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Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:20 am
by majorgator
I decided to move by build thread to this section, as its more appropriate. The link to my original thread and all the discussion with it is:

http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=16512

The photo gallery can be found here:

http://gallery.bateau2.com/thumbnails.php?album=963

The rest of the build progress will be posted under this topic.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:25 am
by majorgator
So the bottom is completely sanded, and ready to be taped off. As you'll see in the pics, I omitted the sides and bow transom from fairing and sanding. My plans are to paint the bottom of the boat white, then at a later date, paint the sides, bow, and transom black. I'll fair those sections once I complete the inside fiberglass work. I decided to wait because the fiberglass on the inside will wrap over the edges, so it will work better for me to finish the sides later.

It really makes the boat look like one complete uniform piece, which is encouraging :wink: I guess I forgot to take pictures of the fairing process.

Image

Image

Image

Image

I was so excited when I got done sanding...until I remembered that I have to sand after applying the hi-build yacht primer :cry: But its OK, I know that will go a lot faster than what it took after the fairing. We're getting some good temps right now, so if this continues, I may be able to start painting within the next few days. Planning to use roll & tip vs. spraying.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:20 am
by Zack Attack
Looks great, I think this will be the next boat my brother and I build :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:23 am
by Larry B
majorgator wrote:
Image
I think it looks great, and your dog also looks like he's relieved that your done sanding :D :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:47 am
by majorgator
your dog also looks like he's relieved that your done sanding


It was getting late in the afternoon, so she was relieved to know that I could take a break and feed her :lol:
I think this will be the next boat my brother and I build
I think this a fairly simple boat to build, but its extremely time consuming. It just takes a while to cover all that hull space when fairing and sanding.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:58 am
by majorgator
The second coat of yacht primer went on last night. It made a HUGE difference over the first coat. The only problem is that the white color really brings out some of the poorly-faired areas. Well, at least this is the bottom, and I now know how to do a little better when I fair the sides and deck.

pictures to come...

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:48 am
by majorgator
I have an opportunity to purchase a 85HP Yamaha 2 stroke at a really good price. Thoughts on using this for the XF20??? Too much motor?? It weighs about 20 lbs more than the 70HP. :doh: :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:31 am
by Cracker Larry
I think it would be fine Seth. It's got to be lighter than this 4 stroke 60! That's a big boat.

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:57 am
by majorgator
It's got to be lighter than this 4 stroke 60
Yeah, Larry, I checked on that. The 85HP I'm looking at has a listed dry weight of 248 lbs. Without knowing exactly what model Ken used on that boat, the general range I found for a 4-stroke 60 HP (using 2006 year make) is 237 to 248.

I only get a little concerned about pushing the limits of construction for this boat. I know that Hunch used a much larger, older motor on his XF20, but I'm typically seeing 50 to 70 HP motors when the sole is installed. The general design of the boat w/o the sole only considers using a 25 - 30 HP motor. Generally speaking, I'm not too concerned, but I just wanted to float the idea on the forum before I pull the trigger. :lol: :lol:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:47 pm
by majorgator
OK, so I'm going to check out this 1995 model 85 HP yamaha on Friday. The deal is $1100 for the complete motor, wires, controls, & gauges. For an extra $100, I can get the 19 pitch SST prop. But I'm thinking that this pitch is no good for the XF20. Richard, Tom, thoughts?? :idea:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:58 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Seth, great to see you are getting close to flipping your boat. It is looking good.
OK, so I'm going to check out this 1995 model 85 HP yamaha on Friday. The deal is $1100 for the complete motor, wires, controls, & gauges.
I am known for not being popular on here with my opinion, so I wil stay true to form and suggest buying something a little newer. A new Yamaha 50-70 should cost about 5k with controls and wiring. Check it out really good if you buy it. A fifteen year old outboard can be a big problem if it was not well taken care of. The boat can handle a big motor if you build it right :wink:
For an extra $100, I can get the 19 pitch SST prop. But I'm thinking that this pitch is no good for the XF20.
It might work with your prospective motor if it is a three blade, and it would probably be way too much if it is a four blade. I am not a prop guru but I am using a 13 pitch four blade prop on my boat. It has a little too much bite though I have ground it twice to relieve some of the cup.

Shot of the barge....


Image


Richard

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:10 am
by majorgator
I am known for not being popular on here with my opinion
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Sometimes that gets me in trouble with the "liberal-minded" folks I work with...but it still doesn't stop me :wink:

It does help to have a voice of reason from time to time. For this particular motor package, the price is right, but if the motor has been poorly maintained, no price is right. I'm going to think about this today; it may be too soon to be purchasing an older motor. At this very moment, it fits the budget, but I've still got a few months before I actually need it. Then again, if everything checks out OK, and the motor can get me by for a few years without any problems, it may be just what I need. :doh: :doh: :doh: :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 7:34 pm
by Cracker Larry
I sure do like my 70 Yamaha. And it's warranty :wink: :lol: Not that I've needed it. I can get the 70 Yamaha for 5K, without controls or prop.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:56 pm
by majorgator
My grandfather has a 2001 (2002?) model 70 Yamaha. I don't think they've changed that design in at least 10 years :lol: They all look the same, everyone loves them, and they're tough. Hard to go wrong there Larry, :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:17 pm
by majorgator
Here are some pics I took today. The bottom has 2 coats of primer on it now. After doing those 2 coats, there were a few spots that stood out and some other areas that needed attention, so I mixed up some quik-fair took care of them. Plan on sanding the recently-faired areas tonight, then put the final coat of primer on.

One particular note: So far, I've made a home batch of fairing compound with epoxy, microballoons, and silica. However, after using the quik-fair today, I don't think I'll ever make my own compound again. :lol: Using quik-fair was head-over-heels better than my home batch in the "ease of use" category.

Image

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:18 pm
by majorgator
obviously, my picture size is out of whack again... :x :x

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:48 pm
by Steven
This looks like a pretty good deal on a Yammy 90

http://smalloutboards.com/y9093.htm

Doesn't give the year.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:17 pm
by wegcagle
Steven, I'll bet it's a 93 based on the last 2 numbers of the picture URL. I contacted them about the 40 for my boat and it is a 01 and I noticed that was the last 2 numbers. I think they base the site on the horsepower as the first 2 numbers and the year as the last. Just something I've noticed as I watch that site often.

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 7:04 am
by majorgator
The 3rd (and last) coat of primer went on yesterday afternoon. It is evident to me that I should have done a little bit better at the fairing, but for the most part, it looks pretty good. The worst faired spots are on the dead bottom, so I'm not too concerned about them. I'll probably sand it down today, and get it prepared for S3 Top Coat. I think I've read every post from the last 2 years regarding whether to spray or roll & tip, even my own thread I started while back. At best, its been 50/50 with the people on this board, and I certainly do not want to start another discussion into which is the best method.

I've been itching to buy and HVLP sprayer anyway, so I think I'm going to go ahead with that notion. I'm going to try and spray the first coat, see how that turns out, then decide from there. If it looks nice, then I'll give it a shot with the 2nd coat, and so on. If it doesn't give me the results I'm looking for, then I'll switch to roll & tip. Regardless of how well it works, I want to spray the under-decks area after all the framing is in place. But if ANYONE asks, I'm buying the sprayer for trim work on my house :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 10:40 am
by Steven
majorgator wrote:The 3rd (and last) coat of primer went on yesterday afternoon. It is evident to me that I should have done a little bit better at the fairing, but for the most part, it looks pretty good. The worst faired spots are on the dead bottom, so I'm not too concerned about them. I'll probably sand it down today, and get it prepared for S3 Top Coat. I think I've read every post from the last 2 years regarding whether to spray or roll & tip, even my own thread I started while back. At best, its been 50/50 with the people on this board, and I certainly do not want to start another discussion into which is the best method.

I've been itching to buy and HVLP sprayer anyway, so I think I'm going to go ahead with that notion. I'm going to try and spray the first coat, see how that turns out, then decide from there. If it looks nice, then I'll give it a shot with the 2nd coat, and so on. If it doesn't give me the results I'm looking for, then I'll switch to roll & tip. Regardless of how well it works, I want to spray the under-decks area after all the framing is in place. But if ANYONE asks, I'm buying the sprayer for trim work on my house :wink:
I'll watch this with much interest as I'm leaning the same way for paint. One thing to consider is the heat generated if you are using a turbine type sprayer. I'm planning on buying an extra length of hose and coiling it in a bucket of ice water to keep the temp down and prevent too quick a drying. I may still roll and tip the outside. It's really the inside with all the nooks and crannys and under decks that I can't stand the thought of roll and tip on.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:14 pm
by majorgator
Curious Thoughts:
What size bow eye should I purchase?
Drain tubes appear to be 2 3/8" in length. I assume I should buy those and cut them to fit?

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:27 am
by majorgator
First coat of S3 topcoat went on last night using a sprayer. I can't complain about the results too much, but with the temperature and humidity we're having right now, I'm going to go with roll and tip method today. As a result of the weather, the paint is not drying real fast, so there's not too many concerns about getting it "tipped" quick enough. I echo some of the comments I've seen on the forum about spraying vs. rolling: spraying may go quicker, but it takes a lot more time to clean up.

When I got up this morning, the paint was still a little tacky in some spots. The way I read the application guidelines, I'm OK to proceed with another coat based on the finger imprint test. Any thoughts on if I should wait until the paint cures a little more before proceeding? We're going to have great weather, cool and humid, this weekend, so I'd like to get it done in this timeframe.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:38 am
by majorgator
So I now have 2 coats of S3 Topcoat Orcas White on the bottom. I'm very pleased with the roll and tip method used this morning, and it actually took less time than spraying. The coverage is better, thicker, and just plain nicer. Of course, it is the 2nd coat, so some improvements in appearance should be expected. The weather is great right now, about 60 degrees and high humidity. The 2nd coat is nearly dry enough to put on the 3rd coat. I will apply at least 2 more coats, and I believe that I will use the crosslinker in both coats.

There were a few runs from last night's application, so I sanded those down. The runs only occurred on the bow area, so for the 2nd coat, I painted this area without thinning the product.
Image

For nearly the entire flat area, I thinned about 20% with water. I used a 6" close-nap roller and a 3" CHEAP foam brush for the tipping.
Image

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:46 am
by wegcagle
Great Paintjob. I put on 4 total coat on mine and used the cross link polymer for the last 2 coats. She is hard as a rock now, although I am going to have to hit the sander to a few spots because I didn't protect it well enough after the flip :x :x :oops: :oops:

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:16 pm
by Cracker Larry
Looks good from here 8) I used 4 coats of S3 on the inside of mine, every coat looked a little better.
What size bow eye should I purchase?
A big one :wink: 5/16 or 3/8 X 2"
Drain tubes appear to be 2 3/8" in length. I assume I should buy those and cut them to fit?
You can buy them in different lengths, but yes, you have to cut them to fit. Pastor Bob included a tubing cutter with the loaner flaring tool that's passing around. You cut it about 3/16 longer than the hole and flare the tube in place.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:22 pm
by majorgator
Thanks Larry. I just ordered my tubes, so when they get here, I'll go ahead and have the flaring tool shipped to me.
Looks good from here
I definitely have some imperfections in the hull. Once all the bright white gets on there, you can see that I should have done a little better job with the fairing. Oh well, it is the bottom, and I know now how to improve for the interior.

Well, off the put the 3rd coat (1st with crosslink) on. Weather is holding tight at 60. Hopefully, it won't drop too much this evening so I can put the 4th coat on before I go to bed. :P

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:40 pm
by wegcagle
Seth,

I've got the drain tube flairing tool and cutter. So just shoot me an email wegcagle at gmail dot com and I'll send it to you.

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:35 pm
by majorgator
Will -
I just sent you email about the flaring tool. Go ahead and send it, and if someone else needs it before I get around to it, I'll put it in the mail. Thanks.

BTW - 3rd coat of S3 just applied, with crosslinker. Don't know why, but this coat was drying a lot quicker so I had to move much faster 8) Looks real good right now, but I can't wait to get that final coat on there in a few hours. :lol: :lol:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:56 pm
by wegcagle
Got it. I will send it out to you Monday.

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:03 pm
by ks8
The xlinker speeds the S3 LPU set time, as you have discovered. I'm pretty sure it is mentioned in the S3 app notes for the product. It can be quite a challenge at 90°F and low humidity. :lol:

Will you be putting any coats of clear on the topsides? :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:26 pm
by majorgator
Will you be putting any coats of clear on the topsides?
I think that I will put the clear coat on the hull sides, but not the topside. I'm using Orcas White for the bottom, but it may be Whidbey White for the topsides. Already, with just 3 coats, its very bright and glossy. Anyway, the hull sides are intended to be black, in which case I may want the clear coat to really bring out the shine. Are you recommending that I put a clear coat on the topsides? :wink: :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:20 pm
by ks8
Wasn't recommending... just curious. The clear really buffs up glossy. But with black, that gloss will show every imperfection, in a very shiney way. And black will get warm, hot, when the Florida sun hits it. :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:09 pm
by majorgator
Wasn't recommending... just curious
I don't know. It may look really good, but I'm not leaning toward it because I'm going to have some non-skid areas.

And on second thought, it looks like I'm going to paint the sides white...maybe :? I have about 1 1/2 quarts leftover from the bottom painting, and since I'm not using this color on the topside, it seems like a waste to buy more paint. I don't know, we'll see how I feel when the time comes.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:17 pm
by majorgator
All 4 coats of S3 Topcoat are on, so here are a few thoughts I had.

I personally preferred the roll and tip vs. the spray. The 1st coat was sprayed, it took about an hour to apply, and about half an hour to clean up. The roll and tip took about 45 minutes to do, and about 5 minutes to clean. The coating was more even and thicker when rolled. The paint is now dry and void of any brush marks. Last 2 coats had the crosslinker.

I thinned about 20%, except for the bow area. For the last 3 coats, the only runs I had were in the tunnel.

The S3 Topcoat is EASY to use...when its 60 degrees and high humidity. I don't even want to think about doing this in 90+ degrees 8)

Fumes were very minor. I did most of the work with the garage door closed because the wind was blowing pretty hard and I didn't want any leaves or dust settling on it.

I'm not saying its a perfect paint job, but its better than I expected. I guess its a waiting game to see how hard and durable the coating is. I'll try to roll it out in the sun tomorrow and get some good pictures.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:12 pm
by peter-curacao
More tea? yes please! thank you!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:03 am
by majorgator
I rolled the boat out yesterday so that it could get some "sun cure" time. It spent all day outside, getting about 3 to 4 hours of direct sun in the afternoon. I checked the weather before I went to bed: no rain, temps in the mid to upper 30's during the night. I decided to leave it outside overnight so it could be in the sun again today. When I left for work this morning, I noticed that the entire bottom looked as if I never tipped it, kind of like little tunny bubbles all over it. At least its uniform, right :D We did have a light, and very unexpected frost last night, so I figured that it caused some expansion with the moisture that was still in the paint. If I would have known it was going to frost, I would have put it back in the garage.

Its not the end of the world, but I would like to get that smooth look/feel back. What's the best route to go from here? Should I wetsand and buff? Maybe the texture will smooth out some once it heats up? Just not sure how to proceed. Thanks!!!

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:13 am
by slvrlng
Sounds like solvent pop. Are the bubbles in any kind of pattern? Or are they very uniform?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 10:12 am
by majorgator
The pattern is very uniform...looks like it would make a good non-skid pattern :lol: :lol: The final coat was put on saturday afternoon, and the problem occurred early morning today.

Nonetheless, or whatever the reason, I just need a solution that will work the best.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:56 pm
by SaltShaker01
majorgator wrote:The pattern is very uniform...looks like it would make a good non-skid pattern :lol: :lol: The final coat was put on saturday afternoon, and the problem occurred early morning today.

Nonetheless, or whatever the reason, I just need a solution that will work the best.

seth

Seth,

It is from the dew that in turn turned to frost. I am new to bateau building but have restored eight production fiberglass boats. My experience with new paint is that it doesn't like any sort of moisture falling on it until it is well seasoned. It can be sanded out after cure and then you can put another coat on. Other than that you can just leave it if it doesn't bother you.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:37 pm
by majorgator
Got home tonight, and everything was OK. Went ahead and moved it back into the garage and I'm going to leave it there until I flip it (Sunday hopefully).

Image
Image
Image
Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:41 pm
by stickystuff
Knowing where you will be fishing I would hit it with some 220 or 350 then roll on a couple of coats of epoxy/graphite powder mix. I live in the same area of you and know the oyster bars are tough on hull bottoms. The epoxy will seek its own level and leave you a shiny black finish. don't worry about the UV protection because its on the bottom.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:39 pm
by majorgator
Ken - Do you have a good source for the graphite? I did a quick glance at the online store here, but didn't see any. Does the graphite make it stronger/more durable? Thanks!

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:49 pm
by Larry B
majorgator wrote:Ken - Do you have a good source for the graphite? I did a quick glance at the online store here, but didn't see any. Does the graphite make it stronger/more durable? Thanks!

Seth
http://boatbuildercentral.com/products.php?cat=13

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:09 pm
by majorgator
ahhh :doh: Thank you kindly Larry! :lol:

Ken, how much should I purchase to get a good even coat along that big bottom? About how much extra epoxy do you think I'll use?

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:55 am
by majorgator
I have not put the wooden battens on for the rub-rail yet. Though its called out on the plans, and I've heard that its considered "structural" is it really necessary if I plan on building walk-around gunwales, full decks, and a rubber rub-rail?

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:04 am
by TomW
Yes mg the rubrails are structural on these boats. They can however with approval from the designer be replaced with an inwale of the same size. But that means cutting a notch out of each frame for the inwale so you can get the 3/4" x 1 1/2" or what ever size designated into the notch. 2nd just bring all your side decks out over the wood rubrails.

Tom

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:16 am
by gk108
I wouldn't eliminate the rubrails, even with walk around gunwales. Tom's suggestion of moving that structure inboard and building it as a sheer clamp is about the best way keep the clean look on the hull sides and still provide strength. Think of worst case like hitting a dock piling midway between frames. Without a rail or sheer clamp, that force is localized and the deck/hull corner will tend to take the shape of the piling. Hit it hard enough and it will keep the shape of the piling. With a laminated frame behind that corner, forces are distributed to the frames and adjacent structure much more evenly. In other words, it is a vital element to monocoque construction. :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:50 am
by majorgator
Thanks Tom. That's the info I needed. I'll go ahead and proceed with the wooden rub-rail. I wasn't suggesting that I didn't want to do it, but just wanted to make sure it was necessary. By doing the rub-rail now it will allow me to finish off the sides and paint it before I flip it. I assume that the rub-rail is just epoxy-glued to the side panels?

Now, if I could only figure out how much epoxy and graphite I need for the bottom.

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:27 pm
by majorgator
Thanks to you too, GK. You were responding at the same time I was. Great information.

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:45 pm
by TomW
Seth the 8oz they sell in the store should be enough graphite, mix it 2parts resin, 1part hardener, 1part graphite, for a 25% blend. Sift the graphite to get rid of any clumping. As far as epoxy you want 2-3 coats. How much did you use wetting out the cloth and go from there it won't take that near that much of course. I don't know if anyone has ever figured it out by sq ft per gallon. Maybe you can be the first and have the answer for the next guy that asks. :D

Tom

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:31 pm
by ks8
Yes, the rubrails are epoxy glued to the sides. As is so often the case, mix in some wood flour to get ketchup consistency for an epoxy *glue*. :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:10 pm
by stickystuff
Tom pretty much hit the nail on the head. Like he said , sift it and remove any clumps. If it is hot outside move quickly. If it starts to kick then stop or you will get a very gooey mess and it will not lay down smooth. If you give it a second coat wait until it is hard to touch and then give it a second coat. You can probably do the bottom with about 1/,2 to 3/4 gallon of epoxy mix.It will go a long ways when you are not mixing it with the fiberglass. It will dry to a very hard and shiny finish. Make sure you mask off the edges with visqueen so no runs will occur on your sides. Hold the masking line about 2" below the bottom. Once it tacks up and is almost set up pull the tape off so it leaves a nice clean line.You can get graphite at West marine in Crystal River or just order on line at Bateau. It is not expensive at all. All you need will cost less than $20.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:19 pm
by cape man
Seth, I didn't do this but read somewhere on this forum (after I coated my bottom)that it is best to add the epoxy to the graphite, making it thinner and thinner as you mix. This gives a better mix and eliminates a lot of the clumping some have had (like me!).

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:49 pm
by majorgator
I like the idea of using graphite, and probably should have used it instead of the topcoat. However, after much deliberation, I've just decided to leave it the way it is. I'd hate to know that I spent all that time (and money) on 4 coats S3 Topcoat just to cover it with graphite. I really believe I should have done the graphite instead, but what's done is done :cry: This won't be my only build, so I will make sure to use the graphite on my next one. I really appreciate the good ideas and thoughts from everyone (don't want to be ungrateful). I'm still on the fence, though, but leaning more toward not having the graphite at this point. This is one of those times when its just hard to make a decision. :doh: :help:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:19 pm
by cape man
Hey Seth,

Stop beating yourself! :lol: :lol: I didn't read where you had already put three coats of top coat on. Heck no don't use graphite!!!! Like you said, save it for the next one.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:49 pm
by Larry B
majorgator wrote:I like the idea of using graphite, and probably should have used it instead of the topcoat. However, after much deliberation, I've just decided to leave it the way it is. I'd hate to know that I spent all that time (and money) on 4 coats S3 Topcoat just to cover it with graphite. I really believe I should have done the graphite instead, but what's done is done :cry: This won't be my only build, so I will make sure to use the graphite on my next one. I really appreciate the good ideas and thoughts from everyone (don't want to be ungrateful). I'm still on the fence, though, but leaning more toward not having the graphite at this point. This is one of those times when its just hard to make a decision. :doh: :help:

seth
Seth, don't worry about it. I have about 2 coats on my FL14 and the beach at the lake, is sharp rock, ain't no sand just very sharp rock. I've run it up on the rock and it scuffs it up some but that about it. That s3 is pretty tough stuff. Oh and did I mention, this is some old s3 that didn't use the cross linker :doh: Like Cape Man said, use the graphite on the next one.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:06 pm
by majorgator
:help: Someone stop me before I become totally self-destructive to my budget and schedule :wink: I had a good conversation with Ken tonight (thanks for taking the time Ken :D ) about the graphite. I'm going to spend a few more days just pondering it. I know I can't go wrong either way.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:15 pm
by cape man
Someone stop me before I become totally self-destructive to my budget and schedule
TOO LATE!!! :help: :help: :help: SOMEONE CALL 911 :help: :help: :help:
Critical case of BBV occurring in High Springs!!!! :help: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Will wait to see what comes out the other end of this one 8) 8) 8) 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:22 pm
by majorgator
Critical case of BBV occurring in High Springs!!!!
I have to play it cool just to look normal 8) If only my wife knew what this was doing to my fragile emotional state :help: I can only use the excuse "the more I work on the boat, the quicker you can have your garage back" for so long.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:30 pm
by Cracker Larry
I can only use the excuse "the more I work on the boat, the quicker you can have your garage back" for so long.
So....you haven't told her about the next boat, yet :P :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:15 am
by majorgator
So....you haven't told her about the next boat, yet
I care too much about the finer things in marriage to even bring that up yet :wink: Besides, I'm still working on how to tie in boatbuilding with the excuse I'm fabricating for building a shop. "Honey, not only will I let you park in the garage again, but if I build that shop, I can move all the rest of the junk out of the garage so you can open your doors when you pull in." :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:20 am
by majorgator
I can move all the rest of the junk out of the garage
Wait, did I say "junk"? :doh: Now I am starting to sound like my wife. We all know that the misc. tools, materials, and fabrication components I have are completely useful. They're meant to save money, time, and allow life as we know it to continue blissfully. I don't bring home "junk", only valuable items that assist not only my projects, but our family in general :roll: :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:22 am
by cape man
Don't forget these..

Image

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 8:26 am
by majorgator
So regarding the rubrail:
I was looking to purchase the rubrail offered on the Bateau site, the flat dimension where it mounts to the boat is 1-3/8" wide. I'd like to plan on using 2 laminated strips of 3/8" (total thickness of 3/4") ripped to 1-3/8" width. This should allow for nearly perfect mounting of the rubrail. For a little added protection/strength, I would like to run a narrow, single length of fiberglass tape and epoxy along the bottom side, then seal off the topside when I do the interior glasswork. I hope that explains it well enough.

Thoughts??

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:19 am
by majorgator
I need some help on figuring out what size fuel line I should buy for my Yamaha 85HP 2-stroke. Will a 5/16" line provide sufficient fuel flow? I don't see why it wouldn't, but I just want to make sure. :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:37 am
by SaltShaker01
majorgator wrote:I need some help on figuring out what size fuel line I should buy for my Yamaha 85HP 2-stroke. Will a 5/16" line provide sufficient fuel flow? I don't see why it wouldn't, but I just want to make sure. :doh:
I personally would go with 3/8" for a short run from a portable tank in the rear to the outboard. I usually will run a 5/8" fuel line from the tank to the racor when the tank is amidship and the racor is by the transom then run a 3/8" from the racor to the engine.

Trust me you do not want to starve a two-stroke of fuel or oil. Also do not skip the racor. It is a must with todays poor quality ethanol gas.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:46 am
by cape man
I ran 3/8" from the tank in the foredeck to the engine with a water/fuel separator/filter in the stern starboard hatch. If I remember correctly it was 15 feet of hose total. 40hp 4 stroke. While they are very proud of all fuel lines, you don't want it to not carry enough fuel, and there's not a huge difference in total price. I wouldn't use the 5/16".

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:53 am
by Cracker Larry
Another vote for 3/8. That's also the standard fitting size on the fuel tanks. 3/8 for fuel feed, 5/8 for vent line, 1 1/2 for fill. Make SURE you buy the type A hose rated for alcohol fuels :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:56 am
by majorgator
Also do not skip the racor
Definitely not! I've got about half a dozen saved on "My eBay" right now :wink: :wink: Gone are the days of a small inline fuel filter only :cry:
Another vote for 3/8
Yeah, not sure what I was thinking. My other boat has a 3/8" line, and it is the size on my new fuel tank.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:17 pm
by SaltShaker01
Are you still going to flip her this weekend?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:36 pm
by majorgator
Are you still going to flip her this weekend?
Actually, I decided to go ahead and paint the sides first. They'll be easier to paint now than once its right-side-up. This comes after deciding also that I was going to install the wood rubrail, which takes care of my concerns about fiberglass wrapping over the side. Also, I'm going to put the graphite coating on the bottom. If everything goes right, I'll be flipping it 2 weekends from now.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:35 pm
by majorgator
Got the first section of rubrail installed today. Hope to put the second thickness on tomorrow, then lay a little fiberglass over it. This dadgum cold weather makes my glue not want to dry so I can't do more than one step a day right now :cry: :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:59 pm
by wegcagle
I forgot to let you know, the flairing tool was sent out Wednesday. Just an FYI.

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:48 pm
by majorgator
Yeah, I was going to send you an email because I hadn't received yet. No problem, I just wanted to make sure it didn't get lost in the mail :wink: Thanks!!

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:42 pm
by majorgator
One more task complete...time to resume boatbuilding :wink:

This started slowly...
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but it picked up...
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he wasn't much help...
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neither was she...
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but somehow it got finished up this morning...
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I was able to get the rubrails on last weekend...
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Next step is to sand the bottom paint and prepare for graphite

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 7:19 pm
by stickystuff
Now for the cat on a hot tin roof.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:15 pm
by majorgator
Now for the cat on a hot tin roof.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Couldn't have picked a better weekend...hardly broke a sweat and not a drop of rain :D

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:25 pm
by cape man
Nice roof Seth! Boat's coming along too...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:26 pm
by ks8
Nice x2. :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 5:36 pm
by majorgator
Thanks everyone. I hope to get some sanding done after this week, then lay the first coat of graphite on Friday.

When I got to work this morning, I parked next to our's president's boat (always in our parking lot), and I thought "man, I should just hook it up and head to Crystal River." Beautiful day, mid-60's, mid afternoon shower and sunny late afternoon...maybe this weather will hang around. :wink: :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:36 pm
by majorgator
Graphite is done, well mostly. There are a few light areas that will need a little more attention, but for the most part, I'm pretty happy with the way it looks. It definitely is very slick now 8O 8O and the black is nice and shiny, very reflective 8) 8)

if you put your face right next to it, you can count the wrinkles (not that I have too many yet, but still...)
Image

yet another reason NOT to own a cat
Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:59 pm
by majorgator
The jack plate I purchased was used, and thus did not come with a switch. I went to Bob's the other day and bought one, but then I started to (over)think this whole thing :lol: Generally when running, you want to be able to control EITHER the trim and tilt or jack plate. If you have a jack plate, then that's most important to control over the the T & T :?: :?: And since you want to adjust the jack plate while the boat is going to plane, it would be better to have the switch located on the throttle control near your hand. Therefore....couldn't I just re-route the wires on the control for the T & T to the jack plate, and then just use the switch on the motor for T & T??

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:51 pm
by stickystuff
Look up teleflex on the internet. They make a double switch that mounts underneath your steering wheel. It is like a double turn signal switch except one lever is on port side and other is on starboard side. Steer with both hands and just move lever up or down with your finger while driving. One works tilt the other works trim. Very easy to hook up.Y ou can buy them online or most dealers can get one for you if they are not in stock. Hands free trim switches.Only way to go. I love them.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 8:58 pm
by majorgator
Thanks Ken...something like this is what I assume you're talking about:

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:01 am
by stickystuff
Thats the one. You will love it.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:01 am
by Dog Fish
Image

That looks like a cool set up.

Brian :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:40 am
by cape man
You can also mount the switch for the jackplate on the side of the throttle just below the handle. secured with a tie wrap. Allows you to hold the wheel and throttle while working the plate. Not as nice as the switches on the wheel, but I had the switch and no money. Can't see it real well in this picture, but the wire comes through the console just inside of the throttle.

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:35 pm
by majorgator
Well, no more excuses. Pressure's on to wrap this thing up (sorry SaltShaker, flipped it on a whim this afternoon and had plenty of folks here)

Image
Image

Sweet, sweet squareness 8) 8)

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:34 pm
by cape man
Sweet, sweet squareness
Most folks would not appreciate what that means :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:15 am
by ks8
Nice! :D

And now.... fun.... part deux. :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 7:01 am
by majorgator
Most folks would not appreciate what that means
It was one of the best "feel good" moments I've had in this process :wink:
And now.... fun.... part deux.
Fillets during the evenings this week. Interior glass and stringers next weekend. Framing over the next two weekends after that......Builder's Meet in May :?: Its gonna be tough :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:09 pm
by ks8
Maybe without paint? :) If she isn't bashful....

Else take your time without regrets. :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 2:28 pm
by Larry B
If everything goes right, I'll be flipping it 2 weekends from now.
Not bad, only 1 week off :wink: I can usually estimate a time frame if I allow myself a 6 month window 8O 8O
btw, boat is looking great :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:59 am
by Tex 2009
Major G, how did you put the graphite on? Was it roll and tip or just roll on? Does the graphite make a ridge where it buts the taped off area or is it a flat edge?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 12:07 pm
by majorgator
I put the graphite on with a foam roller, no tipping. For me, it didn't turn out quite as good as I was hoping, because I put it on too thick. I spoke with Richard afterwards, and he said that it has to go on real thin. It would have made a big difference in the finished product, as I ended up with quite a few very tiny tiny bubbles. Still looks very good though, nice and shiny, but you'll never see the bottom of this boat :wink: I put on 2 coats, plus a touch-up 3rd coat on a few spots. There is a tiny ridge where it was taped off, maybe 1/64". Its just enough that you can catch your fingernail on it. I don't see any reason to do anything about it.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:10 pm
by majorgator
Inside fiberglass went in today. Just like the bottom, I got a few spots to fix up, but overall it looks good. And I'm most thankful that I don't have to sand it because it will generally be below deck.

I did not install the transom board yet, so that area has not been laminated. However I don't see any reason to use 1708 for this purpose. Just some 12 oz cloth will do. Now that I'm done with all the 1708 uses, I can officially say that I hated every second of working with it. Talk about some stuff that doesn't bend over ANY corner and swallows up gallons of epoxy in no time at all. Sheesh. I know we've kicked around the thought of using 2 layers of 1208 instead, so I wonder if Jacques has considered the pros or cons to that?

BTW - I've now went through 18 gallons of epoxy, which includes the graphite on the bottom. And I still have to tape the frames, stringers, and decks, as well the fiberglass on the deck and other misc. fabrications. Maybe I've been a little wasteful, but I don't I've been too bad. Looks like I'll be calling Joel soon.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:31 am
by ks8
You think you'd bring her to the meet with only primer? The calendar is flipping fast. Enjoy the build instead of a deadline. :)

As soon as there's enough structure in a picture or two, go get your HIN and Regi so there are no last minute surprise delays, if you are still trying to make it. :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:33 am
by majorgator
If she's not 100% done, she won't be at the meet :wink: I've got to get more than the primer done, so I can hide some of the defects. :wink: :wink:
As soon as there's enough structure in a picture or two, go get your HIN and Regi so there are no last minute surprise delays...
Good idea. I'll get started with that as soon as there's a deck in place.

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:24 am
by Larry B
majorgator wrote:
BTW - I've now went through 18 gallons of epoxy, which includes the graphite on the bottom. And I still have to tape the frames, stringers, and decks, as well the fiberglass on the deck and other misc. fabrications. Maybe I've been a little wasteful, but I don't I've been too bad. Looks like I'll be calling Joel soon.

seth
Seth, looks like your pretty close to what others and myself are doing with the epoxy :D XF20 calls for 9 gallons, looks like you will be into the 20's 8O , OD18 calls for 7 gallons, CL was 21, Craig was 21 and I'll be around 25 :help: But you know we all build these different than each others, I just figure it's going to take as much as it takes 8O

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:27 pm
by majorgator
XF20 calls for 9 gallons, looks like you will be into the 20's
Without looking at my plans, I believe the BOM for epoxy is 15 gallons when installing the sole. I might be wrong, but nonetheless...Ken told me that he used 13 gallons of epoxy on the double-layered bottom of the XF20 he built a few years back. Oh well...what's a little more money, right :cry: :cry:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:32 am
by majorgator
So I'm trying to figure this one out...
I've got the wooden rubrail installed, and its cut so that the rubrail sold on eBoat will fit perfectly. But, I totally omitted the angle of repose that the rubrail would have (I did it when the boat was still upside down) when cut straight and laid flush. Also, I didn't put much thought into how the decks would line up with the edge of the boat. As of this moment, I have NO IDEA as to the best way to go about addressing this issue. Pictures are below....and anyone's insight (no matter what it is) will be appreciated. And forgive me, I haven't squared up the rubrails yet :D Thanks...Seth
Image
Image
Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:00 am
by Steven
Just fill the void with epoxy putty and then grind to the desired shape. If I recall from CrackerLarry's build, he wished he had made the joining coners vertical, as opposed to the same angle as the hull corner. This makes wrapping the rubrail around the corner easier. However, he used different type of rubrail. With the type you are using, two piece rigid with insert, you might have to miter the rail at the corners anyway.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:55 am
by cape man
Seth,

You have a couple of options as I see it. Build the rub rail up to the level of the deck. Take the inside of the sheer line down to the rubrail with a grinder (I don't like that idea). Round the transition over to the level of the deck. I think the latter will look the best.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:36 am
by wegcagle
Seth, on mine I basically did Craig's first suggestion. I found the correct angle to make the deck flat, then I set my circle saw to that angle and went to town taking it down to the shear line. It did a good job of making it flat and even, but I did have to get the sander/grinder after quite a few areas to get it right. If I had it to do again I think I would do Craig's second suggestion. I just didn't think of it at the time :oops:

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:15 am
by Cracker Larry
I used suggestion 2, but used a block plane rather than a grinder. A much friendlier tool :D It only took about a half hour with the plane. Use a straight edge across the sheer as a guide for level.

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:24 am
by wegcagle
This is why I should ask more questions, and stop working so damn hard :oops: :lol:

Oh well, as long as your happy with the end result anything extra is just gravy :D

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:56 pm
by majorgator
thanks for input guys...I'm headed to bed now, so I'll try to read these things again over the weekend and see if I understand them...LONG week, lookin forward to Boca :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 10:03 pm
by majorgator
Well I decided to put aside things like work and chores and honey-do's and all the other things I really need to be doing so I could work on the tower. The platform will be 12" above the rear deck, and the front legs will extend to the sole. I left them a little long because I'm not sure about the exact length right now. There will be a small round-box-like console on the front between the 2 posts, but I'm not going to cut those bent pieces until later. It will have a leaning post-type seat, foot rest, grab rail on the back with mounted rod-holders. I haven't decided what the platform will be made of, either aluminum or starboard. Anyways, we got a good start on it...we were able to put some modest bends on the 4 posts, and some really good bends on the seat supports. The material is mill-finished handrail. It will be either painted or powder-coated.

Image
Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 5:08 pm
by cape man
That'll be cool Seth.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 6:40 pm
by wegcagle
Nice 8) that's gonna be a serious platform.

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 7:25 pm
by majorgator
I can't wait to see the finished product. Its not going to have the amount of curves like towers that are built using benders, but hey, what should I expect with a steel frame, block of wood and hydraulic jack :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:29 pm
by ks8
I just may have to learn how to weld. Looking forward to seeing it fitted to the boat. :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 1:56 pm
by majorgator
Well, just an update here. I've got all 4 stringers glassed in and epoxy on the non-glassed areas. All of the small patchwork with the 1708 on the hull is done. I took a block plane and flattened out some of the top edges, as suggested by CLarry. It doesn't take long at all. I've got the front bulkhead clamped in place. After I fit the rear bulkhead, I'll tab them in with glue and then tape the seams along the side.

I went with the 4 stringers vs. the two shown on the plans. After they were assembled, I clamped them together and planed the edges slightly so that all 4 were identical.
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Funny how some people always find there way into the picture, even though they're not really much help.
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Here are the stringers glassed onto the hull. I've got a little bit of trim work to do on the excess glass that's hanging over.
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Don't forget the weep holes. I glassed right over them with the tape with the intent to cut out those areas later. I have considered, though, just putting a piece of 1 or 1 1/2" pvc into a hole cut with a hole saw, then sealing up the edges with some 5200. It would be a clean option instead of just having rough-cut holes.
Image
Image

Here is the front bulkhead. I've got it clamped in place and leveled up (with the weight of paint cans :wink: :wink: ). I brought the bulkhead to the top of the gunwale. As a result, I will bring the decks and 8" wide gunwales to the outer edge of the boat (as suggested by Richard and TomW).
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I'm still doing some figuring on space requirements before I cut and install the rear bulkhead. Contrary to some of the previous posts, I'm actually going to install a standard console. I really like the tower idea, and I was excited about the partially built one behind my shed, but I think I'll be better off with the center console.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 2:48 pm
by Steven
Coming along nicely. I prefer the look of the cutouts over round holes if you are not putting on a sole. The stringer notches in your frame are pretty generously sized. Gonna eat a lot of epoxy. Just big enough not to touch is good.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 4:50 pm
by majorgator
Steven wrote:
The stringer notches in your frame are pretty generously sized. Gonna eat a lot of epoxy.
I did make a mistake when cutting them out, but I also moved the frame to a slightly different location vs. where it started. It doesn't make any difference, though, because I'm not going to fill in those areas with epoxy or glass. I'll leave the notches open and glue a bearing strip on either side so that the frame will have lateral support against the stringers. I left the bottom portion on so that I could drill holes and use a supports for pipe chases. I'll probably remove the bottom all-together on the rear bulkhead.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 12:09 am
by Steven
majorgator wrote:
Steven wrote:
The stringer notches in your frame are pretty generously sized. Gonna eat a lot of epoxy.
I did make a mistake when cutting them out, but I also moved the frame to a slightly different location vs. where it started. It doesn't make any difference, though, because I'm not going to fill in those areas with epoxy or glass. I'll leave the notches open and glue a bearing strip on either side so that the frame will have lateral support against the stringers. I left the bottom portion on so that I could drill holes and use a supports for pipe chases. I'll probably remove the bottom all-together on the rear bulkhead.

seth
Gotcha. As long as that is not a specified frame location that should work good.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:50 am
by majorgator
Steven wrote:
Gotcha. As long as that is not a specified frame location that should work good.
The bulkhead is in the general area of one of the required frames. However, I will be attaching the sides to the hull, and the bottom to the sole. There will be a full deck on the front and some level of gunwales for extra support. I know what you're thinking, but this ole girl won't be lacking in strength, that's for sure :wink:

My current thought is to put a console as shown below, with a cooler seat in front. The seating will be on the aft deck, either by way of cushion or stubbed up leaning post. I expect that I will put the livewell behind that, over top and beginning in front of the tunnel. Directly behind the front deck, I'm considering a molded-in insulated fishbox, about 18" x 42". That's what I've come up for now, but God knows that'll change within the next hour or so :wink: :wink:

Image
Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:27 pm
by chlli willie
Hello Major,Its gettin there,lookin good . I thought i would be done by now -how about you? Did you paint over the graphite?
Thanks for posting pictures.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 8:53 am
by majorgator
chillie willie wrote:
Did you paint over the graphite?
Quite the opposite. I sanded the S3 LPU down to the primer, and coated graphite over that. Bottom is now black and shiny...and slick and hard :lol:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:09 pm
by majorgator
I'm preparing to tape the bulkheads to the hull sides. My first inclination is to use 2 layers of tape each side and on both ends. Before I go overboard though, would one layer of tape be sufficient? I haven't put just a single layer of tape at any joint so far, so I'm not real inclined to do it here unless I get some good feedback that its OK.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:38 pm
by Cracker Larry
What do the plans say ? Or don't say :doh: I'm sure you've checked that. I'd go with 2 layers unless it is specified otherwise.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:03 pm
by cape man
Seth,

Just my $0.02...After riding through the chop down in Boca with Richard in Red Alert, I would put two layers if you can swing it. Very shallow boat, but it really is a bumpy ride in a chop. Nothing like the assurance of well taped stringers and bulkheads under that deck. Our OD18 plans call for just glueing the stringers down, but after watch CL I too taped them down and am really glad I did. Like the XF20, the OD slaps pretty hard sometimes, and I just smile knowing I am solid below. Running fast across a tight chop creates a lot of rapid force along that hull and the double tape has got to help.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:10 pm
by majorgator
I'm not real sure what the plans say because these are supposed to be frames, not bulkheads. Maybe it doesn't make too much of a difference. 2 layers it is! I don't know why I even questioned myself :wink: Thanks guys!

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:14 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Seth, I used two layers of tape for attaching my bulkheads to the side panels. I didn't notch my rear bulkhead around the stringers, just the front one. I taped both of them to the sole with one layer of tape. No cracks or problems so far with the bulkheads.

The inside of your boat looks great. I can appreciate the difficulty of working with 1708 inside a hull, XF-20 builders for sure won't win any pretty lamination contests :wink: The 1708 is a pain in the butt isn't it?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:11 am
by majorgator
Aripeka Angler wrote:
The 1708 is a pain in the butt isn't it?
That's an understatement :wink: Some new XF20 builders sent me an email the other day with questions related to this build, and I suggested that he contact Joel & Jacques about using 2 layers of 1208 in lieu of the 1708. If I had to do it over again, that would be my choice.
Aripeka Angler wrote:
I didn't notch my rear bulkhead around the stringers, just the front one.
Same here :lol: :lol:
Aripeka Angler wrote:
The inside of your boat looks great.
Thanks! I'm starting to see the end in sight. Didn't I tell you guys June/July?? Darn those time frames :wink: :wink: :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:58 am
by cape man
Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:31 am
by stickystuff
............Their is nothing in writing that says you have to use 1708 or 12.. Its up to the builders discretion how bullet proof he wants the hull bottom. The 1708 is def. the way to go but more work and more costly. If you live in an area that does not have the oyster bars or rocks then it is not neccessary. This is my personal thoughts on this.I still believe in the epox/graphite bottom though.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:19 am
by tech_support
Some new XF20 builders sent me an email the other day with questions related to this build, and I suggested that he contact Joel & Jacques about using 2 layers of 1208 in lieu of the 1708.
1708 is used to build up thickness. two layers of 1208 would use a lot more epoxt and be a lot heavier than needed. two layers of 1208 would be 40 oz of glass. Two layers of 1200 (12 oz without mat, same glass as the tape) would give just about the same amount of glass, in terms of glass weight, as 1708, but it would not be as thick as the one layer of 1708. The matt layer of the 1708 absorbs epoxy like a sponge and makes for a thicker laminate. Either way is fine, its just a matter of how much overkill you want

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:52 pm
by ks8
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
cape man wrote:Hey you still might finish by June or July... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
:)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:05 pm
by cape man
Seth,

Remember that's coming from a guy with almost 8 years (or is it more KS?) in a small sailboat.... :D :D :D

I had a Christmas deadline...just didn't say which one. :roll:

You're getting there. Keep building brother!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:25 pm
by ks8
Count the laughing smilies. Ready to launch in 7 years, but I think she hit water at nearly 8. Still finishing up last few details, but remember, I planned for all sorts of swappable details, so technically she may never be *finished*. :lol: But technically, she is finished, cept for some final interior paint and getting seals for the wood hatches. I never did a precise count, but I'm wondering if she hit water 7 years, 7 months, 7 days, 7 hrs, 7 minutes and 7.7 seconds after the first cut? Yes, it was all planned.... :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:30 pm
by majorgator
stickystuff wrote:
Their is nothing in writing that says you have to use 1708 or 12.. Its up to the builders discretion how bullet proof he wants the hull bottom. The 1708 is def. the way to go but more work and more costly. If you live in an area that does not have the oyster bars or rocks then it is not neccessary. This is my personal thoughts on this.I still believe in the epox/graphite bottom though.
shine wrote:
1708 is used to build up thickness. two layers of 1208 would use a lot more epoxt and be a lot heavier than needed. two layers of 1208 would be 40 oz of glass...Either way is fine, its just a matter of how much overkill you want
I only went with the single layer of 1708, but I was on the fence about adding the 2nd layer. Had I have used the 1208, I would have probably leaned toward the 2 layers...but hindsight's 20/20 I guess. I figured that either way is acceptable. I believe I read where the earlier designs of this boat called for a single layer of 1208? Either way, the way we're doing it is certainly better than the original microdrafts :wink: :wink:

Thanks for the encouragement Craig, and yeah, I've been following ks8...lots of smilies there :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: New goal: Thanksgiving. I want to be able to fish the low-tide creeks with it this winter. But football season is right around the corner, so I'm basically screwed :?

Got a little more done this weekend. The bulkheads are glassed in the sides, next thing is to begin the framing (I think). Also, I took the edges down flat at the rubrail. It was suggested that I use a block plane, but why do that when a power-planer is available :help: :help: Sure made short work of the edges.

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Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:31 pm
by cape man
Now we're cookin' with gas!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:44 pm
by majorgator
Cape Man wrote:
Now we're cookin' with gas!
Speaking of gas, I'm going to fit the fuel tank this week :lol: :lol: :lol:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:59 pm
by cape man
Sweet. What did you end up getting (I can't remember and am too lazy to go back through your thread)?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:17 pm
by majorgator
Craig, I got the 18 gallon shown below. I believe its the same one that Richard has. Going to place it front of the front bulkhead.

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Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 9:41 pm
by stickystuff
Make sure you face the fuel pickup tube to stern.I goofed when i built the one and when under power fuel would go to stern and would not pick up when fuel got low. :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 6:09 pm
by majorgator
stickystuff wrote:
Make sure you face the fuel pickup tube to stern.
Yep :wink: I'm going to put a very minimal slope to stern as well...I think.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:34 am
by cape man
Yep I'm going to put a very minimal slope to stern as well...I think.
No need. Trim up the nose if you are running out of gas. Mount it level and then you can fill it all the way.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 10:26 am
by Cracker Larry
Yep, mount it level. The boat will run slightly bow up anyway.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:13 pm
by majorgator
Cracker Larry wrote:
Yep, mount it level. The boat will run slightly bow up anyway.
Cape Man wrote:
No need. Trim up the nose if you are running out of gas. Mount it level and then you can fill it all the way.
Yep agreed :lol: Upon further thought, being level or slightly tilted is all relative to the seas you're in :wink: :wink:

Made some good progress over the weekend. Found some good #2 southern yellow pine, generally free of large knots. Got the clamping board cut and mounted (not permanently yet). Installed the bow eye and backer board; a 2 x 12 x 20"(L) should do the trick (again, not permanently mounted). The fuel tank is fitted, the framing boards are ripped...and the ideas are swirling in my head. I originally wanted a built-in insulated fish box, but now I'm not real sure that's the best way to go vs. a high quality, well-mounted cooler. Either way, I figure that can be mounted/built directly behind the front bulkhead. I'm pretty well decided, though, that a built-in livewell (maybe 10 gallons or so) can be placed centered about 12" behind the rear bulkhead. Now, to figure out the rod-lockers...or not :oops: :oops:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 11:06 pm
by cape man
Go Seth! Now's the fun! I use the long locker on the starboard side of my foredeck as a fish locker when fishing. Not insulated, but it holds ice for a day no problem. It melted by the end of the second day down in Boca, but the water was still ice cold for the few trout me and the kid caught.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:59 pm
by majorgator
hmmm...fishbox in the foredeck... :doh: :doh: With over 7 feet of deck, I think I could squeeze that in :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:38 pm
by majorgator
Gotten quite a bit done recently.
framing of the sole:
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primary framing for the front deck. established anchor locker area. the bulkhead for the anchor locker is the cut-out of the hull for the tunnel:
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anchor locker and bow-eye stiffener:
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another picture of the front deck with fuel tank:
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transom clamping board:
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Nothing's glued yet...gonna wait till all pieces are cut then start gluing. Front deck framing is only partially completed. I'm going to lay out the plywood to see where the additional supports are needed. Temporary drywall screws are being used right now to hold things in place.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:53 am
by topwater
Looking good :!:
I guess you wont have to worry about anyone pulling your bow eye off 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 4:34 pm
by stickystuff
If you hav't already planned on this just from what I see you need to add another 3/4" to the thickness of your transom. It should be a minimum of 2". Add another 3/4 ad you will have a good 2 1/2". I say this because it looks like 3/4 instead of 1 1/2. Correct me if I am wrong. Just don't want you to make ay mistakes at this point. Looks good.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:41 pm
by majorgator
Hey Ken, thanks for the info. What I've got on the transom now is a southern yellow pine 2 x 12. With that, plus the 1/2" plywood and 2 layer of 1708, the thickness of the transom comes out to be 2 1/4" on average. I think that should be OK, but let me know what you think.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:07 pm
by Aripeka Angler
What I've got on the transom now is a southern yellow pine 2 x 12. With that, plus the 1/2" plywood and 2 layer of 1708, the thickness of the transom comes out to be 2 1/4" on average. I think that should be OK, but let me know what you think.
That should be fine. I am pretty sure that the plan calls for a 1 inch thick clamping board on the 1/2 inch thick transom. That is what I did anyway.

Your boat is looking nice 8) Are you planning on a self bailing sole :?:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 5:54 am
by majorgator
Aripeka Angler wrote:
Are you planning on a self bailing sole
Yes, actually, I've been meaning to ask you if you ever put any covers/vents/scuppers over your self-bailing holes. I was kind of planning on putting the holes at the back corners of the deck like you did and finding 2 nice scuppers to go over them.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:38 am
by Aripeka Angler
majorgator wrote:
Aripeka Angler wrote:
Are you planning on a self bailing sole
Yes, actually, I've been meaning to ask you if you ever put any covers/vents/scuppers over your self-bailing holes. I was kind of planning on putting the holes at the back corners of the deck like you did and finding 2 nice scuppers to go over them.

seth
No covers over the holes yet Seth. I get spray/splash onto the sole when it's rough but it drains right out when I slow down or stop. I plan on putting a clamshell over the holes when I get a chance.

I raised the sole in my boat about 2 inches above the stringers. Unless you plan on plugging the drains, you are going to get wet feet when you come up on a plane. I would stand those 1x2s up on edge under the sole. Here is a picture of the drain holes on Red Alert...

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The rear thru hull is the livewell drain. When the boat sits unloaded in the water, the water line is flush with the hole in the fitting. The way you have it framed, that hole is only going to be 5 inches above the bottom of the boat. Just something to consider since you are building a heavy version of the XF like I did. Put two guys on one side and water may come in....

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:41 pm
by majorgator
Thanks for the info Richard. I'm going to stand the 1 x 2's up on edge to see what kind of height that gives me. I believe that I should be OK if I could get at least 7 1/2" from the dead bottom of the boat.

As I mentioned on the phone, been busy for the last couple of days. Don't know if the picture came through, but here ya go:
Image
Image

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:45 pm
by Aripeka Angler
I was holding my tongue to not leak the news :D Comgratulations Seth :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:52 pm
by cape man
Seth,

Screw the boat! Congrats!!!!!!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:11 pm
by TomW
Hey Seth you been holding out on us boy. Beautiful wife and even prettier young one. Congrats!! :D 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:35 am
by gstanfield
Congrats :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:19 am
by Cracker Larry
:D :D Congrats to you and your family, Seth 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:37 am
by majorgator
Thanks everyone :lol: :lol: :lol: Momma and Baby should be coming home today...let the sleepless nights begin (again). Life is good, though, and blessings are evident 8)

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:55 am
by wegcagle
Congrats Seth, what a happy looking family.

I gotta say your boat building time will decrease substantially, but it is TOTALLY worth it. The best parts of my day are spent rolling around on the floor with my rug rat :D

Glad the wife and kiddo are doing well.

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 4:11 pm
by BassMunn
Hey congrats Seth :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:39 pm
by colonialc19
It just don't get much better than that, congratulations Seth.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:45 pm
by macs
Congratulations on your new little one.

Yep, you've probably got some sleepless nights coming, but hey, you never know. You'll manage just fine.

Macs

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:02 pm
by majorgator
As many of you know, this little one isn't far behind is big brother. There only 14 1/2 months between the two of them, so we definitely have our hands full. Oh well, just livin' the dream 8) 8)

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:20 pm
by wadestep
Congrats for sure - it's good to hear the good news :!:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:32 pm
by majorgator
Got a little bit more done over the past few days. The majority of the framing is completed for the front and rear decks. Its all held together right now with temporary drywall screws. Its gonna be fun to take all the pieces apart and re-assemble them like a puzzle...I'll put numbers and matchlines on each piece, maybe even a rough sketch with numbered pieces. I've chosen to paint the entire framing structure and bilge area (all the undersides) with a white 2-part epoxy paint instead of coating the individuals pieces with epoxy resin. I'll use an HVLP sprayer to make the job a bit easier. Also, I'll be using GelMagic to glue all the frame pieces together.
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Notice, extra framing around where the hatches will sit.
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After I get all this squared away, I'm going to set the framing for the floor/sole. I'll be turning the frame pieces on end, per Richard's wisdom. Then comes the paint when all the framing is done. I'll then place my chase tubes and other parts and pieces (livewell pump, fuel filter, jack plate pump, etc.). At some point along the way, probably before the paint, I'm going to build-in-place a livewell and fishbox).

Definitely starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'll be hitting those shallow creeks this winter for sure :lol: :lol:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:34 pm
by stickystuff
The only thing I did and you should have done is rabbit all the joints instead of butt joints. Would have been a lot stronger. japenese type pull saw is the ticket for this job. Extremely sharp and a pleasure of a tool to use. Just my 02 Other than that it looks pretty good.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 7:21 am
by majorgator
stickystuff wrote:
The only thing I did and you should have done is rabbit all the joints instead of butt joints. Would have been a lot stronger.
Yeah, Ken, that would probably would have been better. But what's done is done, and I'll have to live with butt joints. :wink: Hopefully, there's enough support from the entire structure that any one joint will not come into question.

Moving along nicely now. I've move past the indecision stage (regarding layout) and I can freely work without hesitation. A few weeks ago I purchased Daytona Plastics hatches, but after playing with them for a few days, I decided I didn't like the style of the latches, and I figured that they are easily broken. Combine that with the fact that they apparently are no longer in business, I became a bit concerned with their longevity. I exchanged them for hatches made by Innovative Product Solutions. I like their design a little better, and the latches are interchangeable with several aftermarket manufacturers. They were the same price as the others ($49.95 for the 13 x 17 and $39.95 for the smaller ones...they had some of the smaller ones for $29.95 that had some scuffing on them, so I was able to save a little there)

Here is the back deck framed and glued. I'm going to add a few more vertical supports, but the big piece of work is done. The livewell is in the middle, completely glassed. I'm going to water test it today. It goes about 17 gallons and has a slight tilt to port for draining. Since I have some extra foam insulation, I'll glue some to the exterior sides and bottom for good measure.
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Here is one of the two battery platforms.
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This is the insulated fishbox. It goes about 36" in length and is slightly smaller than a 120 quart cooler. It slopes to the center for draining. I purchased a sheet of R-5.0 foam insulation from Lowes, and it will be attached to all 4 sides, top and bottom. I don't know a lot about foam insulation, but this should be enough to keep ice for at least a day of fishing.
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Here's the box framed and fitted with the hatch. This is a Rabud pull-type hatch I picked up for $20 because it has a small chip in the interior flange. It goes 20" wide, so plenty of room. Also shown is the layout and fitting for the other bow deck hatches.
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And for my last line here, I need some help in figuring out how to securely fasten/attach/fit the fuel tank. I didn't leave enough length on the supports to use the recommended Moeller tie-downs, so I'll have to go in a different direction. Here are the pictures of how it will sit. Please help with any thoughts on an effective way to secure it.
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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 7:56 am
by macs
Hey Seth,

When I ordered my tank from Moeller, I thought it had a mounting kit, but it did not, even though it shows one on the web sight.

I made stops out of 1x2's with rubber strips glued to the sides


Image

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The stops prevent any forward or latteral motion(within mollers tollerances) When I installed the forward deck, I ran a support under it that helps support the deck and acts as a stop for the tanks verticle motion as well. It has rubber on the bottom of it to protect the tank from the wood if it makes contact. Again with moellers tollerances.

Hope this helps with yours, I know I struggled with my tank installation. :doh: I thought it would have been one of the simplest parts, but I was wrong. I remember getting a lot of help from CL, Tom, Craig and several others.

I'm sure they'll have some good advice.

Good Luck

Macs :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:11 am
by Aripeka Angler
Seth, that looks like the same tank I have in my boat. In fact, I think it's in the same location. There wasn't much meat to screw the brackets into for me either, but it did work. My supports must have been a tad wider. The idea that Macs suggested will work great or you could add a strip of wood to each side of the stringers and use the aluminum Moeller brackets....

Edit, I forgot to say I love the layout. Maybe Red Alert will have some company next year in Boca :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:21 am
by tech_support
You can strengthen up those butt joints a lo by gluing blocks on either side, you triple you glue area

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 8:38 am
by ks8
Great tip Joel. Certainly easier than to biax all those corners with thin strips, and then to have to trim it up afterwards. :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:18 am
by cape man
Nice price on all the hatches! That'll look great! The r-5 is not a lot, but will keep ice for a day no problem. I have no insulation and I loaded my locker with ice on Friday afternoon, and Sunday still had ice cold water with a few cubes left in it at Boca.

Couple of comments on where you're at. Some you may like, some you may not...

In this picture I see where you haven't removed all the drywall screws yet, and the one in the center is going to be a bitch to get out. If you don't/can't remove all of the them, at least make sure you cover them completely before sealing that deck down. Remember the whole discussion on Clovis rusting :D :D :roll: :roll: In this case I would agree and not want a bare screw head on the cleats...

Image

Rounding out the corners of the baitwell will really help in keeping them happy, especially if you use any of the Gulf herrings (threadfins, scaled sardines, "green backs". etc). If you want to do it I can post how I made fiberglass rounded corner inserts for mine. TJredfish also did the same on his FS18 up in Tallahassee. Not a huge deal, but now's the time to do it if you want.

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The XF20 is probably the shallowest running outboard driven boat I have ever been in, but does pound significantly when running into a chop. I would take the time and add the corner blocks as Joel suggests to all your cleat joints. I also would add more support under the fuel tank to fill in the gaps between the slats you have, put a piece of neoprene under it, and strap that baby down as secure as possible. If these are the hold downs that you don't have enough wood for, can you cut the lower, horizontal ends off and drill new holes to get them to fit?

Image

Moeller also has kits like these which you can easily make yourself.

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We just installed a 27 gallon tank under the console of the boat at work and used heavy duty nylon ratchet straps to secure it to simple "U" brackets using the "S" hooks on the bracket. Need about an inch of clearnace on the sides for that. The console is wide open so we can replace the straps in a few years if needed, something you will not be able to do... :doh: :doh:

Whatever you decide, just keep thinking about all the forces created, especially up front as that boat is hauling ass across a tight chop. You don't want anything moving under that deck or it will for sure come loose after prolonged use.

Looking good man!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:47 am
by majorgator
shine wrote:
You can strengthen up those butt joints a lo by gluing blocks on either side, you triple you glue area
This is Joel's diabolical plan to get me to purchase more gelmagic :wink: :wink: Take a look at the first picture on my last post of the rear deck. If you look real close, you can see a few blocks placed beneath joints. Upon further thought, though, I think more strength can be obtained by placing the blocks on the sides, as you suggest. Hey Joel, another order coming this week :help: :help:

Thanks Macs, but the vertical area between the tank and deck is actually quite large. I could build a wooden frame for it, though, with the same concept. However, sometimes the easiest answer is right in front of you..
...you could add a strip of wood to each side of the stringers and use the aluminum Moeller brackets....
I think this would be the easiest method...just not sure why I didn't think of that :doh: :doh:
cape man wrote:
I also would add more support under the fuel tank to fill in the gaps between the slats you have, put a piece of neoprene under it, and strap that baby down as secure as possible.
Hey, I've got plenty of plywood scraps :lol: I could just fill in the gaps completely, and maybe place a few pieces of 1x2 SYP on edge beneath that. I agree with you that this boat beats the water hard and should have plenty of support and good fastening. I was planning on putting some neoprene in the anchor locker to prevent damage to the hull, but neoprene under the tank would probably be nice too.
Edit, I forgot to say I love the layout. Maybe Red Alert will have some company next year in Boca :doh:
Thanks for the compliment. The layout has consumed me for the better part of the summer, I'm just happy to have it figured out now. And Red will have some company in Boca for sure. I'll be fishin' the criks with 'er in the winter 8)
cape man wrote:
Nice price on all the hatches! That'll look great! The r-5 is not a lot, but will keep ice for a day no problem.
Thanks to Marine Surplus in Sarasota. Its one of those places that has just about every nick-nack you need to "outfit" a boat. No plywood, epoxy, glue, good paint, etc. though. They have about a million hatches though. I even picked up a seat from there the other day that I will use in lieu of a leaning post. More on that later, but it's gonna be sa-weet. About the R-5, I read a little about the "fancy" coolers that are being produced now. From the best of my research, it looks like they're getting a rating of about R-7. I know their technology is going to be better than mine, but whatever, I might just put two thicknesses of of the foam on. This will make for R-10...theoretically.
cape man wrote:
In this picture I see where you haven't removed all the drywall screws yet, and the one in the center is going to be a bitch to get out. If you don't/can't remove all of the them, at least make sure you cover them completely before sealing that deck down. Remember the whole discussion on Clovis rusting :D :D :roll: :roll:
There you go again with those darn clovises in crevices and push-button winterization theory :wink: :wink: Yeah, I haven't glued the front framing yet, so those drywall screws are all that's holding it together right now. I will remove them all eventually, and for those that are hard to access, well, I'll just switch over the clamps.
cape man wrote:
If you want to do it I can post how I made fiberglass rounded corner inserts for mine.
Yes, please do post that, or send me a link to the page that describes it. The majority of the bait that will be swimming in there will be pinfish, and those jokers are as tough as any bait I've ever seen. But I do want to keep my fishies lively :wink:

edit - I just re-measured the livewell and fishbox.
Livewell = 17.5 gallons
Fishbox = 121 quarts (approx 30 gallons)

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 11:13 am
by cape man
The corner inserts start here and about 3 pages later there's more on installing them.

http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php ... &start=420

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 11:50 am
by Aripeka Angler
Dang, I should have been paying more attention. I have some quarter round ply that would have worked great on the corners of your bait tank. You could probably still use it if you backcut the ends....

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Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:28 pm
by stickystuff
On fuel tank fastening I used on my now boat some nylon strap material 2" wide. had velcro sown on it so when you fold over strap it sticks together with the velcro. Just screw the straps down on the floor and fold over the tank and fasten with the V-cro , or you can use some battery type straps. Very simple solution and don't have to worry about steel straps. I have some Moller tank straps and they aren't worth a dime in my opinion. Will take some pictures of my tank and send them to you.Send me your e-mail address. oken@bellsouth.net (my address)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 11:21 am
by pole-position
As a suggestion, I would take extra care making sure the gaskets @ the bait tank are completely leak-proof---it's not a lot of fun sitting on the top of one and getting your butt / back of your legs soaked.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 7:20 am
by majorgator
Not much posting lately, but been taking care of plenty of little things that aren't really picture worthy. Here's a little update:

I'll start with a goof-up. What's the quickest way to paint your boat? I was working on another project and sat a quart of paint on the boat for just a second. When I reached for it, my fumbly fingers didn't disappoint. So there's now about 1/2 quart of banana yellow in the bilge/anchor locker. I got most of it picked up with a paper towel, but just smeared the rest of it around. Its house paint, so it should mostly sand off in about 10 minutes.
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Here's the livewell with 1 coat of hi-build epoxy primer. Its not Sterling or System 3, but rather a different brand of primer. Goes on thick, has HIGH VOC's 8) and retains its odor better than any other paint I've ever used :oops: Anyway, sorry to Craig, I didn't go with the rounded corners. I had a piece of 3" pipe and began the process as you described. Either my impatience or incompetence got in the way, and it didn't really work out. Oh well. I'm going to compensate with some LED's in there, so maybe the bait will be able to see around :wink: Most of my baitfish are pinfish, you can throw those jokers on the deck in the hot sun for an hour and they'll still be able to swim on a hook :wink: :wink:
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The fishbox was easily removed from the boat, so I did all the fiberglass work on it while on sawhorses. I was able to flip it upside down to get the top work and sides done, then only had to tape the bottom seams through the hatch hole. It too is painted with a single coat of primer. I coated the outside too just for good measure, even though the foam insulation will cover it. I did some fairing for both the livewell and fishbox, and that turned out well. Both boxes are going to have a finish coat of epoxy paint, light blue in color. I recently saw a livewell that was painted light blue on the inside, and I just couldn't help myself. Even though the epoxy is hi-build, I'm still going to add a 2nd coat. In the 2nd picture, you can see the backside of the front bulkhead has the primer. All of the bilge area will receive this coating, including the framing.
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Here's the transom. I placed 2 boards on the transom for mounting things like jack plate pump and fuel filter, plus anything else. This will save me from having to mount anything directly to the transom.
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Here are the chase tubes. I've got a 4" pipe for the steering and throttle/shift. I had a bad experience one time with a chase tube that I couldn't get a steering cable through...won't be a problem here. :wink: Running along side the 4" chase is a small 2" chase for the fuel line. On the other side is a 3" tube with a "wye" fitting in the middle. All electrical wires will run through here. I ran it to the front for things like bow light, fuel sender, and anything else I feel like doing in the future.
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For the upcoming week, I plan on (plan being the theoretical word) finishing the small amount of framing left to do. When that's done, I'll coat the bilge with the primer, then begin to drill some thru-hulls and mount some equipment. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to fit the decks next weekend. Also, I put some primer on a small spot of the exterior of the bow. I did this so I can test a paint product that I acquired. The product should be OK, but I will certainly be testing it on a small area so I'm not sanding the whole boat if it doesn't work out :D :D

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:09 am
by macs
Just curious, what are you painting banana yellow?????????

Macs :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 2:19 pm
by majorgator
macs wrote:
Just curious, what are you painting banana yellow?????????
Haha, kinda shown in the picture below, its part of a changing table for my babies.
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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 7:44 am
by majorgator
Still moving along, doing all kinds of little things that don't really appear significant. Kind of reaching that point where I go out with a good plan, then deciding that something else needs to be done first, and at the the end of the day, I don't feel accomplished :cry: But such is life :wink: :wink:

I'm still working on the final touches of the framing, so I decided to go ahead and fit my sole so I could mark out the last bit of framing. I took all the measurements for the sole and drew it in AutoCAD so I could be more precise. This big sole takes 2 sheets of plywood. I marked several locations, then curved a 1 x 2 over the radius to make the final mark.
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The next few pictures show the main decks fitted, but not installed. It really gives you an appreciation for just how much deck space there is on this beast.
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While I was drawing the sole in AutoCAD, I also drew up a console that used just a single sheet of plywood. This is a 28" wide by 36" tall console. Its a touch wider than most standard consoles, but that's what I wanted. It'll fit this wide boat just fine. The top shelf is 6", enough for a radio and other instruments. The Instrument panel is also 6", which is enough to flush-mount most Humminbird machines. I cut the pieces out, but haven't fitted them together yet. There's no front seat on this console, because I'm going to be using a cooler seat. If anyone's interested, I can send you a scaled drawing of this.
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Question/Thought/Inquiry:
With the decks going in place, I'm going to need to make the cutouts for the hatches. Each hatch has framing around its opening, so the cutout needs to be precise. I'm hesitant to make the cutouts prior to installing the decks, but I might also have a hard time doing it once they're installed. Any simple tricks or ideas to see this task not become more complicated than it needs to be??

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:13 am
by cape man
Seth,

Cut them out before you install the deck and just measure twice and cut once. Your fit looks dang exact so you shouldn't have a problem. Maybe mark out the frame and cleat pattrern on the ply just to feel safer. Shouldn't take long. If hesitant, I'd cut out one with the most leeway (i.e. most space between the frames and cleats) and see how it goes. Cutting it after will work but I think it would be easier to cut them first...that's what I did.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:18 am
by macs
Craig posted in before I wrote this, I agree, your measure ments look great on the edges of the sole, so you should be able to cut them out first. or............. you could .......

Your using the manufactured deck hatches, so I'm assuming you will not need the wood you cut out to use as a hatch. I would just make sure you find the middle of each hatch or at least not close to one of the edges and cut a large hole with a hole saw bit, then you can accurately mark the edges of each hatch and cut them out with a jig saw, if that makes since.

The conole looks good BTW. I made mine wider than I Probably needed to. If I had it to do over again I would have shaved off an inch or so on each side to make walking around it a bit easier. We made our helm seat 36" wide so we could both sit comfortably on it. She's not big but my but sure is. :lol: That determined where the sterring was to be centered on the port side of the console which in turn decided how wide the console needed to be, sort of :doh:

The cuts for the sole look good, you did that with a cad, that's cool. I made cardboard template to do mine. I was too scared to trust the measurements :oops:

Looking good

Macs

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:21 am
by macs
I cut mine out first also, but the edges of my hatches weren't close to any under deck supports, not very close anyway. I made my hatches out of the peices that I cut out, so I had to make the cuts as straight an smooth as possible.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:08 pm
by majorgator
Thanks Craig and Macs, I'm going to give it a shot this weekend. Since the decks are so large, more than a single sheet of plywood. All of the frame openings have relatively precise framing around them, so I think I can reach underneath and scribe at least one location, then flip the panel back over, lay the hatch in the extents of the markings, lay out the corners, then cut. When I lay the deck panel back in place, I can reach through the opening I just cut to scribe the next, then so on with the other openings. Hopefully, that sounds good enough to visualize. :lol:

I ordered some heat shrink fittings the other day, then realized that I didn't order nearly enough. I'd rather have a surplus of heat shrink fittings so I'm not tempted to grab a standard terminal fitting in a pinch if I were to run out. Here's the 2nd order (free shipping, so it doesn't matter how many times I order). On the left are the hot and ground posts. The battery and motor ground (and main ground for accessories) will run to a single post. The hot wires from the batteries will go to the switch then the opposing post, and the hot wire for the motor and other accessories will run from that post.
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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:46 pm
by cape man
I'd rather have a surplus of heat shrink fittings so I'm not tempted to grab a standard terminal fitting in a pinch if I were to run out.
Good thinking! Wish I had thought like that... :oops:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 3:54 pm
by Uncle D
majorgator wrote:I ordered some heat shrink fittings the other day, then realized that I didn't order nearly enough.(free shipping, so it doesn't matter how many times I order).


Where did you order from?? Don

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 4:34 pm
by majorgator
Where did you order from?? Don
http://www.bestboatwire.com/
You will have to redirect to:
http://genuinedealz.com/

To give credit where credit is due, I believe this site was originally recommended by Cracker Larry. I placed the order last Thursday, it arrived today. My first order was about 1 week shipping time. The splices I've already installed shrunk down real quick and cleanly with nothing more than a lighter. They appear to be good quality.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:17 pm
by majorgator
Been busy. Workin on the boat some too :wink: All the framing is done, undersides are painted with a hi-build epoxy, half of the sole is glued down (ran out of glue before I could do the other half), and all the decks are 100% cut, fitted, etc. (not glued). Trying to get some wiring done and equipment installed before the decks go on for good. All the hatch holes were cut out with a router and circular saw. Perfect fit (mostly perfect anyways) on all of them. Don't really figure I need a motorwell. I can access the bottom motor bolts very easily through the rear hatches.

Good sir, may I interest you in some hatches...
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Livewell shown here. Those are 2 mini-LEDs in the bottom...all the fittings are gooped up with 5200 and the box has been water tested again. Life is good.
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Thanks to the marine surplus store, I was able to get my hands on a brand new seat used on Scout Boats. The color of my deck will be Whidbey White, so this seat should match pretty good. I might go back and get a matching bow seat or see if they have any cushions. Its got a piano hinge on the bottom, so it will flip up for access to the livewell. I'll figure out the exact mounting height later.
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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:47 pm
by sitandfish
"Hatches? We don't got no hatches. We don't got to show you no stinking hatches!"
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Did I get that quote right from The Sierra Madre?

I like that seat (not shown in this picture), too. Looks real comfortable. Great idea. :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 11:58 am
by Dog Fish
Looking good Seth, your little one sure makes your build look huge. a giant marine playpen, Very cool :!:

Could you do me a favor and give me the measurement from the sole top to the top of your rear deck. Thank you. Also did you use the same stringer and sole height and hull sides as per the plans, Thanks again Seth. Looking good. 8)


Brian :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:15 pm
by majorgator
Dog Fish wrote:
Looking good Seth, your little one sure makes your build look huge. a giant marine playpen, Very cool
He just runs around stomping his feet on it, totally amusing to himself :wink:

FYI -
The sole to the top of the rear deck is 11 1/2". From the sole to the ground, its 8 1/2". I used 4 stringers instead of the 2 called for on the plans. I placed the original 2 in the locations shown on the plans, then split the difference on the other 2. The stringers are built as shown on the plans, and I put a 3/4" x 1 3/4" (really a 1 x 4 ripped down the middle) on top of the stringers and going across. Hull sides are per plans. The deck and sole are not really as shown on the plans, I just made it up as I went along at that point. The rear deck is approx. 5'0", then the sole is about 7'-6" and the front deck is about the same. The transom is different vs. what's on the plans. If you need info on that, let me know. See the pictures below for more info on stringers and framing...
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Framing on the above picture was not complete, but I think you can get the idea :wink: :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:46 pm
by Dog Fish
Thanks much Seth, That's the info I was looking for, good deal. I think you will be glad you went with that little extra sole height. 8)

Brian

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:29 pm
by majorgator
I think you will be glad you went with that little extra sole height.
Richard actually recommended it to me in order to help with proper deck drainage. It does make the rear deck a little easier to step up to :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:39 pm
by Uncle D
majorgator wrote:
Where did you order from?? Don
http://www.bestboatwire.com/
You will have to redirect to:
http://genuinedealz.com/

To give credit where credit is due, I believe this site was originally recommended by Cracker Larry. I placed the order last Thursday, it arrived today. My first order was about 1 week shipping time. The splices I've already installed shrunk down real quick and cleanly with nothing more than a lighter. They appear to be good quality.

seth
Thanks, Seth. Someday I'll get to the point to where I can order some. Don

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:26 am
by majorgator
Had a little fun this weekend...got all the preliminary wiring done...

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The larger cluster goes to the stern end and the smaller goes to the front. Each cluster has about 8 additional spare wires. Battery switch installed (connected via option 1 in my other thread :wink: )...

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Front deck glued, second half of sole glued...

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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:43 am
by Cracker Larry
That's a serious mile stone there, looks great 8) Did you have those battery cables made up by the Genuinedealz site? That's what I did, and they sure did a nice job. Much better than I could do for sure :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:16 pm
by SmokyMountain
Looks great Seth... I know you are excited. Are you going with pre-made hatches or making them yourself?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:19 pm
by cape man
Whoooo HOOOOOOO! Looking great man! Boca Grande here you come!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:33 pm
by majorgator
Cracker Larry:
Did you have those battery cables made up by the Genuinedealz site? That's what I did, and they sure did a nice job. Much better than I could do for sure :D
Yep, they made them for me, and sent me all the heat shrink fittings, the stud post shown in the other picture, plus a few other things. I think I've spent about $300 with them over the last few weeks :help: :help: Its not that I need all that heat shrink, but even in 10 and 25 packs, they still have the best prices. :wink: :wink:
Smoky Mountain wrote:
Looks great Seth... I know you are excited. Are you going with pre-made hatches or making them yourself?
Thanks Andy. I'm going with the pre-made hatches. Scroll back a page or so and you'll see them, but here's a taste...(warning, I like me some hatches)...
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Cape Man wrote:
Whoooo HOOOOOOO! Looking great man! Boca Grande here you come!
Thank you thank you...she will see some nice water in Boca Grande :wink: :wink: Hey, I picked up a job right off the interstate @ exit 240 Sun City Center. Not far from your workplace. Wanna do lunch soon? My treat 8)

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:35 pm
by cape man
Send an email and I'll give you my cell number "cawatson at ufl dot edu". I'm always good for a free lunch!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 6:50 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Hey Seth, you are making good progress. You are on the downhill now, you will get her done by Spring for sure :) ,,,,and the way the our Gators are playing now, you should be getting alot more done on Saturday too :lol: Keep it going now, Red wants some company next year at Boca :P

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 7:41 am
by majorgator
I'm going to try to fit the jack plate today or tomorrow. There's nothing stopping me from getting the rear deck glued down this weekend.
...and the way the our Gators are playing now, you should be getting alot more done on Saturday too :lol:
Aint that the dang truth :x After sitting through that misery last weekend, I think I'll just turn on the radio in the garage to listen to this week's game.
Keep it going now, Red wants some company next year at Boca :P
Oh, she'll get it alright. The only thing that might put that in question is if I don't quit dreaming up new things to do on it :help: :help:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 9:01 pm
by majorgator
And the fun continues...
Laid the rear deck out to coat the bottom side with epoxy and build a seat for the livewell door/window/hatch :wink: Added some 12oz cloth to this area just for an extra measure of protection for the wood and strength.

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One last time to see the back without the deck.

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Bought some nice tubs to be under-deck contained storage. Just too lazy and impatient to build them. I screwed them to wood blocking which is glued to the bottom, knocked out a hole and covered it with a SST vent for some drains.

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Put a little dab of glue on the bottom of the bilge pumps. Enough to hold them in place, but not so much that its permanent to the boat.
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Deck glued, blocks in place...

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Found this trailer a while back on craigslist for a sweet deal. It measures 20' from the post to the end. I don't really need a tandem axle trailer, and wasn't really looking for one, but this deal was good...and the extra axle sure does make for a smoother ride. Came with new winch, 4 new tires, new lights... 8)

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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:27 am
by Aripeka Angler
Looking good Seth, your boat will easily be ready for Boca :) That is some serious rock in the picture :lol:

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I also copy/posted the picture to remind you to notch the deck back and join the gunwales somewhere other than at the bulkheads. That is a popular spot for cracking on XF-20 boats....

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:30 am
by majorgator
Aripeka Angler wrote:
I also copy/posted the picture to remind you to notch the deck back and join the gunwales somewhere other than at the bulkheads. That is a popular spot for cracking on XF-20 boats....
Haha...I actually had a good plan for that. I remember the conversation you and I had about this when you were refinishing your XF20. The gunwales are going to be 8", so I went about 8" past each bulkhead and put in some extra framing. What I didn't realize was that the theoretical cut for the gunwale would be in excess of 8' (more like 8'-10") which would then mean I would have to have a splice somewhere along the way. I decided to glue the decks in place to the edge of the bulkheads, and when I get ready for the gunwales, I'll just take the skill saw and notch out about 1/2". It won't be much, but still better than nothing. I'll make sure to get a cleat glued onto each bulkhead for extra support.

I'm currently trying to devise an "under-gunwale" rod storage design. Maybe I'll enclose the front half of the gunwales and put tubes in place for the rods with racks on the back end :doh: :doh: :doh:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:57 am
by chopperman
Seth,

I really like your livewell window/hatch. Well designed :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:53 pm
by cape man
Maybe I'll enclose the front half of the gunwales and put tubes in place for the rods with racks on the back end
That's what I did on the starboard side for three rods. Wish I had done the same on the port side. There I didn't install the tubes. On the list when I go back and do some "redos". Used heat gun to gently bend the pvc tubes.

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Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:53 pm
by chlli willie
You are making great progress! I'm about 2 months behind you.Would you mind recommending where to buy the fuel tank?
Also are you building your center console or buying one? Thanks ,and keep your momentum going your doing great.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:40 am
by majorgator
Chopperman wrote:
I really like your livewell window/hatch. Well designed :lol:
Thanks chopperman. I was planning on using a simple hatch cover, then I came across that clear window hatch in the discount aisle. It has a rubber gasket on the bottom and all the hardware. It should work out pretty well.
Cape Man wrote:
That's what I did on the starboard side for three rods.
I've got nearly 8' between front and rear bulkheads, so I planning on enclosing about 4' of that...I think :doh: I'll only be able to get 2 rods on each side due to the height of the side-wall.
Chilli Willie wrote:
Would you mind recommending where to buy the fuel tank? Also are you building your center console or buying one?
I got the tank from BassPro. I had a gift card and coupon and free shipping (I think) so all together it was only a little more than $100 to the best of my memory. Its the 18 gallon Moeller tank. Richard used the same one, I believe. For the console, I couldn't find an affordable one that I really liked, so I decided to build my own. I drew up a design to utilize 1 sheet of 4 x 8 plywood and then cut the pieces out. Its about 28" wide by 36" tall. Here's the picture I design I posted a while back. If you're interested, I'll be happy to email you the dimensioned drawing.

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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:13 am
by chlli willie
Thanks for the offer, I'm in the design layout stage right now ,so you know what mental tug of war is going on inside my head.
I'm leaning towards a leaning post and a taller center console right now and the positioning of the various hatches ,baitwells
coolers and everything from conduit sizes to fuel tanks. :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 4:22 pm
by majorgator
I'm leaning towards a leaning post and a taller center console right now and the positioning of the various hatches, baitwells, coolers and everything from conduit sizes to fuel tanks.
I can't even begin to tell you much time I've just sat there, thinking, mind wandering, dreaming, coming up with crazy thoughts. I might be done by now had I just focused in on one thing and did it. I like my baitwell where it is, but the only problem it created during the design stage was the routing of the chase tubes. Because the baitwell sits so close to the tunnel, I had to run the chase tubes on either side of the middle stringers. I would have preferred them turn straight up under the console, but hey, what's it matter. IMO, though, there's enough room in this beast to run all of your chase tubes straight vs. having to insert any bends.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:41 am
by majorgator
Update time...

Picked up my boards last week from Richard. He joined a an 8' piece of ply with a 15" piece to make one long panel for my gunwales. Thanks again Richard!!
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While doing the initial framing, I put some extra frames just behind each bulkhead so that the gunwales could extend past. Now that the decks are on, I took the router and notched out where that framing was.
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I then cut the gunwales and laid them into the notches...
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...and then took the router with a bottom-bearing bit and ran along the sheer to cut the curve.
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To finish the day on Saturday, I taped the seams along the sole edges and the seam on the underside of the gunwales.
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A while back, I posted this picture of the rub-rail, showing that it was "turned down" all the way around the boat:
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Well, I took care of that yesterday with the power planer. Now, all the rub-rail are facing true out. Also rounded off the top corners with the router.
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Next, I scribed a mark with around the gunwale at 7.5" and made a cut with the circular saw.
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I can now move forward with gluing of the gunwales and taping all the exterior seams.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:03 am
by cape man
WOW! Now you're cooking with Gas!!! Looking good!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 2:02 pm
by Cracker Larry
Excellent progress Seth! Nice work on the gunwales.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:58 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Picked up my boards last week from Richard. He joined a an 8' piece of ply with a 15" piece to make one long panel for my gunwales. Thanks again Richard!
You are welcome :) You have made some great progress too 8) You are in the home stretch now, keep up the good work...

I like this picture...

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I love to see scrap under the saw horses. You can be sure that that some work is getting done :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 8:46 am
by topwater
Nice work, i am learning something new every day here.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 2:17 pm
by majorgator
Thanks everyone :D :D
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I love to see scrap under the saw horses. You can be sure that that some work is getting done
You'll also notice the laundry basket right next to it. I throw all the garbage scraps, mixing cups, chip brushes, and other related stuff in there...then off to the burn pile. If I didn't do that, I'd have a mountain of scrap material 8O

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:17 pm
by majorgator
Church workday this morning, then back to business. Didn't have much time, but was able to able to work on the gunwales a little bit more. I decided that a 3" drop off the gunwale edge would work fine and look nice. Went with a double thickness, cut the curve, and glued together. The rain started so I had to set the pieces inside to cure.
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I'm starting to run out of scraps so a lot of the work I'm doing now has to be pieced together. I took a idea from Richard's wisdom and scarfed 2 boards together for the starboard side gunwale edge. I used the router with a fat bit, set it to half the thickness of the ply and went to town. Then I found a board with a straight-edge (hard to find at this point) and used it as a guide and backing. Placed a piece of visqueen between the scarfed boards and guide board so they wouldn't get glued together. I placed 3 temporary screws through the scarf joint for good measure until it cures.
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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:10 am
by TomW
Nice work Seth!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:04 pm
by majorgator
So begins my time off during the holidays...
Snuck outside yesterday afternoon to continue the work on the gunwales. I was able to glue the lip to the port gunwale, then glue the lip for the starboard gunwale.

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Here's a shot of what it will look like once set in place:

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I decided to build a riser/shelf/hump/whatever you wanna call it for the trolling motor. Its 2 pieces of 3/8" Meranti scrap glued together, then will be glued to the deck. This will make for a clean look while giving more stiffness for bolting down this heavy machine (its a 24V 82lb thrust with 50" shaft). I'll mount it right along the edge on the starboard side. I like it on that side better because most of my casting is done to port when drift fishing, so I don't want it to get in the way.

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After I cut the pieces for the trolling motor mount, I glued them together, and also glued the lip to the starboard side gunwale.

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After all the glue dries on the gunwale, I'm going to lay them back up on the saw horses and lay the glass on the edge and lip. Once that's done, I'll glue them in place on the boat, along with the trolling motor shelf-riser-hump thingy.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:03 am
by cape man
shelf-riser-hump thingy
I always wondered what they called those things... :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:17 am
by AussieBoater
That needs to be added to Jacques' boat terms thread. :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:18 am
by majorgator
I thought that most of this cold weather was gone, but its in the low 30's when I woke up this morning. All that REALLY cold weather we've been having has surely slowed my progress :cry: Either way, I was able to sneak out late last week and lay the fiberglass on the sole. It went on real good, but I did end up with some tiny air bubbles. My guess is because the weather was still a bit on the cold side, it made the epoxy run a little thicker, which led to me putting a little too much on, which led to the outgassing bubbles. Just a little frustrating, but that's why they make sandpaper :wink:
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Just a shot of the floor at the chase tubes...
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The gunwales are now complete and glued in place. While they were still upside down on the sawhorses, I wrapped some 6 oz tape over the edge. Now that they're installed, I wrap another layer of 6 oz tape over the top edge.

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After sanding the sole and the gunwales glued in...
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In an effort to get this thing done faster, I figured that I'd get started on the console. That way, I can work on it while epoxy and fiberglass is curing on other areas of the boat. Its lined up on the bottom, but not on top yet :wink: I'm trying to determine (advice requested) if its necessary to tape the inside seams of the console :doh: My guess is "no".
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Hey, I'm starting to get the hang of this fiberglass work :D :D
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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 12:49 pm
by wegcagle
Seth

I asked a similar question about not fiberglassing the inside seams and the overwhelming opinion was to definitely fiberglass the inside and outside seams. The console takes a good beating . Plus people have a tendency to hold on to it. So it needs to be built strong. I fiberglassed the inside and outside seams and put 6 oz cloth on the outside (probably overkill).

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:53 pm
by chicagoross
I'd filet and tape inside, then router a big bevel on the outside and tape that too. Looking good!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:50 pm
by SmokyMountain
Looking great Seth!! I concur with the other opinions, and I looked at my console plans and it says tape the inside on a 3/8" fillets. Can't wait to see it in Boca!!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 8:01 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Nice progress 8) Think overbuild on the console, you won't be sorry...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:07 am
by majorgator
Thanks everyone. I'll go add a single layer of 6 oz tape to the inside seams, I think that should be enough. The outside seams are one layer of 12 oz tape and one layer of 6 oz tape.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:00 am
by Prarie Dog
Majorgator, what kind of ply is that you are using on your console? On my console I used half inch Meranti and filleted and taped the inside seams. This console was built early on and I really wasn't that pleased with it, so I tried to break it. Couldn't break it. I jumped on it - 220lbs, my kid jumped on it, backed into it with the pickup, finally gave up and put it in the boat. I think our natural tendency is to overbuild but we should remember that a fillet and a layer of 12 ounce is a really strong joint. Especially when it is in a unit that has multiple planes of shear any way it can get loaded. Haven't had a collision with my boat yet where the console gets hit by two or three fattys, if that caused it to break that might be a good thing and save a broken bone or two. :lol:
Regards, Paul

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:51 am
by majorgator
Prairie Dog wrote:
Majorgator, what kind of ply is that you are using on your console? On my console I used half inch Meranti and filleted and taped the inside seams.
This is just a standard, run-of-the-mill 1/4" marine plywood. I used Meranti everywhere else, but didn't see the need to get an entire sheet just for this. Its not nearly as good as the Meranti, but it will work just fine for a console :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:01 pm
by Prarie Dog
Cool, if it's quarter inch it's probably a good idea to tape both sides. That's good looking ply but not available here. Is it fir?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:40 pm
by majorgator
Cool, if it's quarter inch it's probably a good idea to tape both sides. That's good looking ply but not available here. Is it fir?
Yeah, I'll tape both sides then a run a 12 oz biax mat over the exterior. I would run 6 oz, but the 12 is what I've got :wink: And actually, the plywood looks good but its pretty crappy. There's lots of knots and voids in it (compared to the meranti). I'm not sure what the species is, but I don't think its fir.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:46 pm
by jacquesmm
Yes, tape both sides.
There is a lot of stress on a console: imagine one big guy hanging on to the wheel and another one to a grab handle when the boat hits a wave.
Consoles have to be very strong and should be strongly bonded to the sole and/or framing.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 3:51 pm
by mrtwrrt
Seth,

I really like the way your boat is coming together, I tried sending you an email don't know if I sent it correctly or not. I would like to talk with you and possibly see your boat if OK with you. I have the plans and a partially built xf20 hull that i plan to get started on soon. Would like to pick your brain on things that you would do differently if you was starting over. I see your in the High Springs area so it would not be to much as I am in the Ocala area.

Thanks
Troy

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 6:39 pm
by stickystuff
I live in.d unnellon. Their also is a Dunnellon XF20 builder here also. He goes by Chillywilly. I know the XF20 inside and out. e-mail me if you have questions and I will give me my ph. #

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 6:41 pm
by stickystuff

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:04 pm
by majorgator
Hey Troy...
I'd be happy to talk with about my build, and let ya take a look too. Sorry, I didn't get an email from you, but either way, just shoot me another one: sethgs0982 at gmail dot com. You could also talk to Ken. Since he was the co-designer, he should be a pretty good source :wink: I think chilly willy is slightly behind me on progress, but he doesn't post too often. I may not be as good of an example as some of the other guys, but I'll be happy to help you however I can.

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:30 pm
by chlli willie
majorgator wrote:
I'm leaning towards a leaning post and a taller center console right now and the positioning of the various hatches, baitwells, coolers and everything from conduit sizes to fuel tanks.
I can't even begin to tell you much time I've just sat there, thinking, mind wandering, dreaming, coming up with crazy thoughts. I might be done by now had I just focused in on one thing and did it. I like my baitwell where it is, but the only problem it created during the design stage was the routing of the chase tubes. Because the baitwell sits so close to the tunnel, I had to run the chase tubes on either side of the middle stringers. I would have preferred them turn straight up under the console, but hey, what's it matter. IMO, though, there's enough room in this beast to run all of your chase tubes straight vs. having to insert any bends.

seth
I"m still here 2-3 months behind,having the"Visions of Gandeur" The hull is done ,3 layers graphite,sides primered,flipped, stringers glassed, framing in the stern, just got my fuel tank yesterday ,I need to layout the hatches and baittank, Ken came over last week and answered so many questions I don't know what to do next. Like you said If I just picked one thing and done it ... Thats the irony of a first build i hope.
I'm thankful to you Major for posting frequently,that keeps me on track. If I can help any builders new or old my e.mail is
willieo at live dot com.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:27 am
by majorgator
chilli willie wrote:
The hull is done,3 layers graphite,sides primered,flipped, stringers glassed, framing in the stern, just got my fuel tank yesterday, I need to layout the hatches and baittank...
Man, sounds like you're cranking it out :D :D Will she be done by Boca time?? This cold weather has really set me back. I've been moving my epoxy indoors overnight when I expect to use it the next day. Are you going with a similar layout as most of the other people (fuel tank up front, full rear and front decks, etc.)? What did you decide to do about the bait tank?

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:53 am
by chlli willie
The cold weather,flu season,NFL,teenage daughters, there's lots of things that take up time and money. As far as the baitwell
goes I'm leaning towards building my own CC and puting the well at the front of it, that way it will will even the weight and
be easy to get to from the front deck . If there are any negative effects from this anyone knows of please tell me. I'm thinking Boca might be out this year unfortunately ,maybe next year.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:13 am
by pole-position
chlli willie wrote:The cold weather,flu season,NFL,teenage daughters, there's lots of things that take up time and money. As far as the baitwell
goes I'm leaning towards building my own CC and puting the well at the front of it, that way it will will even the weight and
be easy to get to from the front deck . If there are any negative effects from this anyone knows of please tell me. I'm thinking Boca might be out this year unfortunately ,maybe next year.


By locating the livebait tank that far forward, I'm afraid you would beat them to death, especially in a flat-bottomed boat.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:20 am
by Cracker Larry
By locating the livebait tank that far forward, I'm afraid you would beat them to death, especially in a flat-bottomed boat.
Yep, especially white bait and other fragile species. I wouldn't do it myself. The XF has a ton of room to put it somewhere else.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:34 am
by chlli willie
Well ,I guess I could put the well just above the front of the tunnel like Major, and put a cooler seat in front of the CC.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:02 pm
by majorgator
Well ,I guess I could put the well just above the front of the tunnel like Major, and put a cooler seat in front of the CC.
Yep, that's what I'm doin alright, with the livewell and cooler seat. If you read through some of the earlier posts on my thread, I went over the same dillemma about where to locate the livewell. I personally don't think that placing in directly in front of the console is a bad place, that's where Richard has his. If you're willing to sit someone in front of the console without being concerned over their comfort, then I wouldn't worry about the bait :wink: I toyed with putting it in the bow, but then came to my senses realizing the rough-ride that area sees. Another factor in my planning was weight. I have a large insulated fishbox in the box, plus a large, long-shaft, heavy trolling motor with 2 batteries (though they'll be small trolling batteries) and a 18 gallon fuel tank. The console is close to the middle, and the livewell is just in front of the tunnel. If anything, my boat may be a bit bow-heavy, but I'm not too concerned about it.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:51 pm
by majorgator
I taped the transom a week or 2 ago. There are several overlapping layers between the rear deck and transom, plus a few strips to act as a "cleat". Don't know whether that makes any difference, but the epoxy was spread out there, so why not :wink:
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I fiberglassed the rear deck too, but didn't get any pictures of it before I moved stuff onto to it:
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Today, I taped the inside seams of the console...
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For my switch panel, I bought the individual rockers from genuinedealz then found this blank panel on eBay. I only need 6 switches, but its got 8 slots so I purchased to plugs...
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Found these little gems at the Marine Surplus. They're used on Scout Boats, but they'll be a nice addition under my gunwales. I got 2 sets.
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Its starting to look on the up and up. The only fiberglass work left (besides touch-ups) is the front deck (easy), the console, and a strip down each gunwale.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 am
by stickystuff
If you need more switches like those I have a bag full of them. some are lighted.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:52 am
by cape man
It's the home stretch now man!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:18 pm
by majorgator
Really gettin' it done now. On Friday, I completed all the fiberglass work on the main part of the boat (console is the only thing remaining to be glassed). Didn't get any pictures of that, but ironically enough, my last lamination turned out to be my best. Heck of a time to get it figured out huh :doh: :doh:

The console is now built, holes cut in the front and back for hatches. I still need to finish the fiberglass tape around some of the seems and laminate it too. There are some temporary screws in place in the areas where I doubled up the thickness; the screws are there to hold it together until the glue dries, then I'll remove them and fill the holes.
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With any luck, I can get the trailer configured correctly and the boat placed onto it before the end of next weekend. I've got to get it out of the garage, according to SWMBO :wink: :wink: Really though, I don't want to do any more sanding in the garage due to the dust, and I'm going to move it to my shop in town for painting.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:50 am
by TomW
Seth nice CC! Any reason you didn't router the edges before taping it down?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:32 am
by majorgator
TomW wrote:
Seth nice CC! Any reason you didn't router the edges before taping it down?
Thanks for accolades Tom. The only part of the console that is currently taped are the front and sides to the sole, and the exteior and interior seams for the front panel and 2 side panels...that's the easiest way to explain it, so hopefully it sounds understandable :wink: :wink: I had previously taped those 3 panels (which have rounded edges) to the sole to establish the framework, then came back this weekend and pieced the rest of it together. After the glue sets up and the screws are removed, I'll take the router to all the other edges before any further taping.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:14 am
by Aripeka Angler
Looking nice Seth :) You have 4 months, you are going to make it easily. Have you decided what you are going to paint it with yet?
Really gettin' it done now. On Friday, I completed all the fiberglass work on the main part of the boat (console is the only thing remaining to be glassed). Didn't get any pictures of that, but ironically enough, my last lamination turned out to be my best. Heck of a time to get it figured out huh :doh: :doh:
That is the way it always works :lol: I didn't really figure it out myself until I rebuilt/repainted my XF-20. That is why you need to build another boat now :wink: Maybe a really big one...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:22 pm
by majorgator
Have you decided what you are going to paint it with yet?
A long while back I purchased the S3 LPU whidbey white for the inside, so I'm just going to stick with that. For the outside, I purchased a paint product manufactured by a company we use frequently for industrial coatings. Its a high quality, durable, super high VOC ( :oops: ) epoxy paint. I ran the product info by Joel, and he said it should be fine. I painted a sample patch on my bow transom a few months back and its REALLY hard and scratch resistant now. While the product has extensive test data, we're not real sure how it will react on a boat, but all indications are its going to be good.
That is why you need to build another boat now :wink: Maybe a really big one...
When the other fellow on here began his CS 25, I looked long and hard into the study plans for it. But based upon the duration of this project and my wife's waning interest, it might be advisable for me to pursue another one anytime soon :help: :help:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:52 pm
by SmokyMountain
Its a high quality, durable, super high VOC ( ) epoxy paint.
Is it TNEMEC paint?? We use that stuff at work for water tanks, bridges etc.. It's real durable but finicky.

Andrew

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:37 pm
by majorgator
Andy, yes it is Tnemec. We build water and wastewater treatment facilities, and use Tnemec on about 90% of our coatings. The product I'm going to attempt to use is the Series 290 CRU. Its listed as semi-gloss, but its better than that...not as glossy as Sterling, though. Our rep told me that they did a test project with it in a sludge tank, and after a few weeks of total submersion, it still maintained its high-gloss look. We'll see....

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:14 am
by Aripeka Angler
Seth, the prop you were asking about on my boat is a Powertech model # FS4R12PYM90. If it will fit on your Yamaha motor, I will let you use my prop for your splash. I think it should fit, give the Powertech guys a call. Might be a good way to get dialed in without the buy and exchange, pain and suffering method.

I think it would be pretty cool if we had a prop loaner/trader/seller/barter exchange thread somewhere on the forum. Of course, if it was ok with Joel...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:18 am
by Cracker Larry
I think it would be pretty cool if we had a prop loaner/trader/seller/barter exchange thread somewhere on the forum. Of course, if it was ok with Joel...
Great idea Richard 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:38 am
by Aripeka Angler
Thanks Larry :) Maybe someone with an extra prop will pick up on this and get it rolling.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:02 am
by majorgator
Thanks Richard! I might very well take you up on that offer!
Maybe someone with an extra prop will pick up on this and get it rolling.
That's a great idea too! I've got an extra aluminum prop sitting around that I can add into the loaner system :D I'll check it out when I get home and maybe get a thread started.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 2:50 pm
by thb
Great idea on the props. I have several good evinrude/ johnson props which are not being used.

SS Rebel 15-1/2 x 17 RH for 250 etec with 15 splines
SS 14-1/2 x 19 LH for older evinrude 140 v-4, 15 spline
SS SST 13-7/8 X 19 RH for newer etec's 13 spline
Al 13-1/4 x 17 RH for newer etec's 13 spline.

Tom in Steinhatchee :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:56 pm
by stickystuff
Seth, E-mail me at

okenatbellsouthdotnet. have some info for you

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 7:48 pm
by TomW
Great idea I can run the numbers on the boat and motor, then borrow one of the props if there is one close, to see how close we are then get what you really need if it isn't right on.

Let's see if Shine can start up a Sticky on this subject depending on how many props we can put up for borrowing. Would want at least a dozen to make it viable. Thanks THB for your input!

Richard wouldn't have had to have prop repitched so mutch, Larry would not have had to have had to have had to gone through 3 props only one, Sorry Hiwsee you went the wrong way on CL's prop. It's still not right for what he uses the boat for most of the time for. Kurt got up with one prop change on his modified FS17 and F60 Yamaha.

Can you get it exactly right everyright no. These boats are not standard boats everyone is made different and are loaded different and powered different. So I always want the owner to have the option to make that one change to do the final tuneup. It maybe a 250 or so change that increases the rpms up a little higher into the range, even though the motor is in the proper range we just fine tune it a little. Here's an example: Motor optimum upper operating range 5000-6000. 1st prop 15 pitch 5500rpm's, 2nd prop 13 pitch 5900rpm's. Every 1" in pitch is about 2-250 rpm's.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:03 pm
by Cracker Larry
Sorry Hiwsee you went the wrong way on CL's prop. It's still not right for what he uses the boat for most of the time for.
What would you know about that? You've never even been on my boat :doh: I bet it runs a lot better than yours :wink: 5800 rpms, 36 mph, 8 mpg :D I was propping boats when you were a Navy ensign, doing accounting, copyright law, chemical engineering, green house farming, cabinet making, and all the other things you are an expert on. Go build a boat, Tom, then show us a picture of it.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:09 pm
by TomW
Cracker Larry wrote:
Sorry Hiwsee you went the wrong way on CL's prop. It's still not right for what he uses the boat for most of the time for.
What would you know about that? You've never even been on my boat :doh: I bet it runs a lot better than yours :wink:
Give me a chance and you'll not even believe the difference in performance in your boat. :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:11 pm
by Cracker Larry
How about I run mine against yours?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:35 pm
by TomW
Soon! :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:50 pm
by Cracker Larry
Yeah. I'm waiting. Show us some pictures. Show us some of those boats you have built. Show us some you've restored. Show us the one you are building now. Show us some fish. Show us anything. And don't tell us again that the forum is screwed and you can't post pictures. Too much talk and not enough action. :lol: Tom, I over look a lot of things, but for you to come here and tell everyone that my boat isn't propped right, when I've run it 400 hours in every condition you could imagine and some you can't, from Cape Fear NC to the Bahamas, and tried 4 different props, and you've never even been on my boat, it just boggles my mind :? And you've already told everyone that my Yamaha was a piece of shit anyway, not sure how you know that, since you've never owned one, or any other outboard that we can tell :?
Give me a chance and you'll not even believe the difference in performance in your boat.
Uh-huh. Send me a prop, I'll try it.

Edit: Sorry Seth. My patience has it's limits :D I'd give Ken a call, he invented the XF20 :wink: And Richard and a few other guys have been through some props too. Richards runs like a scalded ass ape in 6 inches of water, and I've run it myself in 4 " of water. It threw a little mud :lol: He's got the same POS Yamaha that I do :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:30 pm
by Doc_Dyer
Cracker Larry wrote: Richards runs like a scalded ass ape
Larry, :doh:
What exactly is an ASS APE
:?: :?: :?: :?:
:wink:

Sorry Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:48 am
by Cracker Larry
It's not an Ass Ape, it's an ape with a scalded ass. They run pretty fast I'm told. No personal experience to back that up. :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:31 am
by Ankle Deep
Larry:

Thank you!.........the bluster is very tiring....

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:51 am
by TomW
Larry I can't let the above go unanswered. Sorry Seth for this getting into your build site. I'm going to try to be as objective as I can. Hopefully it will help some people. There are a bunch of numbers that go into the calculation of the prop recommendation that I do. Some the builder provides, some I get from the plans, some I get from the motor manufacturers.
Richards runs like a scalded ass ape in 6 inches of water, and I've run it myself in 4 " of water. It threw a little mud
Yes, but he had to have the pitch reduced by 3 to get it to work on his lack of torque 70HP Yammi. That same prop would have worked fine on an Evinrude 75 or Suzuki 70 without any reduction in pitch. The difference in weight would be meaningless with the XF20. He bought more cup than he needed to and then had to pay to have it reduced. Something to watch out for when your buying a prop.

Here are the torque at the prop for three motors:
Suzuki 70: 154
Etec 75: 139
Yammi 70: 122

As you can see the Yammi 70 has less than 88% of the torque of the Etec. and 80% of the Suzuki.

Larry since you started this discussion your big old black 17pitch prop with little cup or rake works fine for you but I'll tell you right now it isn't the right one for your normal flats fishing endeavors. 400 hrs is just getting the motor broken in good :lol: The prop you have is a great all around prop especially for offshore use and probably saved your lives offshore in those big waves off the NC/GA coast. :wink: If I were keeping a daily prop on for both fishing offshore and the flats I would keep it. If I were going to keep the boat for the flats I would change the propulsion system


Don't ever, ever tell me you know your prop is right for your boat. The only problem I have with your boat is the motor and the lack of torque. Get an Etec or Suzuki, or Merc and we'll discuss torque. Let's get real Larry some motors are made for some things some for others. Yammi's are fine for offshore, not for flats boats. Well maybe the 4st can be used for flats boats.

Heck I have put a 13 pitch on a Yammi 60HP 4st and it worked great. Much better prop than you have that gives better grab and fuel economy in the mid-range, better hole shot and top end.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:05 am
by chicagoross
I suspect CL will tell whatever, whenever, to whoever he feels like... :D I also suspect he has enough boat, motor, and prop experience to determine if the combination is performing as it should.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:16 am
by Ankle Deep
Larry I can't let the above go unanswered. Sorry Seth for this getting into your build site. I'm going to try to be as objective as I can.

Richards runs like a scalded ass ape in 6 inches of water, and I've run it myself in 4 " of water. It threw a little mud



Yes, but he had to have the pitch reduced by 3 to get it to work on his lack of torque 70HP Yammi. That same prop would have worked fine on an Evinrude 75 or Suzuki 70 without any reduction in pitch. The difference in weight would be meaningless with the XF20.

Here are the torque at the prop for three motors:
Suzuki 70: 154
Etec 75: 139
Yammi 70: 122

As you can see the Yammi 70 has less than 88% of the torque of the Etec. and 80% of the Suzuki.

You have no idea what goes into selecting a prop or what prop should be used in certain situations. Yep your big old black 17pitch prop with little cup or rake works fine for you but I'll tell you right now it isn't the right one for your normal flats fishing endeavors. 400 hrs is just getting the motor broken in good :lol: The prop you have is a great all around prop especially for offshore use and probably saved your lives offshore in those big waves off the NC/GA coast. :wink: If I were keeping a daily prop on for both fishing offshore and the flats I would keep it. If I were going to keep the boat for the flats I would change the propulsion system


Don't ever, ever tell me you know your prop is right for your boat. The only problem I have with your boat is the motor and the lack of torque. Get an Etec or Suzuki, or Merc and we'll discuss torque. Let's get real Larry some motors are made for some things some for others. Yammi's are fine for offshore, not for flats boats. Well maybe the 4st can be used for flats boats.

Heck I have put a 13 pitch on a Yammi 60HP 4st and it worked great. Much better prop than you have that gives better grab and fuel economy in the mid-range, better hole shot and top end.
....yawn!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:53 am
by majorgator
Sorry Seth. My patience has it's limits
That's quite alright. I enjoy the banter from time to time :wink:
What exactly is an ASS APE
I too was perplexed by this combination, so I turned to google images...
Image
Image
Image

My search for a simple "scalded ape" yielded an odd parody of Dog the Bounty Hunter and Michael Jackson...

:wink: :wink:
Yes, but he had to have the pitch reduced by 3 to get it to work on his lack of torque 70HP Yammi. That same prop would have worked fine on an Evinrude 75 or Suzuki 70 without any reduction in pitch.
OMG :roll: :roll: Here we go again :wink: I guess my only option left is to spend today searching Craigslist for an old Sears Gamefisher or Chrysler motor. Haven't heard anything bad about those, and if anyone has a weight/HP/torque charts let me know.
I suspect CL will tell whatever, whenever, to whoever he feels like...
Nah, I've known him to be a more bashful guy about his opinions 8O ... :wink:
Here are the torque at the prop for three motors:
Suzuki 70: 154
Etec 75: 139
Yammi 70: 122

As you can see the Yammi 70 has less than 88% of the torque of the Etec. and 80% of the Suzuki.
Tom, at what RPM are those torques found :doh: :doh: The E-Tec is the only motor I know of that advertises torque. Random torque numbers at unknown RPM's are useless. Also, since torque is a derivative of power, those numbers don't mean much unless the HP at that level is listed too. And once my boat is on plane and cruising, the amount of effective torque doesn't matter much anyway. But back to our argument from the other thread...apples to apples. My guess is the Yamaha you're using is a 2-stroke, the suzuki is a 4-stroke, and the E-Tec is, well, just different in a variety of ways.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:12 am
by cape man
Get one of these and prop it with a 24 pitch 7 blade reverse cup titanium prop.

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:07 am
by majorgator
Get one of these and prop it with a 24 pitch 7 blade reverse cup titanium prop.
Let me check and see if our new prop loaner community has one...

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:58 am
by TomW
Seth those torque numbers are calculated by the main prop program I use. It uses a percentage of top rpm so that it is more indicitive of real world numbers. There are some simple prop programs out there but this one runs 4 pages.

That is why I can tell CL he doesn't have the right prop for his primary fishing of his flats in SC and GA I can say so without an ounce of regret and why he needs his current prop for when he goes offshore. Why I can tell someone else he needs a different prop for his needs and someone else what he needs for what he wants to do for his primary use. There are so many props out there now that it is hard to keep up with the technology. Even some of the better aluminum props are thinner and cupped for better effiecency.

Oh yea Craig I may just have one of those setting back on the farm in Iowa! :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:59 am
by Cracker Larry
Don't ever, ever tell me you know your prop is right for your boat. The only problem I have with your boat is the motor and the lack of torque. Get an Etec or Suzuki, or Merc and we'll discuss torque. Let's get real Larry some motors are made for some things some for others. Yammi's are fine for offshore, not for flats boats. Well maybe the 4st can be used for flats boats
Unbelievable :doh: I'm sure you've had a lot of experience fishing them on the flats too? Funny, but Yamahas are what you see on 95% of the guide boats on the flats. You'd know that if you'd ever been. And I'll tell you any dang thing I feel like when you are spewing this kind of crap about my boat, that you've never even been on.

Don't be expecting any fishing invitations, I'd hate for you to have to ride in a POS like mine.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:52 am
by cape man
Seth, sorry to add to the clutter, but need to post for others that might be reading this "discussion"
Yammi's are fine for offshore, not for flats boats. Well maybe the 4st can be used for flats boats.
I thought a 4 stroke had less torque than a 2 stroke :doh:

But yeah these numbers are awful...

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/prod ... 04_flt.pdf
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/prod ... 10_flt.pdf

Imagine taking a whole 2.6 seconds to get on plane and another 4.6 to hit 30mph. I am so happy I didn't get a Yamaha...oh wait...I do have a Yamaha! Well just glad I don't use it on the flats...Oh wait...I do use it in the flats! Well then I'm just glad I never take it offshore with the same prop...Oh wait!!! I have run offshore!!

Tom, Slow down the next time you feel like you need to talk about motors you have no experience with. Your help with running prop numbers for folks here is greatly appreciated, and has helped many, including me, get close to where they need to go to optimize their engines performance. But you gotta get away from thinking that your calculations and theoretical numbers will ever replace real world experience and reality. For example, I started with a 13 pitch and only 4800 rpms. You recommended:
Craig go with the Yamaha Black Steel prop and raise the motor up 2 holes. This is the prop and height we ended up on Larry's. Make sure you can exchange the prop because you may even have to go to a 9 pitch. Each inch of pitch is about 200 rpm's so to go from 5100 to 5900 you need 4".
The prop tuner I used took 2.5" out and I picked up almost 1000 in rpm. Here's the discussion from my thread...
He also said (and the second prop person to say it) that he is finding the 200rpms/inch of pitch rule doesn't apply to the new 4-strokes, especially in the midrange like a 40 hp. He has seen as much as 500rpms/inch, but typically 250-300. All encouraging news. I am hoping for that magic 6000 @ WOT with two people on board. He'll be done Thursday, but I won't be able to pick it up till Friday at the earliest. Wish me luck!


Again, theory is great, the ability to crunch numbers and get close is helpful, but reality is what it is...real. You often post with such authority that someone new here might take it as gospel, and miss an opportunity to learn from others with more real world experience.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:45 pm
by TomW
Craig theory is useless if I didn't have the knowledge to make adjustments based on the type of boat and the main use it would be used for also. Will the guy be using it for the flats or offshore or a mix and how much of each. Does he need hole shot or top speed or good cruise? This is why I quit doing the prop calcs on the forum they are for each individual boat and individual motor and use. You have a general purpose prop and it works okay for you. I'll give a guy a speed range within 3-5 mph depending on the weights he supplies and then start the prop calcs from there. I'll run 3 different prop calculators and come up with a concensus. Then look at what his needs are and give him some options for props. Normally I have a couple of sources of Hi quality props that are $150-200 less than the dealers price so I give them those if they want to go that route. Some one like Kurt with that beautiful FS17 and F60 Yammi, how do you prop it. He had two baitwells in the stern. Was he going to use them all the time were they going to be empty most of the time, how do we account for that 25 gallons of water. That's 250lbs at the stern of the boat. We ended up assuming they would be full all the time, went with a smaller prop with stern lift. It ended up working great and worked out great also for tubing with his kids.

During this process I'm working with the guy from start to finish to make sure we are on the same wave length. And never do I let him think that the first prop may be exactly right and the sources given always have an exchange program.

You are right I am finding that the old 200-250rpm's has expanded to 300-400 in the 40-60HP 4st engines. I had to be careful of some of the older engines also as they also had an extended range up to 300rpms. The big 2st Merc's are one I can think of, the ones made here not the Yammi made ones. :lol: I am always willing to learn from anyone that is willing to teach not preach :wink: I admit I'm not as familiar with salt water fishing as I would like to be, but when it comes to propping a boat a bassboat and a flats boat are about the same, a jonboat and a GF/OD are similar and yes there are pointed bow jon boats. A Pursuit in the Great Lakes is the same as the ocean only the Great Lakes gets a lot rougher a lot faster so the prop has to be to be more capable in the lower speed ranges. Richard's Pursuit would be propped up one size in all likelyhood, he'd loose top end but gain low end control. Might also change prop design.

I'm no expert just someone that trys to help and knows his limitations, but isn't afraid to say that someone has the wrong prop on his boat. If Larry spent 50% of his time offshore and 50% flats fishing I'd have no problem with that but he doesn't. Last time he was offshore and he can correct me if I'm wrong and I'm sure he will :lol: was with Dori in the Keys. I'm betting he spends 80% of his time on the flats or running to or from them or in the rivers around them. If he doesn't like that I said it, so be it, no skin off my hide. :wink: I'm just stating an opinion, he has plenty of them! :help:

I'm not the know nothing CL seems to make me out to be, I've owned plenty of boats and motors with or without my dad and father in law from Ohio to Iowa, 12-21' outboards and inboards plus ran a few in the navy up to 40' on my own plus a whole lot larger. Do I have pictures, no those were fishing trips no one took a camera. We went fishing and came back and cleaned them and ate them. Or if they were Lake Erie Perch had the 400 cleaned and came back split them up and ate part of them and froze the rest.

Pictures never have meant much to me or Deb's family.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:29 pm
by cape man
Never mind...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:32 pm
by TomW
cape man wrote:Never mind...
Yep :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:45 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Richard's Pursuit would be propped up one size in all likelyhood, he'd loose top end but gain low end control. Might also change prop design.


Don't drag me into this. You have absolutely no facts or reason to make the above statement.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:55 pm
by Prarie Dog
Kinda glad we couldn't figure out what kind of prop my pos has on it. :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:16 pm
by Cracker Larry
Don't drag me into this. You have absolutely no facts or reason to make the above statement.
He seems to know everything Richard, even how often I go offshore :doh:
Last time he was offshore and he can correct me if I'm wrong and I'm sure he will :lol: was with Dori in the Keys.
The last time I was offshore was last Friday night, I went to Daufuskie at midnight by myself. And about 10 other times since the Keys. I'm a fishing guide Tom, and have been since the 1970s :lol: You can BS all you want, maybe somebody will believe you, but you don't know crap about what I do, or how my boat runs. Please keep my name and my boat out of your future fantasies. I'm certain you know nothing about either.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:22 pm
by cape man
Hijack over!!! Last picture that Seth posted. Image

Quick Seth! Do something, anything! I am about to say something really ugly!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:27 pm
by Aripeka Angler
cape man wrote:Hijack over!!! Last picture that Seth posted. Image

Quick Seth! Do something, anything! I am about to say something really ugly!


Hey! Is that a stakout stick handle over by the epoxy jugs :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:31 pm
by Cracker Larry
I can take care of the through-bow bracket like Richard has :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:36 pm
by TomW
Love the console Seth! :lol:

Oh and when your ready we'll get together and work up a prop for you. :lol: :lol: :roll:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:49 pm
by Cracker Larry
Group hug :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:04 pm
by cape man
Group hug
Yuck! :help: :help:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:26 pm
by Cracker Larry
Well, now that you mention it 8O

Seth, you might want to think about that stake out bracket and incorporate the backing plates into the build now :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:55 pm
by TomW
cape man wrote:
Group hug
Yuck! :help: :help:
How about beers in the bar at your place Craig! :lol: I like group hugs on the internet though since it's hard to get together! 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:03 pm
by TomW
And don't forget to figure out what type of jackplate you want. Hydraulic or manual. I picked the Jack's manual that can be converted to a hydraulic until I get a feel of how much I will use it. You can't use it in motion but you can adjust it on the water unlike some of the others.

And don't forget to buy them through Shine as we get 10% off.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:21 pm
by majorgator
I step away and look what happens 8O I'll just add the "prop" discussion to banned topics, along with any mention of outboard manufacturers, liberals, and sterling paint.
Quick Seth! Do something, anything!
Been workin all day, on the road to Ruskin (no time for lunch, sorry)...up early tomorrow mornin and back on the road again to Naples for a few days. But now, I'm gonna go home and play with my babies, does that count :wink: :wink:
Hey! Is that a stakout stick handle over by the epoxy jugs :doh:
Sure nuff. Got it from some guy who has poor taste in outboard motors and props :wink: :wink: :wink:
Its got 2 coats of epoxy on it and probably another 1 or 2 to go. Even the wife commented on how pretty it looks. Thanks again Richard!
I can take care of the through-bow bracket like Richard has
I am tempted...but I've a got a lot of stuff going on in the bow area. It's doable, but would be tight fit...
Image
And don't forget to figure out what type of jackplate you want. Hydraulic or manual. I picked the Jack's manual that can be converted to a hydraulic until I get a feel of how much I will use it. You can't use it in motion but you can adjust it on the water unlike some of the others.

And don't forget to buy them through Shine as we get 10% off.
Already got a hydraulic Bob's jackplate. No point in going the manual route...I'm expecting to use the up/down function frequently.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:19 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Do you have anything to share with us :doh: :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:49 am
by majorgator
Do you have anything to share with us :doh: :lol:
Why of course :wink: :wink: Now that I'm at work again, I have some time to goof off and post some pictures 8O

Got the beast loaded up on the trailer yesterday afternoon. I know she looks big sitting in the garage, and I've surely seen other renditions of this boat, but geez, this is one big machine...
Image
Image
Image

It was actually quite easy. Using the rollerskates in the last picture, we lifted the stern corners to get them underneath, then placed another 2 about half-way up. We then pushed it to the trailer bunks, connected the winch, and pulled it on up. It was a big day for my wife, considering its been over a year since she's been able to park in the garage.

One thing I did notice is that it sits on the trailer a little bow-heavy. It doesn't actually touch the bunks on the very back. Next weekend, I'm going to build some bunks on the front to support the bow, which should help it quite a bit. Also, I may buy some shorter tires, but I'm going to wait to see how well it launches first. It sits up pretty high, but I've seen higher, and with the shallow draft, it shouldn't take much to float it off.

BTW -
I was excited to see how strong this thing is. When we were lifting, I expected to see some twisting, but it stayed true the whole time. Also, I'm happy I went with the 2 x 12 backer in the bow transom. There was ZERO flex in the bow transom when we were winching it up, and overall, the whole things seems rock solid.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:54 am
by gstanfield
Wow, she is a large girl that's for sure :D You said your wife gets her garage back, does that mean you are taking the boat somewhere else?

George

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:03 am
by SmokyMountain
Looks great Seth!! I know you're excited. I'm putting mine on the trailer soon too.
I know she looks big sitting in the garage, and I've surely seen other renditions of this boat, but geez, this is one big machine...
I was thinking aircraft carrier. :wink: Plenty of room to cast, have a party, land small aircraft or helicopters, drag huge redfish on deck...etc.. ..... and most importantly the kids have room to play while you fish :D .

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:35 am
by majorgator
...does that mean you are taking the boat somewhere else?does that mean you are taking the boat somewhere else?
Well, I'm going to leave it at home until the sanding and fairing is complete. Then for painting, I'm going to bring it to my shop at work so I can leave it indoors and have a large work area. Also, it will allow me to sneak out there whenever I feel like to work on it. We're going to start having "painting and rigging breaks" at work.
...and most importantly the kids have room to play while you fish :D .
I can strap down a pack 'n play on the rear deck... 8O 8O

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:51 pm
by cottontop
Seth, tht is one bigggggg boat. You shouldn't hve to worry about running out of space to store. Great job!!!!! John

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:04 pm
by cape man
Image

Does the drive point towards Boca, cause she looks like she wants to go...

Congrats! Big step in the build!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:11 pm
by Cracker Larry
Very nice Seth. She looks great outside where we can see the entire flight deck at once 8)

I would support that bow section a little more. The GF16 had a similar overhang and I built a cross brace for support.

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:27 pm
by majorgator
Thanks, everyone, for the compliments. I'm in that stage now where all I want to do is go outside and work on it, just wanting to see it finished.
Does the drive point towards Boca, cause she looks like she wants to go...
Hey, all I got to do is plug up the holes, throw a motor on her and hit the road. Who needs sanded surfaces and paint? Hec, if I didn't do any fairing, it would have a natural non-skid finish 8O
...the entire flight deck...
Aint that the understatement of the month :wink:
I would support that bow section a little more.
Yeah, I've seen how Richard did his, and now I've seen how you did it. Both ways work just well. Right now, it kind of teeter-totters. Its OK until next weekend, but I don't want to let it sit that way for long.

And about the Sterling:
The tutorial on here says the primer goes about 160 SF and the finish coat about 300 SF. Is that accurate compared to what ya'll have experienced? I guess I could just text Richard and find out, seeing as he has a pretty good example of a comparable boat :wink: :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:26 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Seth, here is a photo of how I supported my bow. I think it would be easy to do with the u-channel or a bracket like Larry used...

Image

And about the Sterling:The tutorial on here says the primer goes about 160 SF and the finish coat about 300 SF. Is that accurate compared to what ya'll have experienced? I guess I could just text Richard and find out, seeing as he has a pretty good example of a comparable boat
I don't remember how much primer I used for some reason. The Sterling is easy, I used 22 ounces of the red paint and 50 ounces of the cream. That doesn't include the catalyst or the brushing thinner. I used almost 2 gallons of S-3 on the original paint job and I still wasn't happy with it.

Congratulations on getting her on the trailer!! Can't wait to see the finished boat :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:09 am
by majorgator
Didn't get as much done yesterday as I had hoped, but still, moving toward the goal.

I decided that before I do too much walking around and standing in the boat while on the trailer, I needed to install the bow support. I went with this, similar to Richard's trailer, and I'll decide later if more is needed...

Image
Image
Image

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:19 am
by macs
I agree, that boat looks a hell of a lot bigger outside in the open. I don't think she'd fit in my garage. Mines 19' and a break-a-way trailer tongue was the only way to make her fit. Looking good!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:15 pm
by wadestep
Hey Seth - the boat is looking great. What a big step - the boat is now mobile (albeit not on it's own bottom yet). looks like you're closing in on the home stretch!

Hope to see you in Boca Grande again!
wade

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:53 pm
by majorgator
MONUMENTAL MILESTONE ALERT:
As of this evening, all the fiberglass has been laid 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Let the sanding and fairing begin...

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:16 pm
by Aripeka Angler
majorgator wrote:MONUMENTAL MILESTONE ALERT:
As of this evening, all the fiberglass has been laid 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Let the sanding and fairing begin...

seth
That is great news :) She is looking great! I like the trailer support, nice work on that!! It won't be long now....

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:34 pm
by Cracker Larry
I propose a toast :!: That is a monumental milestone 8)
There are good ships and wood ships, and ships that sail the seas. But the best ships are friendships, and may they always be.
Here's to ya :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:36 pm
by cape man
Tipping my drink (coffee)!!!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 7:56 pm
by majorgator
Well, nearly a month and half since I last updated this thread. Doing so brings to memory a comment I made a while back:

Seth to Richard: "I'm not going to be one of those guys that spends a month fairing and sanding my boat."

I can't say that the last month and half has been all fairing and sanding, but its pretty much all I've done on it. Its an exhausting task on a boat with this much square-footage :help: I've been moving it back and forth between my house and my shop to try to keep it out of the sun, so here's some pictures of it in that setting...
Image
Image

I stiffened up the bow support bunk; I don't think its going anywhere...
Image
Image

Here's a shot of the boat with most of the topside fairing done. This was taken right before I sanded the sole.
Image

Had to take a break from the fairing and sanding, so decided to fit my steering and throttle.
Image

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 8:27 pm
by gstanfield
Looking very nice Seth, you're going to have one fish slaying, fisherman impressing family fun boat when this is done :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:42 pm
by SmokyMountain
Seth,

Looks great!! Fairing that aircraft carrier is a major accomplishment. 8) It will look even better in primer.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:31 pm
by cape man
Clock's ticking...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:35 am
by Cracker Larry
You've made a lot of progress since I saw it 2 weeks ago! Looking good 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:09 am
by macs
Looking good Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 12:01 pm
by welyjr
I love this boat! I can't wait to start mine.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 4:48 pm
by Joe H
That is a lot of surface, looking good!

Joe h

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:14 pm
by semperfly
I am very impressed with your build, so impressed that I am starting my search for some shop space to start mine. I have one question for you or any of the other experienced builders...I have looked at a few of the other builds that are being done and am curious. Did you pour any foam into the cavity or did you leave it hollow to shave weight or cost? I have some other qustions in general about the XF20 but will ask those questions in another thread. I dont want to hijack your thread with newbie questions.

Thanks

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:06 pm
by majorgator
semperfly - feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like. I'm not the most experienced, and probably won't have the best "finished looking" boat, but I think I'll be happy with it. I'm glad to help you out however you'd like. I did not pour foam under the sole. Some of the folks on here recommended it, but I'm lazy, cheap, or just didn't care (maybe all 3). It might have been nice for the sound deadening aspect, but according to the rules & regs, vessels 20' and longer are not required to have it. I think the XF20 goes about 20'-3" on the plans. Mine measures 20'-2"...of course, there's a story about mis-measuring that goes along it :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:05 pm
by semperfly
yeah the foam is a little pricey no doubt but I saw the diference it made in a Panga I had and am sold on the sound deadning capapbility not to mention the shock absorption that the flat bottoms going to give out in the chop. Either way Im sure your boat will look great, hell it already does! Thanks again for offering to help.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:53 pm
by majorgator
Big day coming tomorrow:
FWC officer to be here at 9 AM to do the inspection. :D :D :D :D :D :D

With painting and rigging being all that's left, I figured its "done enough" and I didn't want this to be the one thing that keeps me off the water.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:25 pm
by Steven
majorgator wrote:Big day coming tomorrow:
FWC officer to be here at 9 AM to do the inspection. :D :D :D :D :D :D

With painting and rigging being all that's left, I figured its "done enough" and I didn't want this to be the one thing that keeps me off the water.

seth

I did mine while primed. They had to apply the sticker and I had to paint around it. Big pain.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:31 pm
by cottontop
Steven, I've spent several hours over the last few days reading all of your thread. What a fine job you have done. Your wife and young children are going to love your new ride. I can remember when the FWC came to look at mine. He spent 3 hours checking out my boat. He couldn't believe i built it myself. He took time to read my journal and look at pics. Congrats. John

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:54 pm
by Cracker Larry
That's a milestone date for sure 8) Like Steven said though, in GA the inspecting officer is required to place the hull ID stickers himself and it's a real pain if he does it before you finish painting. I made that mistake on my GF16.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:34 pm
by Steven
Cracker Larry wrote:That's a milestone date for sure 8) Like Steven said though, in GA the inspecting officer is required to place the hull ID stickers himself and it's a real pain if he does it before you finish painting. I made that mistake on my GF16.
Yup. That was my GV11. Learned. The OB will be painted then inspected.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:34 pm
by Steven
cottontop wrote:Steven, I've spent several hours over the last few days reading all of your thread. What a fine job you have done. Your wife and young children are going to love your new ride. I can remember when the FWC came to look at mine. He spent 3 hours checking out my boat. He couldn't believe i built it myself. He took time to read my journal and look at pics. Congrats. John
Thanks John.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2011 10:39 am
by Aripeka Angler
Looking nice Seth!!! I think got it whipped now. If you are like me, I whipped it just before it whipped me :wink: How did the inspection go?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:15 am
by majorgator
Hooray! It took a whopping 10 minutes and a largely uninterested FWC officer, but I got my paperwork and can now go visit the tag office to get my registration :lol: :lol: :lol: It kind of disappointed me; I was looking forward to telling him all about the build process, but he apparently had better ways to spend my tax dollar. Oh well, I'm thankful that there was no problems. And no sticker in FL, just have to get the HIN engraved on something and apply later.
If you are like me, I whipped it just before it whipped me
Aint that the truth. As of last night, the fairing's about 95% complete. If I don't run out of quickfair, then it should be 100% done today.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 9:44 am
by macs
When the officer came to do mine, he didn't even walk all the way around the whole boat 8O

It sure makes you feel good to have it Id'd

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:08 pm
by Uncle D
WTG Seth. Congratulations!!!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:41 am
by majorgator
Got the first coat of primer on yesterday. Sure is a "feel-good" moment. A better man would do some more fairing, but since its pretty dang good anyway, and this project started in January 2009...
I didn't put as much fairing effort into the areas where the KiwiGrip will be applied or where the rubrail goes. These areas aren't rough, but they're not as smooth and pretty as the other areas that just gets a smooth finish.

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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 10:03 am
by Aripeka Angler
Man that looks nice!!! I think you are going to make your deadline :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 10:16 am
by cape man
Awesome Seth! Go Baby Go!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:19 pm
by majorgator
3 coats of primer on and looking sweet! Got the last coat on yesterday afternoon. Should have temperatures in the high 80's this week, so I'm planning on starting the paint on Friday to stay on schedule. The recommendation is to wait 7 days, but with I'm taking a gamble, betting that the temps and low humidity will accelerate the cure a bit. Won't be long now... 8)

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:30 pm
by wegcagle
NICE :!: You gettin' there now Seth. She sure does look good 8)

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:09 pm
by majorgator
Just a little teaser...

Last night (primer sanding):
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After 1 coat of (totally awesome) Sterling paint...hmmm, seamist green, hmmm...
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more tomorrow...

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:04 pm
by sitandfish
The boat is better looking than I even imagined. 8)
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Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:55 pm
by Aripeka Angler
sitandfish wrote:The boat is better looking than I even imagined. 8)

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I have to agree with you, Seth's boat is looking nice! I like this shot too...

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Looks like Red will have some company in Boca after all...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:09 pm
by TomW
Wow Seth looking great! :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:08 pm
by gstanfield
Congrats on getting some paint on her, that Seamist looks good to me :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:15 pm
by tech_support
:) looking good!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:57 pm
by Steven
Looking good. I like the Seamist. What are you doing on the inside?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 11:51 pm
by Doc_Dyer
Wonder if Craig will give him any homebrew with such an ugly color on his boat???
:wink: :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:20 am
by Cracker Larry
Yep, I believe she just might make Boca this year yet :D Wow, only a few weeks away! Yall done real good today 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:31 pm
by cape man
Wonder if Craig will give him any homebrew with such an ugly color on his boat???
Alright.... She's a beauty and sea mist green is my new favorite color. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seth you gotta be feeling good. Major step.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:15 pm
by majorgator
Thanks everyone. Painting is done, except for the kiwigrip. I'll get some good pictures on Monday when I can drag it out into the light. Total usage was about 1 quart of the cream and a little more than a pint of the green. I know this is hard to believe, but man, that Sterling is some AMAZING stuff.

Seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:34 pm
by majorgator
Some pictures this morning. A few sags, couple of runs, but for the most part, I'm the only one that can tell you where they are :wink: The Sterling has a hard, enamel-like finish that feels REAL nice and finishes REAL smooth. Of course, a HUGE thanks to Richard for giving me a hand Friday morning. The helpfulness and generosity of the people in this group is second to none :!: :!: Again, all painting done except Kiwigrip...
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sorry, looks like some of the pictures got cut off on the right edge :cry:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:10 pm
by gstanfield
Looks good Seth, but I think you missed a couple of spots on the topsides :P What color kiwi grip did you decide on?

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:37 pm
by Uncle D
I really like that shade of green. Excellent job Seth.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:45 pm
by PeteS
Seth, looking good how was the Sterling applied? (Roll and Tip or sprayed on)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:34 pm
by majorgator
Pete -
It was roll and tip, very easy. There are NO brush marks or lines.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:25 pm
by cape man
I love (cough, cough) the Seamist (hack, hack) Green (excuse me...burp). :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously, Seth. That looks Awesome!!! I take back everything I said about Doc's boat! Gotta feel great!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:26 pm
by Doc_Dyer
yea feels great,

can I hear you say it again please 8O :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:51 pm
by majorgator
Cape Man wrote:
I love (cough, cough) the Seamist (hack, hack) Green (excuse me...burp). :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously, Seth. That looks Awesome!!! I take back everything I said about Doc's boat! Gotta feel great!
There ya go Doc! Just in case you forgot :wink: :wink:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:15 pm
by majorgator
Jack plate and motor hung...

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Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:40 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Looks great :) Another big step. I am very happy to see your build coming to completion, can't wait to see her splashed. The paint looks great, fine work Seth...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:50 pm
by Cracker Larry
Mighty fine work! Nice engine too :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:04 pm
by SmokyMountain
Looks great Seth!! Can't wait to see her in Boca...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:39 am
by Capt.Adam Valle
Sweet!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:13 am
by Prarie Dog
Seth, looks great. Looks like Sterling for me the next time around. Richard, you might check Red Alert that motor on Seth's boat looks very familiar. :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:38 am
by cape man
SWEET!!!!

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:18 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Prarie Dog wrote: Richard, you might check Red Alert that motor on Seth's boat looks very familiar. :lol:
Can't be mine, it had a prop on it when it disappeared :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 7:28 am
by majorgator
This is where things really get fun. Today, the T & T decided to begin working again (ask Larry :wink: ). I got the Baystar cylinder and hoses connected, along with cleaning up all the motor and jackplate rigging on the back. Also did some fitting on the console, getting the radio cut out and the binnacle control and start switch mounted. Most importantly...got some gas and cranked up the motor :!: :!: :!: :!: Apparently, sitting in storage for the last year and a half has ruined the impeller, but I ordered one of those a few weeks ago anticipating this problem.

After church today, gonna tackle the wiring and switch panel. The only wiring I have left to do is that which is under the console, generally speaking between the fuse panel and switch panel.

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seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 10:02 am
by Cracker Larry
Today, the T & T decided to begin working again (ask Larry :wink:
I'm telling ya, it's my magic wand. That Yammi knew I had the manual out :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 7:25 pm
by stickystuff
I don't remember what that motor weighed. The owner I built it for bought it. Forgot how purty it was. Of all the XF's built and me being a codesigner, I still haven't been on one fishing. Go figure. :doh:

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 10:48 am
by majorgator
Of all the XF's built and me being a codesigner, I still haven't been on one fishing. Go figure. :doh:
I think me or Richard can rectify that for you this year in Boca :wink: :wink:

Got a lot of wiring completed yesterday. I need about 2 more good days and she'll be ready for the water :!: Got a problem with the jack plate, though. It won't work on the switch, but I can operate it up and down with a jumper. Just spoke to a tech at Bob's Machine Shop, and it sounds like my solenoids are bad. Its a used jackplate, so some of the connections on the solenoids were corroded. The connector studs are apparently connected to a soldered wire within the housing (unlike some other solenoids that simply need to make contact). When I was messing around with the solenoids, I turned the studs, which likely broke the wires off internally. I'll go to Bob's tomorrow to get some more, then I should be back in business.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 10:55 am
by Aripeka Angler
majorgator wrote:
Of all the XF's built and me being a codesigner, I still haven't been on one fishing. Go figure. :doh:
I think me or Richard can rectify that for you this year in Boca :wink: :wink:

seth
The least we could do is take him for a ride. I don't think he has ever been aboard one in the water :doh:

Good luck on finishing up your rigging, see you Thursday when you stop for the prop...

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 11:23 am
by cape man
Before you replace the selenoids check the power/hot line to the switch (there are three wires to the switch, one hot). I had a similar problem (would work from a jump, but not the switch) and found a break in that line.

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 11:47 am
by majorgator
Before you replace the selenoids check the power/hot line to the switch (there are three wires to the switch, one hot). I had a similar problem (would work from a jump, but not the switch) and found a break in that line.
Thanks Craig. I'll put a meter on the line tonight to see if there's power. I'd say it would be easier to replace the solenoids rather than pull new wire, but I ran a bunch of spares so that fix would take about minutes, most of which would be doing the heat shrink. :wink: No big deal if its just the solenoids. At $15.00 each, that's the probably the cheapest part on there (well, other than the oil cap :wink: ). 8) 8)

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 10:23 am
by majorgator
I don't know who ever told me that it would only take a gallon of KiwiGrip to do my whole boat :doh: :doh:
:wink: :wink: :wink:

Sorry, no pictures at this time, but the KiwiGrip on the front/rear deck and gunwales looks super awesome. What an easy product to apply. And boy does it look sharp when you pull the tape. Barely had enough product to cover those areas, so I guess I'll order more for the sole :cry: :cry:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 10:44 am
by Aripeka Angler
majorgator wrote:I don't know who ever told me that it would only take a gallon of KiwiGrip to do my whole boat :doh: :doh:
:wink: :wink: :wink:

Sorry, no pictures at this time, but the KiwiGrip on the front/rear deck and gunwales looks super awesome. What an easy product to apply. And boy does it look sharp when you pull the tape. Barely had enough product to cover those areas, so I guess I'll order more for the sole :cry: :cry:

seth
I don't remember if I told you about the extra quart :doh: That is a big deck, it takes what it takes :lol: Can't wait to see the pics 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 11:04 am
by majorgator
I don't remember if I told you about the extra quart :doh:
You did tell me about the extra quart. I'm going to need a full gallon though 8O I used the middle-sized notched spreader because the I was still seeing some of the primer with the smallest notch.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 10:59 am
by Cracker Larry
Waiting on a splash report, with pics 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 3:28 pm
by majorgator
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Dang, should have put a belt on...
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Might be helpful to disconnect this...
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No leaks. So far so good.
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So how close are my drain holes to the water?
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I promise he's just hot, not sunburned 8)
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The holes are too close, apparently. "Daddy I'll steer while you plug those holes."
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Curiosities/Thoughts/Surprises:
1. The quickest way to add water into this boat is full-throttle reverse with the motor jacked up about 3 inches. That put about 5 - 10 gallons in there in about 3 seconds. Backing up in general sucks.
2. I just couldn't capture a good picture of my wife's joy that the boat is finally (nearly) done.
3. Using a borrowed 12 pitch 4-blade Powertech prop, there was some significant slippage. My tachometer is not connected yet, but at the higher throttle ranges, you could just tell that the prop was having problems grabbing. Minor slipping coming out of the hole, though. Max speed (by GPS) was about 25 MPH. Obviously, this will require more discussion.
4. The livewell pump did just fine. Had to close down the spray nozzle quite a bit because the overflow couldn't keep up. Livewell timer (1 min on, 2 min off) didn't work, but its probably just corrected wrong. That silly TH Marine scoop thingy I bought (suppose to keep water flow constant while boat is running) didn't work worth a flip. Good thing it was cheap and its not screwed into the transom.
5. Draft = 5" - I knew she was built heavy, but I still expected 4". Oh well...
6. Drain holes allow water to rocket into the cockpit. I plugged them temporarily, but it looks like I'll be making some covers for them.
7. Little bit of motor trouble, but that's to be expected for a used motor that's sat on a shelf for over a year. Looks like a little maintenance work is in order :wink:
8. The turbulence coming out of the tunnel is pretty rough. I can only imagine that's what was the causing the motor to have a little excessive shaking from time-to-time.
9. Even with the motor full jacked up, there was still plenty of water directed to the motor.
10. While she does slide in a turn, it wasn't as bad as expected. A sharp turn at cruising speed still requires a lot of space, but overall it was very responsive.
11. The transom-mounted transducer makes water shoot straight up. Of course that water comes straight into the boat :doh:

Overall, this was a great day. A few kinks to get worked out, a bit deeper draft than expected, but overall I'm pleased with the results.

edit - just looking at some of the pictures again, it appears that the draft may have been closer to 4" right after launch, but in the black water of the river, it definitely changed :doh: Different water densities perhaps :doh: :doh:

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 4:17 pm
by gstanfield
Congrats on the splash. Don't worry over the little bugs, there will always be bugs to work out. That's why a plane's first flight isn't full of passengers :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 4:28 pm
by Larry B
Congrats on the splash, she sure looks good :D Thanks for sharing the pictures, they were cool 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 4:37 pm
by tobolamr
Congratulations! She looks GREAT in the water!

Could a person make a mini spray rail to mount above the transducer to cut that spray?

And in my bass boat, the drains don't keep up with the pump, either. Well, unless I'm filling both live wells at the same time... Amazing how much water that can actually pump, isn't it?

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 4:58 pm
by stickystuff
Seth. prob. need to pull the carbs down and give them a good cleaning. I can do that if neccessary. i just finished a 40Hp Yammie that has been sitting for a year. Over all looks beautiful. The prop might have to be up one size. Getthe tach. working to find out.Yours is a two stroke ,right? I think richards is a 4 stroke. Two will churn up quicker than a 4 stroke.Minor fixes for the rest. If you need help call me 342-6619 :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 5:12 pm
by steve292
Fine looking boat Seth....& a fine boy too 8)
congratulations,
Steve

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 5:33 pm
by Cracker Larry
There it is 8) Looks great :!: but couldn't you find a river with some water in it :doh:

Like they said, minor fixes and fine tuning :D See you in two weeks at Boca Grande :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 7:25 pm
by Hope2float
Great looking boat and a lot of hard work behind you. Good luck with her and the family. I do agree with Larry you need more water!!! :lol:
Dave

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 7:55 pm
by majorgator
Plenty of water...that's just a small creek with a ramp right before the big Suwanee River...more comments later.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:12 pm
by Brettitt41
Minor problems are to be expected. Looks like a successful splash to me. Great looking boat congratulations.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 9:10 pm
by cape man
Awesome. Just awesome! Congrats! All the little stuf can be worked out. You can stand proud!

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:22 pm
by Aripeka Angler
Congratulations on the launch, the details and minor bugs you described should be easy to fix :D You will figure 'em out.I sure wish Red's prop would have worked out a little better for you, I have another you can try if you don't want to buy one before the meet...

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:28 pm
by Prarie Dog
Great job Seth, looks really nice, those bugs will be gone in no time. SWMBO and I were talking on the way home tonight how many of the same problems we had. They're mostly gone now. Great looking build, you can take pride in her.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 6:44 am
by macs
Awesome job Seth. That's a fine looking boat and crew.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 7:25 am
by majorgator
Thanks for the comments everyone. I sure am proud of what's been accomplished over the course of the last 2 years. It was certainly an experience to be cherished and something I look forward to doing again.

There's still a few little rigging things left to do (stern light, rub rail, rod holders), but she's very fishable at this point. Another observation is that she sits down fast when you let off the throttle, presumably because of the 15 gallons of fuel sitting in the front. Also, we had a heavy rain last weekend, and the hatches had very little leakage. I'd say there was about a quart of water in the bilge...and we got close to 3 inches last weekend.
Seth. prob. need to pull the carbs down and give them a good cleaning. I can do that if neccessary. i just finished a 40Hp Yammie that has been sitting for a year. Over all looks beautiful. The prop might have to be up one size. Getthe tach. working to find out.Yours is a two stroke ,right? I think richards is a 4 stroke. Two will churn up quicker than a 4 stroke.
Ken, mine is a 2 stroke and so is Richard's. I should have cleaned the carbs before this trip but I simply ran out of time. I don't plan on doing much boat work today, but I intend on cleaning the carbs. Fortunately, its a Yamaha and the carbs are extremely accessible :wink: You might be right about the prop. I think a little more testing may be in order to get it right :wink:
Fine looking boat Seth....& a fine boy too
Thanks Steve!

To those of you who commented about the water in the river :wink: :wink: , like I said earlier that was just the small creek before the river. I chose to launch there because there's no current, and I figured loading would be easier. The price I paid for that, though, was a shallow ramp = more trailer in the water = less turning room for loading (with boat that doesn't turn) = painful loading experience. I got frustrated with it and just tossed a rope to my dad and let him pull me on.
I have another you can try if you don't want to buy one before the meet...
Might take you up on that offer. Red's prop fit pretty good, and sure does look pretty on there. As I sit back and reflect on it, I shouldn't be so quick to claim prop slippage. With dirty carbs, its likely that the motor was struggling which effected prop speed. Dang, where's TomW/Alabamajo(h)n when you really need him :help: :help:
SWMBO and I were talking on the way home tonight how many of the same problems we had. They're mostly gone now.
Yeah, its funny Paul how we might expect that a homemade boat (by an amateur nonetheless) should hit the water and be perfect. I'm just proud of it all, and happy to know that she floats well and doesn't leak. We didn't hit any rough water, but I felt comfort in knowing that she's built well. And to make it better, there's a pile of room on there. There were 3 of us adults and 2 babies, and at no point were we running out of room.
Could a person make a mini spray rail to mount above the transducer to cut that spray?
I've been thinking about this. Obviously, if I stick with a transom mounted style, its going to have this problem no matter where its mounted on this boat. I believe I could even come up with something that can utilize the same screw holes the transducer bracket uses. :doh: :doh: On a separate but related note, the unit itself worked really well, including the GPS features. You can see the antenna mounted on the grab rail (next to the brown packing paper I haven't completely removed yet). I'm happy I went with the external mounted GPS antenna. And a word of wisdom: a lot of people use an expensive RAM mount for their GPS antenna, and while that works well, the Humminbird units have the same threads as a VHF antenna, so for about $12 I picked up a plastic fixed-position VHF antenna mount at Bass Pro.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 7:37 am
by Steven
Congrats Seth. It looks great.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 10:43 am
by topwater
Congrats Seth, the boat looks great on the water 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 10:58 am
by ks8
Great picture of the vigilant flotsam spotter. Enjoy! :D

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Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 11:34 am
by SmokyMountain
Congrats!!! Very nice, can't wait to see it in Boca!!

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 11:38 am
by wegcagle
Congrats Seth,

That's one beautiful boat you got there. 8) I know you've got to be one proud man seeing her in the water. Just an FYI it won't be your boat for long. I'm bettin' by next week your boy will start to claim it as his own :D

Will

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 4:45 pm
by steve292
I sure am proud of what's been accomplished over the course of the last 2 years.
Nice feeling ain't it? Mines been built over a year, & I can still sit & look at it for an age :help:
Steve

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 9:19 pm
by Prarie Dog
Seth, I had the same problem with the transducer making a vertical spray. Grandpa kept moving it up until it quit. He had to drill and fill two sets of holes to get it right. It wound up being mounted about an inch above where the instructions said to put it. :doh: It ain't going as fast as it looks.

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Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 8:21 am
by majorgator
I really think the water spray is coming up through the hole shown in this pic, between the transducer and mounting bracket...

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That has a pointy end toward the bow that would probably be perfect for digging into the water and directing spray straight up. If I tilted it downward more, then it would probably direct the spray away from the boat. I'm going to experiment with some small thin plastic pieces that I bolt to each other top and bottom of the bracket. That will at least keep the spray from coming though there.

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 9:11 am
by macs
I had the same problem on my jon boat. I mounted the transducer accoring to the instructions and it kicked up spray badly. I moved it up like Prarie Dog and that solved the problem. When I transfered it over to the Dory we built, I mounted it higher and had no problems.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 8:48 am
by PeteS
Seth, quick question concerning your comment about this,

6. Drain holes allow water to rocket into the cockpit. I plugged them temporarily, but it looks like I'll be making some covers for them.

What exactly did you mean by this, can I assume that the water is returning up through all of your drains even as the boat sits (not under power)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:18 am
by msujmccorm
Beautiful Boat Seth! The first mate looks really comfortable on the boat.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 12:44 pm
by majorgator
can I assume that the water is returning up through all of your drains even as the boat sits (not under power)
No, the only time water comes in through the holes is when the boat is underway. The holes are above the waterline while the boat is at rest.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 12:47 pm
by Uncle D
A little late seeing the launch pics. Boat looks great and a fine looking first mate. Congrats on both Seth!!! :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 6:50 pm
by cottontop
Seth, I just got back on this site today. Been a little busy. My what a fine looking boat. I've followed your thread for quite some time. She sure is a beauty. You and your family are going to enjoy many, many fine days on the water. Seeing your son on there reminds me of having my grandson on board on the "Silver River". He was about 13 months old the 1st time. He's 4 now. He loves being on the boat. I live in Sparr and would love to come up and see her some time. John

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 1:02 pm
by majorgator
Thanks for the continued comments. I really appreciate the kind words from everyone.
I live in Sparr and would love to come up and see her some time.
John - I work in Gainesville, right off the Williston road exit. I'd be more than happy to give you the dime tour of my XF20. Let me know, and I'll bring her in with me one day 8)

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 6:59 pm
by cottontop
Thanks Seth. I sent you an email. John

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 1:45 am
by semperfly
Dude you'e getting 5" draft and complaining? LOL! VERY VERY COOL. Thanks for keeping us all updated and please keep us updated post build on getting the bugs worked out, a good after action report helps us all less mechanically inclined knuckle draggers not make as many mistakes :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:47 pm
by majorgator
Just thought I'd post these pics on my thread...

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Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:24 pm
by FOSTER
Looks like you did a great job building that boat if it can handle all that weight. That is impressive.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:44 pm
by Prarie Dog
Great job Seth, beautiful boat and family.

Foster, this pic demonstrates the load carrying capability of an XF20 better than anything I've seen or heard. :D

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:52 pm
by majorgator
And if I remember right, the only structural damage done to the XF20 was to the gunwales 8O

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:55 pm
by chopperman
Ouch :( That's still painful to look at :help:

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:32 am
by majorgator
Interesting to report that, while on the water yesterday, the XF20 had yet again a different draft. However, I'm now believing this is a matter of weight distribution rather than overall weight or buoyancy. Yesterday, it was drafting a true 3" - 4" at rest. This was with a tank of fuel (bow), fish box half full of ice (bow), 54-quart cooler full of ice (mid-ship), EMPTY livewell (stern). In short, it appears that the boat drafts as expected, with the correct weight distribution. :D :D

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:40 am
by chlli willie
Congratulations your boat came out great,just the fact thats its done is a huge accomplishment.How is the ride? And would you do anything different with the layout ?

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:33 pm
by hooter
Any updates on the performance nummbers?

I am interested in this as my next build but am a little suprised at 25 MPH with a 70 2 stroke. According to the building notes, a 25 hp will push this boat 25 mph and 30 HP will push this boat 30 mph. I realizre this is not a linear relationship and would not expect 70 hp but I am curious if a tweaking of the setup or maintenance on the motor has boosted your top end.

Not trying to medle but I am trying to get performance numbers before I saw the wood.

thx. hOOt

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:56 pm
by Cracker Larry
I am interested in this as my next build but am a little suprised at 25 MPH with a 70 2 stroke.
That sounds about right with a load in the boat. Actually, I think Seth has an 80 hp 2 stroke, but it's a huge 20' boat. Have you seen one?

My OD18 loaded light (relatively speaking, with a T-top and all her normal stuff) will hit about 33, trimmed up with a tailwind, with the 70 Yamaha 2 stroke. The XF20 is a much larger boat, much wider, a couple of feet longer, a lot more bottom surface and deck area. Heavier. You could land a helicopter on the front deck and play half court basketball on the back deck of the XF20 :lol: It's a BIG flats boats.

This is my OD18 tied up beside Richard's XF 20, before Red Alert was red...we both have the same 70 Yamaha, but you can see the difference in boat size.

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Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:19 pm
by hooter
I'm going to admittedly cross post. Sorry but I need answers :)


No I have not seen one of these.



After the Texas meet I am revisiting this performance idea and am perplexed...

If you look at a Majek Redfish line 20(which anybody who visited the Texas meet will recoginze it as there is one around every corner in Port O'Conner) the dimentions are almost identical to the XF20. 20 feet by 8 foot beam roughly. Tunnel.

The draft is a function of displacement which is determined by shape, weight, balance and volume. Everybody I've read seems to caution about putting too big a motor on the XF20 as it is "way too heavy". How is it that production manufacturers routinly put 150 HP motors on these boats (which weigh much more due the their noncomposite nature) and get speeds of 38-45 mph (and still run super skinny) but the fastest XF 20 I have seen is pushing 28 mph. I'm not a speed freak but am thinking put a little bigger motor and balance weight forward and go faster. why is this wrong?

I guess I am intrigued by DavidTX and his upgrade from a 60-90hp 4 stroke on the sled (and the resultant perma-smile). If you have a boat that is 8 feet wide and 20 feet long, what's another hundred pounds? 1/4" if properly balanced? why is this "way too heavy"? prove me wrong! Would the addition of sponsons adjacent to the motor help balance this increased motor weight by providing greater surface area and therefor bouyance (but thereby increasing weight and decrasing draft in the stern? )

I'm not a nautical engineer but I want everything in a build. Enough HP to "get it" but the skinniest draft possible. Just trying to figure out how the production boats do this but we can't seem to get the speeds they are generating.



all input appreciated.

hOOter

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:28 pm
by D2Maine
nm

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:53 pm
by Cracker Larry
but the fastest XF 20 I have seen is pushing 28 mph. I'm not a speed freak but am thinking put a little bigger motor and balance weight forward and go faster. why is this wrong?
No I have not seen one of these.
So that probably means you haven't rode in one either :lol: That big flat hull with that big square bow, in any kind of chop, I mean any chop higher than 6" if you are running directly into it, will rattle the fillings out of your teeth at 28 mph :help. You can't do it. Unless the water is flat smooth that boat won't be comfortable for the passengers at anything over20-25. It is not a speed boat, it is a skinny boat. You can't have both unless the water is very calm. And the lighter the engine, the shallower the boat will float.
I guess I am intrigued by DavidTX and his upgrade from a 60-90hp 4 stroke on the sled (and the resultant perma-smile). If you have a boat that is 8 feet wide and 20 feet long, what's another hundred pounds? 1/4" if properly balanced? why is this "way too heavy"? prove me wrong!
David's sled is a twin V, it isn't a powered floating dock like the XF20. The hull design of the TX18 is made for decent speed in a good chop, and still run fairly shallow. The XF20 is made to run very shallow, that is it's program, and it sacrifices all other qualities except load capacity to achieve it.

You can make most boats go faster with more HP, but each design reaches a point where the captain and crew, or the hull design, can't stand it no more.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:20 pm
by gstanfield
The Majek Redfish 21 has an 8" draft, which is about twice the draft of an XF20. It's also a tunnel hull, not a big flat bottom so it sacrifices draft for comfort in a chop :wink:

There was a guy on here a while back that put a big 4cyl OMC on an XF20. I think it was a 140hp (or something like that) and the results were scary speed for a flat hull that slides instead of turns 8O

It's all about compromise. Do you want 4" of draft and 30mph or 8" of draft and 45mph?

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:36 pm
by Cracker Larry
the results were scary speed for a flat hull that slides instead of turns 8O
I meant to mention that quality also. If the water is flat enough that you can run over 30 mph and still keep your teeth in your head, you won't be able to turn the boat inside of a football field :lol: When running flat out you turn the wheel and at first not much happens, then it eventually starts sliding sideways, then it starts skipping sideways, and eventually her @ss end begins to point in the same direction as her front end but it takes a while, then her @ss end might even pass her front end 8O A lot like an air boat. Not a problem at 30, but at 45 it might be quite a challenge. Collision avoidance could be a problem. No doubt you could push it very fast in flat water, in a straight line, once in a while, but it isn't made for speed, it's made for shallows. XF= Extreme Flats

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:47 pm
by gstanfield
I searched and found that it was an older 110hp 2 stroke the guy had.

I also found these:

From "brian in cc"
I agree with Hunch on this one ,my Xf20 with a 50 hp yamaha turning 5500 wide open runs about 27 mph.I recently went up to a 70 horse and I'm getting about 34mph not alot of difference in speed but the larger prop all but eliminated the prop ventilation issues.I would suggest going bigger than a fifty if for no other reason than to get the larger gearbox.
and from "Hutch" (the guy with the 110hp)
The larger gearbox and prop diameter definately helps with the problem of venting that the tunnel creates.

I can run a 13.5 x 17 x 3 blade to around 39 mph at 5200 but the hole shot sux rox and making a turn is a joke with the jack plate up even 3". Switching to a 13.5 x 14 x 4 blade makes for a much better hole shot and reduces venting X 200 % With the way my XF is rigged now and with a 8'x9' Bimini top up I can just about hit 30 at 5200 if I have a tail wind. Ideal crusing with the 1986 dinosaur Evinrude is around 3800-4000 and 20mph.
and Jacques input about Hutch's boat:
Two years ago, I strongly disagree with Hunch's approach but I changed my mind.
While the boat will work with a small engine, 25 to 50 HP, a big engine will strongly reduce cavitation problems through brute force.
He tested props and seems to have found a good combination.
If you use such a big engine, you will have to increase the scantlings.
I would double the glass on the bottom and the transom and pay attention to the transom knees: they must go all the way up
for what it's worth that's what I found :D

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:43 am
by majorgator
As an update, I'm still maxing out at about 25 MPH with a 85 HP 2-stroke. I can go from 0 - 22 MPH in the blink of an eye with very little bowrise. I'm running a 4-blade 12 pitch SST prop. At some point, you have to come to the realization that with a 12 pitch prop, you can only go so fast. Now, that being said, I'm still having a couple of hiccups with the motor. I'm going to be replacing the head gasket soon, because I have a tiny water leak between the upper and middle cylinder. Also, I based upon my inspections of the spark plugs last week when I replaced them, I have a suspicion that my middle cylinder isn't firing like it should. My carbs and all other parts of my fuel system are clean.
If you look at a Majek Redfish line 20(which anybody who visited the Texas meet will recoginze it as there is one around every corner in Port O'Conner) the dimentions are almost identical to the XF20. 20 feet by 8 foot beam roughly.
I would debate that hooter :wink: I checked out the website, and that boat is a good bit different than the XF20. As George mentions, 8" draft on the Majek and my XF20 with a moderate load in saltwater is a true 4". The Majek is like a hybrid twin-vee-flat-bottom :wink: Don't get me wrong, that's a nice looking boat, but its not the same.
I'm not a nautical engineer but I want everything in a build. Enough HP to "get it" but the skinniest draft possible. Just trying to figure out how the production boats do this but we can't seem to get the speeds they are generating.
Don't feel alone, I expected a little more speed too, but every time I get a bit discouraged (which isn't often :wink: ), I try to think of the point of this boat: SUPER SKINNY draft and for me, family fishing comfort. The past 2 weekends, I've had it on the water with babies, wives, dogs, and all the crap you have to carry to keep those things happy :D :D At no point did we ever feel crowded or uncomfortable, and at no point did we ever get in a hurry. This boat is based off of a popular design in our area that has been fished for decades in some of the most treacherous waters, so speed was not needed as much as a shallow draft and overall toughness. Speaking of toughness, here I am 2 weekends ago pulling my rig over some rocks in the Santa Fe River. Trust me, there was nothing intentional about this...

Image

seth

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:38 am
by hooter
I appreciate the discussion! I am still wrestling with what to do next. My wife says I need a project...

We'll figure it out. I'm just stuck between the XF20 and the PH18 with a few mods.

I need a boat for the wife and kids in a couple of years but also something that I can take out and fish the waters I love to fish.

hOOt

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:53 am
by SmokyMountain
Hooter,

What would you modify with respect to the PH18? Also, I was really impressed the the TX sled. (Seth don't mean to hijack your thread.)

Andrew

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:06 pm
by Uncle D
hOOt, as soon as I can I'll give you a demo ride in a modified PH. Probably be after winter.
Try to help make up your mind. :doh: :D
BTW, Did you leave the meet early, didn't see you at the cook-out. Don

Sorry Seth, didn't mean to hijack.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:42 pm
by hooter
As far as mods to the PH18...see also Uncle D!!! I'm quite intrigued by the build.

This is not the thread to discuss but tunnel/sponsons to support more power!

Yes had to leave early...long story but sometimes you have to burn some logs on the home fire!!

hOOter

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:33 pm
by 1HAMMERHEAD
I have an xf 20 with a 2 liter 150 merc...it still floats high enough to see at least an inch of tunnel...will run stupid skinny and does everything I built it for...it is way too fast with this engine but is fun on flat water when there is plenty of room.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:21 pm
by Cracker Larry
8O 8) :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:38 pm
by hooter
1HAMMERHEAD wrote:I have an xf 20 with a 2 liter 150 merc...it still floats high enough to see at least an inch of tunnel...will run stupid skinny and does everything I built it for...it is way too fast with this engine but is fun on flat water when there is plenty of room.
You should NOT have told me that!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:43 pm
by Cracker Larry
Well, we know it can handle the weight of the engine 8)

Image

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:44 am
by 1HAMMERHEAD
originally I had a 75 hp johnson 2 stroke on there, cleaned it up, and got it running good...motor was old but had great compression, I ran a 19 pitch sst with a ton of cup I beat into it, speed was probably mid 30's to 40...I was never happy with the prop...too much cavitation but only at certain times, the boat creates a ton of suction on slick water...it is very obvious when it breaks the suction and frees up, the cavitation went away as did the steering...I will eventually in the next few months go back to the smaller engine after i get it going again ...I have not vented my tunnel yet but I think its a must especially when ya want flat out straight line speed on flat water, just make sure you have plenty of room to steer.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:35 pm
by Steven
Hey Seth,

How much sterling did you use? I'm trying to decide how much to order. I'm going to do the cream on the inside and either Fleet Blue or Empress Blue on the outside. I really like the Empress Blue, but not sure if it's too hot for our Texas sun.

Thanks,
Steven

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:48 am
by majorgator
How much sterling did you use? I'm trying to decide how much to order. I'm going to do the cream on the inside and either Fleet Blue or Empress Blue on the outside.
Steven, I used approx. 1/2 quart of the Seamist Green (hull sides) and almost a full quart of the cream (topsides). However, it should be noted that most of my topsides are KiwiGrip (cream) which 2 almost 2 full gallons. The key, though, with the Sterling is to understand how to correctly use the brushing catalyst and the brushing thinner. Richard helped me through that, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten that figured out. :wink: I just checked my garage, and it looks like I have a little less than 1/2 gallon of the catalyst and a little less than 1 quart of the thinner left over, which leads me to believe that for your OB19, you're likely to need 1 gallon and 2 quarts respectively.

Its hard for me to judge the amount of cream you'll need, but you should have no problem if you purchased 1 quart for the sides and transom. I'd safe its safe to say, though, that you'll need more than 1 quart of the cream no matter how you go about it.
I really like the Empress Blue, but not sure if it's too hot for our Texas sun.
FWIW, there's a lot of boats in the hot Florida sun that have a darker color than that on the sides :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:43 pm
by Steven
Thanks.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:35 am
by majorgator
Well, here I am preparing for a busy spring and summer fishing/boating season. I was in a rush last year to wrap up the work on my XF20 in time for the builder's meet, and as a result, I was unable to do some of the things I wanted. That's all changed now...

(forgive me, the boat is in need a good washing)

Installation of 2 flush mount rod holders on the aft deck (30 degree). BTW - KiwiGrip is a total pain in the butt to remove...
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I never got around to adding the stern light...until now. Its mounted in the center, and it does not conflict with the control cables.
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I mounted the trolling motor a few months ago (just to get it out of my garage). Now, I've completed the installation with batteries, wiring, and plug. The batteries are mounted in the front anchor locker, 1 on the port side and 1 on the starboard side. The are standard Wal-Mart Deep Cycles, Group 24. I have a 60 Amp circuit breaker wired in line. The trolling motor is a MotorGuide 82lb thrust 60" shaft.
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As previously mentioned, the holes at the back corner of the sole used for drains allow water to "rocket in" while underway. I fixed that with some SST clamshell covers and a little bit of gel-magic.
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Having never seen enough rod storage on any boat, I added some under-gunwale rod holders (with some help from gel-magic again)...
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Finally, I've had a problem with the heavy gas fumes building up beneath the aft deck. To help alleviate this, I added some vents along the bulkhead.
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For this upcoming weekend, I will be installing this bracket for my stake-out stick.
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Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 10:16 am
by peter-curacao
Very nice,I bet those were all fun "little" projects to do. 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 11:05 am
by Dog Fish
Seth, your extra projects look good.

I know you said (forgive me, the boat is in need a good washing) but you should be penalized for letting that great looking boat get so dirty......shame on you....... :P


Brian......... :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 4:11 pm
by cottontop
Always something to do. Why did you mount your trolling motor on the rigt side(just curious: I mounted mine there on my OD18 because I liked it. Have noticed most boats on left side.) Sent you and email about a possible visit.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:56 pm
by majorgator
Thanks all!
Why did you mount your trolling motor on the right side
2 reasons:
I cast easier to the left quarter of the boat, so putting it on the right helps keep it out the way for me.
The decket on trolling motor mounts is intended for a V-Hull, left-side mount. Unfortunately, that means it has a funny angle if you put it on the left side of a flat-bowed boat. The angle fits better on the right side (you'll see when you come by).

I understand that trolling motors are typically mounted on all boats. The bow-mounted style were first used on bass boats, where the driver sits low in the boat and on the right side. The motor is installed on the left so its not in the line of sight of the driver. When deployed, though, it doesn't matter what side its on when installed on a V-Hull, as it will come down almost in the middle.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:23 am
by Aripeka Angler
Great to see you getting her finished the way want! I like the plugs on the rod holders, perfect for the location. Looking good, now it's time for some Spring fishing 8)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:48 am
by stickystuff
I believe the reason for mounting trolling motor on Port side is that most trolling motors on bass boats have a tendancy to stick out past the hull.Most boats when you pull along dock side are to starboard and ,thus, the trolling motor hits the dock. Askme how I know. I broke the cover on my PH16 trolling motor when pulled along side the dock in our first bateau Rondezvois in Port StJo. Something to think about.Seth it looks great. I was a little dissapointed that you didn't finish the interior sides up to the gunnel. I .am sorry but it is a shame to see the final finish underneath. :( Hope I didn't make you mad. :?

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:44 pm
by majorgator
I believe the reason for mounting trolling motor on Port side is that most trolling motors on bass boats have a tendancy to stick out past the hull.Most boats when you pull along dock side are to starboard and ,thus, the trolling motor hits the dock.
Could be true :wink: I don't think I was around when bow-mounted trolling motors came on the scene 8O :wink: :wink: :wink:
I was a little dissapointed that you didn't finish the interior sides up to the gunnel. I .am sorry but it is a shame to see the final finish underneath. :( Hope I didn't make you mad. :?
Dang, that was Richard's side 8O 8O :wink: :wink: Nah, you didn't make me mad. What can I say, some men are better than I. There comes a time when you're ready to be done, and finishing (fairing and sanding) underneath there was no easy chore. I tried a small area then scrapped it and said "good enough". Either way, when I installed the rod-holders it was the first time I've even looked under there since I painted. You definitely can't see it without turning yourself upside down. It is coated VERY WELL with epoxy though :wink:

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:37 pm
by Cracker Larry
I believe the reason for mounting trolling motor on Port side is that most trolling motors on bass boats have a tendancy to stick out past the hull. Most boats when you pull along dock side are to starboard and ,thus, the trolling motor hits the dock.
I call BS to that, Capt. Ken. In good humor of course :lol: The "port" side of the boat was the side always put to the port, or the dock. The "starboard" side originated from "steerboard", the steering oar that was on the right side of the ship.
Starboard

The origin of the term starboard comes from early boating practices. Before ships had rudders on their centrelines, they were steered by use of a specialised steering oar. This oar was held by an oarsman located in the stern (back) of the ship. However, like most of society, there were many more right-handed sailors than left-handed sailors. This meant that the steering oar (which had been broadened to provide better control) used to be affixed to the right side of the ship. The word starboard comes from Old English steorbord, literally meaning the side on which the ship is steered, descendant from the Old Norse words stýri meaning "rudder" (from the verb stýra, literally "being at the helm", "having a hand in") and borð meaning etymologically "board", then the "side of a ship"
Port

An early version of "port" is larboard, which itself derives from Middle-English ladebord via corruption in the 16th century by association with starboard. The term larboard, when shouted in the wind, was presumably too easy to confuse with starboard[1] and so the word port came to replace it. Port is derived from the practice of sailors mooring ships on the left side at ports in order to prevent the steering oar from being crushed.

Larboard continued to be used well into the 1850s by whalers, despite being long superseded by "port" in the merchant vessel service at the time. "Port" was not officially adopted by the Royal Navy until 1844 (Ray Parkin, H. M. Bark Endeavour). Robert FitzRoy, Captain of Darwin's HMS Beagle, is said to have taught his crew to use the term port instead of larboard, thus propelling the use of the word into the Naval Services vocabulary.
Hence, it don't really matter which side you put it on, because those folks didn't have trolling motors and Yamaha outboards anyway. I always approach a dock either against the wind, or against the current, whichever is stronger, so it's just as likely to be either side to the dock, whatever works best for the conditions. No need to smash your trolling motor into it, whichever side it's on.

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:46 am
by stickystuff
Just a thought on my part. After I thought about it it could happen on either side.. Hey, No bodys perfect. i am far from it. Good info Larry. :?

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:54 am
by stickystuff
If I remember right Stan Sloan was one of the first to mount trolling motors on the bow. This goes way back when bass boats really got popular. One of his quotes if I rember right was why push a chain when you can pull it. thus the first trolling motor was bow mounted. Stan Sloan was one of the first to to start marketing lures for bass fishing commercially. I know lots of lures were made by others in the past before BASS was really getting started. He just happened to be one of those that capitalized in the business. The rest is history. :)

Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2012 9:56 am
by majorgator
I painted the aluminum stake-out stick bracket to match the cream-color interior and now its installed...

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Re: Majorgator's XF20 - SPLASHED :)

Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:03 pm
by cottontop
We enjoyed the visit to your worksite to check your boat out a couple of weeks ago. Shella and I really love your boat. You've done a very fine job. John