FS17....maybe???

[Catfishtoon]

Ive been looking at these plans for years. Yeah, years.

A little background. I just got thru fixing up a 1954 Feathercraft Favorite. We like fishing it it. It is a great brem fishing, limbline, maybe a few trotline boat. It has been fun fixing it up.

It is not however, a get up and walk around, more than two comfortable, tightline boat. I could buy another tin boat and gut it and make what i want. But did i mention i have been looking at these plans for years?

I want a completely open floorplan, tiller steer, walk around, maybe a bimini top, catfishing boat.

Thinking about a fs17 open front to back. Movable pedistal seats or maybe the four leg seat bases they use in the long narrow trout boats in north arkansas.

I want light weight and maybe a 25 on the back?

Anywho, i am looking for any and all ideas to meet our needs.

Pics of the feathercraft just cause im proud. If i can figure out how.

[Fuzz]

I would love to how a FS17 built light would run with a 25. Most of us add way too many extras and need much more power to make them perform. I use a four legged chair, base is called a crummy I think, for my dory. I like being able to move people around to balance the boat as needed.

[narfi]

Mine is built heavy with dual consoles and a 60hp motor and too much fairing material, it is stable enough I can walk on the gunwales but when under power my 120lb son or 65lb dog shifting from one side to the other noticeably changes the balance.

[Catfishtoon]

[Catfishtoon]

The pictures are vexing me but if you go to my gallery there are a few more.

[jacquesmm]

Completely open maybe a problem. I assume that completely open means open from the motorwell bulkhead (the one in front of the motor) to the first frame close to the bow.
You need those two but if you want to go all the way open, you will need knees on the transom and breast hook forward.
Keep in mind that you can't walk all the way forward even if you remove that bow frame: there is no sole there.
Open with a gunwale has been done. You can make the gunwale as wide as you want.
Or a wide rubrail and inwale.

[Catfishtoon]

Great stuff to think about. Thank you. How would this scetch work. Im no architect but i took a drafting class one time years ago. Lol.

Small raised deck kinda like the work boat scetch on the study sheets. 3-4" gunnel and a 3/4"x2" rubrail.

Motor well is 1' deep from the transom and storage on either side.

We tend to be rough on a boat (it is a tool). Is there a need for a double layer of fabric on the bottom?

I figure about 1500lbs absolute max with hull, motor, gear, fuel, 10 gallon baitwell three people etc. What performance can i expect to see with a 25 tiller steer? I ask because we run anything from the Red River in North Louisiana to large open lakes to small bayous. Down here in the south weather can pop up rather quick. Getting back to the truck semi quick would be nice. I was born wet but i try not to stay wet long.

To use less words, is it going to want to plane out?

one other thing, is this design able to be a self bailing sole?

[jacquesmm]

Assuming that we talk about the low sheer version, max. 25 HP, tiller:
The breasthooks and knees in the back have to be larger or have the bulkhead.
There should be 2 vertical frames (a 2x2) along the sides.
The rubrail/inwale minimum 1" wide each for a total of 2"+.
Look at the study plans, there is a drawing of the FS17 with an open cockpit.
Now that I read displacement 1,500 lbs, I would not go for less than that.

At a displacement of 1,500 lbs, top speed WOT with a new 25 will be 21 mph = not good IMHO.
Reduce that displacement please or get at least 30.
3 people, baitwell etc. is too much for a 25 HP.

Our low sheer prototype ( see pictures in the study plans), ran well with a 25HP and 2 persons but she was built light.

[Catfishtoon]

Exactly the feedback i need. One of the things i like about this place. Back to the scribbling board. This short thread has me further along than i would have guessed.

I was considering the full size fs-17.

[jacquesmm]

No significant performance difference between the standard, low sheer and high sheer versions. The high side version is a little heavier and should not be built as an open version.