Gwion's Boat Project

New toy…

Come on, show us what your up to. Far more interesting than JS’s knitting needle collection.

Here’s one I did a few years ago http://www.bowhunting-forum.com/showthread.php?8578-DIY-1-2-cabin-to-side-console-boat-conversion

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Mate that looks pretty flash now mate @Gwion might not be game to post his boat in the wake of that.

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That’s a nice job, @Bent_arrow! Very similar to how I’m doing mine but I’m going center console. Would appreciate any tips. I have it mostly planned out and all the materials but am still trying to figure out best solution for hatches on the storage lockers.

I just used stainless steel long strap hinges. Things I would do differently: I’d spend more time and effort recessing the hinges and setting up the recesses to make the compartment lids self draining. Each compartment drains out of a central point, but I should have set them up to prevent water getting past the lid into the compartment to start with. I also wouldn’t do a clinker style hull again. Watch your bracing to retain hull integrity, but apart from that, go for it. You see a lot of brain fart comments from people on forums saying it will mess up the trim and the centre of balance. I call bull poop. Moving an esky full of ice and fish forward or back, or your volumetrically challenged fishing mate moving around the boat shifts the trim point of a boat this small, and the centre of gravity shifts as you move over every wave…

Yeah nice, I put a 55# thrust on mine and it moves the boat along nicely.

I think self draining rims seem like a lot of work. I was going to do similar and just drain from the bottom of the stowage wells. I guess making basic moulding wouldn’t be that hard, though.

Your not going to shoot much with that.
Or are you looking for some of your missed shots. :rofl:

Yeah, that’s why I did it too. The amount of water that gets in is actually not a big deal, but if I was doing that build again I would definitely give serious consideration to putting the extra time in to that part of the build. Actually, I’d just do it. I burnt quite a bit of time on that build and I’m pretty sure another couple of days wouldn’t have hurt me, but i would definitely be happier with the job…

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If you want a laugh at me making a tool of myself on you tube …

There are 3 vids of me mostly rabbiting on. More to come.

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I’m betting your transom and stringers were rooted. Thet didn’t seal the underside of the ply floors in a lot of early boats.

The push pull steering will be a great improvement

Give some consideration to side rather than centre console. Much better in small boats in my opinion. Do a dummy fit-up with cardboard before you get too excited. :slight_smile:

I have been tossing up between the two …

Oh yeah… Spoiler alert… I bought a different boat! :joy::joy::joy:

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I now have my farhers. They are great. A decent car battery is all you need for a couple of hours trolling.

Hmm, a crank battery will work, but you will kill it by repeated deep discharge. Invest in a deep cycle or dual purpose battery that are made for the job. Their actually not much more expensive than a quality crank battery. Ask me how I know… The 120 ah deep cycle battery will easily crank my 50hp four stroke

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You’ll screw a deep cycle by constantly using it to crank as well. I’m going with a 3 battery set up. Batt1 cranker, Batt2 old dual purpose for house, Batt3 motor guide. I’ll install these amidships, in locker ahead of console, to balance to oversize 75hp 2stroke that’s on the back of this 4.5m, 1.9m beam boat I bought.

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I wouldn’t have the patience or skills to do all that but good luck anyway.

I’m completely hopeless with electricals and mechanics but I’ve done a dummy run of the wiring and got it running. Only problem is my old batteries have a very short run time so 2 new batteries in order. If I was just doing day trips I wouldn’t bother but I want to be able to head off for multi day fishing trips so need plenty of power for 3-4 days camping away from a charger.

I’ve pulled out the seats, wired in a switch panel, installed sounder and dummied in multi batteries. Done a temporary “Redneck Restorations” install of the bow mount and taken the boat for a few test runs. Fastest I’ve been game to push it so far is 52knots (96kmh!!!). :hushed::astonished::zipper_mouth_face::face_with_monocle:

I wanted to have the whole lot nearly finished already but will have to do the glassing and such in the shed over winter, with a gas heater to provide post heat to cure the glass.

Bought a heap of honey comb for decking, some 40mm techi high density foam for framing and moulding, expanding foam for floatation and a roll of 450gsm CSM as well as 10m of quad-axial matting, a HEAP of resin, gel coat and finish coat with British racing green pigment for the top deck.

Bought all this to do a full re-tubbing of the Savage so will probably have about half the resins and matting left over. If I have time and inclination I’ll finish the Savage (to a basic fitout) next year.

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Sounds like you need a portable solar system to charge your batteries while you fish.