The custom build continues; A photo update.

[Fortunate One]

Mark,
There was a point when I told the guys just get as much done as possible and don't worry about the interior. I'd tell them that the boys and I can hang hammocks up for sleeping and use a bucket for a toilet.

JFT and Shoefish, glad to see you guys are enjoying it. It's truly been a once in a lifetime experience and I know how many fisherman are nuts about boats. I'm at the point of being obsessed.

Nick, 7th isn't bad with experiencing technical difficulties, as long as there weren't 7 boats fishing. Whew, 10 hour haul to the next one. Now that's dedication. Glad to hear your 8SY-STP's are purring like kittens. I can't wait to fire these up.

[triniswordfish]

haha no no i think it was a fleet of 40 boats or so.
yea it should be a good run up to barbados. we will either do it straight across trinidad to b'dos or head up to bequia and then cut across it all depends on the weather won't be nice to beat our way in a head sea for 15-18 hours if things get bad. and hopefully the fishing is hottttt and we do well in the tournament. then st lucia is some fun fishing.
i will see if i can get some pics along the way

[Fortunate One]

haha no no i think it was a fleet of 40 boats or so.
yea it should be a good run up to barbados. we will either do it straight across trinidad to b'dos or head up to bequia and then cut across it all depends on the weather won't be nice to beat our way in a head sea for 15-18 hours if things get bad. and hopefully the fishing is hottttt and we do well in the tournament. then st lucia is some fun fishing.
i will see if i can get some pics along the way

Nick,

Placing 7th out of 40 while encountering some issues is a very respectful finish.

Now those are the tough decisions I want to be making one of these days. Hummmm "Let's see, do I cut straight across Trinidad to b'dos or head up to bequia and then cut across"

Good luck in the next one. Post some pictures if you can. This way we can live vicariously through you. We won't be wetting a line for a while. Especially on my boat. We have the full press on just to get her sea trialed in June. Realistically we probably won't be fishing on my boat until end of July and then the season up here is way to short at that point.

Mike

[iguana1]

Fortunate One,

This is one of the best threads ever. You may have put it somewhere in the 14 pages, but mind if I ask again who is the architect/marine engineer for the project?

[Fortunate One]

Fortunate One,

This is one of the best threads ever. You may have put it somewhere in the 14 pages, but mind if I ask again who is the architect/marine engineer for the project?

Iguana, the naval architect is Matt Smith from Barrington, RI.

Matt was actually brought into the project after the keelson and frame was laid up. So the boat shape was determined by me and a friend prior to Matt coming on board. No pun intended.

I knew what I wanted for a bottom shape. I didn’t need Applied Concepts, Blount or Hunt for that. This stuff has been done before.

But what I don’t believe has been done is this type of frame structure and the fact that I went the opposite direction of the crowd. Everyone seems to be building them as light as possible. I believe with the HP available that the real benefit in a boat of this size is not only speed but to be able to use the high torque of the engines to cut through the seas and with the displacement and strength utilize the torque to enhance the ride in the slop. It’s rarely flat calm up here and when I take her to the Bear Seamount I want to know that I can trust what's under my feet.


Matt was a big help with the engine selection and he took my ideas and detailed them on paper. He also came up with the lamination schedule and was consulted from time to time with regard to certain details. Matt did the calcs on the center of gravity points and all of the technical work such as strut shapes and such. But for the most part I haven't seen or talked to Matt in a long time.

The last time I saw Matt down at the shed I asked him what he was up to. He's always kept busy by the local guys like Hinckley and a few local builders. Matt told me that he was involved with a project at a yard on a large jig built cold molded boat that was only a year or so old that flexed so bad that the engine beds separated from the bottom, all of the bulkheads had some form of stress damage and they were basically taking the engines out and reinforcing the entire boat. He said the bill for that work will exceed the entire cost of my boat. After getting involved with that boat he said that the egg crate framing and the size of the frames on my boat will make her one tough vessel.

Most of the build details are being done by the master carpenter who has an extensive amount of experience working on custom boats. His two apprentices are graduates from the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport. There's a very experienced glass/paint guy on the crew along with a systems guy/diesel mechanic and a couple of guys whose job is to fair the hull and assist with the glass/epoxy work. So we really didn't need much input from Matt once we got to a certain point. But he's only a phone call away and I'm sure he'll be there for the sea trials.

A few people mentioned that this is a good thread and it may indeed be the best thread ever posted on this site when it comes to boat building

I think the reason that is, is it has to do with the fact that a boat enthusiast and fisherman is so deeply involved in all aspects of the build. From the sculpting of the hull and decks to the shape of the dodger. We took our time making mock ups and sometimes it was only a stick of wood bent to a certain shape.

The detailing shows that no corners were cut.
If I poke a finger into a limber hole to clear it from a piece of plastic I want to know that I'm not going to tear skin off of my finger. If I take a rag out to clean a gutter around a hatch I want to know that it’s smooth as glass. When I perform service in the engine room I want to be able to fit in there comfortably and be able to tend to things without feeling too cramped and uncomfortable.

It's not like I had Buddy this or Ricky that build me a boat. This has been a labor of love from all of the people creating this beauty. The experience and knowledge I've picked up along the way has been an education that couldn't have been bought.

It's been such a pleasure to hit certain milestones. This week I have a meeting down there on Friday. What I'm looking forward most of all is they are going to have the first coat of varnish on that gorgeous transom.

I know most people don’t have the patience for such a thing and there have been time when I've had regrets about going down this path. But now that we’re nearing completion I’m so glad that I did it this way. I joke with the crew that we’re going to have to start working on a 65’ convertible version of this express once we finish. By the time it gets built my children will be big enough where I won’t have to keep my eye on them all of the time.

I’m glad you and others are enjoying the thread. That’s whole the purpose of it.

I wanted to share this unique experience.

We're canyon bound this season and I'm so thrilled about the up coming adventures and memories that the boat will bring.

[iguana1]

Fortunate One,

Best of luck with the completion and I hope to see you out there, although I don't know if I will make it to Bear Seamount in my 36. Maybe I will see you inbetween Hydro and Ocean on your commute at 30 knots.

Nice to hear your story. So many people have the means and not the patience or know how, and so many with the patience lack the means.

That said, the best boat building thread ever was the idiot building the Chris Craft in the garage last year

[Fortunate One]

I went to the shed for what turned out to be a 3 hour visit. We finalized the tower purchase amongst other items. There's now 9 people working on the project and that includes the electrical sub-contractor and a cabinet making sub-contractor.

They applied one coat of varnish to the transom but it was raining too hard to open the door in order to get a good picture. In addition to that it was awfully foggy and dark down there so the transom photo will have to wait for another day and probably a couple of more coats. But I can state that it's absolutly beautiful.

But I did manage to get a picture of the air intake louvers which I think look really slick. They have yet to be installed permanently but, here are a few pictures.


This is the view any spray will see. The louver looks like a solid material from this angle. The blades are really swept back.




A picture a bit closer from below. Notice the minute hint of a perimeter frame. They almost look like a plastic store bought item in this shot. But they are custom made.




The aft picture.


This look is so slick that I'm considering leaving off the typical hull rail that runs from the covering boards to beyond the louvers.

[alex n]

That is one hell of a project and looks so sweet , keep the updates coming.

[triniswordfish]

wow wow wow that is sexxxyyyy fortunateone
its looks awesome
we made it b'dos in about 10.5 hours straight run sea was choppy and a little wet
fishing starts tomorrow
the vents look awesome wow is all i can say

[Fortunate One]

Good luck in the tourney Nick.

Please snap some pictures if your get a chance.

Mike