FS17 build in Maryland

[aquaboogie]

Hello Everyone,

Me and my old man (AKA fishing buddy) have always wanted to build a boat. We have been looking around on this site for a little while and last year before thanksgiving of last year I pulled the trigger and ordered the plans for the FS17. I meant to sart a build thread once we got the wood but we're weekend worriors and I never got around to it. We have been working on the boat at least one day a week since November 2010, not sure how we are doing as far as progress goes. I will sart posting pictures by this weekend. Wish us luck as this will be our first boat build. We just hope that our boat comes out somewhat close to what we have seen on this site.

A quick updare on what has gone down so far

*picked up required Marine ply, epoxy, glass and safety gear
*cut all pieces listed on nestings
*cut frames from cheep home depot ply
*glued the transom
*glued the stringers
*taped side panels together with 12oz biaxial
*taped bottom panels together with 12oz biaxial
*setup strong backs on saw horses
*atached frames to strongbacks
*notched frames and stringers
*Installed stringers on frames

One day this week we will attempt to mount the motorwell sides and transom. I posted a question on how this should be done in the power boats section under the transom alignment thred.

[chicagoross]

Welcome and good start! You're going to see a large boat-shaped object in short order!

[BassMunn]

Welcome to the board. The FS17 seems to be getting pretty popular lately, I'm close to ordering plans for mine too, just gotta finish the PH16 first (almost done)

Good luck and keep sending us pics, we need our fix.

[aquaboogie]

I have some questions. How do you attach the side and bottom panels to the transom before tack welding the seams? Do i zip tie the panels to the transom, screw them or just adjust panels till the gap is right? Do the sides and bottom panels fit flush to the back edge or front edge of the transom?

[Brettitt41]

I have some questions. How do you attach the side and bottom panels to the transom before tack welding the seams? Do i zip tie the panels to the transom, screw them or just adjust panels till the gap is right? Do the sides and bottom panels fit flush to the back edge or front edge of the transom?

You can attach the sides any way you have suggested. Zip ties, temp screws, nails most anything that will hold it in place until you can tab it in. The transom fits inside the panels or back edge as you put it.

[tech_support]

use as few screws as possible, you want the panels to be able to move as you zip them up.

On my fs17, used only a few screws.

[whosmatt]

I have some questions. How do you attach the side and bottom panels to the transom before tack welding the seams? Do i zip tie the panels to the transom, screw them or just adjust panels till the gap is right? Do the sides and bottom panels fit flush to the back edge or front edge of the transom?

Mine fit flush with the back edge. I used a couple of finishing nails to temporarily hold the panels in place while I was zipping, then removed the nails and adjusted the whole assembly until it was reasonably flush with the transom. You can tell when it's sitting right by watching beneath the hull; you want it sitting on the frames and especially the stringers as tight as possible without attaching it to any of them. I think I used a couple finishing nails at the upper (lower when it's upside down) corners once I had everything in place just to keep the sides from moving while I applied the "spot welds" but nothing that held them tight to anything.

If you need to *create* a little gap between the transom edge and the panels, a couple of finishing nails work great just inserted in there. Just make sure not to glue them in.

Hope this helps, and keep up the good work.

-Matt

[aquaboogie]

I have some questions. How do you attach the side and bottom panels to the transom before tack welding the seams? Do i zip tie the panels to the transom, screw them or just adjust panels till the gap is right? Do the sides and bottom panels fit flush to the back edge or front edge of the transom?

Mine fit flush with the back edge. I used a couple of finishing nails to temporarily hold the panels in place while I was zipping, then removed the nails and adjusted the whole assembly until it was reasonably flush with the transom. You can tell when it's sitting right by watching beneath the hull; you want it sitting on the frames and especially the stringers as tight as possible without attaching it to any of them. I think I used a couple finishing nails at the upper (lower when it's upside down) corners once I had everything in place just to keep the sides from moving while I applied the "spot welds" but nothing that held them tight to anything.

If you need to *create* a little gap between the transom edge and the panels, a couple of finishing nails work great just inserted in there. Just make sure not to glue them in.

Hope this helps, and keep up the good work.

-Matt

Thanks Matt, those are some great tips.

Almost ready to start tacking!

[remedy32]

Looks good!

One thing you can do now and maybe save some sweat later is to run a strait edge along the bottom panels looking for hollows or high areas. If you look at the building notes JM talks about rocker and hog or hollows. It took too much time and fairing mud to fill for my taste and I wish I had fiddled with the panels before getting itchy to start gluing. Just take a 6-8' straight edge, hold it along the centerline and move it to each side (chine) of the hull. You're looking for a straight line in the area of the hull that the boat planes on. A bit of fiddling with the andle and spacing of the panels now may save you a lot of labor later in the game.

Leveling these 2 areas added hours to my build.


Bill
FS17

[aquaboogie]

We just finished taping the seams and putting glass on the bottom. We worked wet-on-wet, seams and bottom. It took longer than we thought, spread over one long night, an afternoon nap and the next evening. Now on to installing the rub rail and fairing the bottom.

I some questions. How much flotation foam does it take to fill the bottom of the boat, and do you install flotation foam under the gunwales? Approximately how much paint (sterling) to cover the bottom and interior of the boat? Should epoxy mixed into quart batches start becoming stiff to spread after an hour at 45 to 55 degrees?