Guam MM21

[Dougster]

This will be fun for me to follow, as I have a real affinity for the design. The Nina is taking years for me to complete, but that's me (no prior experience and too prone to pondering 'stead of doing). Remember, Spokaloo completed her in a year! Anyway, it's great watching you do the MM.

Got his popcorn and soda Dougster

[chicagoross]

Gonna be a lot of popcorn! Got 5 of the 6 frames cut. I've never built a stitch and glue with a beam over 8' before - kind of a pain as serall of the frames hang over the edge of a 8' sheet of ply - harder to lay out when you need an extra 3 inches. With the hull panels, no problem, but you hate cuting 2-3" into another sheet of ply...

The neighbor across the street and the mailman have taken notice and volunteered services for lifting panels and flipping. That's what happens when you don't hide your build inside one of those nice spacious climate controlled boat shops!

After this last frame, time to go get 6 sheets of 1/4" ply for the hull uppers; kind of scary, I've never used 1/4" for hull panels before, except on the D4 - this is a tad bigger...

[JohnC]

Hey Chicago,
Glad to see you have a local "flip crew". We could probably get the Central Texas "flip crew" together (including the "enforcer") but the travel reimbursement would probably blow your budget! As for climate controlled boat shops, it has been running 102 here in the daytime.
John

[FloatingTurtle]

Hello ChicagoRoss !

The MM21 is the boat design that drew me to bateau.com. I have dreamed for a long time for somebody to start building one. Now this dream has come true! I even purchased the plans to day dream about it. I have seen other tug-like designs but to me, this one is the most elegant and balanced of all of them.

I have been wondering about building one in my garage, which is 11.5' wide by ~ 26' long. I guess a movable craddle (like Bondo's for his AD14) would make it doable. Until the superstructure has to be installed that is. I intend to build a small cardboard version soon, just to see how it looks for real.

Will I build the CK17 first as I intended? That might depend on the pictures I hope you will continue posting Best of luck for your build; I will be another hungry (and I hope not too impatient) follower.

[chicagoross]

11.5 x 26 sounds spacious! I've got 10x20 flat floor, covered but open all sides to the weather. The superstructure won't fit at my spot, either; One of my modifications was to cut frames horizontally (up to the sheer line) rather than vertically like shown in the plans; the pilothouse sides and framework will have to wait until the interior's finished and the boat's ready to go out on the trailer. Besides, the plan to build rightside up on a cradle (no room for the cradle) won't work. so building upside down on a jig. The build process should be easier than described. I mean really, who could flip a boat with 3+ feet of skeletal pilothouse frames sticking up above the sheerline , not once, but twice without breaking those 3" x 3/8" protrusions off?

I'm also going to skin the round transom a little different than the plans list, don't have the room for 25' panels and think it would be a nightmare trying to bring them together at the stern. We'll see how my plan works out!

Finished the last frame today, picked up eopxy order, waiting for tape and fabric from Bateau. Need to get 1/4" ply for the upper hull panels, then it'll be time to start setting up the jig in about a week or so!

[chicagoross]

Finished drawing and cutting all hull panel and bulwarks pieces. My "kit" is finished, put away the jigsaw. The last boat was cut with an old craftsman jigsaw; after I finished the hull on that boat, SWMBO gave me a top=line Bosch for Christmas, what a pleasure to use! That right there was justification for building another boat! The 1/4" ply seems like it should be able to make the bends for the round transom without kerfing, good news.

Now just waiting for the postman to bring my biax tape. If I had a 30 x 30 concrete floor that didn't flood in the monsoons, I could splice all those hull panels in two days. Since my carport floods, though. got to splce them on the table one panel at a time, probably 10 days...

[FloatingTurtle]

How do you intend to install the hull sides? Can you move your strong back in and out of your car port? If you have room outside, wouldn't it be possible to stitch the 2 side panels together at the stern (rear, right?) and them gently wrap them around the hull bottoms toward the bow, stitching as you go? That method would require 50' of space to accomplish though...

I agree with you about the building method (basket mould). I would also be affraid to break the frames once upside down and the hull would have to be supported and would end up quite high in the air to work on. Since you are going with the jig method (inverted), would it be possible to make "fake" frames with cheap wood to shape the hull and then eplace them with the real full height frames once flipped?

Have you given any thoughts yet as to how you are going to set up the inside of the boat? I have also wondered if it would look good to have a few tires hanging on the sides

Keep the pictures coming, please !!!

Regards.

[chicagoross]

If you have room outside, wouldn't it be possible to stitch the 2 side panels together at the stern (rear, right?) and them gently wrap them around the hull bottoms toward the bow, stitching as you go? That method would require 50' of space to accomplish though...

How many people would be required to lift and support and wrap a 50' long 1/4" panel without breaking it? I am planning on two side panels (16' each) and the transom panel (18' long), I think I can handle those, and I also think it should be easier to make splices between frame D and E (relatively flat) than at the transom with the hard curve. That's the plan, wait a week or two and we'll see how it works out

[FloatingTurtle]

Ingenious I would not have thought of making the splices on the side panels once stitched.

I imagine that whatever method is used for the round "transom", there will be some tension on the splice joining the 2 rear panels. Any special precaution to prevent this seam from bending /cracking or do you think it will be strong enough and will gently wrap around the circular tank / motor horizontal frames?

Wish I could help

[Daddy]

If you have room outside, wouldn't it be possible to stitch the 2 side panels together at the stern (rear, right?) and them gently wrap them around the hull bottoms toward the bow, stitching as you go? That method would require 50' of space to accomplish though...

How many people would be required to lift and support and wrap a 50' long 1/4" panel without breaking it? I am planning on two side panels (16' each) and the transom panel (18' long), I think I can handle those, and I also think it should be easier to make splices between frame D and E (relatively flat) than at the transom with the hard curve. That's the plan, wait a week or two and we'll see how it works out

Sounds like a clever plan Ross. I imagine you will come up with an inventive way to make that splice, I am picturing how I would do it. Curious to see if we are on the same page.
Daddy