Welded Skiff Remodel; 18' became 24'

[Kevin Morin]

Welded Skiff Remodel; Framing the Upper Transom

Welded Skiff Remodel; Framing the Upper Transom

If there is no builder's model or plans to use for plate take offs, the only way to fit hull panels to their final shape is on the boat. To fit a panel that would butt to the pipe along the sheer, and fit to a flat bar edge at the median [lower edge of the top panel] we had to put up a forest of small 'sticks' of scrap tacked into the surface. These held the trial sheet blanks into the eventual surface of as the edges of the blank we marked, removed, cut and replaced to marked again. Slow and strenuous because the material was stiff for the curves.

Here is a photo from the starboard side aft looking toward port, of the lattice of sticks we tacked in to hold the blanks while they were scribed. We used heavy craft paper to make an original pattern so the metal could be put up and marked as little as possible.

Same view but from the other side of the hull,

This view, inside the hull looking aft at the temporary framing and the lower after panels tacked in, show the T bottom concept about as well as we'll see inside this skiff.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin

 

[Kevin Morin]

Welded Skiff Remodel; Finish Welding

Welded Skiff Remodel; Finish Welding

Unfortunately for anyone that is curious about the final details of the stern I was too busy to take pictures so we'll jump to the final shape images.

The engine mount is plated up off the two previously seen bars that formed the basis for this extension. The top to corners are plated with 1/4 segments of 4" pipe to make the shape more rounded and look more in keeping with the rounded stern.

A pair of 3" x 2" x 1/2" channels were made by welding flat bar to an angle forming a channel not in the standards shape book then a router on the corners with a carbide bullnose bit to gave the round-over shape. THese were both welded to the transom plate on the aft end of the engine 'box'.

Moving outside and backing away from the boat but from the same angle as the previous image, the overall look of the skiff's lines flowing into a rounded or counter stern shows.

The trailer side board blocks the lines of the median and spray rail transition but the sheer and topsides shapes are shown here looking aft along the port side from under the bow.

Form aft the transom a view of the topsides transition that helps to see the finished shape of the remodeled skiff. On the top of the transom are a pair of 1/2" bars to be removed if the skiff needs a lower engine point- it didn't. We ended up with a jack about 4" high! [shown above]

A look under the flat bottom beach landing net fishing boat that we began to remodel. This shows how flat the bottom is, and is the site of a planned remodel this year, to add V to this area so the ride is softened.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: Welded Skiff Remodel; 18' became 24'

I am in awe of this build, as well as your welding skills. I could only hope to lay a stack-o-dimes like that.


Nice work!

 

[86 century]

Re: Welded Skiff Remodel; 18' became 24'

thank you, I have read about that being used on bass boat type hulls and was wondering about the effect on a larger deeper hull.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Welded Skiff Remodel; 18' became 24'

Well, I have to spend some time reading through this (once my move is over with) but that TIG gun is fricken cool!! I can lay a bead on steel like you're doing with Alum. using filler rod but OH MAN would it have ever been a WHOLE lot easier with one of those guns. Never even seen or heard of one before. I love the re-design of the boat too and would proudly stand at the helm of that!! Nice work sir.

 

[Kevin Morin]

Welded Skiff Remodel; Welding Aluminum

Welded Skiff Remodel; Welding Aluminum

86 century, you are welcome, I've read tons about engine and transom ideas and seen a few experimental racing boats of wild configurations, but needed to give this a try- so we did.

bkwapisz, SuzukiChopper welding with the TIG gun allows me to do work I couldn't do without it. Just like two handed pistol shooting at paper its a world different than one handed; so my hat is perpetually off to the guys who weld with a hand torch and filler in the off hand.

FULL DISCLOSURE:
Guys; I'm not a free cup, free elbow, hand torch root & hot pass pipe welder - but with this gun I can could probably still make a G7 on 2" Sched. 160 if I had a week to work up to that test. [A-106 not A-333!] I'd have to walk the cup and anchor up pretty hard to the coupons to even have a chance; but the gun makes everything else 'doable'.

The TIG gun I use is built by OTC [Osaka Transformer Co.] America, Dahein USA and the gun is a 'secret'. These guys don' seem to advertise it, and I don't know why? I've had one since the early '80's [in the last century] and relied on it to be able to TIG for 12 hours without fatigue induced weld deterioration.

I'm using the Miller Dynasty 300 DX TIG power supply now, but this boat was welded with a Lincoln 300/300 TIG power supply, with no pulse or balance controls. I rely on the Lincoln 350MP Power MIG now, but this boat was built with a PowCon 300 CV power supply, using the pulsed mode through an MK Cobramatic, push-pull MIG feeder using mostly 0.035", but some 0.045", 5356 alloy wire and all the welds were with pure argon not mix gas.

I built my first TIG gun by strapping a Linde water cooled torch to a Cobramatic wire feeder and used the TIG for heat and the Cobra for wire, it worked fine for two years until I learned about the OTC 'Tig gun'.

Thanks for the [well received] remarks about this skiff, I've asked the Skipper for pictures of the boat on a fishing expedition so we'll see what pictorial record she has of some halibut trips into the Southern Cook Inlet?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin

 

[Kevin Morin]

Welded Skiff Remodel; Using the Skiff

Welded Skiff Remodel; Using the Skiff

I could only dig up a few decent pics of this skiff in the last few years' use, once out of the shop they don't seem to have the photographic attention they do still in build.

Here is the Skipper's Mom and the Ship's puppy this spring, on a ride out the mouth of Seldovia Bay but the reason to show this photo isn't my lovely wife - it's the hand rails, tanks and deck.

This is about all we have to show those items in any decent focus, so the lower left corner shows the tank to deck mount. This is a piece of 3/8" aluminum angle extrusion cut as an 'L' then drilled on the deck leg for a bolt and the other leg welded to the tank wall.

The deck has a 1/2" thick x 1" x 3/4" bar, tapped to accept the 3/8" coarse SS bolt, then welded to the deck. This is the easy way to install tanks- bolt the legs and their tap blocks together then block the tank in place with wood blocks. Once the tank is located MIG tack the tapped blocks to the boat while the other anlge leg is tacked to the tank. Remove and weld both parts of the mount to the tank or hull as tacked. The tank will fit right back where it was, and stay there.

In the eyes of the bow under the small foredeck is a triangular shaped aluminum bin that bolts to the deck like the tanks and the struts that hold up the sheer clamp/guard deck. This bin or anchor locker holds the ground tackle and a buoy to 'sky the hook' with the outboard- beats hauling line for a few hundred feet!

The handrail was added a few years later after much sniveling to the Skipper by the builder. I felt the sides were too low in the final skiff as we'd put an air tested, sealed deck inside to avoid bilge problems and to give reserve flotation if swamped. That raised the deck and 'lowered' the topsides and the guard deck down almost 5" Not much in the bow where the topsides are taller, but in the waist and at the stern I thought it wasn't enough depth.

The forward rail shown here was mounted to the 1" pipe liner of the sheer clamp, and the legs and top rail are of matching pipe so all the joints are saddled T welded. I use the TIG gun for 80% of the circumference but there were stretches of those welds that had to be hand welded, reminding me how much more skill is needed to weld in that method.

This picture was taken of the lovely fishing women but I'm including it to point out the lovely taft rail aft, and provide another view of the hand rail forward.

These hand rails are some of the nicest ones we've been able to add to any skiff in my opinion, even if the Skipper, black coat 2nd from right, did resist my "wisdom" for a few seasons; they're on now.

Finally, here is the remodeled set net skiff doing what it is now intended to do- fish for halibut. Even seated on stowage lockers, I think the hand rails are a welcome addition, good ht for working a line and increased safety for the whole crew.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin