FS17 in Connecticut

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remedy32
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FS17 in Connecticut

Post by remedy32 »

Hi Fellow Builders,
Haven't done much to document the progress on this boat. But spring is arriving in New England so it's time to get this project finished.

Project started in August with arrival of plans and a pile of BS1088 Meranti from Maine Coast Lumber. As anyone doing one of these knows, it "looks" like a boat in a hurry......but that's where the work really begins!

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As fall arrived and there was no way I wanted to do the real messy fairing, priming and painting in my attached garage I decided to flip the boat and concentrate on the structural part of the job over the winter. The first flip of the boat was pretty easy with just 2 of us safely turning the bare (bit skinned) hull and getting it on a work cradle. Doing it this way meant that there would be 2 more flips of a MUCH heavier boat down the road. These will be of a hull at around 500# but much stiffer than the flimsy skin only hull.

The plan all along has been to aim for a light, simple but stable boat used mainly to knock-around and fish the immediate coastal area at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Boat needed dry storage, a place for 2-4 to sit or hang onto and a center console 'cause I'm just tired of tiller steering. Power would be 25 to 30 hp max. based on the loads we expected to carry and our modest need for speed. BTW....Jacques' "Planing Analysis" was real helpful in deciding to go with the modest power option. It's worth a look if you're considering this build. I was a bit concerned about keeping dry as the freeboard is a bit low (my opinion only). Following Steve292 in the UK helped a lot and I decided on rocking the gunwale extension to raise the sheer more at the bow than the stern. I would up with an 8" extension which raised the bow sheer by 5" and the stern by 2.5". Happy to say that I like it!

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Progress continued through late fall and winter steadily. Lots of time spent on figuring out storage, gunwale construction and how to make some changes to the transom and splash well (which will be a removable glass over foam structure eventually).
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Yesterday's mission was to get the boat from the work cradle onto my small but very useful trailer.......done! Now boat can be moved in and out as weather allows. This keeps the really messy sanding and stinky Awlgrip primer out in the open.
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OK, that's enough for today but more pictures will be coming as this continues.

Bill in CT
Remedy32

BTW.....pictures are from my gallery.....remedy32/FS17 in CT

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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by Lower »

Boat looks great Bill. I've been keeping my eye on your gallery, watching your boat come together. Glad you started a thread. Look forward to seeing her hit the water! Keep us posted on your progress!

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remedy32
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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by remedy32 »

Been busy rebuilding sailboats for profit ( or so I'm saying) so the FS17 has slowed a bit.

Latest things are managing to get a Yamaha 25 ELR for a fair price that seems to run very well! Thanks to the forum for information that the 703 side mount control can be reversed. Managed to build console from foam core that was around the workshop. Next will be to skin it with glass and one form of resin of another. Should be a lot lighter than 3/8 Meranti for sure. Should also allow for nice rounding of all edges since the foam is 3/4" thick. Might make a mold if it comes out nice enough.

Just about time to flip the hull back over to get the bottom done.

bill in CT

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Cracker Larry
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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by Cracker Larry »

Looking good!

Latest things are managing to get a Yamaha 25 ELR for a fair price that seems to run very well!
http://savannah.craigslist.org/boa/1716934680.html

here's a good deal on a 70 :D

http://savannah.craigslist.org/boa/1717886167.html
Completed GF12 X 2, GF16, OD18, FS18, GF5, GF18, CL6
"Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made." -Robert N. Rose

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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by wegcagle »

I saw that one C.L. It made me think.....Maybe my little 15 fter can handle a 70hp 2 stroke. The weight is less than the 50hp 4 stroke. Then I decided that Jacques puts a max hp for a reason, and I came back to reality. If a 50hp in that condition, that age, at that price, I'll be all over it :D

Will

It would be a great motor for the FS17 8)
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GV15, D4 done! Dreaming about the next one

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remedy32
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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by remedy32 »

Fact was that here in New England it wasn't easy to find many nice 25-35 hp used motors. Lots of folks wanted top dollar for really beat up motors. There seemed to be many more 60-100 hp motors for sale but listening to JM's suggestions I'm sticking with the lower power option. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of 20+ kts. at a bit over 2 gph. Also nice to be able to consider a 9-12 gallon tank as well. After 30 years on sailboats anything over 20 kts seems like warp speed to me.

bill

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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by remedy32 »

Finally back to the FS17! the last few weeks were hectic finishing the extensive refit of a 32' racing sailboat.....but at last in the water and competing.

Managed to get a posse of boat flippers together for hot dogs last weekend and got the boat turned "back" over. It's a lot heavier than the first flip (of just the skin and transom) with the interior structure fully in place. A few diagonal 2x 4's made the gunwale rigid enough to carry the load as we turned it over without much excitement. One more flip to go in about 3 weeks I hope.

When the hull was glassed about 6 months ago I didn't pay enough attention to the "fairness" of the last 8 feet of the bottom. I would up with 2 pretty good sized hollows; the deeper one nearly 1/4". With a lot of 1708 biax around it seemed like a good plan to fill with fabric and resin and not just mud (quick fair etc). To new builders a note to really pay attention to the fairness BEFORE you glass the hull bottom OR be prepared for lots of expensive mudding.

Skeg is 3 layers of 10mm Meranti and will be glassed over with 2-3layers of 1708; should be bulletproof!

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ImageImage
Started making the edges square with some Marine Tex that was around the shop. Forgot what "fun" it is to work with that stuff! But it made a nice hard edge to fair into. Hopefully the boat will get faired next week and painted the following week. Time will tell.

Bill in CT
FS17

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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by steve292 »

Nice work Will
Just one thing, I am sure the lamination sched. calls for the transom to be glassed all over, forgive me if I am wrong but yours doesn't seem to be in the pics. Did you not glass because of intending to using low HP?
Regards,
Steve

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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by remedy32 »

Steve,
Yes it does get glasses. When it was in the garage that side was very hard to reach so I delayed till now. With the boat outside it'll be easy and quick; this week I'm thinking.

Bill

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Re: FS17 in Connecticut

Post by steve292 »

8) 8)

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