Re: Check out the progress on my "restoration"
Added a few more pics, the original link should work the same, just a few more photos in the album.
TDF, my original plan was to try to go the scientific route and actually calculate flow around the hull, to see if there was anything specific I could do to make the boat more efficient. That was eating up a lot of time and with no guarantee that I'd see improvement, or be able to fabricate to the new design, so I did what I do best. Wing it.
Original plan was to attach the steel as you see it in the parking lot pic where it's painted black, looking much like a stealth bomber. But that was going to require a bunch of backer pieces to fill the gaps between the new steel, and the old deck, and on top of that, the 2 halves didnt want to bend up equally.
I sat on the tailgate of the truck scratching my head when I decided to look at a few of the boats around me for inspiration. Thats when I decided on the stepped bow, and added what I've been referring to as "the skirt".
It was easier to handle 8ft long, 10" wide pieces of steel to curve them to shape, and hold them in position to weld that it ever would have been to pull the full 450lb up into a symmetric position.
I believe this also gives me the benefit of added buoyancy in rough weather when the bow wants to cut into the back sides of waves in a following sea. - I've had 4" of water piled against the outside of the sliding glass door on the front of the cabin...
It should also help divert my bow wave out, below the deck line. If Im in a hurry and open up the throttle (top speed to date:12mph), water sometimes splashes up on deck, usually when crossing someones wake, even a small wave..
The "V" I added to it should also help smooth out the ride, by providing a wave splitting action. The original steel was like driving your car into the wall of your garage every 3-5 seconds. Annoying, and sometimes unnerving when it gets a little rough, and then entire boat shutters with every wave.
It also adds a little more buoyancy, when under way with guests, they're often times sitting up front, which has made the boat plow in the past.
So, in the end, I threw out the scientific approach, went by more of an artistic approach, and I have my fingers crossed that I have full penetration welds everywhere it counts, because I DO NOT want to have to get into this project again once I splash it.
I would like to point out, that all of that work has been done solo. My girlfriend gave me a hand slapping some primer on the thing last night, thats the first help I've had, and possibly because of that, I've logged about 150hrs on this project.
I'm also in probably $2000 between steel, weld wire, shielding gas, grinding and cutoff wheels, paint and gasoline for the generator.
I figure though, if I had hired someone to do this, I'd probably have to double or triple the money invested.
not to mention the sunburns from all that welding.
