houseboat #481 bow enhancement
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/files/houseboat%20%23%20481/
I have added a few pictures of adding the stringers and the results
of the project including the screened in forward deck and the
roof/swim ladder combination. I am extremely happy with the results
and a trial run yesterday was amazing, taking a very steep wave from
a passing yacht with grace and dignity but quite a bit of rock and
roll.
Here is the main part of a write up on the project.
The Happy Adventure (Bolger's Houseboat #481) is now on steroids with
a revised bow section giving it a more chesty look up front and
hopefully another 6 or 7 hundred lbs of flotation with half of that
below the waterline with the rest as reserve buoyancy exactly where
it is needed.
I just had a whirlwind visit from John Bartlett (aka captjbturtle)
and he adds new depths to the meaning of Instant Boats. In just over
2 days he directed and built my changes to the bow section. I was
barely able to keep up with supplies and helping out with the
building. It is always a pleasure working with John and I get a new
level of design and speed introduced to me each time. Also John's
intimate knowledge of Bolger's designs might keep me from doing
something absurd to a perfectly great Boat. Hopefully the
enhancements will give the boat more range in my cruising area and
more enjoyment. The changes add 24 inches to the bow deck, another 3
inches of flat bow area and about a foot longer at the waterline. I
expect to handle steep waves better, have guests on the bow and not
change the trim profile much and gain a bit of speed.
Last fall I had made a pattern for the stringers and started to
assemble the materials. This went well as our only trip for supplies
was to get 10 cubic feet of the closed cell foam and some stainless
steel screws and a whole whack of PL Premium. I had planned on using
epoxy but considering everything was outside a well built existing
hull, the PL got the nod, mainly because of ease of use and the fact
that I planned to seal and fiberglass all of the new outside.
Last fall I also got some 1x12 white pine and some 2x12 eastern white
cedar. I dried these out well in my shop during the winter while
building the small clam skiff, which by the way is a joy of a boat.
The stringers were made out of the pine and the deck addition out of
2 of the cedar planks. We used ½ inch fir, good one side, for the
new bottom and to re-clad the sides. This took three full sheets,
glassed flat and flow coated on the rough side of the 2 bottom
pieces.
The 3 centre stringers attached easily to the existing 2x3 skids on
the bottom with Pl and screws and I made fillets of the PL to fit
tight against the old bow. The two outside stringers were attached
with metal brackets and PL.
We then traced out the new side pieces then cut and epoxied them to
the old hull and outside stringers after grinding off the paint.
Prior to attaching the new bottom ply, we made a transition block out
of a 2x4 with the back half cut 45 degrees. We glued the pieces to
the bottom and the stringers with PL.
Before continuing we were able to stuff 6 cubic feet of pink
insulation in the chambers. Expanding foam was sprayed in the
voids. Note the butt block on the ply ready to receive the next
piece of ply. At this point things happened so fast the camera was
set aside.
It is always a pleasant experience to see John walk the talk on boats
and revisions to boats. It is a lesson for all of us who dilly-dally
for no good reason and fail to launch at the earliest point. Of
course we all know the journey of boat building ain't a bad trip so
having a slow burner going on a longer term project is nice to have
for the quiet moments between frantic building and lots of use of
your fleet.
We are looking forward to a summer of cruising on the beautiful St.
Lawrence, Rideau and Ottawa Rivers.
I have added a few pictures of adding the stringers and the results
of the project including the screened in forward deck and the
roof/swim ladder combination. I am extremely happy with the results
and a trial run yesterday was amazing, taking a very steep wave from
a passing yacht with grace and dignity but quite a bit of rock and
roll.
Here is the main part of a write up on the project.
The Happy Adventure (Bolger's Houseboat #481) is now on steroids with
a revised bow section giving it a more chesty look up front and
hopefully another 6 or 7 hundred lbs of flotation with half of that
below the waterline with the rest as reserve buoyancy exactly where
it is needed.
I just had a whirlwind visit from John Bartlett (aka captjbturtle)
and he adds new depths to the meaning of Instant Boats. In just over
2 days he directed and built my changes to the bow section. I was
barely able to keep up with supplies and helping out with the
building. It is always a pleasure working with John and I get a new
level of design and speed introduced to me each time. Also John's
intimate knowledge of Bolger's designs might keep me from doing
something absurd to a perfectly great Boat. Hopefully the
enhancements will give the boat more range in my cruising area and
more enjoyment. The changes add 24 inches to the bow deck, another 3
inches of flat bow area and about a foot longer at the waterline. I
expect to handle steep waves better, have guests on the bow and not
change the trim profile much and gain a bit of speed.
Last fall I had made a pattern for the stringers and started to
assemble the materials. This went well as our only trip for supplies
was to get 10 cubic feet of the closed cell foam and some stainless
steel screws and a whole whack of PL Premium. I had planned on using
epoxy but considering everything was outside a well built existing
hull, the PL got the nod, mainly because of ease of use and the fact
that I planned to seal and fiberglass all of the new outside.
Last fall I also got some 1x12 white pine and some 2x12 eastern white
cedar. I dried these out well in my shop during the winter while
building the small clam skiff, which by the way is a joy of a boat.
The stringers were made out of the pine and the deck addition out of
2 of the cedar planks. We used ½ inch fir, good one side, for the
new bottom and to re-clad the sides. This took three full sheets,
glassed flat and flow coated on the rough side of the 2 bottom
pieces.
The 3 centre stringers attached easily to the existing 2x3 skids on
the bottom with Pl and screws and I made fillets of the PL to fit
tight against the old bow. The two outside stringers were attached
with metal brackets and PL.
We then traced out the new side pieces then cut and epoxied them to
the old hull and outside stringers after grinding off the paint.
Prior to attaching the new bottom ply, we made a transition block out
of a 2x4 with the back half cut 45 degrees. We glued the pieces to
the bottom and the stringers with PL.
Before continuing we were able to stuff 6 cubic feet of pink
insulation in the chambers. Expanding foam was sprayed in the
voids. Note the butt block on the ply ready to receive the next
piece of ply. At this point things happened so fast the camera was
set aside.
It is always a pleasant experience to see John walk the talk on boats
and revisions to boats. It is a lesson for all of us who dilly-dally
for no good reason and fail to launch at the earliest point. Of
course we all know the journey of boat building ain't a bad trip so
having a slow burner going on a longer term project is nice to have
for the quiet moments between frantic building and lots of use of
your fleet.
We are looking forward to a summer of cruising on the beautiful St.
Lawrence, Rideau and Ottawa Rivers.