Yes, I'm going to install the one for the center seat for rowing facing backwards first, because the first trip will be solo on flat water. Then I can work things out from there. I will buy some oar lock rod holders for the unused sockets.
Boat building
- Thread starter SENC
- Start date
Slow steady progress, epoxy boat building is mostly waiting for something to dry, either epoxy or paint. Although the porch floor enamel I used drys to touch fast it's supposed to cure overnight before recoating. Two coats did a good job but it's difficult to paint the inside and outside at the same time so it was a 4 day job. I'm pretty much down to fitting it out with seats, oar locks and anchor. Almost done so Henry can have his thread back that I hijacked. 
Looking really nice Dave. Another suggestion to think about is getting some of that hard rubber honeycomb matting to put on the floor to protect it from rocks, gravel, studs on wading boots, etc. Or make a couple sacrificial wood pallets to cover the deck (but they can be noisy).
And it needs a name. I think you should call it The Boat.
And it needs a name. I think you should call it The Boat.
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You can do better than that, Doug. ............. Nubs
Henry I to show ya beat him. Been nice watching 2 different styles. Beautiful boat.
As for a name, because it's a fishing boat and because I purchased the plans in 1998. It will be named the FV Procrastinator. Good suggestion on the mats, coincidentally I saw some for pretty cheap at the Ocean State Job Lots store recently.
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Perfect name.
How about"IT FLOATS"? That might work. ......... Nubs
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #250
Looks great, and glad to have had a partner. Hoping you'll start your 2nd boat to keep me company while I finish mine!Slow steady progress, epoxy boat building is mostly waiting for something to dry, either epoxy or paint. Although the porch floor enamel I used drys to touch fast it's supposed to cure overnight before recoating. Two coats did a good job but it's difficult to paint the inside and outside at the same time so it was a 4 day job. I'm pretty much down to fitting it out with seats, oar locks and anchor. Almost done so Henry can have his thread back that I hijacked.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #251
I'm not tempting fate like that!
I am anxious to see your's finished, but I may not start another one soon. I'm really enjoying the project but I find the hurry up and wait aspect of stitch and glue frustrating. I would really like to try a small plank construction boat.
You could name yours, "IT'S SENC'S". ......... Nubs
Okay, I was channeling John Wayne naming his dog "Dog" in the movie Big Jake. How about the American Queen? channeling Humphrey Bogart's famous ride. Ooooh, The Beagle. Yeah, that's the one. Darwinian based. Or Oscar, the name of the cat that survived the sinking of the Bismark.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #255
Finished pulling stitches and epoxying external seams late last week and got the boat outside for a light sanding and for rounding hull bottom-to-side and panels-to-transoms in prep for epoxy and glassing.
Before I do that, though, I need to dry fit the keel (while I have good reference points for the center line) and measure and mark for strakes/runners (to get them lined up with the keel). That meant ripping some African mahogany for those bits (ripped sheer clamps/gunwales while at it). I didn't have 16' pieces of lumber, so will need to scarf pieces together. Futzed around today on jig ideas, will get then scarfed and glued tomorrow.
The one "knock" on this boat design is that many have suffered porpoising. Solutions include wedges on the bottom or adjustable plates on the rear transom that, if dropped slightly below the bottom of the hull, act like trim tabs). My suspicion is that porpoising isn't a design issue, but more likely a result of needing to round over the hull to transom edge so it can be glassed - whereas a sharp edge there is important for correct water flow. I'm planning to build back up to a sharp edge after glassing, but found some old, aluminum manual trim tabs I'll use instead of machining my own plates.
Before I do that, though, I need to dry fit the keel (while I have good reference points for the center line) and measure and mark for strakes/runners (to get them lined up with the keel). That meant ripping some African mahogany for those bits (ripped sheer clamps/gunwales while at it). I didn't have 16' pieces of lumber, so will need to scarf pieces together. Futzed around today on jig ideas, will get then scarfed and glued tomorrow.
The one "knock" on this boat design is that many have suffered porpoising. Solutions include wedges on the bottom or adjustable plates on the rear transom that, if dropped slightly below the bottom of the hull, act like trim tabs). My suspicion is that porpoising isn't a design issue, but more likely a result of needing to round over the hull to transom edge so it can be glassed - whereas a sharp edge there is important for correct water flow. I'm planning to build back up to a sharp edge after glassing, but found some old, aluminum manual trim tabs I'll use instead of machining my own plates.
Another clean looking boat, Henry. I'm no expert on boat design but whenever I've experience porpoising in a skiff or a panga, the solution is usually trim tabs on the stern, or redistributing weight in the boat along with changing the power applied to the motor.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #257
I'm no expert, either, but one thing I've learned in this research process is that every design decision brings both benefit and trade-off. This boat was designed for duck hunting, which generally means a fairly heavy load (decoys, guns, another hunter, dogs) and running in less than ideal conditions. The porpoising I've read about seem to primarily be under lighter loads (like 1 person out fishing) and at higher speeds - not the primary situations for which the boat was designed. Trim/tilt can help, as could ballast up front. But I fully expect a sharper edge at the transom and the manual trim tabs to largely if not completely prevent the problem.
That would make sense to my mind. The heavy weight in the stern of a single person on the tiller, would cause the stern to settle until the hydraulic forces caused it to pop up on plane, only to settle deeper again as the forces on the hull decreased. It would reach a sort of rinse and repeat as long as the speed was held steady. That's probably the simplest way to stop porpoising if you're driving, just lower or increase the speed to find the sweet spot. I'm envious of you guys though, building your own boat like this.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #259
Dave is almost done, so there's gonna be room in this thread for another build. Jump in!
Looks great. It looks so warm there, we still have ice on many of the lakes. I wish I had been able to move outside for sanding. I bet you will have it on water well but waterfowl season.