Ok complete change of plan

well its been a while, I've been working again and am pretty focused on just earning at the moment, bills are zip so been saving like a mad man. My inclinations are towards the Atkins design at this point. Its cheep, looks like it could take a serious beating and needs few modifications to make it mine.

speaking of which those modifications would be
extend cabin area back to the trunk cabin
loose the trunk cabin in place of covered seating/fishing area
step mast on the floors instead of the deck
scale the whole thing up by 15% ( I hate bashing my head on stuff )

I might also just use the diesel I have since it's identical in size and weight to the one specified, mine has a lot more HP anyway.

I'm going to double diagonal plank the hull and epoxy the layers together. Sandwich of some kind but still working out what kind of wood to use. If I'm impregnating it with epoxy anyway then the rot resistance characteristics of the planking become secondary to its mechanical characteristics so I have a few more options as to planking material. Thats an issue for another thread though. Looks like I'd be doing some strip planking at the flair.

Took a while but I think I finally picked the right boat for the area I'll be cruising. That chine form with a v bottom just seems really easy to repair even once I diagonal the thing together. looks like the pacific northwest is one gigantic rock just waiting for me, so I might as well just plan on some sacrificial Oak as that outer layer of planking and on the chines as well as maybe a waterline skirt for ice, or those ice skirts someone mentioned earlier.



the cabin roof would extend all the way back and the cabin itself would be twice the size as pictured. I'd likely increase the size of the forward skylight as well for more light in the dungeon and get crazy with the trim details. hell I even like the color scheme he has going on that thing.

 

Very glad your'e going to build the Atkin as I too would like to build a modified Atkin. Marcia, a 27' flat bottomed inboard cruiser. I want to use 60hp OB power and make the bottom 3-4" narrower. I also want to build her sans cabin .. as an open OB skiff. I have considerable concern about moving the CG aft that much. I do believe CG should be just aft of center. But it's more complicated than that.
I sure hope you take us along w you on your design modification/building adventure.
I assume you've seriously considered Daiquiri's Comments concerning build difficulty?

Easy Rider

 

I have and am thinking that strip planking at the flair will help deal with some of the issues he mentioned and that double diagonal planking the lower chine will deal with the twist issues by using thinner layers rather than one thick one which would likely need those spline pieces he was talking about. So the first layer would be strip planked, the next two would be on the diagonal. That all important last would be for and aft in steamed white oak. The diagonal stuff might want to be steamed as well I'l have to try it dry and see.

I think Atkins calls for 1 1/4 of yellow ceder planking one layer so I will need to consider the weight of my altered planking which I was thinking of doing by increasing the overall dimensions by x% say 10 or 15. Squared cube rule and all should allow me to build her heavy so I can survive small errors in parking Carma.

Also it allows for a bit more internal ballast to offset the added weight of the extended deck house and deck house roof. I have the bigger engine so driving a larger form through the water shouldn't be a problem

I suppose ideally I would add say 20% to the length ( went from 36'8" to 44' ) 10% to the beam ( went from 10'5" to 11'5" ) and 10% to the height ( went from 86" to 95" ) and ship it on its side to the water, minus deck house, I am stuck in Colorado after all. My thinking is I could ship the deck house separately and crane it into place on arrival. The 10% added beam still puts me at under the 12' limit and using a double drop trailer with a permit which I've done many times on windows Im legal with only the permit. I have plenty of experience shipping tall but not wide loads, so on its side with no deck house I am under 8' even if I add the 10% to the height ( now beam ) and only be fighting the beam ( now height ) down the road.

I could ship it on its bottom but then Im 12 wide and needing chase cars the whole way = expensive
I have about 500 miles to my nearest access to water which is in Omaha all assuming the final decision is to build here rather than there which is a definite consideration cause its going to take me a lot of cash to get from here to the water and from there to Alaska, option being to buy a piece of dirt up there and build a shed/home by the water somewhere. Will have to start looking into land up along the inside passage somewhere and see if the costs offset and by how much.

Planking will be the fun part as far as Im concerned as well as building modular so I can assemble it at the water, I build a lot of complex stuff modular anyway so although it seems like kinda a trick its really no big deal.

 

Bos. every state is a little different on wide load trailer regulations. In Tennessee between 8'-6" to 10'-0" You need nothing except a permit so they can get some money. Permits are for 1 year. From 10'-0" to 12'-0" you need some flagging and a permit but no lead car as long as your on hi-ways/roadways 24' or wider.
narrow bridges 20' you need a flag car or a walking flag person. Above 12' need about everything. Google Colorado wide load trailer regulations plus the other states you will cross and I bet on the interstates they are all the same up to 12'. So you should have no problem getting to Washington. Height wise I believe they are all 13'-6" on the interstates and highways. Stan

 

will do
was just looking at land in alaska
seems there are all kinds of remote sites available and disposable income is not my best thing so I am on the hunt. It would be ideal to have both the boat and a boat house with a small log cabin.

so far I found one on Bull Island for 20k 1,5 acres square lot right on the water and another just up the road from Ketch for 10k but its on a hill.

 

How remote do you really want to be? You seem to like the social life a bit and the conversation and playing cribbage alone is a bore. Go live on your boat awhile till you know the lay of the land. boatboatboatboat 1st.

 

Ideally I would live aboard and trade but I've built enough log cabins to want a place to call home base and hang in until I get board, then I'd be off to town in a flash and back in a week or two. I need a satellite connection and fresh water supply is about it. I suppose a more direct answer would be not more than a day by boat from civilization. The Bull Island site is 18 miles by sea to Ketch which is fine by me, there is no road and I'd likely have to build a landing before I could do much. IE lots of gravel and some kind of floating dock

 

so in Co. I'd have no problem driving it myself
Im under 8'6" wide and under 13' tall if I transport it on its side and without the deck house
but Im not so sure about Nebraska
will have to look it up

looks like if I wanted to hire someone I could ship it intact and on its bottom, still be under 13 wide, so no lead car and still only need a $17 dollar permit, thing is I wouldn't be able to drive it myself at that width with a non commercial license and so I'd be paying about ten to get it to the nearest water and another ten easy to get it to Alaska from there. I might as well buy a piece of land and build a cabin workshop and still have spent about the same amount of cash but end up with a cabin and shop, although there is something to be said for a lazy trip across the gulf and up the west coast. I wonder how much it costs to get through the panama canal ?



I kinda prefer the idea of buying land up near Ketch somewhere and have a few inquiries into some of the local vultures who sell land up there

 

I think I would buy a fixer-upper in the greater town area and take a few weeks to make it liveable and lockable with power, heat, etc and throw up a 20 x 40 bow shed to put the boat into to finish it up. Then your boat becomes your CABIN and you wander where ever.
http://www.by-the-sea.com/stimsonmarine/bowroof.html buy the 6 mil roof while in colorado. will post another bow shed in alaska where the Alaskan 28' is being built. http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/8864
dial up to see the shed

 

Ive done my share of fixer uppers and its a huge money pit just waiting to happen, only way it works out is if you have a pile of extra cash left over from the purchase and nothing better to do with it,

I'll look around in town ( Ketchikan ) but property in town looks pricey and anything waterfront is bound to bust the budget

I just assume arrive in the Atkins and build a remote cabin once I get there for all my stuff. Its easiest that way if I can figure out how to get the boat to the water, if I just built it here. Which I probably cant and not spend another fortune unless I build in pieces and drive it myself. Even then its a pain and its an expensive pain at that.

If I did not change the dimensions at all and just built it the way its designed then I might be able to ship it complete to the west coast but thats pricey as well, I could aim for land in the Portland area and see about just getting it to the Columbia like I was thinking a while back.

oh well I'm sure someone will come along with the right piece of dirt in the right place eventually

by the way if anyone is wondering a class c drivers licence in the state of colorado allows me to drive anything with a combined weight of under 28000lbs or less than 16 passengers

the Atkins is 15000lbs the truck weighs about 7000 itself and the trailer is the wild card, trucks towing capacity straight off the Ford Manufacturers specifications page is

The CGWR of the Fseries trucks towing a Fifth wheel trailer.

F series with 7.3 automatic is:
355....12000lbs
410....17000lbs
513....18000lbs

and I'd be moving the thing without the engine or transmission or drive line in it empty tanks and no stores so my bet is I'd be down around 12000 lbs
if I decide to build it hear and not there.

I have the 250 7.3 diesel with a one ton package and the 513 trans so my truck should be able to do it and within the weight limit of a c class license

 

Boston,
I thought about Ashcroft overlapping planking to make Marcia easier to plank and perhaps more water tight. Also multiple planks should reduce working or flexing and add a bit of strength.
Your'e talking about my back yard now as I like very close to Ketchikan. You may like to know I'm surrounded by mills that custom cut Red and Yellow Cedar. I planed to build Marcia all in Yellow Cedar except the outer topside planks and they would be Red Cedar. The Red Cedar for it's beauty. I think YC should have enough fastener holding power.
Waterfront property (1 acre typ) is about 75K on the Rock (Prince of Wales Is).
I'll get you a website for realtor here.

Easy Rider

 

thanks I have already placed several inquiries in the area and am looking at raw land options, something secluded, there is a waterfront lot on Bull Island for 20k but Stan mentioned that I might like to be a bit closer and he might be right but I dont want to really go over 20k ( Im a cheap ******* ) if I can help it. something at least within sight of the water were I can see the boat would be nice. Water front would be ideal if its in a decent spot and I can park the Bear in front. Edge of town would be perfect but I might not be able to afford it.

B

oh almost forgot
ya the double diagonal lends a lot of both water tight and stiffness to the build and its easy to slather epoxy between the layers so its kinda like a cold molded in that it should be dry inside as well.

Ashcroft is great for a lot of things but the shorter runs of a diagonal planked boat should go round the hull shape easier, I hope. All we used to ever do was traditional for and aft planking so I guess Im in for a learning experience on that one.

the listing I was talking about was through Gateway Realty, someone named Wanda if that rings any bells

 

Good to see you getting close to the Action stage... Go for it Boston, and best wishes...

 

Boston,
Take a look at our realty site. http://alaskaislandrealty.com
Prince of Wales Is is 45 mi wide and 145 mi long. Lots of road, Deer and fish but not many people ..5,000. It's fun to look at the listings. Iv'e been on the Gateway listing before.

Easy

 

nice stuff you have there but way out of my price range. I have a thing for remaining debt free so its going to have to be something under 20,000 and preferably in the 10,000 area, At 20,000 its going to have to scream buy me. Something I can pay out of pocket is a must and something on the water with a decent mooring within sight. The Bull Island site is ok but doesn't have the best mooring in the world as far as I can see from the topo maps. I suppose I could park on the other side of the site but then I would not have direct access and I dont think I could see the boat from the cabin although its a maybe according to the topo map.

if you know of anything Im all ears

I guess if I were a resident there is some kind of remote cabin land rule where you can just stake out a chunk of dirt and apply to put a cabin on it, or something like that

when I bought land a while back here my buddy just handed me the MLS and that worked out great so if you get a wild urge to copy a few pages and send em along dont let me slow you down any. everything under 20k would be perfect and I can root through them and do my own research on topography covenants zoning and so on

thanks
B