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.
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.