Out for a ride

The boat came out of the shop Saturday to be turned around in the yard.  She is looking more like a boat every day.   

How do the lines look?

We are finally getting an idea of how part of the boat will actually look.  It takes a lot of c-clamps to test the frame.  Fortunately we have a Harbor Freight store near by.

Here you see the cross beams for the cockpit deck.
 Part of the motor and exhaust will be in a box on the deck. 

Checking our the sheer line using aluminum bar.

And for the bird watchers - here is an anhinga enjoying the wagon that John left on the dock to keep birds from using the dock.  I just missed getting a shot of a great blue heron watching the anhinga.  Now we have a wagon full of bird poop instead of just a splats on the dock.

Our yard has finally dried out.

We know some of you enjoyed the bird photos. 

The lake is now level with the top of the dock. The wagon is permanently parked on the dock.  Dawn is not sure why.

There are still ducks swimming about, but most of the interesting birds have moved on. 

Progress on many fronts

Dawn came home from a quilting class today to find that John was very productive.

The shaft log for the rudder post has been bolted and tack welded. It looks like a Mayan mask.

It's hard to see but the strut that holds the propeller shaft is temporarily bolted on.

The exhaust hose arrived yesterday and John has done a trial fit.  He made brackets to hold the mufflers and hoses in place.  The string won't be permanent.

Early November

While Dawn was away, John welded in all of the top bars on the ribs.  He didn't realize that this was an important part of the structure until it was almost too late.  The welding method was described in an earlier post.

Dawn had to climb up on the hull to give John a hand and notices how much more solid it feels.

Here is a fiberboard mock up of the transom shape. 

Machining to true up the strut.  The heat from welding warped it. The finished strut is on top.

Problems solved

Most of today involved figuring out how to turn vertical ribs into "T's".  The "T" shaped pieces are needed for the structure.  A top piece will be welded down by filling the milled holes.

Trail fitted T piece.

Hours of searching the internet finally led to Caiman Glove Company.  They sell  beautifully made welding gloves that are made in the USA from elk hide tanned in the USA!!!  Almost all leather is tanned in China and sweating activates the chemicals used in the tanning and dying processes.  It can eat the skin off your hand.  

Back working

After a nice vacation and some house projects, John is back at work.  

The tunnel is coming along.  In the foreground is a rudder that we found at Marine Surplus in Sarasota.  It needs a bit of modification, but not much.

Turning the boat around involves a trip around the yard.  The water has receded back to the lake edge thanks to a few weeks with no rain.  We do miss the birds.  

Two tarps suspended from the framework and wrapped around uprights make an extension to the shop.  The tarp stops the wind while welding.

Motor mounts

Today's project was to weld the support for the motor mounts in place.  John had to weld the inside corners which was tricky.  A combination of knee pads including one on his elbow and a boat cushion made an uncomfortable position tolerable.  The tunnel is back in place to see how the shaft and propeller will line up.

Motor support in the foreground and another trial fit of the redesigned tunnel.

The water in the yard started to recede a bit two days ago.  I checked the survey and the highest point of water is 250 feet from the lake.  Yesterday we had a visit from a family of whistling ducks.  They were joined by a half dozen wood storks.  The ducks retreated to the side of the yard.

Tuning the tunnel

The tunnel needs to be redesigned or modified to fit with the engine elevation.  The quickest option is to modify it using a combination of beating, pressing and other metal abuse.

The water in the backyard is now deep enough for this huge freshwater turtle to swim around.  

Trial Fitting the Motor

The motor will need good supports for the motor mounts.  A few months ago my brother Alan helped John attach two chain falls in the roof beams.  One came in very handy today.  We lifted the engine, then backed the boat underneath it.  It was gently dropped into place for a rough fit.  

It looked so good that John decided to try placing the tunnel.  It turns out that the engine sits lower than he calculated so the tunnel will be redesigned.

Longitudinals

John was on a roll yesterday and today.  The front and mid frame longitudinals are fitted and tacked in place.  If you don't know what a longitudinal is, click here to learn more:    wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitudinal_framing.

The upright tube is a temporary kingpost, not a mast.

Back at work

After a few days off cruising on Clyde and catching up on yard work, John is back in fabricating mode.

First, we had to find the plumb bob. Then make a canvas extension jacket for the Miller Aluma-Pro gun to cover a gap in the leather protector.

The framing supports are coming along.  Fitting pieces in the "pointy end" takes patience.

A Five Pound deadblow hammer is the perfect 10th anniversary present?  How many other wives would be so thoughtful?

A little blue heron, two ducks and four egrets.

Girders down!

The girders and floor pieces are in place. The square tubing across the top holds the shape of the boat.   We had more rain today and the lake continues to cover the lawn.  John spotted a big turtle down by the big oak. Unfortunately, Dawn wasn't there with the camera.  We will take a few days off and back to work late next week.  

Girders and a very wet yard.

Looking the other way.

Great egret stalking fish in what is normally our back yard.

Getting there

The six plates forming the lower hull have been welded together.  Welding in the constant rain over the past few days was a problem until John rigged up a curtain using tarps.  

It is so wet that whistling ducks have moved into the yard

The shop is long enough for the boat, but other projects keep it from going all the way in.
A couple old blue tarps make an effective but very hot way to block the wind and rain.  The little diesel Mitsubishi tractor pulls the cradle/trailer around.

The next step is to put in the girders and weld in these cross pieces called "floors".

Last week

More work on the tunnel - to keep the the water flowing smoothly through the tunnel, John cut out a section for a pocket to hold the base of the strut.

above and below: Trial fit for the tunnel 

The black rectangle is the cut out for the pocket.

Early in the process, we marked an outline of the dimensions of the boat on the floor of John's shop.  Here you see the ZF transmission bolted to the motor.  The motor and the tunnel for the shaft and propeller are laid out to check the spacing:

A closer look at the transmission.

A

The "new" Miller 350P welder with a "push-pull" gun.  

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Taking shape

The bow section has been tack welded:

The trailer came with the donor boat and has been modified to hold the boat as it is fabricated.  The small tires will help it fit into the workshop as it progresses.