Finally getting started on my GF-16

[timoub007]

Well, I'm finally back online after Rita, but not home. They won't be letting us get back to our houses for about 4 weeks. I hope that it is sooner, but we won't know for a while. I've heard positive reports about my house, but haven't been there first hand yet. I'm currently staying in the Houston area and checking on my parents at my camp on Toledo Bend.

I don't know how my boat faired, but feel like it is okay. I hope to get into town on Thursday or Friday. I'll post up to let anyone interested know. Anyone in Houston that wants to show me their boat? I've got nothing else to do...

Take care,
Tim

[Cracker Larry]

Damn Tim, that's terrible

Is there anything I can do from GA to help? Need a place to stay? Anything?

[timoub007]

Thank you so much for the offer Larry. It means a lot that you'd open up your home to someone you haven't even met before. Right now we are okay at my in-laws house. It isn't costing us anything, at least monitarily. My parents are stocked up on water and food, and get ice, water, and food from the FEMA/Red Cross daily at the fire dept. near my camp. I came to Houston on Sunday and got a generator. I took that back up to them on Monday and hooked it up to the whole house. It will run everything but the A/C. The phone is working up there, and I got the satellite TV aimed correctly again. They feel like they are comfortable and don't want to leave. I'm going to check on them every few days and call them daily.

I was able to get in to Port Neches today and feel very blessed. We lost our privacy fence, but as far as I can tell not even one shingle is missing off the house. It was like the storm had no effect. Again, my wife and I feel very fortunate and hope that many others find the same when they get to return home.

I had to leave after cleaning out the fridges and freezer as there are still no utilities in town. They estimate it will be 3-4 weeks before residents can return to stay.

My boat appeared to be untouched though. It seemed that no water got in the garage or house. The only thing that might have touched it was leakage from the garage fridge or the deep freeze. I did loose a lot of fish, crabs, shrimp, ducks, geese, fish, and venison. Those things can be replaced, but they sure stink when not cold for 5 days.

Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers. It will still be a few weeks before I can get back to work on my GF-16 though. Looks like she won't be ready for opening day of duck season (Nov. 5) like I had hoped. Oh well, the season is ~2 1/2 months long so hope to get it bloody before the end of Janurary.

Tim

[Cracker Larry]

Tim, glad your family, home and boat are safe. Let me know if I can help in any way.

I live in hurricane alley,too. It could be us next. We haven't had a good one since Hugo.

[timoub007]

Well, after nearly 8 weeks without working on the boat I mixed up a batch of epoxy tonight. I made a few fillets and put some more tape on the inside seams of the tunnel. Hoping to get the radii faired into the seams in the next few days. I think this is going to be more of an art than a skill.

I'll post a pic when I'm done with the tunnel.

As for the hull, not much progress. Just before hurricane Rita came to town I had poured foam under my rear/side seats. I got it trimmed level and need to cut some ply to seal over the foam. Not sure if I put a pic of that up yet, but will in the next few days.

Felt good to get the latex gloves back on and mix some "goo."

Tim

[Cracker Larry]

Welcome back, Tim Glad you've recovered from the hurricanes. The East coast was lucky this year.

Looking forward to reports on your GF 16 Tunnel. Build on.......

[timoub007]

It takes a while to figure out the details of the interior of a custom boat. I've been cutting holes on my boat for the last week or so. I've still got that big hole in the bottom where my tunnel will go too.

The biggest holes I've cut are for my rod tubes.



This is how it will look with the rods stowed.



I'm working on a custom piece that will support the rod butts too. It will be mounted to the hull wall and will be hinged. When I'm fishing it will be deployed and when it is not needed it will fold against the hull.

Here is another shot of the center seat compartment.



You can also see the floors have been added on top of the foam under the saddle seats. The dowel rods visible are for my Cracker Larry carry handles. You can see one hole drilled in the seat frame ear where these will go.

I have added the center divider to this compartment. The side with the rod tubes will be filled with 2-part foam. This "box" should provide about 300 pounds of floatation by my calcs. With the foam in the 4 compartments under my rear saddle seats, I've got a total of about 450 pounds of floatation. Should be enough for the hull, motor, and gear.

As I said, this detail work takes a lot of time and planning. I'm just trying to figure it all out so I will have to re-do as little as possible in the future.

One of the details I'm working on now is how to get the fuel line and nav light wires from the bow to the center seat cleanly. Larry has given me an idea about using 1/2 of a 1 1/2" PVC tube fiberglassed to the floor. So far that is my leading plan, but am looking for other suggestions.

I've been working on my tunnel, but am thinking about changing it up some. I'll fill in more details when I figure out what I am actually going to do.

Take care, and "build on dude!"
Tim

[britt]

Have you been able to work on your boat? I am very interested to hear how she handles and how the tunnel works.

Thanks,
Britt

[timoub007]

britt,

I'm getting a little closer. The cold weather in our area has hampered my desire to mix any epoxy. Unfortunately, I have also been busy with the paying job for the last 5 weeks or so. It is beginning to let up some though, so this week I should get back out in the garage.

I see you are rather close by. If you would like to stop by and see it first hand you're more than welcome. Just drop me an email at timoub007@netzero.net if you're heading West. I come through your town 3-4 times a week, so when you get going I'd be happy to lend a hand.

Stay tuned, updates will pick up as the temperature does.

Tim

[timoub007]

I've been doing some more detail work this week. I installed my electrical chase tube to get power to the stern from the center seat. I also cut some holes in the frames to get wires and gas line both to the bow and stern. (The 6 gallon portable gas tank will be in the bow, under the deck.)

Here are some pics of the last of my foam (I think.) Overall, I was pretty happy with this pour. It went much better than my first "foaming."






I'm going to get the center seat top glued down tonight or tomorrow too. I've still got to get the large piece of glass laid down between the center seat and bow deck. I should get some work done tomorrow and Saturday morning too.

Tim