New Hurricane project

learning to fly · 28 February 2008, 23:47

i recieved the boat I had been expecting. A hurricane 640. Will take some pics of it tomorrow and post them. I am lookng for any info on the way the tubes are attached to the boat. Any pics you have or experience with fitting tubes to these boats. Ive heard a lot about a flange that they slid into but there is nothing like that on my boat. Just the holes for bolts. Will have a better look at the boat tomorrow

pathalla · 29 February 2008, 00:21

Put some pics up, we don't see too many up here usually on projects, just a few folks working on their boats here on the n. america side, (you know who you are) starting a thread on your build would be great for us watchers...

sunrider · 29 February 2008, 02:00

Scott, I got to thinking about Simon's comment that he had never seen a 640 that used a flatbar for the outboard tube attachment as I had described for mine. So tonight I went back to the pictures and can see that I was very wrong and he is totally correct - the outboard attachment is the typical Zodiac aluminum extrusion that has a slot on the top into which a flap glued to the tubes slide - the holes you see on your boat, then, would most likely be the ones used to mount the extrusion as seen in the attached picture. If that proves true, and if you have trouble finding an extrusion (very likely unless you're lucky or wealthy!) there are some other ways you might attach the tubes...post some pictures and let us know.

The inboard attachment uses the flatbar with thru bolts as previously described - I've attached another picture of that for reference and to illustrate the difference between the two. sorry to create confusion, but at least someone knows what he's talking about (Simon!). Here are the pictures:

learning to fly · 29 February 2008, 03:13

sunrider, on the inside flat bar set up are those the bolt on heads I see on the flat bar?. And do they tread into an insert bonded to the hull?
also, any good way to clean the gas tanks? Did yours ever come out of boat, mine looks like it is sealed up good.

OceanEco · 29 February 2008, 05:20

On my boat here is no aluminum flange for the tubes to slide into. The channel is in the fiberglass(created in the mold at Oceanus). Oceanus makes all the Canadian hulls. They actually made the first hurricanes then zodiac bought out the hurricane line. On the inboard side of the tubes there is lengths of alum flat bar that holds the inboard side of the tubes. They are not inserts they are large lags the go thru the deck and and the hull flanges.

I imagine that they are just large threaded lags on your boat too. From the pictures I do not see how the outboard side of your tubes are fastened to the hull. Are you getting the old tubes with the boat? If you look at them it should give you a good idea of how they were fastened. Maybe the outboard side of the tubes were glued to the hull.

It seems like all the US and canadian 640's are a little different if you look at bryan's old 640 tubes they are much more pointed the the fairly square nosed tubes that you seen on most 640's.

My hull was built in 2006... and the nose of the tubes are very square.

I know for commercial purposes you need a US made hull and you can't use a Canadian made hull in the states. There are a few different places that make the hulls in the states and each one seems to do things a little differently...

Good Luck and post some pictures soon.

Simon

capntroy · 29 February 2008, 08:08

I've refurbished and converted 2 Hurricane 640's and can confirm Sunrider's observations; the bottom bolt rope of the tube threads through a proprietary ZHT aluminum extrusion that gets bolted to the fiberglass flange with carriage bolts. Even on a surplus hull, the holes in the fiberglass should still be square as to lock the carriage bolt down.
I tried several different ways to mount the bottom of the tube to the hulls before committing and buying the extrusion from ZHT, but they all looked cheesy, maybe there's something new these days, but the extrusion ended up being the way to go for a nice finished look.
The entire inside "bulwark" running fore and aft has an aluminum strap molded into the fiberglass at the level of the existing bolt holes.
You'll need to cut aluminum flatbar (I used 1/4" x 2" in various lengths) to use to mount the tube's inboard flap to this "bulwark." Once you drill the holes into the aluminum straps, use them as templates to mark corresponding holes onto the bulwarks, then drill and tap holes for your bolts (I used 1/4x20 full thread stainless tap bolts). Don't use lag bolts.
If you want to use the existing holes, you can chase a tap through and try to clean them out. My hulls had some many broken off bolts and goobered up holes that I just patched them over and made new holes.

Simon - these hulls are the original Lucas Hurricane 640's from many years ago and all of the drawings that I have of them, both Lucas and ZHT, show this same configuration. Did Oceanus improve on the hull in some way, or is their hull actually a different model?

Troy

learning to fly · 29 February 2008, 15:20

Capt. Thank you for that info, most of the inside bolts are already out and should be able to use them though it may be easier to just drill new ones than try to match each one on a piece of aluminum. As for the the outer edges I will have to try to get the channels. I have none. Can you give me an idea how much they cost you?.. There are a lot of holes that are kind of worn and no longer square, almost half, Were the carrage bolts go through. Ill have to work on that. After seeing the boat in better light I know Ill be very buisy. There are a couple of cracks on the top of the transom and looks like it is bowwed just a bit. there also was a bit of fiberglass work done to the back part of the tube flange. Looks like a couple of pieces of matting was addded. Looks solid though. I will look at it more closely. I want no doubts that the transom is rock solid,

The floors are totaly solid with a little cracking where the console is attached. The hull had been painted but most had worn off. Ill have a lot of sanding to do. The hull looks like it will be great after cleaning the paint off. There was a bit As soon as the weather gets a bit warmer Ill really get out there and start stripping it.

OceanEco · 01 March 2008, 06:23

Troy,

Oceanus in Sidney, Vancouver Island makes all the ZHT hulls in Canada they are then shipped to ZHT just outside Vancouver B.C. to be fitted with tubes etc etc. They have for 22 years. Professional Components makes all the aluminum ZHT hulls.

All the ZHT boats use a long channel that is molded right into the hull . The channel is made when the boat is layed up, so it is built into the hull. I'll take some pictures the next time the tubes are off. It seems like a better design, no bolts or aluminum on the outboard side. On the inboard side of the tubes there is a flap of hypalon that runs the length of the tubes and this flap is fastened down with aluminum flat bar thru bolted thru the deck and the hull with lag bolts. There is a company that builds ZHT in Washington and these boats also have the fiberglass channel. They must use the same molds. The 733's built here and in Washington use the same channel.

Do the Lucas Hurricanes have a core of is it a solid laminate? All ZHT hulls that are made here are cored. They are using a balsa wood core. The core give them a stronger, lighter and stiffer hull.

capntroy · 01 March 2008, 08:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by learning to fly

I will have to try to get the channels. I have none. Can you give me an idea how much they cost you?

It's been quite a few years since I bought the extrusion for the 2 hulls, but I'll try to find my files and let you know....

Sounds like the hull is in decent shape, so she should come together nicely.

What are you doing for the tube? If you have to splurge and get a new one, Wing Inflatables has the pattern for the 640 and can whack you out a nice polyurethane one....

capntroy · 01 March 2008, 08:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanEco

All the ZHT boats use a long channel that is molded right into the hull . The channel is made when the boat is layed up, so it is built into the hull.

That's how it is on my 733, but I guess Lucas designed these 640's before they thought about molding in the bolt rope channel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanEco

It seems like a better design, no bolts or aluminum on the outboard side.

I concur...

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanEco

Do the Lucas Hurricanes have a core or is it a solid laminate? All ZHT hulls that are made here are cored. They are using a balsa wood core. The core give them a stronger, lighter and stiffer hull.

If I remember correctly, these 640's are solid glass, I only had to drill a few small holes in the hulls themselves and don't remember any coring. Keep in mind also that most of the 640's date back to the early to late 1980's, so the high-tech sandwich construction might not have been as common back then.