My project boat - Page 6

pathalla · 07 May 2007, 03:01

After battling all day Saturday I was able to install the factory towing harness for the Sprinter, if you contemplate buying one of these vans get the tow harness installed by the dealer, it is real difficult to route through the unibody at the back. Got the boat and truck hooked up and the truck towed the boat very well so that was good. I made one mistake however, that was buying a four dollar receiver pin as a spare and using it instead of the stainless locking one I normally use. I installed the pin and its retaining clip and checked everything out on the boat and trailer before starting down the road. I was only towing about 65 miles so I figured it would be no big deal. Well, that cheap pin nearly cost me dearly as about 4 miles from my final destination the hitch and the pin parted company. It either worked its way out or broke, I will never know exactly what happened. I was braking to make my final turn down the side road Jason lives on and when I hit the brakes the back of the truck felt as if it was hit from behind. I said to Ray "What in the hell was that?" I stopped the truck got out and checked the boat and trailer and noticed the pin was completely gone! If the chains on the trailer had not been adjusted properly I would have probably lost the boat at about sixty miles an hour on the last few miles... It could have been very ugly, with the weight the boat and trailer have it may have jackknifed the truck into oncoming traffic or rolled it over. I was extremely lucky to have this happen when it did where it did, I will never again use a inexpensive pin. In all my years of pulling boats I have never had anything like this happen, very odd. Pictured is the boat hooked up, the boat and Clayton ( future motocross superstar who wants to pilot the boat) a shot of Jason's work shop behind his house (nice workshop) and the stainless locking pin I will always be using going forward.

Stoo · 07 May 2007, 05:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by pathalla

Got the boat and truck hooked up and the truck towed the boat very well so that was good.

I wonder how many people see that beast rolling down the road and figure it's a giant "Sea-Flea"...? Don't forget to put the tubes on before you launch it!

Your "near-miss" should serve as a reminder to us all to check the "regular" stuff before we hit the road. It would truly suck to loose your favorite toy because of a stupid pin or a poorly adjusted hitch!

pathalla · 13 May 2007, 03:20

No pictures today as I forgot to take my camera to Jason's, things are moving along with the boat, we have done just about all the improvements to the trailer and have started on the boat. Jason Hout can work metal like most people can work clay only he does it faster. I can barely keep up with him and I am only drilling holes, he is cutting, grinding, shaping AND welding, he is good! Pics to follow next weekend showing the changes.

pathalla · 20 May 2007, 03:44

Well, I forgot my camera yet again, along with the trailer plate so I won't bring the boat home til tomorrow. Jason and I have worked well together, I stayed out of his way and did my usual stuff while he moved along at about four to five times my speed. I will post up pictures tomorrow of things done, still have not fitted the t-top or the radar arch, I was not satisfied with the design on the arch and we have to do some major changes on the down tubes for the t-top due to clearance issues so those are going to wait for another week or two, Jason is going to weld them up at work as we worked up the final dimensions today.
Real close to being finished with this thing...

Limey Linda · 20 May 2007, 04:04

hi Pat
Look forward to the photos. Know what you mean about plates . I had to spend 1 1/2 hrs to get mine from local DMV. Where I live, no plates or out of date is a $630 fine.

pathalla · 21 May 2007, 04:11

Finally got the camera and took some pics..... First shots of Jason's workshop/garage, you wouldn't believe what he built it for, cheap by anyone's standards and he built it himself! What a great place to store a boat or work on one during the winter! Or Summer... A picture of the new improved winch stand/bow guide setup on the trailer, much improved I think, shots also of the reinforced corners at the front of the console, turns out that when the boat was built all the weld was ground off the outside and it was not welded on the inside, with the gas tanks in the way and me not wanting to take them out we welded extra material on the outside, there will be no future problems... continued on next post

pathalla · 21 May 2007, 04:25

Jason welded up a bracket for the back of my trailer, there is about 3-4 foot of overhang at the back and he put this together for me, the trailer was spreading a little bit at the back due to weight so this will help if it holds up, we put it together from leftover scrap. Some tabs were welded on at the front of the hatches supporting the helm seats, this will take care of the lack of support due to my cutting out the deck for the kick panel beneath the helm. We welded some threaded inserts inside the bilge and fabbed up some wing nutted stainless fasterners, attached some gussets to the flooring and now have a way of quickly removing the grating for maintenance or cleaning in the bilge, I really like how this came out.. I wil be posting pictures of the new radar arch and bimini modifications once those parts are ready, hope everyone has had a great spring boating! See ya,

pathalla · 22 May 2007, 03:25

I have a lot of work to do in four days... my launch deadline. Came home from work and put the first coat of deck paint on the aft seat support and the new aft hatch, then reinstalled the fuel tank fills and the vent hoses. The fuel hoses are kind of a bitch, there is plenty of room for the hoses but the area between the seats where you need to squeeze your body in in order to be able to reach with your hands is too damn narrow! A good designer would have made this more maintenance friendly but I have what I have.
Things I have yet to do this week: Install tube set (yikes)
Hookup all electrical (daunting but
doable)
Repaint dash panels (uh-oh not sure
about that)
Reinstall hydraulic steering and bleed
New cooler and deck support (definitely
won't get to that)
new Ipod and new speakers (no way)
New arch and t-top ( 2 weeks to a
Month)

MarkM · 22 May 2007, 08:49

I follow this story from the beginning with great admiration. Very interesting.
Hope to see here in the water soon.

pathalla · 23 May 2007, 03:20

Thanks Markm, good to hear I am not boring all the people out there. I promised a good friend of mine I would make it to the Islands for their anniversary this coming weekend so I am trying to make good on that commitment. Pics today of the gasketing I installed on the hatch openings and the new aft deck painted and installed. More tomorrow.

codprawn · 23 May 2007, 13:33

Wow only 4 days to go - can't wait. Please don't rush it though just to meet a deadline. You have been so painstaking in everything - don't let your standards drop.

Rogan · 23 May 2007, 16:09

Looking good! Your tube set must be a huge pain in the ass to get back on. I thought our little boat took forever. It's amazing how the tubes never seem to quite fit perfectly. A lot of pulling and tuging and a never ending line of bolts and screws. I can't wait to see War Machine all back together! Time for some action shots of that beast breaking some waves. Oh, and your posts are not boring. I look foward to seeing them all the time. Good to see the progress

Ro

pathalla · 24 May 2007, 12:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Wow only 4 days to go - can't wait. Please don't rush it though just to meet a deadline. You have been so painstaking in everything - don't let your standards drop.

Thanks for the support Cod, I don't intend to cut any corners although it is awfully frustrating knowing I could be out on the water this weekend if I did...

pathalla · 24 May 2007, 13:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogan

Looking good! Your tube set must be a huge pain in the ass to get back on. I thought our little boat took forever. It's amazing how the tubes never seem to quite fit perfectly. A lot of pulling and tuging and a never ending line of bolts and screws. I can't wait to see War Machine all back together! Time for some action shots of that beast breaking some waves. Oh, and your posts are not boring. I look foward to seeing them all the time. Good to see the progress

Ro

Yes it is a pain in the ass, the weight is what makes it difficult, in addition to the pulling and tugging routine which you also are now familiar with. Since the repair/upgrade to the sponsons they now weigh right at 500 lbs versus 475 last year. We will be installing tonight, I will put up some more photos showing a few more things. I will get some action shots in eventually, once I have the final repairs/ pieces done to the boat in the next couple of weeks I will be ending this thread and starting a new one with general photos of boaters, boats and places, hopefully it will be interesting...

pathalla · 25 May 2007, 13:16

I assembled another motley crew for the sponson install and although we had two more people than the last time we did this it seemed to go slower.... I wonder if the copious amounts of BEER consumed had anything to do with that? Nah!!! Also managed to get the trailer stuck as I was moving it on to the grass as I did not want to drag the sponsons around on gravel. The ground is hard enough to drive around on yet the boat still sank into the earth. Heavy...

Biggles · 25 May 2007, 13:23

Look's fun

pathalla · 25 May 2007, 13:28

Bolts go in, beers go down, on and on it seems endless, especially the beer consumption and I am paying for it! Why oh why did I chose these guys?
Surely a few homeless people who could use a few bucks would have been a wiser choice, well too late now I'm in too deep to bail.. Finally, it ends, the sun went down a long time back and we are all filthy, but it is on, all the bolts are started, all I need to do is tighten em down.

codprawn · 25 May 2007, 14:56

It's starting to look like a RIB at last!!!

Stoo · 26 May 2007, 03:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by pathalla

... all I need to do is tighten em down.

Looks like the crew is good and tight already.

Good luck with the bolts. That's on serious hunk of boat!

pathalla · 28 May 2007, 03:29

The guy doing the powdercoating for my dash panels called me Saturday to let me know he'll have em done Wednesday... that killed this weekend so I stayed home and narrowed down my work list. Painted the inside of the main console with a spray gun used mainly for touch up and it came out pretty nice. The main console on War Machine is vented on both port and starboard sides but the vents are just gaping holes. I measured the openings and cut some of the perforated sheet aluminum I had lying around to those dimensions. Bent a lip on one end and and polished these up on my Baldor buffing lathe. I have thought of getting rid of that buffer many times over the years because it is used infrequently. Time and again it comes in handy, it did today. Shot of the vent opening and pic of the material, then holding it in place prior to riveting.
I also employed a swabby to hose off the deck I was scrubbing down. That look she is giving the camera is the classic "Dad am I done yet and can I go ride the four wheeler?" No... Not yet kiddo.. she did eventually get her ride.. and seven bucks..