1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hi everybody thank you again for keeping me from blowing things out of proportion. Sorry about the long time since I posted last. Work and school really has been hopping lately.

Gus; thanks for your support I could not keep going without you to egg me on.

Bill; you, as always are ?the man?.

Ez; I really had a real boat 2 stroke mixing cup with all the hash marks and ratios written. I think I had the right mixture (I was a little preoccupied with the first launch and all) that I might have mixed to the wrong ratio or something. When trying to turn over, it sounded to my inexperienced ear like it was not getting the right octane. Also I had never mixed as large a quantity of fuel as I did then. (Remember, I have been using two liter coke bottles; since I did not want to ?waste? large amounts of liquid gold. So the amounts of oil were much less then). I may have mixed the fuel correctly; I just thought it looked like a lot of oil. Thank you for your link to the measuring cup. It is good to see you back on my thread.

Registeroot; Thank you for you kind words, and for your first post to my thread; I am glad you are here. Hope to talk to you soon.

Kfa, Thanks as always for your insight as well. With a jeering?.er cheering crowd like you guys, how can a guy fail?

:facepalm:On to the boat, I am an IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:facepalm:

I called my local guru today and told him my little troubles with dreams. I told him I was a little concerned that I might have damaged the transmission (again) and he asked me if I had the darned thing?s throttle advanced when I was trying to move the transmission. Heck no, I said, what kind of an idiot do you think I am. He said you know there is a lock so you cannot start the motor in gear. Tonight my mom had us out for dinner and even though I said I was going to take a few days off, I snuck out and looked at the control box. Guess what I found? Throttle fully advanced and in gear. I pulled the throttle back to center and the transmission slid easily out of gear and back into neutral. (Sigh, :facepalm: my friend is going to come out next weekend and help me get it running again). He does not think it will take much to get it going again. He is also going to loan me one of his old shop manuals for the motor so I can get the carb redone.
In the end I think it is still probably the carb (it still does squirt) and maybe not the proper mix. This weekend I am not even going to think about the motor I am going to do some more woodwork. (Interior cabin or the other bench).
Anyways I got to go now, good night all,
Dave

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

It's usually always the simple stuff! Thanks for the update.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Dave,
Glad to hear that it was just an inexperienced mariners goof up...I am sure most of us first timers have placed our lower apendage squarely in our pie-hole on more than one occasion due to our lack of knowledge...fret not, my friend...it will all make more sense the more you do it...

Carry On and Godspeed!
Gus

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Bill, No thanks are required Bill, you guys here are my friends and I like sharing my trials and tribulations with you all.

Gus,

Night All

Dave
And Happy Easter to you all.

 

[Cowboyup94]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Just checking in Dave! Everything looks great! I recommend carpeting or putting rollers in where those posts come up on the side of your trailor.. You might be able to drop by a carpet place and ask them if they have any scraps.. or hit there dumpster haaha!

 

[JDA1975]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

if ya do the other bench, make it shorter, so you have a couple safe seats in case ya got kids along for the ride...might look weird but since you dont need to see from those ones might be a good bet! glad to hear your engine problems are less troublesome than you thought!

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hey Dev,
I have a large piece of carpet from when I built my home. I am planning on sticking a little of it in the cabin and then building rails and carpeting them by the posts. How was spring break? Thanks for stopping by bud... No, dumpster diving for me thank you. I took the kids to San Francisco one time and we were stuck in traffic and watched a homeless/ crack addict take the lid off a trash can. We watched him pull an already licked ice cream cone out of the dumpster and eat it right there on the spot. I pray for them all truly, and I wish that such poverty, illness, addiction; whatever was not allowed to be in this world?But as we witnessed that all we could say was eeeeeeooooouuuuggggghhhhhh!
Judge,
I did think about that for the kiddies. I was planning on making them ride in the cabin!!!!! I really only think the bench needs to be 6? lower. I also have hand rails already that I am going to install by the benches on the top of the fins (gunnels?) near the seats to give the back facing people something to grab on to. (The rails are about 3 feet long) and sit up off the deck about 6 inches.
For progress last weekend I completed the walls in the bathroom. I put up another panel and I did some little framing work. I then textured the walls like in a house with joint compound. It was hard to do in the little bathroom. JDA you are going to be even more claustrophobic when you see it now. Ha, Ha. The 2 inches I lost for the new wall panel really is noticeable. After it was dried I primer and painted it. I am fairly happy with the results. It was my first attempt at wall texture and I got the hang of it by the end. (Thanks YouTube) I roughed up the fiberglass walls with sand paper before I textured it and it seemed to stick well. I will see how it holds up by next weekend when I go back out. You know, it really looks like a wall instead of a few scrap plywood boards. I could not photograph the work (my papa misplaced his camera, right when I needed a few shots taken?.coincidence, I think not!) HA Ha
Anyways this weekend I am going to try to do the cabinetry work in the bathroom and hang the fixtures (lights and tp holder, Fawcett?er?ah; faucet. Ha, ha.
Goodnight all
Dave

 

[Cowboyup94]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Break was good Dave. Really windy and dry! But suprisingly cool. It actually is cold enough here we had some freezing rain, but it's still extremely dusty. We have a couple forest fires going so it's been a little tense in our area.

How warm is CA now?

good luck on the sink!

 

[registeroot]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

yeah ive been checking in on youre thread, especially since we have the same outboard! i still cant get mine running yet. i was wondering could you post some pictures of youre steering set up if you get the chance? like how does it turn when youre wheel is full lock. a pic of it turned left , right and straight on would really help me figure out how to do it. and keep up the good work. looking forward to seeing this boat sail!

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Gotta go to work so I’ll make it quick!!!
Dev,
Weather is very weird. 80’s all week, then yesterday huge rain and thunderstorms. We actually had tornados (little) touch down in the country south of here and to the north. It really was a crazy day. Thanks for stoppen by as always.

‘root,
No prob, I will take the photos you want this weekend…if it don’t rain again!
Dave

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Y'all be careful out there, ya heah!

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hey guys,
Sorry again about long time since posting. Thanks for the warning Bill, the weekend weather was weird and I got stormed out again. This weekend is a Go for sure, sat and sun supposed to be in the low 90s! I was reading a few of the threads here concerning bilge pumps. Since my floor is in and I don’t really want to cut big holes in my hulls again should I forget the bilge pump or do you think I could drill out a hole and shove a hose down to the bottom of the hulls with the pump being up on the deck? Not really a huge concern at this exact moment, I just don’t have a lot of things to say about the boat since I have not worked on it for a few weeks and I did not want to hijack my thread with non-boating talk. Sound off your ideas please.
Dave

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hi Dave,

Glad to hear all's well...

As far as a bilge pump...I don't know if a suction hose-type setup will work or if it is even available...

But, I would personally like the added safety margin of having a fully functioning bilge pump on board...

When it comes to putting a hole in your deck...you have a few options...

Cut a section out, carefully, and make that section, the new hatch for the cutout...
Or, get a pre-made hatch, cut out the opening and install...
And, finally, there are the small circular screw in hatches...just big enough to slide a bilge pump into the bilge and run a drain with some careful planning...

Look in the Iboats Store under Hatches or Access Openings for Ideas...

Also, some guys have forgone a bilge pump altogether, so I guess its a matter of personal choice, but I would definitely check and see if there isn't some Coast Guard Regs that may come into play...I don't think so, but I am NOT sure...

Happy Boating!
Gus

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Dave, I have only used a bilge pump ONCE in all my years of boating but I can tell you my FIL and I were both very glad it was there and functioning after we took several waves into the boat during a severe T-storm. Yeah, I know we should not have been out there but we tried unsuccessfully to outrun it. When family and friends are onboard, it just seems reasonable to have the capability!

I agree with Gus that bilge pumps may not have very good suction/lift and really should be installed as low as possible in the hull or, in your case, both hulls. Unless you can rig the wiring harness and discharge hose with enough length to reach either hull as needed, then I think we are talking about two bilge pumps. Even with two pumps, you might want to rig them with the flexible wiring & hose to give yourself maximum redundancy!

Since your motor is not generator or alternator equipped, you need to think through the whole starting battery and accessory load thing. A fully-charged 500-600CCA battery will probably be okay for a single day outing but what good is a bilge pump without volts to power it IF there are complications. This argument makes a second battery just for accessories or a small gas-powered generator very desirable.

One really good thing in your favor is you should be able to manually-start your motor and get home even with a dead battery. I recommend you test your ability to hand-crank your motor in both cold-start and warm-start conditions. Better to find out any problems now rather than out in any big water!

Hang in there, the checklist is getting full of checks. Be safe, Bill

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Thanks Gus and Bill, with friends like you guys I know I will come out alright in the end.

I do think I need a pump(S), and really I probably will not see the ?big? water without one. As to the second battery, that is on the list before I do any real boating. I was planning on my cranking battery for the motor(s) and a deep cycle for the lights/cabin/fish finder etc. Remember I am really a rookie so even though I want to hit ?Monterey? in my Monterey Dreams; it probably will be some time before I lose my training wheels in the little lake near my home. Also I would think I would require a much larger motor (or twins if I can find one more in my price range) before I went ?offshore?. I don?t think a 4K (guestamate, the darned thing is heavy) pound boat and a little 40 (with a real hp of about 33 horses) will do too good in the bay.

One more question, how vital is the rub rail? As you see in the photos my boat sits well above the dock (at my little lake) and the bumpers I hung down worked well. The seam was nowhere near the dock. Can water get in through the cap and hull? Again it is on Bill?s list to be checked off but it really is an expense I was hoping to delay a little while.

C-ya guys I hope all is well,
Dave

P.S. I really am going to try the twins route if possible. I know it is more of a pain in the orifice with more MacGyver like connections:facepalm:, but I like the idea of a second motor (for emergency if nothing else). Look at what happened to those poor guys out of South America or Africa this week! They probably had a Newer motor than I!:facepalm:

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

I've got a 62 40 hp Evinrude Lark and it calls for 1 qt of oil per 6 1/2 gallons of fuel. Back in the day they used to run regular 20 wt Non Detergent oil in the gas and you still can if you can find it. I use the modern 2 cyle oil. Boat looks good in the water. Hope to Splash the Flamingo on Sunday.

Twins on your boat would be AWESOME!!!!!

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

One more question, how vital is the rub rail? As you see in the photos my boat sits well above the dock (at my little lake) and the bumpers I hung down worked well. The seam was nowhere near the dock. Can water get in through the cap and hull? Again it is on Bill’s list to be checked off but it really is an expense I was hoping to delay a little while.

Dave, The rub rail helps protect fragile fiberglass from impact damage on those rare occassions when you might encounter something bigger than your boat like a dock or bridge piling. The wind and currents can quickly put you in situations that will have you trying to manage all that mass (4k) doing something you did not anticipate. That said, specifically it may be "vital" to your boat if it is part of the mechanical bond used to secure the joint of the hulls and the cabin cap. Some older boats like yours were glued or fiberglass taped together and the rub rail served a more cosmetic/trim role in addition to the primary protection aspect. However, some boats used rub rail fasteners; screws, bolts or pop rivets, to join the hull and cap together so I would call that "vital". Yes, water can get into the hull via this joint depending on its design and condition. What happend to the original rub rail?

If the original rub rail is long-gone and not an option, what about your donor boat? New rub rail, even the vinyl stuff, is very pricey! Hopefully, some of the other forum members who have tried to deal with this issue economically will post in here and share their ideas. You might think about starting a separate thread on this issue only and it might generate more interest than us usual suspects!

Hold off on throwing money at it until you receive more input. See ya, Bill

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

If I see the pics correctly...you have the aluminum part of the rub rail? Right?

If Yes, you could look into getting some nylon rope that fits in the groove nice and snug and glue it in with some type of adhesive, maybe 3M 4200 or 5200...

Just thinking out loud...

 

[Monterey Dreams]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

Hey Guys,
Sorry for the long delay. Life is crazy now. I worked on Dreams last weekend, and got plugged lungs for the trouble. (ended up at the doctor for a breathing treatment) I guess I inhaled too much of the 60 Year old dust while cleaning the cabin. I am getting ready to paint. I built interior walls. For some reason My photographer has not sent me photos for last 2 weeks so I will take them myself next time out. Sorry. Wood I hope your splash goes well.
Bill, thanks for the info.
Gus, no metal brackets. they are little fiberglass lips. and really I do not see how to take off the cap even with the RR off. Missing RR done by PO.
Donor boat RR is a thick metal. I tried to get it off and I could not figgure out how to do it it seems to be one piece.
talk to you all soon, Need to run to work
c-ya buds
Dave

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1959 Glasscat Catamaran Project Underway.

I will take them myself next time out. Dave

Try to get some close-up pix of the RR on both the cat and donor boat, ideally with a ruler/tape in view, so we can better determine what you are battling. Sorry to hear about your physical setback. Take care of yourself! Bill