OB17 Underway downunder.

[sideslippa]

Thanks Louis, sounds like good advice, bit of a pity that Santa got lost. There is a down side to the powerplane...Saw dust and wood fibre all over the shop!! Anyhow, I use 3M brand paper, I start with 36 grit, I sqeegee/ scrape and blot all the glass work. You are dead right time is precious.

Working on stringers and frames at the moment, enjoying the process.

More photos soon.

Regards Steve.

[kdog]

Sideslippa, looks like you're off to a great start. You are gonna love your OB17, just ask Lucky and myself about ours!

Good luck with your build!

[sideslippa]

Thanks Guys.

I would love to hear about your OB 17 boats and what you have done with them, what motors, set up etc etc etc. I am open to suggestions and ideas. Especially anything you would do differently if you built another one.
I did not do much today... Went fishing. It is early Saturday night here. But back to it tonight-stringers.

Steve

[kdog]

Hi Steve, my OB17 is pretty much built as designed in the plans. It's your basic center console with a 70hp Yamaha 2 stroke on the back. I have a 12 gal. gas tank under the casting deck and one battery in the port transom locker. The cockpit is has two 1.5" scuppers that run out the back through the transom, a simple hole in station A for anchor storage and I have two hatches for the transom lockers and 1 hatch in the casting deck for access to the gas tank and storage. The bottom has a skeg like in the plans with strakes on either side. It's basically set up as a simple fishing boat with some rod holders, the basic bow and transom lights and a GPS/fishfinder. The center console has a seat built into the front and I have a bench/locker in the back for seating/storage and use as a cooler. I also have a bimini top for some shade.

As far as what I would do differently there are definitely some things (not in any particular order)
1. I wish I was more careful with flatness of the planing surface at the rear of the boat. Mine had a little hook in it that causes some porpoising problems but it's really not too bad. I believe Jacques added something to the plans to help make sure it's perfectly level.
2. I should have squared off the edge of the transom where it meets the bottom of the hull so it sheds water cleanly out the back.
Both of these problems can be fixed and they aren't really hurting me much so I will get to them eventually.
3. I wish I ran more or larger diameter chase tubes for easier running of additional electrical wires and if I have to remove/service control and steering cables. I can work with what I have it's just a little tight.
4. I probably should have put limber holes through each bulkhead and have them drain aft to a bilge. I have a sealed cockpit with no bilge and I worry if I get water into the console where the chase tubes come out from, it has no where to go but under the sole. Those areas are sealed pretty well but it still bothers me. Also my two transom locker hatches leak and I do get water in there when it rains so they have nowhere to drain into. I should have put some drains that go into the bilge area and a pump but I guess I could still do that.
5. I wish I would have not spent soooo much time fairing and sanding, fairing and sanding so much and just leave well enough alone. I think we can all get caught up in trying to get a show room finish and not know when to stop. I really spent a lot of time on the outside of the hull trying to get it perfect, I even sprayed my primer and topcoat the first couple of times but I ended up getting and awesome finish just using the old roll and tip technique. Plus I can't see the imperfections anyway in the cockpit with all the bait and fish blood and guts everywhere.

I have ran and fished this boat very hard for 3 years and it has never stopped amazing me at how durable and capable she is. I still wouldn't change a thing about it but if I build a new boat those are some of the things I would address. Still she is a work in progress and can be changed/built and adapted to your changing needs.

You can check out my gallery by clicking the builder galleries link on the home page, then hit the user galleries link and my gallery is on page 11.

[JohnH]

G'day 'slippa,

Keep you head down with that cyclone heading your way. Rain might stop your build for a few days.

Regards
John

[sideslippa]

G,Day John, Yep, looks like it is really gunna blow, allready windy here. The worst Cyclone (Hurricane) in decades eh! Dunno Mate, could even get a bit to breezy and damp down your way too.

Hope my shed and plywood doesn't get airborne.

[sideslippa]

Hey Kdog.

Thank you so much for your very,very helpfull reply, It is such an advantage to gain knowledge from your experience with this boat, I will definately put some of your suggestions into my boat.

I intend to build this one as a single side console as it will suit my needs a bit better and help keep more floor space. I will be fitting a MinnKota electric bow thruster (removable), I have one on my exsisting boat and I love it. I was also thinking with the side consol setup, that I would not need any Chase tubes under the sole as I could put them up under the gunwale. Not sure about fuel tank position yet?? The minnkota and its huge battery are fairly heavy items up the front so fuel tank may need to be back further. Outboard is most likly (just about a definate) to be a 90 Etec...same weight and size as 75 so why not!

I was not going to use scuppers. I intend to allow the floor to drain into a bilge sump in the stern and run two bilge pumps , one automatic and one switchable. I can also drain the lockers into it.

Also not going to worry about a skeg or strakes, I am going to use a flat/reverse chine instead.

Well, I was going to go for a nice external finish as well, with a fairly practicle interior. The finish on your boat is fantastic, I have been checking out the photos.

Thanks again Kdog, I look foward to further communication with you. Cheers Regards... Slippa.

[kdog]

No problem Steve, I'm sure Lucky Louis will chime in as well with some notes on his boat.

The side console sounds good and like you said you can route your cables easier. Be careful on your fuel tank placement, with that big motor on the back you want to keep those weights distributed and not get her too heavy in the stern, Jacques would be able to help with that.

One thing about the scuppers is after taking some waves over the bow the water drains out very fast and I think the bilge would take a long time to pump it out. I went that direction because my boat sits on a trailer during the week and I'm not around so when it rains it just drains and I don't have to worry about the bilge not working or a battery going dead.

You have plenty of time to work it all out. I know I changed my mind on a few things as my build progressed.

[sideslippa]

Have been working on stringers. Fair bit of work to get them just right and straight. Still got a bit to go before I can move on to cutting out some more frames and then the panels.


Stringers nearly finished. The extra joins/splices are there because I have used up some scrap ply to make some of the side stringers.



Getting ready to laminate.



Screwed down to cure. This is the rear section of centre stringer.

[Hope2float]

Side

The work looks great.

Dave