C17 (Classic 17) in London

[Lucky_Louis]

I'm sure you'll come with an elegant solution Tim, you always do

If you could have located the plane of the hinge pivot point at the same height as the edge(s), it would have cleared.

[WobblyLegs]

If you could have located the plane of the hinge pivot point at the same height as the edge(s), it would have cleared.

I thought about that, but then the hatch would only be able to open 90º - with the step hinges the can open 180º.

I was unable to find step hinges with enough clearance, which is why those not-so-nice blocks are there . Still, when it's painted it should look better.

All I need to do is rout off the edges on the opening and the hatch cover by a few millimetres.

Did my final shopping this week, lots of screws, washers nuts etc. for hatches, cleats, fairleads and windows, as well as varnish and paint for final finishing. Apart from fitting things, I think I'm pretty much finished with cutting and gluing wood!!

Tim.

[Mad Dog]

...it doesn't close due to the interference of the edges!!

How about some T-nuts in place of the nylox? Here are some from Hamilton Marine http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse. ... 20323.html



MD

[johnc_UK]

Hi Tim & all,

Just ordered plans for C17 - this thread has been a big part in deciding to go for it! It' s really useful to 'read ahead' and think through all the techniques you've developed as you've progressed, obstacles overcome and all.

I'm in Linconshire, so your list of suppliers has been useful too.

Still finding it difficult to believe you did it outdooors in England.

Desperate for the plans to arrive now, so I think I'll start clearing a space at the back of my factory unit.

John

[WobblyLegs]

Hi Tim & all,

Just ordered plans for C17 - this thread has been a big part in deciding to go for it! It' s really useful to 'read ahead' and think through all the techniques you've developed as you've progressed, obstacles overcome and all.

I'm in Linconshire, so your list of suppliers has been useful too.

Still finding it difficult to believe you did it outdooors in England.

Desperate for the plans to arrive now, so I think I'll start clearing a space at the back of my factory unit.

John

Hi John,

Good luck with it - it's been fun and I'm still at it (delays since we moved and bought another boat, commercial).

I finally got the three deck hatches sorted:



The process...

Drill

Fill

Drill

Fit

Doesn't fit

Drill again

Grind out to make hole bigger

Fill

Clamp hinges

Drill with countersink to get centre

Drill with 4mm bit

Tap with 5mm

Screw hinges directly into tapped epoxy

Job done!!!

Nuts will be fitted underneath, and all will be well.

Man, theses hatches have been driving me mad!!

And that's it - no more building (apart from windows) - now for some sanding and painting - the target for re-launch is the end of this month, but I'm not too fussed if it doesn't happen.

The original idea of this boat was to use it on the waterways of the UK, rivers, canals, Loch Lomond, coastal, etc., but it might be some time before we actually get to do that (though not in the UK any more) - little one is a bit too little to camp on a boat, and a month ago we confirmed that there is another little one on the way...

So, another few years before we get to cruise-camp...

Regards,

Tim.

[peter-curacao]

very nicely done!

[ks8]

... and a month ago we confirmed that there is another little one on the way...

Congratulations! A good reason to need a bigger boat...

[WobblyLegs]

Painting.

I'm using International Toplac (Ivory) - and have done three coats over the last three days doing the under-side lip and edges of my three hatches...



You can see the edge I've routed as a finger groove to open the hatch.

Tomorrow I'll turn them over and start painting the top of the hatches (for another three days... ) at this rate, painting the whole boat is going to be a l-o-n-g process.

In the meantime, the season has started and I've already done two trips on the other boat with paying passengers, with a third tomorrow morning at 08:00 - this is the earliest in the season I've had bookings for three seasons... Yeah!!

Tim.

[ks8]

Nice!

If you get many profitable bookings so that the boat can't be painted until next year... worse things could happen...

[WobblyLegs]

Nice!

If you get many profitable bookings so that the boat can't be painted until next year... worse things could happen...

KS, below is my commercial boat "Platanna" - I bought it just over two years ago (though I'd been driving it for a year before that.



It's an old sea fishing boat, deep V, driven by a Toyota 1.9 litre diesel attached to a Hamilton waterjet - makes for great manoeuvrability!! Not good for efficiency though... Still, I go slow - most pax are bird-watchers - and use little fuel.

A few months ago we did a trip up to the Chobe National Park in Botswana, and spent a couple of nights on this boat:



Five star hotel, floating!

Reason I mention it is that they had this (which I got to drive) for game viewing:



Aluminium hull, welded together, tough as nails - and good for game and birds - above the tarpaulin is a platform that can take two pax safely (see ladders on the sides). Below that platform, but above seated pax, is a storage box for life jackets, flares etc, and there's seating for up to eighteen people - my guess is the boat is 22' or so.

I want one!!

Platanna is 20', and I'm licensed for 10 pax.

As to the game viewing, photo below is straight from camera, no editing....



As we say here, "Another crap day in Africa!"

Regards,

Tim.