OD16 - Inshallah almost done! :P

[anflyer]

Doc. shes looking great. I've fallen a little behind on mine. Completion date is now looking to be february. make sure you take alot of pictures on launch day....

[squid]

Doc,
Love your boat. and I too feel thaqt sticking as close to thedesign as possible is the way to go. as i do not have an engineering degree and have not built any boats before and if I was a first time builder I would spend a lot of time in the forum and the howto tutorials before Istarted to put a saw to board or a brush to epoxy. I added up the amount of epoxy to build my boat and it was in the neighborhood of 13 gal almost double what they said all because of mistakes, those costly mistakes. You and I are sort of on the same wave lenght I use as many cost cutting features as I could like used trailer and second hand motor. My final cost is right around $2200.00 give or take a little. So what are you going to build next and when?
Squid

[DrBones]

Thanks Squid! - Yep, I also used more epoxy..about 13 gallons (same reason...I made 'mistakes'). My total costs for the boat, trailer, hitch on the car, and the engine come to probably somewhere around $3,300 to $3,500. - The engine costing $750.

Hehehe...so what AM I going to build next? - Nothing for a while..since I'm not a dentist, lawyer, CEO, or stock broker! But, if I'm dreaming, my next project would be one that I would try to build beautiful, i.e. brightwork, stainless steel hardware...a 'classic' looking boat. - Dream a little more and a classic looking lobster type boat with fairly comfortable cruising capability for two people and several days at sea is what I come up with. - An LB25 perhaps?

How about yourself?

[anflyer]

Doc, I believe it is time to change your signature from:

"I'm building a boat" to "I've built a boat" .

Congrats on the accomplishment................

[Mike Adams]

Congratulations on a fine job, Doc!

Seems like there are a number of folks close to or just crossing the finishing line about now. The experiences and helpful comments that you and others have shared are beyond price to those of us who are just beginning. I read everything that gets posted on this forum and I have lost count of the number of valuable tips that I have picked up. For one thing, I'm sure going to monitor my use of epoxy closely!

I was hoping to start my FL14 this week, but unfortunately it's been p*****g with rain in Canberra for the last few days. We are off to Queensland on Saturday to visit family over Christmas and New Year, so looks like I will not be able to get much done now until I get back home the first week of Jan.
Meanwhile, I've been doing some more work on the DE23 model - cabin and pilot house frames installed. The model is really helping me to visualise what I will need to do on the real thing. Between it, the FL14 and this forum I hope to have learned enough lessons so I don't screw up on the DE23 when I get around to building her.
Once again, congratulations Doc, and thanks to everyone for all the tips. Keep 'em coming!

[squid]

Doc,
For me it would have to be the hb or the ct size undecided. I too would like to make a beautiful and practical week or weekend vessel for me and my wife and dog too relax on for our real retirerment.
Squid

[DrBones]

Thanks for all the nice comments! As to changing my signature...I've pondered that and decided to wait until I splash her. At this point it probably will be in January sometime. I still need some odds'n'ends, like cleats, grab rails, a depth finder, compass, flares/flare gun, and a radio. So...considering that Xmas is at hand and I have a wife, three kids, my sister-in-law, and two dogs to keep happy...those boat bucks will have to go towards them first! - In the meantime I'm going to continue my scrounging efforts.

Once I splash her and I can post pics of that, I'll change my signature!

As to the taxes: Well, I don't mind supporting the FWC and their officers. They do a whole lot to try to keep our wildlife alive for all of us to enjoy. I work with them on occasion and I like the whole lot of them, all of them have a great love and respect for nature. The fee we pay here in Florida is minimal for the freedom it gets us.

[Paul Stahnke]

I like your boat and agree with your conclusions on changes. I too have used more epoxy than I wanted, and I have done scads of production (polyester only) fabrication in my past life. I thought it was just me. Something in me just hates seeing the weave stick through, even though I know it is saturated from rolling and squeegee.

Nice job and enjoy the accomplishment. All the best.

Paul S

[FLYonWALL9]

DOC,

OUTSTANDING MAN! I should check this place more often, I guess I have just been down in the dumps with back, lawyers, and dr's. They just all piss me off.

Anyway, great stuff man. We have the same motor by the way, I think I gave a bit more for mine. I traded a couple used Accurate reels and 250 bucks. But this thing only has like 40 hours or so on it as I was told. Purchased new then the owner passed away, given to his son who just took it off the boat and put it on a stand where it sat in storage from 1990 until I got it.

I have looked for the flat bar or whatever that was you told me to put on my trailer for a stop and cant run down anything. Don't know what I'm going to do. I may take some pictures of it and send them to you see if you can come up with an idea. I'm lost and now broke. lol My plan was to get a new trailer when I was done but that was before I was hurt. Perhaps when I get a settlement.

TAKE SOME ON THE WATER PICS DUDE. . Funny, I remeber when we were both about the same place in our build and nearly the launch of both. Fun stuff huh!

PANGA NEXT for me I think. When this one dies, sinks, gets stolen, or burns to the ground. LONG TIME FROM NOW I HOPE.

[DrBones]

Scott,
Sorry to hear about your injury. Don't let it get to you!

I hear you about being 'broke'! - Even though my OD16 is almost ready to splash...well work got in the way, then Christmas, and now the great new 'privatized' state pay-roll system for Florida (another Bush family invention called "People First" - HA! - Bastards are going to pay thousands of workers their pay checks two weeks late!) got in the way.

Right now, I'm getting ready to finally tape down my console. But I still have to pay the tax/title, and trailer tag. As it turns out the helm I got from my eBay purchase was the wrong one, so the seller is sending me another per UPS ground...so who knows when that'll get here, etc., etc. - Hahahaha! Teaches you not to plan your 'finished' date on a project like this!

As to your bow stop, as I said, I'll be more than happy to help you manufacture the brace. It really shouldn't be too big of a problem. Best would be if you could make a cardboard template for what you need and send it to me, I'll cut it in aluminum. Just make a template for one side and I'll cut two braces in aluminum. These you can bolt on to the tongue you have on your trailer.

Just get in touch with me via email and we'll hash out the details.