Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Edited: Here's a link the main build thread

Hi All, yes it floats. "Odyssey' hit the waters of Powell Lake around 16:00 PST, Saturday June 16, 2007. The day dawned to steady rain, gusty winds while I frantically tried to finish all the little last minute details. The paint on the sole was still so fresh, I had to use upside down carpet to walk without damaging it. The epoxy to hold the seat pivots was less than 8 hours old when the stern hit the water Then within an hour of our launch schedule, the sun poked out, almost an omen! The salt water looked a little wild for a 1st run so we decided on the lake instead.

Last minute checks before heading out. Still have to buy fenders



The ramp was abandoned, no looky lou's which was OK.


It's gonna float!


This is where the first chuckle happened. SWMBO clutched the bottle of bubbly, spoke all the right words, and swung and hit.. and swung and hit.. and swung.. well you get the drift. Some muttered words about pre-scoring bottles, a manually extracted cork, some spraying of Champagne and the great push off. She sits within an inch of her lines. Good one Jacques!


It's right about here that I realize my faux pas - I had installed the steering backwards! A right turn on the wheel produced a left turn and vice versa. D'oh The Teleflex NFB system allows the cable to be threaded and secured two ways. My bad but I was determined so I carefully proceeded.


First impressions? Very stable but light feeling. Acceleration is instant, literally she planed in 1 boat length. Very flat attitudes. Tracks like on rails yet eager to turn. Not all sensitive to trim inputs. Very dry ride.


Just coming off plane.


These are the first batch of photos, the SPLASH album here

Louis,

I was starting to get worried...

Well done - you must be as pleased as the pig in the wotsit!

This other pic of yours makes it look huge!





Again, a smart job and a very good looking boat.

Have fun with it.

Tim.

Great Job!

Looks like she really scoots:


Congradulations on the launch!

Jerry

Louis,
All I can say is awesome boat and awesome countryside.

Congratulations! Beautiful boat, and it looks like you had a nice day afterall. Thanks for the pics, they're inspirational. Those are the clearest set of pics I've seen yet of an OB17. Love the paint job on Odyssey too.

Beautiful boat--fantastic finish.

A right turn on the wheel produced a left turn and vice versa.

That's the traditional way-- so you're an old salt at heart.

Congratulations, as well! I have been wanting to look all day but my internet was down. These were the pics I was hoping to find!

A beautiful job well done. Be proud you deserve it.

Huck

Thanks for all the kind words guys. It's kinda nice to have my own 'splash' thread instead of congratulating all the other great project launches out there.

Here's a few early figures:

Four adults (800 lbs give or take), 18 gallons of fuel. 20P x 13½" SS prop.

Planes easy at 14mph.
4200 rpm 32mph 3.2 gph
4800 rpm 38mph 5.1 gph
3600 rpm gives nice 25mph cruise and 2.8 gph

WOT by myself, I hit 44 mph in a light chop at 5200 rpm and rock solid, no twitching or chine walking.

All the numbers are pretty loosey goosey so far, tough to drive and get readings so I'll pick a calm day and do a real definitive test with SWMBO or another buddy at the helm.

I can say that all the initial fiddling to get the panels right and the careful fairing payed off in spades - no sign of porpoising, no pull left or right, wake is the flattest I've ever seen on a 'v' hull 17' boat and she just jumps onto plane. My son did a lot of video which he wants to edit first so I'll post a link to that as soon I get it.

Great anti-theft device, that steering system.
Daddy

Congrats Louis! Just in time too! I hope you have plenty of adventures to tell us about. Cheers!

Rick.

PS. For the christening, score the bottle with a glass cutter first. Then put it in one of those plastic mesh bags. Saves the embarrassment of the bottle not breaking and broken glass on the bottom at the boat dock! It's also acceptible to do as you did, just uncork the bottle and pour!

Lucky_Louis wrote: I can say that all the initial fiddling to get the panels right and the careful fairing payed off in spades - no sign of porpoising, no pull left or right, wake is the flattest I've ever seen on a 'v' hull 17' boat and she just jumps onto plane. .

You did a great job on that boat.

Lucky_Louis wrote: 3600 rpm gives nice 25mph cruise and 2.8 gph

thats a 2- stroke optimax right Fully loaded cruise at almost 9 mpg

Congratulations

It was pretty freaky actually The battle between logic and memory. I had the steering fixed by 9:00 am on Sunday. The other hiccup was the pitot tube connector to the dash mount speedo was disconnected when I hooked up the fuel gauge, guess I forgot to replace it... SWMBO says "hey, there's water running along the floor and I think it's coming from the console" "Impossible" I says... "Must be a little spray"

A little later she says "How come your speedometer isn't working?" "Must be some crap on the pitot tube, doesn't matter, we have GPS and the fishfinder paddlewheel"

It wasn't until I woke up at 4:00 am and put the two together - another d'oh and SWMBO was pretty smug.

The depth sounder through-hull works like a charm. I was getting a clean, unbroken sounding at 35mph down to 450' (wasn't any deeper water).

Lucky beautiful job, if you only had 2 oh, ohs, I think most of us would be thankful. She really looks great on plane and on the water on that turn.

Tom

Congratulations....Excellent pictures....boat looks really great on the water...

Do you mind if I paint Madmax with similar Graphics....Really love the stripes...

Thanks Baba! Of course, you can copy to your hearts content. My goal was to de-emphasize the straight shear line of the OB17. From a practical point of view, this was the perfect design for my boating program and budget but like some others, aesthetically I preferred the 'classic' shear line of the C17, C19, C21 and now the FS17. The graphic was my solution and thankfully it seems to have worked out. Because my building area was so tight, I could never stand back and see the 'big' picture. Now I can see that I should have rounded the corners of the transom graphic to match the sides. Oh well, maybe when I build my Otter 16 or the TW35

SHINE: Yes, the engine is the Optimax 1.5 liter HPDI 2-stroke in the 75hp configuration. The same engine comes as a 90hp and a 115hp.... hmmmm The fuel consumption numbers are touted to at least 18% better than a comparable 4 stroke at most throttle ranges except WOT.

As an aside, I noticed the tach at 4200 rpm in the shot (can't quite read the GPS numbers). This means we're doing around 32 mph in a 1' chop. That's my 220lb son up front sitting the casting deck. Notice any spray? Me neither

Lucky_Louis wrote:I preferred the 'classic' shear line of the C17, C19, C21 and now the FS17.

'alo again,

Talking about the side, would you mind telling me what the distance between your chine and gunwhale is at, say, frame "C"?

I'm trying to imagine the differences between your boat and mine (apart from a cabin, that is)...

No hurry, when you have the time.

Tim.

Don't you think 44 MPH is a little too fast?
That's a very nice looking boat from all angles. All of the thought put into the accessories and console really paid off, too. Everything looks so coordinated and integrated. Fine job on a fine boat

Lucky_Louis wrote: As an aside, I noticed the tach at 4200 rpm in the shot (can't quite read the GPS numbers). This means we're doing around 32 mph in a 1' chop. That's my 220lb son up front sitting the casting deck. Notice any spray? Me neither

Lucky,

As you can imagine, I'm drooling right now.

I love the layout of your console - not cluttered and all the displays in the right place. One thing that I might add though, a Marine Compass.

Your boat exemplifies what I want my boat to look like on the water and how it should look on a trailer out of the water.

Words alone can not describe the joy of seeing the boat type that I'm building to be built and launched by a "Quality" builder such as yourself. Now I have a goal to shoot for. Great layout, great paint job, great overall build Lucky. Next, great fishing. I did hear you say you were installing "down-riggers"?

Wobbly, you're next!


Billtwo

Thanks for the kind words Bill. I hadn't forgotton it, I wear my Sunto compass around my neck on a string along with a nice whistle and a small signalling mirror

Louis,
Great looking boat. I have been following the threads on your build and CONGRATS!! on getting her splashed. Nice and clean lines,k great paint and excellent layout of the deck space. GREAT JOB

Enjoy!!

Robbie

Great job Louis! That boat looks fantastic.

Here's the GPS with some photoshop magic applied to it:




No idea what the labels on those numbers are, but hopefully it helps you.

Congratulations! Superb job.

That wasn't so difficult now was it? Love the paint!

Tony

Absolutely beautiful. Their is so much talent out there. I am envious. I am ready to start another for myself but can't do it now. I have about 6 or 7 diff. plans and have to flip to figure out the next one. Jacques keeps pumping them out. Makes an old mans mind go crazy. congrats on a beautiful job.

Ken

Fantastic job is all I can say......

Great Job Louis! Thanks for the great play by play with the album and thread. You must be very proud of your work, it looks better than production. Truly a great custom boat! Make sure to keep on posting, especially all the great fish you catch on the "Odyssey"
Donny

Hi Louis,
Great to see your boat fly! You have done an awesome job on it.
Gerry

Excellent job, she is a beauty.

Wobbly/Tim I pulled my plans this morning as I had some time the length of the side at Station C from the chine to the gunnel is 23 1/4". This station is located if you look at the boat, runs through the console.

Lucky hope you don't mind my doing this for you as I had the time.

Tom

Thanks for all the kind words guys, it does mean a lot.

Wobbly: I'll get that measurement for you today, I started work early at 4:30 am so I'm taking the afternoon off to get started on the 'honeydo' list that's been building for the last couple of years

Jeremy: Tx for the PS touchup on the GPS, that's pretty cool . Numbers from the top were distance to waypoint, bearing to waypoint, speed over the ground, and course made good. The smaller numbers are ETA, crosstrack error, and current time. The main display is a digital chart of the area. So I guess we were around 27-28 mph against a 2-3 knot current so 30mph is closer than the 32 I 1st guessed.

I've got some paint touchups to do on the interior, finish the brightwork on the inside coaming and start designing the windshield. I found and bought my 1st downrigger on EBay this morning so when that shows up, we're gonna go slay some fish. I may even head out this weekend to do some cod jigging

Sorry Tom, we cross-posted. Of course I don't mind. My distance may be different ...after all, aren't the plans more of a 'rough guideline'? Just kidding...

I think I'm going with scuppers into the bilge and add a manual pump to my 1100gph electric one. At rest, the aft sole is a good 2" above the water but in a slop, I'm betting water would be coming in (and out) side scuppers regularly. If I can find them, I would like to add outside draining scuppers with the watertight covers which can be removed for added insurance, especially when running in a following sea.

Really looks great Louis! You did a lot of the same things I did. Same steering wheel, same bright wood cockpit coming and motorwell bulkhead top edge.

I really like the way the boat looks. Name looks very integrated with the paint graphics.

Great job!

Thanks Jim, you and your C19 were one of my main inspirations. You forgot my colour choice copied yours too I think I started my build within weeks of you splashing yours.

I suspect a bimini may be in our future as well. The August sun can get pretty mean while a bit of shelter from the inevitiable NW drizzle would be welcome too.

Lucky for safety's sake please do not run your scuppers into the bilge, even Jacque has said this, Knottybouzy has I believe said this, I think you get the point. It is just plain extremely dangerous, batteries and pumps fail, seas get bigger than pumps can handle. I would get the type with flapper valves run them through the stern with 1 1/2" PVC and have a plug or screw on fitting to close them off if you need to. Two on each side will handle everything a 17' should encounter.

A concerned friend, Tom

WobblyLegs:

Talking about the side, would you mind telling me what the distance between your chine and gunwhale is at, say, frame "C"?

Frame "D" 24" from top of gunwale to top of spray rail (spray rail follows chine on the bottom edge of the side panel)

Frame "C" 24.5"

Frame "B" 25.5"

TomW:

Lucky for safety's sake please do not run your scuppers into the bilge

Scuppers into the bilge isn't 'unsafe' per se, every boat without a self-bailing cockpit does this. I will be backing up the electric pump with a manual pump, and when I can find them, a pair of sealable scuppers. I've had them before, just can't seem to find any online. When running in rough conditions and we eat the occasional greenie, you just pop out the plugs and the cockpit drains normally through the sides, when you slow down to troll or stop to jig, you pop the plugs in to stop the water from slopping back in and getting the sole wet. I've got the flappered scuppers but I'm not convinced they'll work all that well.

Thanks for the concern Tom, but don't worry! I'm not called Lucky for nuttin' and besides, she unsinkable with 8 cu.ft. of pour in foam and every other nook and cranny stuffed with styrofoam.

OK Lucky, its that I know of to many of those non-self bailers that went down before the CG required the foam when the bilge pumps failed.

Go to it but, I still won't like it.

Tom

PS. The scuppers with flaps only really work on the stern or on a straight up and down surface. They should be closed when the boat is sitting at rest or only slightly open if they are designed right.

Another pic from our maiden salt water voyage. Here's the ultimate restoration project...

YOGN 82 was one of 22 unpowered B7 A2 barges built by Concrete Ship Constructors of National City, California and launched in 1944.

Now that would take some epoxy and glass to fix.

Full story on these interesting old concrete ladies HERE

And I added a few more splash day pics to my GALLERY

Great looking build Lucky! I like the paint work it certainly softens the straight look of the sheer line. I am putting in a seat box behind the console of my od16 and I am interested to know how far you set your seat back from the console? Like you I plan to sit while at the helm but still have room to stand if need be.
Great boat, enjoy

Richard

Hi Richard, funny you should ask...

click for FULL SIZE

When I had my launch day 'steering mishap', I had to pull the seat to gain easy access to the steering hub, breaking the fresh SikaFlex caulk that I'd just put down the day before. When I replaced the seat, I actually moved it back another 4-5" to gain some room. Right now it is 19" console to seat face but the seat overhangs the the box by 2" so it's actually 17" at seat height.

click for FULL SIZE

Hope that helped. You can see the deck texture pretty well too. When the seat is in leaning post configuration, there are a couple of filler blocks that hold the seatback in a forward lock.

That's right on time. I was wondering how the icebox turned out. Meant to ask yesterday. The whole boat looks so fine you should get a blue ribbon or something.

Anyone ever see or use one of these? I like the shape and size for a side scupper. Looks like it could be installed almost flush with the sole for a complete draining.

Louis

I have seen these used in the stern of a sportfish. Not sure about their performance. I considered them. I decided to go with the ones I posted pics of after looking at a Cape Horn. They used the plastic/stainless ones and "glued" them in with what looks like 5200. They were cut off flush with the inside of the boat and there was no nut to space them up off the sole.

These will definitely let more water out but would be hard to plug if needed be.

Huck

Lucky
Thanks for the info and picks on the seat set up. I have now put mine in at about 14.5 inches back from console I'm only 5'7" and swmbo is 4' 11" so there is plenty of room to sit and stand. Hope you sort the scupper issue out.
Regards
Richard

14½" sounds about right Richard. Don't forget (like I did), my console overhangs a few inches.
Also, my leaning post comes a touch forward of the seat edge and one of my fishing buddies probably runs 275-300 lbs. That's the beauty of these boats, we can make them suit us.

Just two words...........beautyfull and excellent!

Lucky any fish yet or the weather been to bad? Question for you, how far out do you go when you head out into the Pacific, curious for planning if I can take an ob17 out in the Atlantic far enough, naturally on good days.

Tom

Today is the 1st day that the wind has dropped below 10-15 but now I'm outta town for a couple of days on meetings. This may help explain Odyssey's program -



FULL SIZE HERE

Unlike a lot of East coast areas, we seldom have to stray more than 5-10 miles offshore to the fishing grounds. Any of the circled areas except my home port will experience ocean swells and 3-4 ft. seas regularly, any time of year. I'm confident that my OB17 will be just fine and can probably take more than I can. The secret is self-bailing and knowing when 1) not to go out, and 2) when to call it a day and go home

Thanks I appreciate your incite into the boats capability. Sounds like I can do what I want to do on good days.

Tom

Lucky you mentioned your trailer over in my BBV post. Can I get some more details on it. Does it have brakes, weight capacity. Our tow vehicle right now would be a Chevy Trailblazer with 140,000 miles, so no problem towing.

Thanks for your comments, I have a console designed if I build the OB17 which is my preference right now. It looks like a super boat. I love what you did with yours.

Tom

I'm not touting this brand over any other, it's what was available locally and the price/quality balance was excellent.

I actually had to return the 1st trailer I bought, the OB17 with spray rails was too wide to fit between the fenders. Originally,I bought the EZL90 17'-19' with the 2350# springs at 530 lbs net weight. Then I went to the wider model, the EZL102 15-18' with the 2300# springs at 554 lbs net weight. No brakes standard but I could have electric surge brakes if I wanted them. Trailblazer would handle this fine, you might have to add wider side mirrors. My Explorer is marginal with stock mirrors.

I think I paid around $2k including taxes and shipping. I went with the galvanized frame and wheels. All the lighting is LED.


This is the link to their bunk trailer page in our size range

Thanks Lucky, hope you have had time for some fishing and it has been good!

Tom

Finally got my lines wet last Sunday. Weather was PERFECT for a change, SWMBO was the one who said "Let's go fishing" so who am I to argue? Unfortunately, I found out that my OB17 has too efficient a hull, I couldn't slow down enough to hit the required trolling speed

At minimum idle, 600-650rpm we're still cruising along at 2.5 knots by the GPS. I need no more than 2.0, preferably 1.7kn. My plan is to get a couple of trolling bags (drogues) and see how that goes.

We could have shut down completely and jigged or mooched but the water was so calm we just toured instead. The more time I spend in this boat, the more I love it.

Do you have tilt and trim.

If trim the motor out.

Or get one of these:

Lucky_Louis wrote:The more time I spend in this boat, the more I love it.

That has to be a good sign of things to come...

I got my fore-deck glued tonight. What a mission!! But, it's done, and there are a lot of little things that need tidying up, but I'm trying to work towards a launch this year, so what can be left till later (after launch) will be left.

Like some painting...

Priorities change in a wintry summer...

T.

Lucky_Louis wrote:

The more time I spend in this boat, the more I love it.

I should have said "The more time I spend USING this boat, the more I love it!" I didn't realize how tired of building I was...

....... So when those TW35 plans coming out Jacques?

Tim: That foredeck glueing was kind of a watershed moment for you, wasn't it? Summer got there yet?

Boomer: I thought about that trolling plate but a bit of net research told me that most guys really don't like them for a variety of reasons and besides, I really don't like the idea of drilling any holes in my ventilation plate. I could try trimming up but because I run my engine so high, I expect I'll vent pretty quick.

I've been working a few minor projects to wrap up the build. Both downriggers mounted now. I built a grate to cover the bilge and provide some more flat storage. Next project will be a windshield. I have the Lexan but wasn't going to bother until I got SWMBO out. With her eye glasses and fine hair, she was pretty miserable with tears and tangles at anything over 15mph. Seeing as how i like to run 30-35, this is a problem. I'm still waiting to do some definitive performance testing which I promise to report. Top end is somewhere north of 45mph.

Aw you poor guy you can't get down to two miles per hour for trolling. I feel for you efficient prop and hull can be beautiful 95% of the time, but not that 5% when you need to throttle down. Good luck on finding the right answer to it.

Tom

Actually Tom, in my ideal world I'm trolling 95% of the time and running to or from the fishing grounds the rest of the time.

Yea, your right there.

Easy solution. Just drag a bucket with a stout handle. No need for fancy, just a stout bucket. If one doesn't work drag 2. If dragging one, rig a bridle from both stern cleats, so the bucket is behind the engine. Works good . Trust me

Cracker Larry wrote:

Works good . Trust me

I DO trust you Larry I want something I can string from the bow or forward cleats and trail ahead of the transom. Your bucket idea should work well here too but frankly, none of my lockers are big enough to stow a bucket. I'll be running anywhere from 2-4 fishing rods and two downriggers. Usually as soon as someone hollers "Fish ON", we kick the engine in neutral and start retrieving all the other gear.

If the fish is a biggun or there's lots of other boat traffic, we may start up and move around a bit. The last thing you'd want is some thing that can foul the prop. I'm thinking of these ..



I can make a couple for under 50 bucks and they store nice. Same idea as yours, just soft sides for easy storage And then I'll have couple of sea anchors too in case I ever need 'em.

I could try trimming up but because I run my engine so high, I expect I'll vent pretty quick.

That's the idea. Same thing as "shallow water mode" on many engines.

Well Boomer, you were right, trimming up slowed us down. Now we just the need the wind to die and the salmon to start biting. This wasn't exactly how I imagined "First Blood" to go..



So far I've added the windshield, a passenger grabrail on the coaming, and I'm painting the fire extinguisher housing. The downriggers are in too.



At least we're getting some decent weather now.

Your trolling situation is similar to what I do in New England. I too need to troll under 2mph. You can screw around with buckets and stuff, but I found the best solution to be to switch props. I carry two props. One lower pitch prop (inexpensive aluminum) for trolling trips and an ideally pitched stainless steel prop for recreational boating. Honestly, I keep the trolling prop on most of the season. I lose some speed on the top end, but that is ok. The only trick is that you need to watch the engine rpms. With the lower pitch trolling prop the engine rpms can go too high if you run at full throttle. I rarely run at full throttle in the coastal waters and not being able to run at full speed isn't a concern for me. I would rather have the fuel efficiency and cruise at 25mph.

One more glory shot to finish the year. The windshield, fire extinguisher, the co-pilot grab bars (on the windshield and coaming), and downrigger mounts are new since splash. All in all, a terrific 1st season.



LARGE HERE

I've logged just under 400 hrs. on the engine since splash. Lot's of fishing (not much catchin'), even more time just messin' about. We've encountered most expected sea conditions from glass calm to 4' seas in 25 knots of wind. The OB isn't the driest boat I ever been in, it isn't the smoothest boat I've ever been in. That's the price for using only 3gph at 30 knots or a top speed of 42 . The skeg and strakes work great at holding turns at all speeds. No sign of porpoising. Hull is responsive to fine engine trim adjustments but it is hard to bring the bow up much, she wants to run flat. Graphite holding up well, scratched but not penetrated after several encounters with beach oysters and concrete ramps.

Lous nice report good additions and 400 hrs wow! I'm still deciding finally got the money we were expecting so should have a build going in the next month or so. Your explanation may decide me against the OB17. I sort of had a feeling she would be a little wet with the lower sides, I can probably do a couple of things to help that though. She is a pretty boat.

I have 3 plans wth a draft of 7.5- 8" which is my goal for the Mississippi and the Lakes around here and still be able to take offshole NC. Now I just have to decide and get SWMBO to make up her mind.

Glad you like her and that she is what you wanted.

Tom

Thanks Tom. Just so everyone is clear, when I say 'wet' , the term is relative. I tend to try and hold a plane longer than I should as conditions deteriorate. This means coming off a wave top at say 18-20kn, accelerating down the back. Sometimes I'll stuff the bow in the next wave and get a face full of spray for my effort . We've never taken a 'greenie', there's lots of volume in the bow of this design, just not the high shear of say a C17, C19, OD18, FS17 or a PG. The low shear of this design suited my program of low speed trolling - in any type of crosswind the lower sides are a blessing.

Oh ya, almost forgot - I made a trolling bag and throw it off the bow. Wow! Works perfectly, knocked a 2.5kn minimum down to 1.5kn. Just don't forget it's there when you throttle up to go home...

Louis, thanks for the update - I was going to post here this last weekend asking how it was going. Do you have any more pics?

Lucky_Louis wrote:Just don't forget it's there when you throttle up to go home...

That reminds me - you never did relate the story of lifting a 17' boat out the water by the bow-eye...

400 hours, that is impressive - couldn't have left you much time for work? Did you get out west of Vancouver Island? I think that was one of your plans?

Glad you're enjoying you boat.

Regards,

(still splashless) Tim.

Hi Tim, I've following your final build with great interest. Glad to see you didn't rush. It'll be done when it's done.

My timing was perfect for the end of season run, 2" of snow and -2C this morning. I never made it out to the island with the boat this year. A close friend in Victoria co-inherited a 36' fan tail, cutter-rigged sloop and I ended up visiting him (he's the one with the little cod fish and credit for 1st blood in Odyssey). As to the hours, I just went out in the evenings, weekends and stole the occasional afternoon from work. I was very surprised to see how many hours had accumulated. I guess SWMBO was right when she said that I should just move into the boat

I've got tons of photos but probably won't post many more. None are relevant to the build. I would like to get some more performance shots of how she performs at various speeds and sea conditions. I would also like to weigh the boat to see how close to design spec we got.

The bow eye story will wait for the stupidist thing I've ever done with a boat thread

Lucky, great looking boat and usage report Sounds like you drive like me

Oh ya, almost forgot - I made a trolling bag and throw it off the bow. Wow! Works perfectly, knocked a 2.5kn minimum down to 1.5kn.

I told you a bucket will slow you down

If it will make you feel any better, I once returned to a dock to find my boat hanging from it's bow cleat, and it's stern cleat. Just laying there hanging sideways.

Most all of the little things I've learned about small boats over the years, I've learned the hard way. You only have to see one hanging from the cleats once, to learn to properly rig spring lines. My first experience with fixed piers and 10' tides. Hey, I've been embarrased more than once. Time and tide will wait on no man

Great thread Lucky, I just stumbled on it today. I wish I saw it originally when you splashed to congratulate you.

My OB17 performs pretty much the same. Though I do think the boat is very dry. I hit 40mph at wot. Which is extremely fast for this little boat. I too have stuffed the bow many times and it always amazes me that it pops right back up, kind of scary though. Definately curious on how much she weighs.

Just winterized her, kind of depressing. Oh well, spring will be here soon enough.

Lucky_Louis wrote:One more glory shot to finish the year. The windshield, fire extinguisher, the co-pilot grab bars (on the windshield and coaming), and downrigger mounts are new since splash. All in all, a terrific 1st season.



LARGE HERE

Lucky_Louis... that photo is a piece of art! I would frame that one. Beautiful boat and location!

Thanks Dave, it is a nice little beach on the shore of Powell Lake. In the summer you couldn't beach here without hitting a child or sunbather but this day the temp was right around around freezing. You can the see the water vapour in the engine exhaust.

Maybe I'll close with one instead...

Lucky,

Your boat is absolutely gorgeous. I stumbled across the picture of it beached a while back and bookmarked it for future reference when I get to the point of painting. I just found this thread while researching consoles, windshields and seats...

Do you have any pictures illustrating the "lean against" mode for your seat? Also, what are the metal pieces shown in picture 7 of your gallery used for?

Did you build the windshield and grab bar or purchase one? How solid is the grab bar anchored to the top of the windshield?

Thanks,
-david

Thank you for the kind words David. I'll try to answer your questions...

Do you have any pictures illustrating the "lean against" mode for your seat?

Come to think of it, no I don't. As soon as the 4" of snow on the cover melts, I'll take some for you and post them


Also, what are the metal pieces shown in picture 7 of your gallery used for?

Those pieces started life as an aluminum railing post. I ripped it in half to produce two 1-â…

Lucky_Louis wrote:...This photo shows it best...

Yeah, but its hard to focus on the grab rail with that monster from the depths holding your attention

Looking at your location, I suppose I shouldn't hold my breath waiting for that 4" of snow to melt.

Actually, all the snow is gone today That's what 4" of rain will do for you Winds forecast in Wa. to hit 115km/hr today. Love that "pineapple express"

Wow, just found this, nice job on Odyssey Lucky_Louis

The scenery looks familiar too. I did some kayaking in Okeover years back and have some friends originally from PR.

Talk to me about your power plant there bud... Sounds like you're happy with it.. What's it weigh? Seems awfull easy on fuel for a 2 srk Did you buy it new?

Hi SaltyD, always nice to hear from another westcoaster . The engine was one year old when I bought it from BridgeView Marine (Richmond) in 2006. It was a camp return and in top shape. Paid about 1/2 of full retail. It's been just great, starts well and doesn't miss a beat. I bought the the SmartCraft engine monitor multifunction gauge so I can read fuel consumption among many other data at a glance. As to weight, this one is a pig tipping the scales at 375 lbs. before I added a SS prop. The 75hp Optimax is also the 90hp and also the 115hp all based on the 1.5 liter block. The fuel economy comes mainly from the HDPI (High Pressure Direct Injected) system. It burns just .7 USGPH trolling, 2.9-3.2 USGPH at 30 knots depending on wind and chop, and 5.5 USGPH at 42 knots. This is with 2 persons and a full load of fuel. I've put on just over 400 hours and very happy with it so far. The only issue is the power tilt, it will slowly settle over 5-10 minutes. I imagine I'll have to do a seal replacement sometime soon. The oil injection is great too, consumption works out to about 250:1 when idling up to around 100:1 at WOT (or so I'm told). I wasn't looking for a Mercury in particular, I was actually leaning towards a 4 stroke Yammy but the deal was too good and at the right time. What are you building or going to build?

What are you building or going to build?

I've got plans en route for a Panga 22 so I'll be in the market for the same class of engine. Been thinking 75 or 90 4 strokes (same engine with them too). I'll keep an eye out for good used Optimax' too. Sounds like its a coin toss tho... weight and fuel consuption on all the above very similar...

Actually I was thinking of maybe twin 40s or 50s as well but jm didn't think too much of that idea

Jacques' concern could be the lack of enough volume in the stern of a Panga design to handle the weight and power safely. Pangas are very easily driven due to relatively narrow beam and shallow V or even flat bottomed. They don't need the same hp to move them. By the same token, a 20' Panga will seem to be a much smaller boat than for example, a C19. Going with 2 engines would defeat the program of the boat. For a Panga 22, I would put a light, two stroke Yammy or Suzi 50, 60 maybe 75. I speak from the experience I had in the Charlottes running a friends' Pacific 20 which was (is?) a Panga style production glass boat made in Asia. It had a Mariner 75hp and it flew but trolling in a following sea was a bit dicey. Quite often, it would ship water over the transom especially if we had a good load of halibut and springs on board. It was self draining but still ....

Modern engines that are well maintained and burning quality, filtered fuel are extremely reliable. IMHO , invest in a good VHF radio and a lightweight kicker instead of a second engine.

Wow, Lucky, really a beautiful boat. I just caught this "splash" thread a week back, and keep coming back for more. Such a truly nice boat. I'm new to power boats and pretty much a green builder except for a little row dory I built. Now I have been learning the hard way about kicker outboard "high-low" brackets and such - trying to find the right one for a 5 hp Tohatsu 4 stroke I just bought for an antique alum boat I bought - I don't have a big enuf shop for my next build, yet.
But anyhow... it looks like you have been having a blast on your baby. Sweet work there. Sounds like you have great experience all over Vancouver Island. Now those are some serious BIG tides on the north side of that island for your Bateau dory to handle! And thanks for this thread and keep the pictures coming next year!

Thanks for the kind words Betowess! We've kicked around Skagit county a few times, that's some pretty area you're in. The tidal ranges are pretty big on the inside of Vancouver Island but it's the tidal currents that can really kick up. The closest that I've seen is Deception Pass under the bridge that connects Whidbey Island to the mainland. Kicks up in there pretty good. If you want big tides on the West coast, head to the Queen Charlottes or Prince Rupert. 25' tides are not uncommon depending on the time of year.

Yeah, I remember once when I was crewing on a B'ham seiner heading north to SE AK that we caught an absolutely screaming following tide on the north end of Vancouver Island- no doubt our skipper timed it that way, to save fuel. That must have been the widest "narrows" I have ever experienced, well over a mile wide,though I can't recall the name. Too many years past...I remember it felt like our little 58' seiner was doing 20 plus knots, though I imagine thats impossible. But it sure was fun when on wheel watch there. Anyhow, very petty country up your way - for sure.