Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
New Home for Midstream!
Bateau Forum where I will update the most.
This is where we start my part in this build:
I've been on the water most of my life. My father was highly into fishing and always had a boat to pull us on skis or to cast a line in the water. He even owned a couple of fishing lure companies. My stepdad had a Hobie-Cat that we used on Lake Jackson or down at St. George Island. Life seemed to get in the way and the boats slid out of the picture for both men. That led me to an NJROTC unit in high school that had a fleet of vessels. They still have a US Navy sailboat along with 30 or 40 other boats.
As life went on, my desire to own a boat increased. The Marine Corps, marriage, kids, divorce, rebuilding myself, college and finally another marriage seemed to always keep the dream out of range but burning brighter with every turn. I had seen an article about a man (I assume stickystuff) that built an XF20 in Florida. The article mentioned a strange company called Bateau. I ordered some samples of a material called Nidacore and I have been hooked for a couple of years on the idea of building my own boat. Luckily, the best wife in the world (just in case she ever reads this) promised me it would become a reality. That's right, a wife that encourages this crazy line of thinking!
I have been really amazed with the variety of boats Jacques has designed. I've flipped between several designs over the years with the FS18, SC16 and now the FS13 holding my interest since I have been enjoying fly fishing the last few years. I've also kicked around the idea of one of PC22/24 but was not satisfied that it could take on some of the waters around the panhandle of Florida. When OzzyC posted the GT23 for sale originally, I knew it was too high after we just bought a house so I didn't mention it too the wife. After a few months of it sitting there the price was lowered and I had to call to ensure it wasn't a mistake. OzzyC assured me that it was correct and I told him I wanted it but had to talk with the accountant (wife). We prayed about it over night and she came back and said she was okay with it. And so it begins.
I've got to say a special thanks to Dave for all the help he gave us through the day in packing her up for the long ride home. He made comparisons to me and Greg through out the day. Hopefully I can put as much thought into finishing this build as the one who started it. I think Greg's wife threw a party when we left with the boat, literally!
We started out by looking at the tires and deciding that new ones would be needed. No sense in even starting that long of a trip on tires with flat spots. Here's a shot of my dad putting the new tires on the trailer. I'd swear that trailer had not seen 100 miles on the road prior to the return trip.
After we had sent my brother for the new tires, Dave and I set to work wrapping the beast. I think it was a mistake to attempt a shrink wrap job without the right shrink guns. I tried getting Dave to fire up the huge heater he had sitting on the shelf but he wouldn't bite. I think that getting the thicker wrap was a bad idea with the heat guns we were using. Here's a shot of me taking forever to try shrink wrap.
Thought from early in my part of the build:
Don't let those around you make life a race. You lose the good times that could have been and now will never be. Life is not about the numbers or speed at which we do something. It should be about the people that you have in your life at that moment. You never know when they will be gone.
Here's Midstream's new home and my solo unload of all the big pieces:
Don't worry, there were pillows on the roof to keep the straps off the paint!
This is where we start my part in this build:
I've been on the water most of my life. My father was highly into fishing and always had a boat to pull us on skis or to cast a line in the water. He even owned a couple of fishing lure companies. My stepdad had a Hobie-Cat that we used on Lake Jackson or down at St. George Island. Life seemed to get in the way and the boats slid out of the picture for both men. That led me to an NJROTC unit in high school that had a fleet of vessels. They still have a US Navy sailboat along with 30 or 40 other boats.
As life went on, my desire to own a boat increased. The Marine Corps, marriage, kids, divorce, rebuilding myself, college and finally another marriage seemed to always keep the dream out of range but burning brighter with every turn. I had seen an article about a man (I assume stickystuff) that built an XF20 in Florida. The article mentioned a strange company called Bateau. I ordered some samples of a material called Nidacore and I have been hooked for a couple of years on the idea of building my own boat. Luckily, the best wife in the world (just in case she ever reads this) promised me it would become a reality. That's right, a wife that encourages this crazy line of thinking!
I have been really amazed with the variety of boats Jacques has designed. I've flipped between several designs over the years with the FS18, SC16 and now the FS13 holding my interest since I have been enjoying fly fishing the last few years. I've also kicked around the idea of one of PC22/24 but was not satisfied that it could take on some of the waters around the panhandle of Florida. When OzzyC posted the GT23 for sale originally, I knew it was too high after we just bought a house so I didn't mention it too the wife. After a few months of it sitting there the price was lowered and I had to call to ensure it wasn't a mistake. OzzyC assured me that it was correct and I told him I wanted it but had to talk with the accountant (wife). We prayed about it over night and she came back and said she was okay with it. And so it begins.
I've got to say a special thanks to Dave for all the help he gave us through the day in packing her up for the long ride home. He made comparisons to me and Greg through out the day. Hopefully I can put as much thought into finishing this build as the one who started it. I think Greg's wife threw a party when we left with the boat, literally!
We started out by looking at the tires and deciding that new ones would be needed. No sense in even starting that long of a trip on tires with flat spots. Here's a shot of my dad putting the new tires on the trailer. I'd swear that trailer had not seen 100 miles on the road prior to the return trip.
After we had sent my brother for the new tires, Dave and I set to work wrapping the beast. I think it was a mistake to attempt a shrink wrap job without the right shrink guns. I tried getting Dave to fire up the huge heater he had sitting on the shelf but he wouldn't bite. I think that getting the thicker wrap was a bad idea with the heat guns we were using. Here's a shot of me taking forever to try shrink wrap.
Thought from early in my part of the build:
Don't let those around you make life a race. You lose the good times that could have been and now will never be. Life is not about the numbers or speed at which we do something. It should be about the people that you have in your life at that moment. You never know when they will be gone.
Here's Midstream's new home and my solo unload of all the big pieces:
Don't worry, there were pillows on the roof to keep the straps off the paint!
Sunday, May 01, 2016
Saturday, December 05, 2015
Selling the Boat - The Final Post
Today's post is officially the last post for this blog, and it's not at all how I envisioned wrapping up the project, or the blog. On October 27, 2015, my best friend -- a man I'd known for over 35 years -- passed away unexpectedly.
Ten years ago, Greg set out on a journey to build a cabin cruiser, and I eagerly agreed to go along for the ride. We worked on the boat consistently for about three years before life got in the way. Over the next two years or so, we worked on the boat a couple of times. We haven't worked on the boat for about five years, but we frequently talked about getting back to it.. someday. Now, Greg is gone. While I have the expertise to finish the boat, I do not have the heart. After discussing things with Greg's widow, we have agreed that the best approach is to put the boat up for sale. If you are interested in purchasing the boat, please read on...
For Sale are the following items, which are being sold as a kit. We are not interested in selling items separately.
-GT23 cabin cruiser kit, partially assembled. Hull is constructed. Stringers are in. Frame pieces are in from the stern to approximately 2/3 of the way to the bow. Bottom is coated with skid-resistant, graphite-infused epoxy. Rubber skid plate is installed on the bottom so that you can intentionally beach the boat without damaging the paint. Remainder of the kit is intact and accounted for to the best of my knowledge. Transom has an extra 1/2" plywood panel, designed to accommodate high-output motors.
-GT23 cabin cruiser plans.
-Aluminum bracket for mounting the motor to the transom. The bracket is NOT currently mounted to the boat.
-Evinrude 150HP V6 outboard motor with 4 blade propeller. The motor is currently on a custom-built rolling stand. The motor has not been started in a little over a year, but it started last time I checked.
-28.5 ft Trail Star Tracker trailer, with custom brackets designed specifically to carry the GT23.
-1 new roll of bi-axial fiberglass, 4' wide.
-Approximately 2 gallons of Epoxy Resin.
-1 gallon of slow Epoxy Hardener.
-1/2 quart of medium Epoxy Hardener
-Several extras, including several disposable sanding and fiberglass respirators, Full West 407 Low Density Fairing Filler, 1lb Phenolic, 6 oz Fumed Silica, two bags chopped glass, 1 lb milled glass fibers, 1/2 bag graphite powder, 3 lbs wood flour, 4 rolls biaxial fiberglass tape (6" wide), box of leftover fiberglass pieces and parts that are still usable, disposable rubber gloves, tongue depressors for stirring, and additional books on building stitch and glue boats.
-Please note that I will use a small amount of the extras as I repair a canoe that Greg and I built in 2003. As such, the Epoxy and extras may be slightly less than listed above, depending on how much material is required for the repair job.
If you are interested in purchasing this boat, please check out the forums at www.bateau.com.
In the pictures below, you will notice a relief cut at the halfway point. The relief cut is there because the boat was slightly too wide. Greg put the relief cut in to ensure that the boat can be towed in all 50 states without a wide load permit.
Ten years ago, Greg set out on a journey to build a cabin cruiser, and I eagerly agreed to go along for the ride. We worked on the boat consistently for about three years before life got in the way. Over the next two years or so, we worked on the boat a couple of times. We haven't worked on the boat for about five years, but we frequently talked about getting back to it.. someday. Now, Greg is gone. While I have the expertise to finish the boat, I do not have the heart. After discussing things with Greg's widow, we have agreed that the best approach is to put the boat up for sale. If you are interested in purchasing the boat, please read on...
For Sale are the following items, which are being sold as a kit. We are not interested in selling items separately.
-GT23 cabin cruiser kit, partially assembled. Hull is constructed. Stringers are in. Frame pieces are in from the stern to approximately 2/3 of the way to the bow. Bottom is coated with skid-resistant, graphite-infused epoxy. Rubber skid plate is installed on the bottom so that you can intentionally beach the boat without damaging the paint. Remainder of the kit is intact and accounted for to the best of my knowledge. Transom has an extra 1/2" plywood panel, designed to accommodate high-output motors.
-GT23 cabin cruiser plans.
-Aluminum bracket for mounting the motor to the transom. The bracket is NOT currently mounted to the boat.
-Evinrude 150HP V6 outboard motor with 4 blade propeller. The motor is currently on a custom-built rolling stand. The motor has not been started in a little over a year, but it started last time I checked.
-28.5 ft Trail Star Tracker trailer, with custom brackets designed specifically to carry the GT23.
-1 new roll of bi-axial fiberglass, 4' wide.
-Approximately 2 gallons of Epoxy Resin.
-1 gallon of slow Epoxy Hardener.
-1/2 quart of medium Epoxy Hardener
-Several extras, including several disposable sanding and fiberglass respirators, Full West 407 Low Density Fairing Filler, 1lb Phenolic, 6 oz Fumed Silica, two bags chopped glass, 1 lb milled glass fibers, 1/2 bag graphite powder, 3 lbs wood flour, 4 rolls biaxial fiberglass tape (6" wide), box of leftover fiberglass pieces and parts that are still usable, disposable rubber gloves, tongue depressors for stirring, and additional books on building stitch and glue boats.
-Please note that I will use a small amount of the extras as I repair a canoe that Greg and I built in 2003. As such, the Epoxy and extras may be slightly less than listed above, depending on how much material is required for the repair job.
If you are interested in purchasing this boat, please check out the forums at www.bateau.com.
In the pictures below, you will notice a relief cut at the halfway point. The relief cut is there because the boat was slightly too wide. Greg put the relief cut in to ensure that the boat can be towed in all 50 states without a wide load permit.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Back to Glass
We started glassing the frame pieces to the stringers and hull. It was a short session, so we didn't get very far, but it was fun nonetheless.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Actual, Real, Genuine Boat Work
It's been a long time coming, but we actually worked on the boat itself today... approximately sixteen months since we last made any progress on the boat building project. Today, we leveled out the boat, and fit the cross member frame pieces.
To give you some idea of how large the hull is, what you see in between the frame pieces is a pry bar.
Alternatively, this may give you a better idea of the scale we're dealing with...Next time, we plan to start securing the frame pieces to the stringers and hull. YEAH!! We get to play with epoxy again.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Trail-er-ing Behind Schedule
It's a fortunate circumstance that we have no schedule for finishing this project. Instead of getting back to the boat itself, we once again spent another day adding one last pair of bunks to the trailer. Greg is now satisfied that the trailer adequately supports the weight of the boat.
During our last couple of sessions, Greg and I noticed a slight twist in the boat's hull along the roll axis. While the stern is still straight, both relative to the trailer and to the floor, the bow is slightly uneven. So, we're going to spend the next session re-leveling and re-truing the hull. This will make sure that we have quality workmanship when we really get back to work.
Hey, any work we do is progress, right?
During our last couple of sessions, Greg and I noticed a slight twist in the boat's hull along the roll axis. While the stern is still straight, both relative to the trailer and to the floor, the bow is slightly uneven. So, we're going to spend the next session re-leveling and re-truing the hull. This will make sure that we have quality workmanship when we really get back to work.
Hey, any work we do is progress, right?
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