23 CC minty green!

[Wildman]

The project starts up again. I have been trying to fabricate some of the parts and pieces I will need later in the project, bulkheads, deck pieces etc. These dont make for some good pictures.

Mainly the weather has shut down my glass work, but now that its warming up and the 'paying work' at the shop is slowing down the boat may get stuffed inside in the next couple weeks.

I started building an on deck live well the other day. Curving 1in foam board, on top is the top mold which has a spot for a flush mounted piece of lexan.

[Wildman]

The weather outside still kinda sucks for glass work, its cold but clear most days. I have hauled my FJ40 to VT for the finishing touches and my garage is now OPEN to slathering resin all over things. So I have been prefabing a bunch of parts for the boat.

Built most of a bait tank last week. I need to get the floor done to get the height finalized. But the top is done (from a borrowed mold) and the bottom is 1in foam bent around wtiht a layer of 1.5oz matt, 24oz roven scraps on the bottom and a wrap of 6in 1708 where the bottom and sides meet up.





Straped up in the oval shape




After the glass setup I yanked 2 of the straps, it should be light and strong. When I am done it will be 45gal or so, maybe a little less depending on the outlet height and the overall finish height.




I started patterning and cutting my floor panels. Its so cold that it takes a day for the glue to setup on my little strips of 1/4in ply. That really slows me down. Yes that is a power tank I am useing with the air saw, because my compressor is down at the Paint shop.




Got the fish box cover molded up and have one layer of matt on it. Ill know tonight how that turns out.

Wax and liquid release, hoping to keep the nonskid attached to the original hatch.



all gellcoat up!




The fuel tank shelf is laid up behind the hatch (both setting up at time of picture)



I have also finished coating the bulkheads too.

[fat2nawilly]

looks goond man. keep at it, the fish will be back before you know it.

[Blackfin26]

Looking great...love the effort! What do you mean cold?? 34 and flurries is nothing!! Will visit soon. Steve

[heynow2203]

I have to come see your progress soon need a little positive outlook on my project!

[Wildman]

Any time you guys wanna stop by and have a beer, let me know!
Hey Brian let me know when your headed to O-town to get some more resin il have your hatch waiting!

[Wildman]

Got a bunch of the final layout figured out after measuring a couple different boats and a little head scratching.
I had planned on putting my live well back against the transom, but after throwing it in there I realized there will be no room for anybody to fish!

So with a little tweaking and some marks on my plywood I made it fit in front of the console. There is still enough room to walk around the edges and Ill still cut the height down.



THe main reason for rethinking the livewell position was because of my bilge hatch. I really wanted to be able to pop it while underway or fishing. I hadent cut my last piece of deck yet, but wanted to check spacing over the thru hull and transducer holes.



Hereyou can see the poistion of the fish box under the leaning post, it will hinge about 3in back from the front legs.



The one thing I didnt take into consideration was the fact the fish box's original position in the hull is slightly deeper than where I am putting it. (aprox 2 inches) I had a bump of hull and deck putty that used to secure the box to the center stringer. I started grinding off, and before I knew it I was into the (very wet) balsa core! The copper sleeve had been leaking into the core for years. I ripped it all off and laid on 3 layers of 1.5oz matt and (1) 1708. That gives me a total of thickness close to 1/2in and I lost close to 3/4of an inch of height, just right. While I was grinding I also took the edges off so I can stick it to the bottom of the floor pannels, making the hatch sit flush.

[Wildman]

Finaly got the shop cleaned up enough to get the boat in and work on it! Couldnt just leave it there without messing with it, so I finished stripping the stupid 'Pipe Dream' name off the side and leveled it up on the stands.

[Wildman]

I have been going down every night to the shop for a couple hours and making some headway. The transom cap is mocked up and roughly glassed together. I popped it off as a unit and will be glassing the underside, then some body work to straighten up my bobbles in the cuts. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]





The keel stringer and extension piece for the tank to sit on is 75% done, I ran out of resin so I couldn't put the last couple layers on there. The extension is what the tanks' platform sit on and has been cabosil'd to the main stringer below it. Then I laid 4&6in wide 1708 over it.




Last night was the (hopefully) last of the major grinding on the hull. Now that the boat is on stands I felt comfortable removing these rear shelves that were completely rotten and no good. I will be replacing them as they are convenient to mount pumps to.

[Wildman]

I have been working down at the shop till 9 or so every evening. Got a bunch of glass work done. Not too many 'major' things for photos, but the project is progressing which makes me happy

Transom cap has 3 layers on the top, 6 on the bottom along with those 13in disks (8 layers of glass surplus cutouts from a buddys shop) Those will be back up plates for some Vert rod holders down the road. Mr Charlie wont be pulling my transom into the ocean any time soon!




The stringer boxes are covered over, and the rear platforms rebuild, and glassed on.




I ran some 1708 tape down where the stringer boxes meet the hull, there was some grinder cuts down low from the PO trying to get water to drain out...


Got it straight and level the first time too, before starting all the work.