New to the board just thought i would share my latest project

Hey all,

Im new here, seems like a cool place with a lot of great people. I figured I would share my latest project. This is my 1932 Pigeon Sportsman, that was built in East Greenwich RI. It could be the last and only one in existence. I have not been able to find another one anywhere. The boat has been in my family since new, It was bought by my great grandfather for My grandfather for his 14th birthday. It originally had a 40hp lycoming mated to an aluminum Johnson outdrive. These drives from what i read were terrible and rotted out very badly if left in salt water. My grandfather was an engineer and was always had mad scientist ideas, at one time the boat had a 36" diameter prop hanging off the back with a 5-1 reduction gear pushed by a grey marine 60hp not sure what he was thinking but life's all about experiments. Anyways I pulled it out of storage after 30 years on the hard and began to restore her. To me it is the perfect boat for a surface drive. I began coming up with designs and this is where i am at. I used a 140hp iron duke to push it The boat has run once and it runs beautifully but unfortunately I had engine troubles. I just bought a brand new 3.0l Iron duke 140 to drop in so i will be running her again next week. The drive was built out of 316 stainless and all the pieces were cut on a water jet, then tig welded together. The whole piece weighs 65lbs. The project has come out way better then i had hoped. Also my grandfather being 90 couldn't be more proud. I have plans in the works to get him back out on her. I tried to keep a period correct feel. So many people just told me "throw a jet drive in it or an alpha one" i think that would completely ruin the boat plus anyone can do that. you will never see another boat like this and that's why i love it.

 

I love it !!

Congratulations!! inventivness is alive and well ,simplicity at it finest and just hope it works and well as it should !! you are aman after my own heart ! .

My father was of the same thoughts and could work thing out all the details in his head and then just go and make it !!.
Fantastic !!

Its sad to see pieces of a families history dumped , broken up or sold off for some one to strip and rip apart and be lost forever .
I admire you for restoring and making better tahn before and keeping intact and useable !

 

great project, especially with the family history. Looks nice, the drive looks workable but it seems to me there is not much bracing the metal frame from vibrating up and down. Seems like another strut (or perhaps two) to form a tripod on the transom would be more durable (spreads the loads out and would prevent fatigue failure due to it vibrating up and down). It looks stout and well braced side to side, but not a lot to prevent up and down vibrations, at least to my engineer's eye.

keep us posted on the progress of your project. Especially pics with your grandfather out on the water would be great.

 

I apprieciate the input although I have done many tests for strength you can lift the back of the boat up from the surface drive without any movement what so ever. Also I've run the boat without any problems

 

He should be proud!
Nice work there Surfacefreak!
You have made her into a rocket!

Hope you will post some running photos too when you can.