Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

I'm still putzing along, a couple hours a day. Frame and stringers are in. I ran out of wood flour before I finished all the fillets so started cutting cleats while waiting for more flour.



My best news is pictured here:



That's a McClains 14'-17' "jon boat" trailer. Academy had it for $600. I emailed McClaine's in the Houston area for a quote to compare and they said it would be $1500 from them but I could do better at Academy. Better is right It's to their credit that the email steered me that way, even though I had already priced it there. There is a smaller one at 14' for $500 but I didn't like the little 8" tires and skinney central channel. Same springs on both of them. McClaine's rates it to carry 740 lbs. It's a big relief to find an affordable trailer as I've had no luck with used ones around here except at silly prices.

Dougster

Looks fantastic Dougster. You're cruising along a pretty good pace on this build. Love the idea of turning your old jig into a work table

Will

Thanks Web, I'm really enjoying this little build. The pace seems about right for me. Once I got into my sixties I came down off plane and turned into a displacement hull. It seems more about the going than the getting there. I'm very curious how this little hull will function. For now I want a trolling motor only, but on the bow, not transom. That may make some weird trim, given the battery will be up there too. Later if I add a little outboard, well, maybe that's too much First thing is to see how stable she is. It wouldn't do to turn turtle with a big dollar troll motor and battery on board, getting soaked. I'll have to get her launched to see I guess.

Cruising at 7 knots Dougster

Finally finished putting cleats in today. Not very exciting pics, but here's a sample. I made a little jig for the cleats the doubler fits on (there's a big "doubler" backing plate under one part of the sole and the cleats must be recessed by that thickness). Here's a pic of the jig and one of the cleats. The jig is the aluminum bar stock with the appropriate thickness of double sample clamped beneath it.



Here's a bow cleat.



Stern cleats.



Still not finished in this pic, and out of clamps!




The clamps get tedious. This little guy only calls for clamps on one side of the strings and frames, but there were still 31 needed!

Next comes foam and sole. I'm not sure how to deal with the seam on the sole, as it doesn't fall on a frame and "free floats" on foam. Can't see any info on it in the plans. Glass tape on both sides? Butt block underneath? Dunno yet Adive is welcomed.

Dougster

I would just glass both sides with 6" 12 OZ tape and be done with it.

I prefer a butt block, it will add stiffness.
We built a couple of prototypes and I seem to remember that the seam was over the double thickness. If not -> butt block.

I can do a butt block. It's not over the doubler, at least not where I've put the doubler. I may have put it in the wrong place though, since I lately noticed the plans narrative saying it was in the middle compartment. Mine is on the second compartment from the stern, which I got from one of the side profile sketches in the plans. So my doubler runs from 3' to 6' measuring from the stern. Maybe I need to add a bit more of backing past that

Dougster

OK Dougster, Where are we at at this point? Got to be close to launch. ????

Heh now, you know I might be old, but by golly I'm slow. Life got a bit in the way the last two days but I'll post some pics tomorrow. I worked out the butt block thing for the sole and started with the foam, More of that tomorrow. I laid out the panels for the sole and marked them with measurements taken from the build. She's a bit more broad at the sole in the front half, but only by 3/8", which is pretty good to me. I ordered a bow eye and poured some thickened epoxy in the nose instead of a backing plate. Getting there but lots to go. Pics tomorrow.

Dougster

Here's some current pics. The first three show the sole butt block solution. I glued in cleats for the blocks, then on the third pic show one of the blocks dry fitted. This should let me lay the two sole pieces in one at a time instead of having to deal with the whole long scarfed piece at once. The tird pic shows the pencil marks where the sole joint will be.





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Now here's the rub rail start. First pic is one 3/4" rail dry fit, the second is with a doubled rail, one inside the first:





I don't know which I prefer Is the doubled one too busy?

Finally I used all my 2 gallons of foam and didn't even fill half of the needed volume. Surprised me. The day was hot and the foam seemed to expand well. Gotta order more.

Dougster