    Yellowjacket Senior Member

    You don't need that many frames, 20" apart is overkill. But you do need to support your deck and that may change what you do. If you did 20" spacing on full height stringers you'd be fine with a 1x2 stringer to stiffen the bottom between them. You don't need 1/2 stringers outside of the motor board support stringers, even 1/4 would work for those stringers (but don't cut a ton out of the middle of them). Your fames are really going to be determined by how much it takes to support the deck. If you have 20 inch spacing on stringers than you could easily do 3 feet of 40 inches between frames. Frames may or may not go all the way to the bottom, they could be spaced off the bottom by the 1x2's or you'll need limber holes to make sure water doesn't get trapped by a frame.
     
  2. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Ok thing I’m following you. Your saying adding the hull (bottom panel) stiffeners running longitudinal in between the full height longitudinal stringers.

    Yes sir I was planning on the limber holes for sure. Thanks for that explanation.
     
  3. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    I understand exactly what your explaining and agree 100 %. My thoughts on the deck support would be to add a 1x2 batten between the 4-5 transverse frames at 36” spacing would split it at 18”. I placed the transverse battens at 16” on the Explorer and the 3/8 decking is as solid as a rock.

    I also added composite hull stiffeners in between the stringers as your description.


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  4. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Thanks a million that really enables me to move to the next step.
     
  5. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    I foam filled the Explorer but I think I’ll make a couple floatation sealed chambers on this one. It added a ton of weight as well as a lot of additional expense. One positive was it sure made it stiff.
     
  6. Yellowjacket
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    Yellowjacket Senior Member

    If you foam filled it you wouldn't need any of this complexity. All of this is to stiffen and tie together the top and bottom surface. If you use foam you'd have all of that and you wouldn't need any of that framing. Foam basically acts as a tie between the top and bottom surfaces and if you had foam filling it you wouldn't need any framing other than something to stiffen the transom.
     
  7. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Ok I’m not against the foam as the boat will not stay in the water and I’ve learned that is you seal all cuts and trimming areas with Epoxy it’s water tight.

    I would assume I would still need the stringers though correct. If I do two motor board stringers 10” each side of center that leaves 30” per side would that be acceptable if I added the 1x3 between the hull sides and the motor board stringers. Then I could add in the deck battens notched into the stringers for the deck support??
     
  8. Yellowjacket
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    Yellowjacket Senior Member

    That would probably work so long as you have glass on both sides (inside and outside) of the bottom. If you do a 1x3 at that spacing I'd be tempted to back it up with a 1x3 set vertically on top of it for as long as the bottom is flat, and have it extend to the second from the transom frame. That is, you want something to stiffen that 1x3 vertically and keep the bottom flat for the planing surface. Same thing for the center piece that you're using to tie the two pieces of plywood together down the middle.
     
  9. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Yes sir, I planned on glassing both sides with 1708/Epoxy.

    On the foam would standard 2# floatation foam be sufficient or should I use a heavier structural type??
     
  10. Yellowjacket
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    Yellowjacket Senior Member

    You have relatively thick skins. For that reason you don't need a very strong or stiff foam. The reason is that you spread out the loads over a larger area so you don't need as stiff a foam. You do need to make sure it is closed cell so that it won't soak up water.
     
  11. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Thanks Yellowjacket,

    I’ll plan on using 2# closed cell floatation foam.
     
  12. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Hello guys sorry I haven’t posted in a while.

    Yellowjacket I hope your still around and interested... I am in the process of getting my core materials (plywood) going with all okoume marine ply.

    Starting with of course,

    Plywood 3/8 and 1/2
    3 gallon kit (marine Epoxy)
    6”wide 1708 tape
    Wood flour (thickened Epoxy)

    Hoping to have startup materials this week.
     
  13. Aransas Flats Rat
    Joined: Sep 2018
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Well it’s been a while but I finally got started on this build. I felt I have ample enough time with all this craziness going on in the world right now.

    I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.

    I got the hull put together,

    Ended up at:

    18’ length
    84” bottom width
    14” hull depth
    25” transom (clamping board)

    Bottom section build:
    • 4 and a 1/2 sheets 3/8 Okoume marine ply with puzzle joints.

    • Primed joints and glued with thickened Epoxy
    •taped joints with 1 layer 1708 6” tape

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    I will post measurements when I get it all mocked up.
     
  14. Aransas Flats Rat
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Got the bottom section on stand and laid out side sections and transom

    1 and 1/2 sheets of 1/4 meranti Cutout sides used the same process as bottom panels for joining.

    Stitched side and transom prep for fillets.

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    bajansailor likes this.

  15. Aransas Flats Rat
    Joined: Sep 2018
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    Aransas Flats Rat Senior Member

    Next step: wet on wet

    Build 1/2 fillets
    Add three offset layers 6” 12 oz biax tape to inside seams.

    Prep for glassing inside hull
     
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