New Salish 33' Liquid Metal Custom Build

[Sharphooks]

One last comment about what addition I’d strongly consider on a new build:

ZipWake tab system.

Zipwake - The Dynamic Trim Control System

A fully automatic Dynamic Trim Control System with a wide range of durable, fast-acting interceptors and intuitive 3D controls.

zipwake.com

They have a very modest profile on the stern when compared to Bennett tabs etc. —- just a slim black box with lots of trim power hidden inside

When they are installed in conjunction with the SEaStation GPS anchoring system (which has all the attributes of a sophisticated gyrocompass) the “auto” function of the ZipWake tabs really is impressive (auto pitch, auto yaw etc)

Last August for me was a miserable month for wind when I took my annual trip up to North Coast. It blew every day. So on my way south out of Rivers I decided to attempt an evening transit of Cape Caution. It was blowing 20 knts when I went across the entrance to Smith Sound —- I made the move knowing the tide would be slack by the time I reached Caution. Meanwhile, the buoy and lighthouse reports sounded like the wind would be diminishing.

When I reach Neck Ness there were 10 — 15 foot swells but they weren’t breaking...and yes, the wind had come down a bit. I headed out for deeper water as I approached Caution and put the ZipWake tabs into fully auto function

I was amazed to see how they performed in big seas like that —-the boat felt completely stable...the tab auto function anticipated the waves—-there was a tremendous feeling of calm which is not the way I normally felt going through that piece of water

I just have a pair of them—-one port, one starboard (26 foot boat) ....I have seen 30 foot boats with four of them, equally spaced on the submerged section of transom

In manual mode, you roll a thumb dial to tuck down the bow when trying to plane or in lumpy water—-instant response and well worth considering!

 

[BarryA]

@kaelc - yes, the 12v plugs and USB plugs are Blue Seas. No weathering issues so far on the inside and outside 12V plugs or the inside USB plugs -- the weatherproof plug cap does its job. They're inexpensive so easily swapped out in a few years (?) if they do corrode, though they're designed for boating so I'd like to think they'll last if you keep the cap closed. Marinco also makes them as well.

Street price on FLIR MD232 is ~$3500 USD and MD625 is ~$4000. Builders usually get them for cheaper through their sources, mine passed the savings on to me so my MD625 was $3300 IIRC.

 

[BarryA]

More thoughts....

- If you're optimizing your boat for salmon fishing, consider using thru-hull transducers and pushing them as far forward as possible. I've got twin Airmar 1KW's -- SS175HW + SS175M -- and absolutely love them. Always have both showing on the plotter for maximum info and target separation. Sometimes one will show a fish or bait ball and the other wont, so seeing both is nice. My ducers are 18ft forward of the back of the transom, which means I get a ~35ft 'preview' of the fish before it's at my gear and time to get to the right depth. It's fun seeing them on screen, then go to depth, then watch fish leave the screen, then point to a rod and tell your guests to get ready the rod might pop, then it happens. This happens all the time.

- I have a garmin system with the Panoptix live tranducer (PS30). The PS30's live view hasn't proven as useful as the youtube videos purport. You can see your gear below, but rarely see fish approaching it or flasher rotating. I wanted this for minimizing gear checks and to see what side of the boat the fish are most interested in, but this never paid off. It is however very useful for staying on top of bait though since you can see what side of the boat the bait is on. Often the Airmars will show a blank screen but the PS30 will show a massive bait ball off one side, so you can turn and find 'em. I'm not sure if this is something Simrad has, but it's marginally worth the $1500 price tag IMO.

- Consider deleting the drain plug from the plans. My boat is wet-slipped year round so there's no need for this thru-hull. One less point of failure.

- Consider doubling the # of bilge pumps for redundancy. Pumps are cheap and do go out, so have a backup. Now you got twice the pumping, too. I have two in the rear bilge and two in the mid bilge (boat has three bilge 'zones' separated by watertight bulkheads.

- pay a bit more for bigger batteries that hold more charge for those overnight trips on anchor or full day of hali on anchor. Just a few pennies more and more peace of mind IMO.

 

[TheHurtLocker]

Yeah, that is the same boat that is in the video. Apparently, Alberni Power has sold it and it us being used out of Tofino.

A good friend just bought one of these off of Alberni Marine. It is in Tofino, I know it has the twin Merc 600’s. I thought it was 38’ though. Runs off shore can do 60 mph. Serious boat.

 

[baddogg]

View attachment 84588


Lots of great advice. I’ve walked around the previous build that you posted and talked with the owner. One thing they wanted was an adjustable top for the back deck. I’ve got one on my boat that is on rails and can slide back when raining, then slide forward when fishing. This is really handy to maximize deck space when salmon fishing.

I have been on Kellys boat and experienced the adjustable sliding top. It went from sun to rain to snow. The top slid out and created more dry area to stand in. It's a great option.

 

[bryce]

One last comment about what addition I’d strongly consider on a new build:

ZipWake tab system.

Zipwake - The Dynamic Trim Control System

A fully automatic Dynamic Trim Control System with a wide range of durable, fast-acting interceptors and intuitive 3D controls.

zipwake.com

They have a very modest profile on the stern when compared to Bennett tabs etc. —- just a slim black box with lots of trim power hidden inside

When they are installed in conjunction with the SEaStation GPS anchoring system (which has all the attributes of a sophisticated gyrocompass) the “auto” function of the ZipWake tabs really is impressive (auto pitch, auto yaw etc)

Last August for me was a miserable month for wind when I took my annual trip up to North Coast. It blew every day. So on my way south out of Rivers I decided to attempt an evening transit of Cape Caution. It was blowing 20 knts when I went across the entrance to Smith Sound —- I made the move knowing the tide would be slack by the time I reached Caution. Meanwhile, the buoy and lighthouse reports sounded like the wind would be diminishing.

When I reach Neck Ness there were 10 — 15 foot swells but they weren’t breaking...and yes, the wind had come down a bit. I headed out for deeper water as I approached Caution and put the ZipWake tabs into fully auto function

I was amazed to see how they performed in big seas like that —-the boat felt completely stable...the tab auto function anticipated the waves—-there was a tremendous feeling of calm which is not the way I normally felt going through that piece of water

I just have a pair of them—-one port, one starboard (26 foot boat) ....I have seen 30 foot boats with four of them, equally spaced on the submerged section of transom

In manual mode, you roll a thumb dial to tuck down the bow when trying to plane or in lumpy water—-instant response and well worth considering!


View attachment 84591

Sent you a pm about zipwake!

 

[TomicTime]

I love build threads….and as Barry indicated, some 1k hours experience running a 37’ around bits of the BC coast up to AK.

1.) Even a twin D6 aluminum PH has significant windage docking, fueling and on the troll. joystick or bowthruster…definitely. I had the bowthruster, useful for helping the T25 on certain turns in wind, helping anglers w fish under the bow forward….or even waking up a fish….for fun. Don’t underestimate the value of a joystick system for the virtual anchor function…. no more Halibut anchor hoohaw…. You will need a Big A Rockna or Bruce anyway…. but…..

2.) Re the T25 which i have on new boat, wish it had fly by wire micro throttle adjustment…maybe other kickers have it now ? Consider the cable run from kicker control station to kicker and radius of cable bends….. shorter w less bends will lead to finer speed adjustments…. if you pull bait naked, might be important to you.

3.) I would drive to Tofino and pay to fish on the sistership. Having a 12 ton, 46” side height beast in tight trolling spots….IS very different…. visibility forward is hindered….. i installed Garmin camera and never felt very comfortable in combat situations…. Like Barry, i like Garmin…after 3 boats w extensive commercial level Furuno systems…. but I get it…they are mostly all good w + / -. i have a single Airmar 175 high wide… But my preference is fishing the surfline where my deep rigger is 40’…. More often 22’…. Maybe a side view into the kelp would be helpful….. or just frustrating…. The Orca were in the tearing up the kelp at Jurassic Pt. last week… Nothing like an Orca for a fish finder.

btw Garmin autopilot is guided missile accurate and auto guidance is fantastic Doubt it will work on your big boat but in moderate seastate and wind, mine will hold heading w T25 at 2 kt…. I fished many passes this past week at Sandstone w wireless AP controller….. great for setting line in rigger.


4.) I agree on the FLIR, should have put one on new boat so i could leave Marina at hullspeed in dark….. argh… Winter change order…

5.) I am not as high on Burnewinn…..but i see the attraction and i have the Halibut RH and GM350 mounts…. to pull a Scotty leaving the base is 1 pin….. with a Walkaround PH, i have 4 DR, leave one mounted to run critters back down w barotrauma release.

6.) For a live aboard adventure boat, electrical budget and loads analysis before build is a must…. I like big old fashioned lead acid batteries…. and yes, i have had ALL the fancy , expensive and IMO vastly overated exotic stuff…..
Try finding one in Bella Bella, Shearwater, etc…. Just my $.02

7.) Power…..Many boat build punditry claim w twin 4cyl Yamaha 200 my new 28’ ( 30’ w running surface pod ) x 9’6” x 10 K # wet is underpowered….. it’s a 42 knot boat at WOT and planes easy at 12 kt w 24 degree hull and chine flats…. i love how it performs, 30 knot cruise is 1.5 - 1.6 Nmpg. BUT all boats are a system of hull, trim, motor, prop and operator. As many state overpower is the lesser sin and allows for weight growth. ;-)))

Hopefully helpful…
Best to all
Jim

 

[TomicTime]

Old Tub ;

 

[TomicTime]

 

[TomicTime]

 

[carpeweekend]

Sent you a pm about zipwake!

Yes, the boat comes standard with zip wake automatic trim tabs. I didn't even know that something like auto trim tabs existed.

 

[BC Coast Pilot]

Yes, the boat comes standard with zip wake automatic trim tabs. I didn't even know that something like auto trim tabs existed.

I have auto trim. Found it to be less efficient than trimming yourself. I now trim manually as the fuel burn is 15 to 20% better...... consistently.
Certainly worth acquiring some data.

 

[carpeweekend]

I love build threads….and as Barry indicated, some 1k hours experience running a 37’ around bits of the BC coast up to AK.

1.) Even a twin D6 aluminum PH has significant windage docking, fueling and on the troll. joystick or bowthruster…definitely. I had the bowthruster, useful for helping the T25 on certain turns in wind, helping anglers w fish under the bow forward….or even waking up a fish….for fun. Don’t underestimate the value of a joystick system for the virtual anchor function…. no more Halibut anchor hoohaw…. You will need a Big A Rockna or Bruce anyway…. but…..

2.) Re the T25 which i have on new boat, wish it had fly by wire micro throttle adjustment…maybe other kickers have it now ? Consider the cable run from kicker control station to kicker and radius of cable bends….. shorter w less bends will lead to finer speed adjustments…. if you pull bait naked, might be important to you.

3.) I would drive to Tofino and pay to fish on the sistership. Having a 12 ton, 46” side height beast in tight trolling spots….IS very different…. visibility forward is hindered….. i installed Garmin camera and never felt very comfortable in combat situations…. Like Barry, i like Garmin…after 3 boats w extensive commercial level Furuno systems…. but I get it…they are mostly all good w + / -. i have a single Airmar 175 high wide… But my preference is fishing the surfline where my deep rigger is 40’…. More often 22’…. Maybe a side view into the kelp would be helpful….. or just frustrating…. The Orca were in the tearing up the kelp at Jurassic Pt. last week… Nothing like an Orca for a fish finder.

btw Garmin autopilot is guided missile accurate and auto guidance is fantastic Doubt it will work on your big boat but in moderate seastate and wind, mine will hold heading w T25 at 2 kt…. I fished many passes this past week at Sandstone w wireless AP controller….. great for setting line in rigger.


4.) I agree on the FLIR, should have put one on new boat so i could leave Marina at hullspeed in dark….. argh… Winter change order…

5.) I am not as high on Burnewinn…..but i see the attraction and i have the Halibut RH and GM350 mounts…. to pull a Scotty leaving the base is 1 pin….. with a Walkaround PH, i have 4 DR, leave one mounted to run critters back down w barotrauma release.

6.) For a live aboard adventure boat, electrical budget and loads analysis before build is a must…. I like big old fashioned lead acid batteries…. and yes, i have had ALL the fancy , expensive and IMO vastly overated exotic stuff…..
Try finding one in Bella Bella, Shearwater, etc…. Just my $.02

7.) Power…..Many boat build punditry claim w twin 4cyl Yamaha 200 my new 28’ ( 30’ w running surface pod ) x 9’6” x 10 K # wet is underpowered….. it’s a 42 knot boat at WOT and planes easy at 12 kt w 24 degree hull and chine flats…. i love how it performs, 30 knot cruise is 1.5 - 1.6 Nmpg. BUT all boats are a system of hull, trim, motor, prop and operator. As many state overpower is the lesser sin and allows for weight growth. ;-)))

Hopefully helpful…
Best to all
Jim

Thanks Jim, I really appreciate you and others who have similar size boats giving their opinion on the build. Ultimately, all my choice but your guys input has already informed many of my decisions and they haven't even started up the welder on the build yet.

1) I am going with the joystick. Not really a docking thing - I have had a boat with thrusters before (and they work great) but I love the notion of being able to stick on a spot to jig rather than anchoring. Especially as I sometimes fish alone. I can dock with two engines confidently so any assist is a bonus.

2) I am not adding a kicker. I have debated it back and forth but I love trolling off the mains. Quieter, better speed control, and that much less weight to pack off of the transom. Also, don't need another set of controls. I figure that I will put 200 - 250 hours per year (including trolling) on the mains. The newer outboards seem to go much further than older ones and worse case scenario, I have to repower in 5 - 7 years.

3) Electronics are Simrad. A step up from the Lowrance system that I am running on my present boat but similar navigation of the electronics.

Three Simrad NSS Evo3 Multi-function displays (two 12" at helm, and one 12" at 2nd station)
Simrad Halo24 Radome
Simrad Xsonic SS175H-W thru-hull transducer
iCom M510 VHF w/ additional command mic and external speaker at 2nd station
Simrad V3100 AIS
VHF/AIS Antennas on heavy-duty ratcheting bases - Antennas provided by RoTec Communications so they are properly tuned to correct frequency

4) I have the FLIR M232 on order as they can't seem to get the MD625. Supply chain issues?

5) I will probably go with 3 down rigger mounts. I lack the talent and patience to deal with 4 downriggers.

6) Lithium batteries have come a long way. The bottom line is that the Seakeeper 2 needs a lot of battery power to run and while Lithium is a lot more expensive, they are maintenance free, last much longer and weigh less than half of a lead acid battery.

7) I am moving ahead with the twin 350 Suzuki's. Every engine choice, like boats, is a compromise. We have had the marine architect design the boat so that I will have a 300nm range with 2 X 152 US gallon tank (about 1150 litres total). Based upon a discussion with the architect, a review of the boat weight full of fuel, ice, crew, gear, and beer, and more importantly a boat owner with a Northwest Aluminum 34' boat that ran twin 350 Zukes, I should be able to cruise at 35mph with a reasonable fuel burn and a top speed of close to 50mph.

Thanks again and keep the insights, comments, and recommendations coming.

 

[bryce]

Yes, the boat comes standard with zip wake automatic trim tabs. I didn't even know that something like auto trim tabs existed.

Neither did I I’ve been reading about them since I seen this @Sharphooks answered a bunch of my questions definitely something I am considering even though I don’t really need lol

 

[CBsqrd]

Neither did I I’ve been reading about them since I seen this @Sharphooks answered a bunch of my questions definitely something I am considering even though I don’t really need lol

Seakeeper just came out with a new product that does what zipwake (and other interceptor-type systems) dos and more. Worth checking out.

 

[Stizzla]

Do you want to add a 4th mount further up the side for prawn puller/seaBQ? I’m taking my comfort into consideration here. I’ll bring the steaks!

 

[carpeweekend]

Seakeeper just came out with a new product that does what zipwake (and other interceptor-type systems) dos and more. Worth checking out.

That is impressive. Don't know if having the Seakeeper 2 makes this somewhat redundant but I will inquire. Thanks.

 

[CBsqrd]

That is impressive. Don't know if having the Seakeeper 2 makes this somewhat redundant but I will inquire. Thanks.

Two totally separate systems. The Ride is for when you are on plane, the Seakeeper is only going to be useful at trolling speeds or when anchored / drifting.

 

[BarryA]

You are fortunate to have access to an architect who will tailor to your build. That is a huge plus I wish I could’ve had. Sounds like you will end up with a perfect boat for your needs.

+1 to @Stizzla ‘s suggestion about extra burnewiins for a BBQ. I have 6 total and move riggers and BBQ around depending on the situation.

 

[carpeweekend]

I am now leaning toward triple 350's but need to make a decision fairly quickly. I haven't even walked on a boat with triple or quad engines. A big advantage (beyond the power increase) would seem to be the ability to spread the trolling hours out over 3 engines versus 2 engines. I understand that my Optimus system will only work with all engines running but it would be nice to keep the hours down by spreading it out over the 3.

Can anyone confirm that I will be able to run any one of the 3 engines by itself while trolling (albeit without Optimus working)? If so, I am going to add the 3rd engine. Pretty sure that @Stizzla would agree with the more power decision.

And yeah, an extra burnewiin mount seems to make sense.