TEOTWAWKI Boat

In the beginning there was graphite applied to paper or should I say fingers applied to keys . I'll check thru my goodies, I do think I might have some items to contribute ---Geo.

 

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Good start, Hoyt-going to look nice and handle waves well.....

 

Thanks, Geo.

I like a dry ride, Doug, which I was not getting with the 2013 model.

 

(SOR = Statement of Requirements)

Hoyte, is 10 enough for almost 16' LOA? Looks like you're aiming for a planing hull . . .

 

Hoyt; glad to see that you have decided to build a more commodious and safer boat than Teotwawki is/was.

The little Honda will be adequate if you are attentive about the weight of the boat and the weight of all its contents. Weight is the enemy for decent performance with modest power.

Keep on keepin' on.

 

That's the one most yachties tend to use.

The "purpose" you noted is more the general statement as such. But what is required to fullfill the role? Such as max length, beam,...engines, if any, propulsion, if any, stability requirements, if any, tankage, if any, berths, if any..etc etc.

You then design, or attempt to as I try too, design the boat to satisfy the SOR. Since to "design" something, one needs a target, something to aim at. Otherwise, one just goes around in circles and never knows if the "design" is finished, because what is the objective of the design? Everything needs a "finish" line

Your SOR should be easy and straight forward. But it is worth noting down on paper since such issues, no matter how minor, may well influence the design beyond your first thoughts. Not so easy to do when half built!

PS...good luck

 

Thanks. When it is ready for launch I will meet up with you for a good inspection of it. The hull itself will weigh about 150 pounds if past experience tells me anything. That is what the last one similar to this weighed but it had more stringers so this might actually be a few pounds less. On the other hand, the other one had a 15 inch transom, not 20 inch, so that may make it a few pounds more

 

Thanks, Ad Hoc. The SOR is safe and relatively comfortable passage for 2 in choppy water within sight of the mainland.

 

Coming back for seconds? You are a glutton for punishment. I think you are the only one out of 56000 members to have repeated the process.

A question for you - when you get to a barrier island, do you want to be able to drag the boat above the tideline? This puts a serious weight limit on the craft. You can either build a light and tender craft that can be manhandled up a beach if necessary, or build a brick that can live in the surf zone. The former can be a perfectly adequate sea boat, but it will always feel light and tender. The second can be a lot more comfortable and versatile, but it may seriously limit your choice of landings or the duration of your stay. I'd avoid a no-mans-land boat - one that can't quite be man handled, yet doesn't really offer the stability of a heavier, bigger boat. Can you find plenty of developed camping areas with a little pier?

A. Mac 14. Bare hull about 135 pounds with CB and kick rudder mods. About 4 mm hull, taped seams, no skin, just paint. Built around 1950. Lasted 35 years. You wouldn't want more than a 4hp on it. It was a factory tack and tape build over light, softwood frames.

B. Upgraded to 16'. Bare hull about 350 pounds. 7mm okoume hull. 4mm decks. Mahogany frames and trim. White oak floor boards. Started build in 88' Still in the Keys as of Christmas according to friend who spotted her. You don't just drag this one up the beach. It has to live in the tidal zone. I designed and built her to do that. Bruynzeel Ply on frame built, heavy frames, ply floors every 12 inches between frames, 25mm transom and bow, 17mm ply gussets on frames. Seats, trim, beams got out of 5/4 x 14 mahogany board. It survived two cars wrecks that totaled the cars, fell out of a tree, cartwheeled up a beach in the surf with the mast and sails up. Destroyed a 20,000 pound houseboat that broke loose in a storm and ended up in the slip with my boat. Carried a 25 hp motor after conversion to motor skiff. I used to tie it to my shed to protect the shed from hurricane damage.

 

I visited http://www.floridastateparks.org/caladesiisland/ but never camped there.
I camped at http://www.floridastateparks.org/cayocosta/default.cfm some 20 years past with a similar sized boat equipped with a 15 horse O/B.

This boat will be light weight enough to drag up the beach but can be left at anchor if I so choose.

 

It is to laugh. I have to weigh my boat down with rocks if anyone sneezes nearby . . .

 

Ancient, that's fine if that's what you need or want, but I would have to have built 6 or 7 of them over the past 25 years if I had done that - assuming I had been rescued from the little islands I would have been stuck on. The trades blow 20 - 25 knots for 4 months in the Keys. The Christmas trades run 30 knots for weeks at a time some years. I have canoes and kayaks as well, but not for the barrier islands. That is a tough environment.
The picture of me launching the Mac in the surf was taken at Cape Sable after a freak hurricane that popped up out of nowhere. Clear forecast 18 hours prior. 90 knot winds and 12' storm surge overnight. Of the 20 parties camping on the beach, my friend and I were the only ones that had a boat, a tent, food, and water the next day. None of the canoes or kayakers were able to save their stuff. The entire island went under water for a couple hours and all the tents were in a surf zone. I take expedition rated tents and gear when I head out to the islands. I take concrete blocks with me to dig into the sand and anchor the tent to. I hate loosing stuff. There's a reason these last remaining places are still pristine and uninhabited while a million people are crowded onto the beaches just five miles away. The conditions on those islands are every bit as challenging the alpine environment in the rockies, with the added fun of carrying all your water with you the entire time with no chance to replenish it.

 

You can take strong empty buckets and bury them handle up in lieu of the concrete. It saves weight and holds as strong.

 

Phil, your story reminded me of years ago camping with the family. We had an old army tent that took almost an hour to erect. My kids used to tease me as they saw other families get their tents up in 1/3 the time. Then one night I woke and found myself being lifted by wind under the ground sheet. I got up, doubled the guys, parked the car with one wheel over the upwind peg and went back to sleep. Next morning we woke to an empty field - apart from us. Every other tent had gone overnight, I guess we didn't hear all the cars leaving. Must have been quite a storm we slept through - a couple of trailers in the next field were on their side.

So your right - there is merit in a bit of mass sometimes. But at my age it's nice to have a boat that weights about the same as a loaded shopping bag. The canoe's wood and seem to be a chick magnet: even at my age I can appreciate that . . .s

 

Helooooooooooo Hoyt ;-)