Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Here's a rough sketch of my plans for a layout. I'll probably make some minor changes.



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.

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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.

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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:

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Don't worry, there were pillows on the roof to keep the straps off the paint!

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Sunday, May 01, 2016

The Boat is Sold

Thanks for picking up the torch, Barry.  I hope you enjoy finishing the boat.

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.










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?

Monday, February 08, 2010

In the Bunk House

As I mentioned before, these last couple of sessions haven't yielded any progress on the boat itself. We have, however, been laying the ground work for moving forward with the actual project. During our last couple of sessions, we've installed his air compressor, reinforced the supports on the boat trailer, and worked on making sure that the boat is level in relation to the trailer. The latter two pieces of work will allow us to make sure that the boat is built true, with no sagging or unexpected unevenness in the floor.

Our goal is to work on the boat itself next time. We plan to install and secure the cross-member frame pieces.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

More Boat Work - Sort Of

Greg and I have had a second session of boat work. Okay, it wasn't really, directly, actually working on the boat itself, but we're making progress toward getting back at the task of constructing the boat.

Yesterday, I helped him mount his air compressor to the floor in the garage. He's been there over a year now, and is just now getting around to this task. That should help you all understand why and how such a long hiatus occurred in the first place.

The next thing you need to understand is that the boat's shell has become a sort of storage container. Specifically, he stored a canoe, a touring kayak, and many, many aluminum pop and beer cans in the hull of his yet-to-be-named watercraft-in-the-making. After mounting the air compressor, we hung some pulleys from the ceiling, which allowed Greg to hang the canoe and kayak, thus allowing us to resume our project.

You may notice that we're now doing this every other weekend. This means that the boat will probably be finished in about two years -- assuming that we don't take any more sabbaticals. It also means that we'll probably be ready to actually work on the boat itself in approximately one month. Next week, we will finish shoring up the trailer, and finish wiring the air compressor -- if Greg hasn't completed that task by our next boat building session.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Hiaitus Too Long

Greg and I worked on the boat yesterday. Well, we didn't actually work on the boat itself yesterday... we did a little bit of work on how the trailer supports the boat, in preparation for getting back to work on the actual project.

When I thought back to the last time we worked on the boat, I knew that it had been more than a year... Greg's been in his new house for about 13 months. I estimated that it had been a year and a half. No, it's been longer... it's been approximately 20 months. Fortunately, I think that Greg's ready to get back to it. I guess we'll see how things progress.

Friday, March 20, 2009

This Blog Is Not Abandoned

Yes, I know that my last post was months ago. Unfortunately, Greg hasn't gotten his house in order, so there's nothing to report. Sorry. Maybe I should come up with a "Best of" post.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

He's Moved

Well, he's moved. And let me tell you, that guy had a lot of crap. I knew the guy was a pack rat, but I never fully realized exactly how much stuff he had in that tiny little house. Moving the contents of his house, garage and shed from their original locations to the U-Haul and two pods was like watching a marshmallow expand in a fire, or when a magician pulls that scarf out of his sleeve. All I can figure is that his old house was somehow like a space bag, and mysteriously shrunk shit enough to fit into the little nooks and crannies in the place.

One of the first things we moved was the boat, and I'm pleased to report that it survived the trip without incident, despite the fact that the internal framing isn't even completed -- almost four years later! (Yes, we've been at this for almost four years, and we're still not done!)

The new garage is even cooler than the old one... bigger, warmer, brighter, and it has running water and drains built into the floor. Unfortunately, Greg is currently using the garage and the hull of the boat as an overflow area for stuff while he gets the new house situated. This means no boat work for at least a month or so. The crazy thing is, I already miss our boat/beer/cigar/guy talk time, and I'm looking forward to getting back at it.

In order for that to happen though, Greg needs to organize the garage, which means that he needs to put up shelves and so forth. He's tentatively planning to do that between Christmas and New Year's day, and I'll probably help.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Time Flies

"I'm not dead."

It seems that I've been saying that a lot lately. It's not that I'm neglecting things per se, it's more accurate to say I'm prioritizing. The internet, and my blogs in particular, have been downgraded in priority.

Greg and I are still doing work on the boat, but it's been slow going. I hope that our pace will pick up in the not-too-distant future. The slow pace is really more of a soap opera than anything, but if you're interested, read on.

You see, my ex-wife and Greg's wife are best friends. The ex got evicted from her apartment around the beginning of the year, and having nowhere else to go, Greg's wife agreed to let my ex move in with them. I don't exactly hate my ex, but I don't enjoy her presence either. And while I must give her credit for trying to not infringe on my male-bonding time when I went go Greg's for boat work, the knowledge that I was -- in some sort of twisted way -- hanging out at my ex-wife's place, certainly put a damper on my desire to hang out at Greg's house.

In addition to this, Greg and his wife started house-hunting. They found a new home and will be moving in a couple of weeks. The garage is bigger and better than what we have now, and the ex isn't moving with them. This means that we may have more boat time... but not until after Greg gets moved in to the new place.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Lazy Days of Summer

That's not really a phrase that applies in our situation, but it sounded good nonetheless. Greg and I are still working on the boat, and we are still taking our time. The inside of the hull has been glassed, and we have test-fitted the stringers and frame pieces. Next weeek, we plan to tack the stringers into place, and then after that, it will be time to secure the stringers and frame pieces to the hull.

Greg also purchased a trailer last weekend. It looks nice, but Greg says that he'll have to make some minor adjustmenst to it.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Boat Scar


I've finally got a picture of the scar.

Click on the picture for a larger photo and some notes.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I Almost Cried

I went to Greg's for another round of work last night. When I got there, I saw something that almost made me burst out in tears. Greg had virtually cut the boat in half.

After rolling the boat, Greg measured the width of the boat, and it was something like eight and a half feet wide, roughly six inches over the maximum width allowed without getting a permit to tow a wide load. Greg had originally decided to risk it... after all, the width would be difficult at best to measure. Apparently he changed his mind.

In order to get the width reduced, Greg put a relief cut in each side, from the top to about three inches from the bottom. He then used straps to pull the hull to the width he wanted, and then filled the relief cuts with thickened epoxy and re-taped the hull, inside and out. He cut through the spray rail and everything.

It's his boat, so he can do what he wants. But had I known what he was thinking, I'd have done everything in my power to talk him out of doing that. We could have used straps and epoxy and pulled the hull in, attaching it to the frame pieces, and things would have been much less invasive. Additionally, the bottom is probably ever-so-slightly hooked now, and the spray rails will likely have a noticeable bend at the cutting point. The biggest thing though, is the fact that we're going to have to re-sand and re-paint this scar, and probably re-tape it a couple more times as well.

I almost cried.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Bigger than I Realized


I can't describe how nice it is to be doing something other than sanding and fairing. The stringers have been removed, and we're now beginning to tape the internal seams. Greg taped the front transom over the weekend, and we both taped the rear transom last night. During last night's session, my younger daughter climbed inside the hull and cruised around on her Heelys. That was when I realized just how big this boat actually is. I took a video of this, which is posted here.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Just a shell

Greg and I had an impromptu boat work session today. After about five hours, we had shored up the unstable frame pieces, removed the old frame (which is no longer necessary, since the boat is now flipped) and have removed the boat's structural frame pieces.

Over the next few days, my younger daughter will be removing nails from the lumber that we're able to salvage, while Greg and I remove the boat's stringers, leaving us with a hollow shell. Next comes glassing the inside of the boat, in preparation for re-installing the boat's stringers and structural frame pieces.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Flipped Out!

We got the boat flipped, but it was a day where everything that could go wrong, did. Okay, not quite "everything." Nobody was hurt, and the boat is still in one piece. But it did take five guys four hours to get her rolled.

I've been waiting to roll this boat for years... literally! We've been sanding and fairing for so long that I don't remember what it's like to not be in sanding and fairing hell. Now, after years of making the boat look right, we can continue the structural and functional construction.

Here's a link to a video I made, consisting of photos and comments.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Boat Frame III


Boat Frame III
Originally uploaded by OzzyC
I haven't forgotten about you or the boat. It's simply that we're operating slowly this winter. We're close to flipping the boat, so there's not much to do other than build the cradle for the flip. As you can see from this picture, the cradle is nearly finished. Once the snow melts a bit and the weather warms a little, we'll flip 'er and get back to work.