Looking good!!! A question for the welders…why do they always grind all over the aluminum plate? Is that to clean up splatter, or rough up the surface for paint?
It must be a great experience having a boat built to your every need,100% custom built to accommodate your height etc...,very jealous.
I think going to 200s is a good idea. I have a 10k lb 26’ fibreglass with Suzuki 200s and its enough hp but you wouldn’t want any less. I think your boat with 150s would have been just enough as well. I spend quite a few nights on my boat each summer in remote areas and I think you are crazy not having a sink , fridge or anything to cook with inside . It’s your call, but having a fridge, sink with fresh water and an oven makes overnighting 10x easier. 40 gallons of water will last 5 days. If it was me, I would have a couple solar panels on the roof feeding a couple large 6v house batteries as well just for piece of mind .Of course the excitement of a build never ends.
When I was last over to see Robert, the Trip before this one (last photos posted) I said to Robert, "So knowing what you know at this stage in the build and how things are progressing, would you wish we had done anything different in planning the build, or wished that I had made any different decisions in what we are buying for the boat".
Robert, thought for a moment, (or collected his thoughts ) and then said , "You know your boat is going to be a lot heavier than ReelSlim's, and he has a much lighter boat to begin with no rear door or rear cabin walls etc."
He paused and then said, "I am a bit concerned / worried you may not be happy with the performance of twin 150's and I think you should really consider buying twin 200's.". Well that was fantastic to be told that now when it is a small cost to change things around,
I called Breaker's Marine in Port Alberni and things are being handled on that front. Another good decision we made, Breakers and our salesperson Jeremy have been excellent to deal with, and of course they were a Robert recommendation.
The good news is no change in engine weight and all the fly-by wire controls and instruments are 100% interchangeable
This discussion once again reinforced our belief that we made a good decision hiring Robert to build our boat.
I think going to 200s is a good idea. I have a 10k lb 26’ fibreglass with Suzuki 200s and its enough hp but you wouldn’t want any less. I think your boat with 150s would have been just enough as well. I spend quite a few nights on my boat each summer in remote areas and I think you are crazy not having a sink , fridge or anything to cook with inside . It’s your call, but having a fridge, sink with fresh water and an oven makes overnighting 10x easier. 40 gallons of water will last 5 days. If it was me, I would have a couple solar panels on the roof feeding a couple large 6v house batteries as well just for piece of mind .
Your motorcycle trips certainly have crossover experiences to use in your boating life on what is and is not essential. That’s a great reference.I appreciate your candor on why we should consider a more fulsome kitchen. We have already made allowances to carry a good amount of fresh water (up to 40 gallons), and we will run the electrical cables to be able to install solar panels in the future without messing up the boat.
As far as adding in a sink /oven we don't have the room to accommodate it without taking out something that we value more in the limited space that we have. We don't want the additional complexity of a fridge or a plumbed sink. We have a functional sun shower and a Colman stove to heat water if the sun shower needs a fill and a excellent folding Ortleib basin.
Space planning has been a challenge for us due to my height for a long time and we gave up over a foot of cabin space so I could sleep in the extended V-Berth. For example a Ranger Tug is a great user of space but it's wonderful compactness makes me feel like a claustrophobic Gulliver.
We have both camped and/or canoe tripped in our past and we have travelled to over 20 countries two up on a motorcycle so we have a pretty good idea about what works for us and what we need to be comfortable.
Simple meals that can be either prepared in advance and reheated , or in the case of the boat we now have a third option grilled. This is a big step up for us from a multi fuel MSR Stove.
On day trips we will be carrying our jumbo thermos of hot drinks. If we had been able to afford a 30' JaxonCraft we would have added a small kitchenette perhaps.
Thanks again for your thoughtful post and well written post.
Don’t be so cheap…..just have him build you a 30’ boat! LolI appreciate your candor on why we should consider a more fulsome kitchen. We have already made allowances to carry a good amount of fresh water (up to 40 gallons), and we will run the electrical cables to be able to install solar panels in the future without messing up the boat.
As far as adding in a sink /oven we don't have the room to accommodate it without taking out something that we value more in the limited space that we have. We don't want the additional complexity of a fridge or a plumbed sink. We have a functional sun shower and a Colman stove to heat water if the sun shower needs a fill and a excellent folding Ortleib basin.
Space planning has been a challenge for us due to my height for a long time and we gave up over a foot of cabin space so I could sleep in the extended V-Berth. For example a Ranger Tug is a great user of space but it's wonderful compactness makes me feel like a claustrophobic Gulliver.
We have both camped and/or canoe tripped in our past and we have travelled to over 20 countries two up on a motorcycle so we have a pretty good idea about what works for us and what we need to be comfortable.
Simple meals that can be either prepared in advance and reheated , or in the case of the boat we now have a third option grilled. This is a big step up for us from a multi fuel MSR Stove.
On day trips we will be carrying our jumbo thermos of hot drinks. If we had been able to afford a 30' JaxonCraft we would have added a small kitchenette perhaps.
Thanks again for your thoughtful post and well written post.
While I am not a Merc fan necessarily, I say just say "screw it" and drop the $120k on a pair of Merc Verado V12 600hp's.He paused and then said, "I am a bit concerned / worried you may not be happy with the performance of twin 150's and I think you should really consider buying twin 200's.".
That raised shear line is so pretty.Radar Arch installed
Crab and Prawn trap tie down racks test fitted and installed (two racks, four traps, no baiting)
Cabin Roof side Hand Railings
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