1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

[ezmobee]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

I forgot you broke one. In that case, go with whatever you'd like.

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hi Everybody,
Got to work on the boat all day today; I got the windshield installed on top (although it still needs the side glass put in (I broke one pane like I told you earlier). As I was putting all my tools up and such tonight I got to thinking about my parts boat ;which is a 1958 Rienell (probably spelled wrong) deep V when I took the brackets for the windshield I needed to take off the cap to the cabin from the Rienell . Anyways I took it off very carefully so as not to damage it in the case I wanted to use it. Well I dragged it up from the back 40 and popped it up on my boat. I am thinking of mounting it properly (in the photo it is just sitting up there. Properly mounted of course it would be flush and straight. I was thinking of mounting and then glassing it in so that it looks complete and part of the original design.
It would make good berths for the kids or extra storage once we stop for the night since the main cabin is very small.
What do you all think should I proceed or remove it? I like the effect looks kind of like a pilot house from the outside but I am biased since it was my hair brained idea. Now I want my boat to be pretty and not an eyesore because I want my boat as Oops said a ?beautiful, more seaworthy, more elegant, more easy to get chicks in, nicer, more common, more socially accepted, more politically correct, fiberglass boat?!

Please chime in everybody what should I do?

The photos are really dramatic with the stage lighting. It was dark of course and I wanted you guys to see her so I dragged out my shop lights and put them up near the hull pointing upwards.

 

[Cowboyup94]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Now this is going to take some imagination but here it goes. if you would close in the extra top half cut a hole in the old green roof put some steps or a ladder and boom you got yourself a yacht pratically, bunks up top and w/e on the bottom. But otherwise I'm not to keen on the idea. This is your creation and you may do what you want, but just factor in the extra weight and make sure it is safe..

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

I cant tell for certain but your boat looks pretty tall to begin with on the trailer.....with that added height, how high does it make you from flat ground? Just curious as a truck driver I found plenty of neighborhoods and side streets where wires, tree, etc were too low to get past, could make it a pain if you get too tall. I'm just guessing right now as-is your about 8-9 feet? add a top 4 feet you'll be pretty darn tall, and that creates a whole new world of problems with transport

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hello JDA and Cowboy and everybody else of course. Thanks for your ideas.

JDA I measured from ground to top of 2nd story of boat only 11.8 feet; while on trailer. Cabin height from deck to top of 2nd story is a few inches less than 6 foot. That is well below the 13.6 that is basically mandated by DOT. I have hauled 14 foot trailers for a company I used to haul for. Having been a driver now for 18 years I have become accustomed to searching for low hanging hazards when I drive. (Even in my wife?s Prius). I am sorry to say. :facepalm: I think that if I don?t go any higher I should be ok. Thank you for your concerns also my friend, please keep them coming.

Cowboy, you actually opened my eyes. If I did cut a little more of the roof out (if I remove the new hatch, most of the roof is cut away anyways as it is now). That would help out with some of the things I have wanted to do on the boat but could not do because of size of cabin (I have been trying to figure out how to put a small (toilet, head?) in but with the configuration as it is now crawling on your knees into the restroom and then turning around (still on your knees) and then climbing to the toilet while squatting in an area smaller than an stove packing carton would be a little bit silly and very uncomfortable I am sure. LOL
Let?s just go with it as a working premise.

A few questions to you all;
Firstly, can I remove a little more of the roof at all (is any of it structural to the strength of the boat)?
Second, since it is a catamaran and sits (fairly wide I think) if keep it lite up towards the top would it have a tendency to tip over? I have been trolling iboats here (since I started this project) looking for ideas for sun bridges and wheel houses. The main concern everybody has (rightly of course) is being top heavy. Most of those threads are on boats with v shaped hulls. I have not found a thread yet on a catamaran. Would it be more stable on two hulls?

JDA brought up my boat being tall. Where do you all think the actual water line would be as it is now configured? (2 foot above lower green line? Or 1 foot below top green line, or whatever?) I really have no idea how high she sits in the water.
Thanks again for the help and ideas. I am going to start drawing a few plans and I will post them here for you guys to help me play with the idea.

Good night all.
Dave

P.S. This is a good idea to chase right now anyways. My mustang blew something in the engine today, and I took a ride on a tow truck. I think my money and time is going to be tied up dinking around with the car, for a little while at any rate, so if I cannot get out to the boat for a while, we can talk about this new idea of Cowboys.
I like the idea. is it possible?

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

OK, i figured you were going to try to make the top roof somewhat higher, so was concerned how much higher you would go. I drove truck for many years and 13'6" is great on marked highways, but alot of boat/recreation areas dont cater to semi trailers. Just was pointing out on these back roads/neighborhoods the higher you go the worse headache you will end up with. Since you drive large vehicles then it is a moot point. I think it looks cool, but It doesn't look tall enough to squat in.

If all you plan to do is put a bunk up there, then you would still want at least 4' of clearance. mattress 6" and 42 inches to give you room to lay on your side without bumping your elbow on the roof when you turn! How much room do you have up there now? just guessing again from pictures I was thinking like 24" tops so if you had to add another 2 feet for a little breathing room you'd be at 13' 8" would really love to see what ya got for head room now, so Could you give a measurement on that please. Look forward to seeing what ya end up doing here

 

[Cowboyup94]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

If I was you, I would firstly get this boat on the water for a season. I would then after you know how its going to be in the water and how its going to be while trailored back and forth, figure out if this is the right idea and thing to do. Not only you don't know how she will sit in the water but you also dont know how this boat deals with wave and wind. It's a great thing to do as a project and it will be awesome to design but i would hold off to you atleast get this thing on the water once or twice. JUST MY 2 CENTS! And as for the question of structural support I looked through your photos and what the existing cabin looks like on the inside and it seems plausable. Be careful cutting in the center if you decide your going to do this. A weak center will make the rest of the existing roof weaker. try to stick to the outsides.

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hey JDA and Cowboy,
Thanks for stopping by, I have been uber busy with getting the Mustang running again. JDA I will be going there this weekend and I will get you the measurements.
Cowboy, I will think on what you said very carefully also. And probably in the end that is what I am going to do. The winter weather is coming I had the first taste of it this week and really I do not know how much body work I would be able to get done this winter with the rain anyway.
I will talk to you guys later.
Dave

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hi everybody;

Got to work on the boat today; it is amazing how much time I spend for such a little outcome. For example; I worked about 8 hours today maybe a little less minus time talking to my friends and parents etc. In that time all I did was remove the red top from the boat, and drag it to the back forty again (I probably will do something with it later but for now I am going to shelf that idea). I then began the micro-head (boy is it puny). Began by pressure washing the toilet and sanitizing it (it has been in the garage for years, it was put away clean, by the way) Then because color was a little faded I TR3?ed and then waxed the outer shell to bring back the color. After that I removed the old sink from the wrecked boat and dragged it to the front. At that point I began measuring and framing the head. I then measured and cut the sink to a much smaller size to fit inside the little toilet. (My best friend and his wife stopped by; they began traveling today to see the family for thanksgiving). We talked for an hour or so. I got a few photos of them sitting on the boat. (Pretty funny us all sitting on the boat in the driveway)!!!!!!!:facepalm: Oh, when I got the call that they were in the neighborhood I did a little dust control on the boat and cleaned it up for them to see her glistening. After they left I finished cutting the sink (fiberglass is sooooo itchy) and mounted it into the head. I am going to build a small hutch under the sink to hide the plumbing, and soaps etc. It is not very comfortable but I had multiple people with different body sizes pretend to go (pop a squat) and we all basically fit. Not to be too graphic (so I will try to be delicate here). It is going to be hard for a male to utilize this little (waist height room). My friend teased me by telling me he figured out how to go and he demonstrated it to his wife and me. He climbed into the cabin and closed the door. The next thing his wife and I saw was the hatch being opened and the top half of his body emerged and he stood facing the head; with one arm resting comfortably on the top of the entrance door!!!!!!!! It was really, really funny to see him standing there smoking a cigarette, with top half of him sticking out the hatch. Oh well, it is the best I can do.
Goodnight all,
Dave
I'll post my pal's photos on boat tomorrow. I want to ask him if I can first. I don't know if they want their image on web.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

I get claustrophobic just thinking about trying to use that lol!

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

-JDA

Quick question, how do through hulls work? What keeps the outside water from coming up the pipe? I am going to put one on for the sink. Should I put it under the waterline or above?
I will of course go digging into the archives here looking for more info, but right now I need to run to work.
Talk to you all later,
Dave

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Found a post by Jolin earlier this year; basically said grey water drains above waterline. So that is what I will plan to do unless I am told otherwise by any of you.
Talk to you all later.
Dave

 

[sqbtr]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

I copied this from the california regs on grey water

For Boaters
Do not discharge gray water into marina waters, inland lakes, and sensitive ecological areas.
Make sure you have a separate, adequately sized holding tank installed for gray water containment. Gray water should be pumped out of tanks and piped or transported to the nearest waste water treatment plant.

Just a little heads up.

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Thanks for checking in Sqbtr I appreciate your help.
Firstly does anybody do that?
And secondly do you think that that is dumped into the same dump station as say black water (sewer)? I do not know never having had either an RV or a boat.
Thanks again; I think I could figure out a tank system but the problem is where to dump. Really; sewer talk is truly gross!
Also thank you for finding that Cali reg all the way in Virginia. I would not know where to look for that sort of reg and I live here!
Lastly does that reg count for a 50 + year old boat? I mean the original 59 boat had a sink that dumped out into the water.
Dave

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Here are a few photos of my best friends, like I said in an earlier post. They came up here from Southern Cali on their way to the Bay for the Thanksgiving holiday, they popped in to say hello along the way and the next thing I know, we were all out sitting and talking on the boat (sigh) it sure was fun?it probably would be even more fun in the water!!!!! you can see the purple windshield in the background. I still need to remove tint.
Dave

 

[Cowboyup94]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

heres what i would do. Now i am on the east coast of course. (the smart side, haha just messing!!) But the marina my dad and i use, they have a dump station. now we have been to multiple marinas but not all have this feature. Now theres a few other options. Have the gray water go to a tank then once at dock have one of them big blue rv sewage tanks that roles and pump the dirty water into it. Then once you do that take it to cabelas or bass pro (those stores as far as i last new in my area offer free dumping). Now you always also have the option of pissing (I guess we can use that word on here?) off the side and using hand sanitizer?

Also in the camping world gray water and black water are 2 different things. black water is sewage (urine and poo, the good stuff haha) and then gray water is like the water used in sinks or showers. Good luck, your tackling something i would never of done simply because i hate the idea of this tank and that tank and all the complications of the systems.

 

[Cowboyup94]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

also some walmarts have dumping stations. this topic has me very interested. i cant wait to see what you do.

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hey Cowboy,
Waz Zappining? Sorry that is a line from one of my favorite all time movies. Thanks for checking in. This week has been hectic work was busy and the semester is coming to a close at school and I am rushing to get all my projects and papers in by the finals. I thank you for your info in the wild world of toilets. LOL
For the toilet and sink, it really is a must. Without them I will never get my wife and daughters on the boat. It is amazing to me the amount of time they spend in the toilet. I am an Eagle Scout and former Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout troop here in Fresno, so camping (I usually camp really rough; no tent in the summer etc.) was always a huge part of my life. Once I got married I took my wife (a big city girl, Fresno to her is a big village!!!!) camping and that was it, she has not gone for the entire lives of my daughters. I took them camping in Monterey last summer (the first time ever for my daughters, they begged her unmercifully) and in the end she relented. I did not want to put too much shock on them this first trip so I took them to Laguna Seca raceway. They have a beautiful campground there, paved roads and restrooms with hot water and shower?.and no pits); to me as a camper this is not camping. The way they all complained you would have thought I brought them to Siberia! :facepalm: We had to pick a camp site 15 feet from the restroom (what a view we had) so that they could go every 5 min or so...:facepalm:
As you see from my complaining above, I really don?t have a choice. I was thinking about doing some sort of dual system. I think I will have a tank to hold the grey water and a thru hull for when out in the bay. I thought to put a gate valve at the end of the thru hull and when in inland water I will squirt it into the dump station (my dad told me all the state parks around here have free dumps also) so I don?t think dumping the sink water will be a problem. With the amount of room I am going to have I don?t think it is going to be a very large tank anyway, I don?t think I will get more than 5 gal tanks squeezed anywhere on that boat anyways. The toilet is a complete system. Top half is fresh water storage and bottom half is as cowboy says the ?the good stuff?. So basically I will only need a fresh water for sink and grey water tank with a gated thru hull. I think I can squeez two little tanks in there.
Have a blessed night everybody.
Dave

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 ????? Anybody Remember this boat? (1959 Glasscat Project underway)

Re: 1959 ????? Anybody Remember this boat? (1959 Glasscat Project underway)

Just a quick note to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hello my friends;

Got a lot done on the boat today, the weather was perfect and I could not be any happier. Blue sky and 62 degrees in November is beautiful beyond compare.
Let?s see, today I worked primarily on the cabin door. I cut a hole in the door and installed an antique 110 year old piece of stained glass that was gifted to me from my friend (whom you all saw on the boat photos last week). The glass is really vibrant when looking from the inside; in fact, when you stand on the street in front of my parents? house you can see the rose quite clearly through the cabin windows. (That is at least 30 feet from the front of the boat)! I tried to take a photo through the windows to show you all what I mean). I sealed the glass into the door with a clear exterior waterproof silicone) from H.D. Then stained the door and various trim pieces and shellacked them all with good old spar urethane. I really love what the spar does to the wood. It is sooooo purty. While the stain and urethane was drying in their various stages, I also worked on the wall to the bathroom. I was able to complete the interior side of the wall and begin to block in the sink supports. (the bathroom looks even smaller with the solid wall) :facepalm: oh well.
All in all I am happy with my labor this holiday weekend. What do you all think?
I know the glass artwork is not very maritime, but I loved the fact that it is over a hundred years old and it gives a little distinction (or distraction) to my mini- yacht!!!LOL Also the price was right (Free)!!! My friend told me that the cut of glass is called a transom, and you can?t get any more maritime than that. Ha, HA.
I hope you all had a great holiday and that you got to play with your boats as well.
Dave