Boat works

[H2Andy]

i had a Morgan 32 but had to sell it



but...you know... all the money i would have spent
on it, i've spent diving... so...

hmmmm....

 

[Genesis]

I've got a 45 Hatteras and a 22 Glacier Bay, plus a waterrat (Jetski)

Do all my own work on all of them, from engines to electronics to everything else.

If you want it done right, do it yourself.....

 

[scubafool]

Genesis, what kind of powerplant does your 45 have in it, & what kind of range could you get out of it? As far as doing it yourself if you want it done right, I tend to agree with you after noticing something on my boat a while back. My brother told me when I bought the boat from him that the transom had been replaced a while back. No wonder that it had to be replaced, considering that at the factory they left the area between the lip that the floor rests on and the bottom hull wide open (this is at the stern of the boat). In fact, the bottom of the transom is already quite rotten, so when I get done with the floor, I get to replace the transom. That won't be happening again, though. Two layers of glass & about 1/2 hour fixed that hole. Considering my skill level vs. the factory's, it probably would have taken them 10 minutes & added about $10 to the cost of the boat. I hope shortcuts such as this aren't the norm in the boatbuilding industry.

 

[Genesis]

The 45 has Detroit 6V92TAs, Covington conversions, with twin dry turbos. They scream like a banshee (4 turbos down there will do that!) but the boat's great and those engines, properly taken care of, are fantastic. I love 'em even if they do leak a bit of oil and aren't as "social", and are more thirsty, than their "modern" counterparts.

I carry 500 gals of usable fuel, and burn about 2gpm at cruise (18ish knots), for a working range of 200nm, plus at least 50nm of safety reserve. In reality I probably have "thirds" on the reserve, but I don't play close to the line on that - running out of fuel in a 25 ton boat is not a good thing.

Transoms are a real PITA to replace.

Those kinds of shortcuts ARE the norm with MOST builders. There are exceptions though. One of the problems is that even the best manufacturers (e.g. Hatteras, Bertram, etc) have built some stinkers, so you have to know what to look for BEFORE you buy, lest you wind up with trouble.

If/when you redo that transom let me know as I can give you a few tips. Any time you replace structural wood in a boat, coat it on all sides, and especially the end grains, with epoxy. You will not have rot problems if you do that.

 

[scubafool]

Coating the wood completely with epoxy BEFORE I installed it is exactly what I've done with everything so far. In fact, I've went a little extreme & actually put a layer of glass over both the crossboards & the stringers before I glassed them down to the hull. I'm thinking of doing the same to the plywood for the floor after I've cut it to fit. I don't see where this will add too much weight, & this problem should never occur again in this particular boat. It looks like a decent sized job to replace the transom, but it can't be anywhere near the amount of work that I'm doing to the floor, & considering that this little old boat has a 65 horse Merc on it, I don't think a half rotted transom is a good idea. No, I don't think that running out of fuel 125 nm out to sea would be any fun at all. LOL. What do you usually dive off of Destin? There is a good chance I might be moving up to the Panhandle area for my company later this year, so I'm trying to prior plan.

 

[Groundhog246]

Alright, a question. When I took the old stringers out, there was something similar to the spray foam you might buy at Home Depot between the hull & the bottom of the 1x8 stringer. Is there some super-secret special stuff I should be using here, or will the Home Depot Express stuff work? Thanks, guys.

There's a "special" foam. It won't absorb as much water as the "Home Depot" type. It's usually a two part and has a higher expansion rate (a little fills a large area and once you mix it, you can't re-use it). It's there to provide floatation if you swamp, so not structurally necessary.

As soon as the weather warms a bit more and the ice/snow melt, I've a fair task list on our Tanzer 26 sailboat. At the top is replacing the fuel tank (which of course requires pulling the inboard engine). I've a new rudder to finish (needs to be "glassed") that should improve steering (reduced weather helm) and a new, longer and stronger stern ladder to install along with modifying the stern rail to make re-boarding easier. It'll depend when the weather breaks. With luck we'll be in the water by May 21 for the Canadian long weekend, if the weather doesn't co-operate, then it may be into June before we launch.

 

[scubafool]

Groundhog246, I'll have to remember that foam tip next time I take on a project such as this, 'cause I've already got the Home Depot stuff underneath 3 layers of fiberglass. I'm doing my best to make sure that it is completely sealed, however. Oh well, I really need to get back out there so I can finish the stringers this weekend. I'll check back later.

 

[Genesis]

What do you usually dive off of Destin? There is a good chance I might be moving up to the Panhandle area for my company later this year, so I'm trying to prior plan.

There's a LOT to dive up here. I have over 500 "marks" in my plotter, and I haven't seen anywhere near a significant number of them.

There are good dives anywhere from a mile or two out of the pass to well over 20-30nm out. Just depends on where you want to go, when, how deep, etc.

 

[scubafool]

Where- anywhere there is something worth seeing or doing, & if I'm playing with gear or working on a skill, I don't even need the above. When- well, whenever I can get free from work. How deep- Well, considering that the only buddy I absolutely trust as a redundant source of gas is the one I dive with now (I won't leave from down there without her, & she won't leave without me), probably 95'-100' until I get a pony or doubles. As far as that goes, I'm even rethinking the present situation. From previous posts of yours, I know that there are wrecks in your area, and I also know that you spearfish, both of which I am interested in as a down the road type thing. What about reefs? Bug hunting seems fun AND tasty, though as of yet I haven't done it.

 

[Genesis]

Good reefs here too.

Nabbed a bug yesterday on my second dive, and two more kinda (well ok, I nabbed the bag that another diver on the boat dropped on HIS dive - and it had two bugs in it already )

Would have shot some fish too, but the legal-size red snapper are out of season, and the AJs were either too short or questionable - and I don't shoot the questionable ones, as it bites to kill them for no reason. There were several legal-sized red grouper under one of the wrecks, but they were extremely spear-wary and I couldn't get a clean shot. Ditto for the solitary legal black snapper that I saw - INSIDE the boat - but with no way to get a bead on him and nail him. Lots of other fish down there, but none that I wanted to kill.

Still, two nice dives, even if the water was quite cold - 57F on the bottom. Was glad to have the drysuit!

I let my buddy have the bug, since it was only one and my g/'f would have had a kitten if I came home with only ONE bug for the two of us