I've been thinking......

Alright, I had been pondering for a while on what my next boat project is going to be. I would probably like to make a center console striper/coastal rig. Something that handles rough water fairly well, but will still fish the coastal flats fairly well. Maybe not as well as a true flats boat, but the majority of my time in a rig like this would be striper fishing around here, so the rougher water capability takes precedence over the super shallow draft/tunnel hull. I am thinking about a layout similar to this.
https://www.mako-boats.com/boat/?boat=2812
You have a bow deck for throwing a cast net for bait, or for chucking spoons and jerks at stripers, but then you have walk around space for rod holders all around. I would probably move the console forward a bit, to allow walking around the stern better. Would need at least a 35 gallon bait tank, at the very minimum. I would probably incorporate some sort of flip up seating for maybe 6, so this boat could be used to carry the whole family, and can be used for light watersports.

Now, for the longest time, I was thinking about getting an older aluminum vee, with a similar hull shape the Mako, probably a starcraft or something of that sort, and modding it myself, but then, it dawned on me. What if I were to make the hull from scratch? I don't see any reason in the world why I couldn't do that, aside from funds.

Obviously, I couldn't get started until about May or June of next year, as the sophmore year, if you take the Honors/AP tract at my school is the toughest year of them all, so it wouldn't be prudent to pile a large scale project on top of this school year. I turn 16 in the middle of March, and am fairly sure I have a reliable job lined up for then, but I will also be driving, so it would probably be a moot point there. So, funds are one issue there.

The other issue is welded or riveted? Aside from cutting torch, we only have a MIG setup. It is the Lincoln Weld Pak 175 HD. Theoretically, with the addition of a spool gun (aluminum wire doesn't like to feed), it should weld aluminum just dandy. But, I am not sure how well that works in practice. If I had access to a TIG, I am positive I could work at it hard enough to be fluent at it, but I don't know of anyone to gain access to one with. I think the school's shop has the same setup I have at the house.

On the flip side, I could rivet it. I would really just need to get a few more sizes of rivet punches, and maybe buy my own air hammer, instead of borrowing one from dads workplace. I also would need a better press brake, or bending brake, as more things would need to be bent to be able to rivet well. Obviously, there are a few welds on a riveted boat, but I could get them jigged up, and prepped, and won't have to pay too incredibly much for a welding shop to run a few beads down it with a TIG.

As far as shaping the hull, it would be a vee, so there is some shaping to be done. I would probably need an English wheel, or at least gain access to one, for certain things. All the chines and such would be welded/riveted externally, not formed into the hull (also allows one to wear through the chines, without wearing through the hull.

Once I get past the construction of the shell of the hull, I would be in familiar waters, as I have built boat interiors, and I have rigged boats for console motors, and all the fun stuff associated with that.

I am probably looking at something in the 75 to 100 hp range, maybe up to 115 if I go on the big side of 18 feet.

I am curious to see what some of y'alls thoughts on this are.

Sounds good to me :mrgreen:

I spent 30 years working with sheetmetal, mostly HVACR related. Part included running some larger equipment (pressbrakes, shears, turret, etc) for a friend who owned a welding/fab shop. And I''ve built some pretty oddball stuff by hand.

Here would be me at a 12' Chicago 90 ton pressbrake. Only reason I'm mentioning this, is because I do have some experience with it.


There is no way I'd attempt it, for several reasons. #1- Cost, you'll have 10X the amount in the hull as you could buy one for. #2-The material requires wouldn't be workable on an English Wheel or Planishing Hammer in the size of materials required.
#3-You couldn't afford to buy the equipment, or rent shoptime from someone who did (unless you knew them). #4- Way more involved that what one might think....

Do this, try building a 12" (or whatever scale you choose) model of a hull from aluminum & see how it turns-out. Multiply the difficulty X about 100. Now, you do as you wish, it's your cash, but again, it's not an economical choice, not to mention the years of experience it would require. That said, you have alot of talent, but nothing in the range of the project you've mentioned.

Like Dirty Harry said.... "A man's got to know his limitations".

ST

i agree with slime time

Go for it, I want to do this too but... I was planning on building from scratch since I have the shop, toys (I mean tools) and space that can handle it. Then I realized you can get old hulls for less than the cost of the aluminum sheet you would need to buy to build one. Won't be easy finding big sheets at the scrapyard, and if you do they'll know what they're worth. The hull I found came with a trailer of sorts as well. I know you know how to shop for used boats so don't disregard economics in favor of the cool project. From following your boat mod threads I know you can build from scratch...so on second thought forget cost, when do we start, cool projects should always overide common sense!

I've fished for striper out of a carolina skiff which is very similiar to a mako. Nice boats, but I wouldn't expect anything else for what they cost. If I see an 18' starcraft or lund I pass on I'll let you know about it.

I'm curious about what you want to do with an english wheel. I'm under the impression that if you get your lofting right when you design your hull, your full size cut sheet should assume the correct form as you fit it all together. Even for an 18 foot boat the thickest you would build this would be 1/8" and you could go much thinner, tack and pull should handle all your shaping needs. Since this is a long term project, build a scale model or two as slimetime suggests. If you can get access to a 3d CAD program this would be even better. Rhino is great software for naval architecture, they have student rates, and given your age and interests learning how to design this would be a good career move in so many ways. Actually building it, bad career move. Go to school, get a good job, then buy the mako.

your a madman bassboy1!

It will be difficult, but go for it!

Yeah, wasn't sure on the English wheel, just am trying to be thorough with what I might need, and figured the curving of the bow may need such. Wasn't sure though, as I haven't ever worked one of those [English wheel].

I know it wouldn't be cost effective, but look at fishing or hunting. Think about what you spend on boats/tackle/bows/treestands, and then what you could buy the same poundage of fish/turkey/deer for.....
But you still do it, right? More of a hobby/self satisfaction thing.

I am fairly well acquainted with the technology teacher at our school, and it is well funded as far as the technology department is concerned. I am confident that he could give me access to some school owned 3D CAD software, that is better than what we have at the house, and more importantly, teach me how to use it. Also, the automotive repair class teacher tends to favor more of a general shop class, and teaches all students how to use metalworking equipment, including welding, even though it isn't covered in the curriculum, so I know he would be very interested in a project of this sort, and may be of some help in finding access to some needed equipment to pull this off.

Do this, try building a 12" (or whatever scale you choose) model of a hull from aluminum

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That is exactly what I was planning. It would just be a 12 inches equals 1 foot scale model. :lol: :shock:

I say go for it. Nothing is stopping you from doing it but yourself. Sure the funds are low, but it's not like you have to get it done one day after the other. The more time you take doing it, the better off you'll be - more experience in forming the sheet metal, welding or rivets (you've got plenty of experience here)...

don't let anybody stop you from doing what you think you can do - half the time, they say don't because they haven't tried and don't think they can, therefore thinking you can't do it either. The first person to tell me that I couldn't do it, would be the first person I'd try my best to prove wrong. If people had that kind of mindset, just think what this world would be like now...

I know you well enough now to know that for a 15 year old, you are well ahead of the game and smarter than most people I know my age. Aim High (I know, Air Force slogan, but then again, I am in the Air Force) and the only thing standing between you and the end result is nothing but air and opportunity!

Not to deter you from your venture, but I would definitely listen to ST's advice. Probably the most difficult part will be getting the port & stbd sides of the hull to turn-out identical and have each side be a mirror-image in shape. I do wish you luck in your endeavor, and be sure and document it with plenty of pics for the site 8)

DO IT BassBoy - After Thomas Edison invented the light bulb* (pretty good invention, huh?) he was asked how long it took. He replied that he finally got it work on the 9,999 try. The reporter then asked was it hard having failed so many times, to which Edison replied"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."


I have a feeling that you will be able to work this out and one day we might be buying "BassBoy" brand tin boats =D>





















*He did not invent the 1st electric light bulb, but rather the 1st practical light bulb -= on e that lasted more then a few minutes.

Well guys, it isn't like he's going to be "inventing" something, millions of boats & boat hulls have been made. If manufacturers didn't need special equipment & specially trained people, boats would cost 1/2 of what they do.

OK, say you're going to build a 16' hull. Are you going yo form it in 1-piece? 2- pieces? 10 pieces? Every section will require welds or rivets. I wonder what a hull made from 10 pieces would look like? lol....I have an idea. How are you going to form an angle in a radius, say for the keel? Or is it going to be "straight"? How large of a piece of material will you actually be able to handle (form)?

It's easy for someone who'll have nothing in it to say "sure, do it", because they'll be out nothing when it fails, and they'll be the same ones laughing behind the keyboard when the final product (if it got to that point) was something that reflects a "home-made" boat by someone who lacked the skills & equipment to build one.

Again, I'm not trying to be rude, just trying to save you thousands of dollars, and the grief that will go along with it. If it offends you, I'd rather do that than to watch you waste your money & time. Cutting & assembling a few pieces of angle, or flat sheet for decking is one thing, what you're talking about here is something totally different.

I'd suggest you do a few preliminary things, check material prices (and delivery) for the size material sheets you would need to produce a presentable-looking hull, and not one pieced together like a jig-saw puzzle. Determine how you're going to form it, forget about angles, radiuses, overbrakes, special tooling, rolling beads, stiffining V's, or any number of other steps you'll need to take to produce a decent looking hull. Do that, then post them here, I'd like to hear your ball-park cost-projections, and methods for forming your materials. When you have problems, ask help of those encouraging you to undertake a project you're not equipped to even consider.......

ST

If it offends you,

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Naw, doesn't offend me, just furthers my will power to succeed.

When my dad was building his most recent house (homebuilding and fine woodworking are his passions. Boatbuilding and aluminum work are mine), he decided to go with some revolutionary building techniques. Most people told him he couldn't do that, it wouldn't work etc. But, he had seen it done before, and knew that the guy that did it had 2 hands and feet, and he has 2 hands and feet, so there is no reason that he couldn't do it too. Now, when I started the Yazoo, I was told I couldn't do it with aluminum, by dad nonetheless. Either he was being a hippocrit, or really trying to drill the idea that anything is possible down deep. Whichever he was trying, it was taken by me to be the latter.

So, it was this picture that gave me the desire to build a rig like this.
https://glen-l.com/designs/hankinson/slither-snakeshtr.html
This is where plans for it are bought.
https://www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=760

I had seen that it had been done, so now I knew for a fact that it indeed could be done. And, if it could be done, there isn't a reason in the world why I can't do it.

Have been doing a lot of research. Will come up with a ballpark price estimate for the hull only in a bit (Won't price the rest of it, as I have done interior work on more boats than just the Yazoo, rigged them, rebuilt motors, built trailers etc. Once the hull is built, I will be in familiar water.

BassBoy, I'm with you.... It is obvious to me that you know what you are doing, have thought it through and planned for success. Keep on track with your process (build a model first, check out costs, etc.) and, should you then decide to move forward, you will be able to overcome any problems when they arise and have a quality finished project.

Good luck...

I went and priced the stuff on the price list for the boat in the Glen-l plan, and for the hull, not counting the deck, it was about 1850, in the 5052 alloy. I still need to research it more, but I think a 5083 alloy would be better for this, I just couldn't find an online price calculator that had that. I would say another grand for interior aluminum work. So I am looking at having a bare hull, and interior, ready for rigging, at about 3000.

A good used 1980s OMC 90 - 115 I can find in the 1500 price range with prop and controls, and those are usually from dealers. I could find one for less, but will allot 1500 for a motor.

Trailer: I know I can make a nice tandem trailer that would fit a rig like this for about 1000. Dad and I have made a few before, so that wouldn't be an issue at all. It would be painted, but would have all new, or almost new everything. Plus, I don't spend that much time in salt, so a painted trailer would do me okay.

A hydraulic steering setup would cost me 600, and I will leave another 400 to cover gauges and such wanted at the helm.

Trolling motor and Lowrance sonar with GPS I know I can get used, and be under 1k for both.

300 for most the electrical. 160 - 240 for 2 - 3 Interstate batteries.

Probably 350 to fabricate Tee top out of Stainless tube, then have Sunbrella as top material.

30 - 35 gallon fuel tank - 200 - 225.


The aforementioned stuff comes out at just over 8300. I would say that if I allot 10k to get started, I could get a boat that is water ready, but just lacks certain accessories - tee top, bait tank, etc etc are not needed right off, and could come at a later date.

Good Luck Bassboy! Definetly sounds like an undertaking, but it does seem as you know what your in for.

If you happen to need any help with the CAD process, let me know as I know a thing or three about computer aided drafting and I may be able to help you out. Thats what I took in highschool, and graduated from tech school for mechanical drafting as well.

Anyways, Again...Good Luck! :beer:

bassboy,

Are you going to use the 3/16" aluminum for the bottom and 1/8" for the sides as stated on the website? Looks like there may be some compound curves near the bow area.

you're on the right start.. and I'm pretty sure that in a couple of years I'll be fishing in it with you. Of course you know I'll help in any way I can.

You know, as much as you buy from your scrap yard (I know they carry/order new material as well)... you might be able to talk to them about hooking you up with some pieces at a discounted price when you tell them what your plans are. You can also ask for sponsorship - definitely helps with cost, only thing is you might have to put some kind of advertisement on your boat.

I've done sponsorships in the past with 4x4 rebuilds and have gotten a lot of parts free from companies - just had to put a sticker on my build. When I redid that suzuki side kick, I totalled it up - Total Cost to rebuild - 8900, Cost out of my pocket - 1300. A lot of people told me I couldn't put a 350 chevy block in a suzuki, raise suspension 12", raise body 3" and put 35 Super Swamper TSWs on it... but I proved them wrong and paid next to nothing to prove it.

Waterwings said:

bassboy,

Are you going to use the 3/16" aluminum for the bottom and 1/8" for the sides as stated on the website? Looks like there may be some compound curves near the bow area.

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I don't yet know if I would use a plan like this, or make my own plan. It would be similar to this in shape, and hull construction though. That boat, especially with the I/O jet is made for running rough, rocky rivers, so the .1875 bottom thickness is for pounding over rocks. Looking at other boats made, such as the Lunds, which I hold in high regard as far as hull construction is concerned, the bottom is only .100, and the sides are .080. Because my boat would be used for fishing reservoirs, and inshore coastal, such as the Intra coastal waterway, and Applachicola bay in the Gulf, the only hull impact it would see would be beaching it, and the occasional stump or sandbar that I was unaware of. So, I was thinking about making a hull that had .125 (1/8 inch) bottom, and .090 or .100 sides. Although, the Lund uses a double hull from the bow to Midships on most hulls except the newest Rebel. So, because the water impact this boat would face would mostly be the bow, not elsewhere, like would a river runner hitting rocks, I may try to design in a double hull up in the bow. Nothing here is set in stone. Just my ideas for design at the current.

Never thought of sponsorships of any sort. Might have to look into that a bit in the coming months......

You're $3,000 for the hull & deck is material only, correct? How much more do you figure to add for whatever it will take to form the hull? And you neglected to answer how you intend to form the hull, or how many pieces you will use to construct it.

Stickbuilding a home is an entirely different animal than shaping/forming metal. The materials used in home construction are easy to work with, much more forgiving, and less expensive if you mis-cut a 2X4 as opposed to a large sheet of aluminum. With it, you'll have 1 shot, and that's after you've procured use of proper equipment, and formed test parts.....the actual part can still go bad from there once you hit the pedal. Framing a home gets covered by drywall, which hides a multitude of sins......you won't have that luxury on a boat hull.....once a part is formed, right or wrong, there's no straightening it out to try again, you cut smaller parts from it or trash it....which only add to final costs.

So by your way of thinking, if you saw brain surgery done, you believe you could also do it? I'll pay for a couple scalpel sponsorships for that, as long as you video tape it :mrgreen:

ST

SlimeTime said:

.....Stickbuilding a home is an entirely different animal than shaping/forming metal. The materials used in home construction are easy to work with, much more forgiving, and less expensive if you mis-cut a 2X4 as opposed to a large sheet of aluminum....

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That isn't the point I was trying to make at all. The construction techniques behind them both differ in all entirety. The point I was trying to make is that the inability for me to take no as an answer seems to come genetically.

So by your way of thinking, if you saw brain surgery done, you believe you could also do it?

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Doubt it. But it isn't because I don't think that I am capable of doing it, more so that I have never wanted too. I believe that if you don't want to do something, and are not completely in to it, you will never succeed. I also know that if a truckload of materials came, as well as a contract giving me free permission to use a well equipped shop today, I wouldn't be able to go start building. But, I have the will power to learn all that I need to, and to jump through all the hoops needed to, in order to pull this off. And that may be where you come in, ST, as you do seem to know a bit about this.

And you neglected to answer how you intend to form the hull, or how many pieces you will use to construct it.

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That would be jumping in a bit fast isn't it. I for sure can't start for 9 months, and I don't yet have a paper plan made. Just an idea, with the notion that a plan will be made. There are definitely more ways to skin the catfish than one, so when I finally make a plan, I will decide which way best fits the final material choice, and equipment that I have accumulated.

The Glen L plan seemed to have a 4 piece hull. 2 bottom pieces, and 2 top ones, joined at the keel, and by the transom. But, there are definitely more ways to do that, as I want to design the hull myself, not just transfer full size plans to a piece of aluminum, and cut them out.