new boat

[jeffstevens763@g]

after first sea trial and 4 hours of running out of port Logan i decided to make some changes this is the result.

[jeffstevens763@g]

few more

[jeffstevens763@g]

last two, i think i have it sorted now to suit me with plenty of leg room in the bow and a trolling seat at the stern.

cheers

[kaman]

Looking good Jeff.
I like the look of that set up :thumbup:
Port Logan is one of my favourite haunts.
Hoping to get a day out there in the coming weeks before the mercury plummets.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by kaman

Looking good Jeff.
I like the look of that set up :thumbup:
Port Logan is one of my favourite haunts.
Hoping to get a day out there in the coming weeks before the mercury plummets.

Thanks mate I am pleased with it now, 3 things had to change the 25suzi is so frugal on fuel there was no need to have the spare fuel on the bow as before so that left a lot of room to use, I found having the anchor in the bow was hard to reach when I launched to keep the boat fast whilst getting the trailer back to the car park at port Logan plus the leg room for the fishing seat was too small so made the anchor rack 4 bolts and a top cut out so the anchor and buoy fit in retained by the rope and a strap, covered by a cargo bungee which goes down to the floor retaining extra kit if required.
that left tools/safety kit to re-site the rear seat site is too far forward for me and leg room short again in front of the console so I made a SS frame bolted the seat down which then gave room for the tools & safety kit perfect!.
i drive on the port side at speed partley on the tube but trolling I need a backrest so fitted the canoe seat that's spot on and for £23 a bargain.
because I am limited to a 3.5 m boat getting it down a passage way and swinging it into the garden, room in the boat is limited so getting the weight distribution & space has been crucial but I have cracked it now and the boat runs true, on the plane fast and at 1/4 throttle one up (big lad) 50 Lt of fuel usual kit with a slight chop 27 kmh what ever that is in knots.
We had never been up to port Logan and that part of the coast so got a cheep cottage for a week, we had great weather and some good food down in port Patric. Lots of lads going fishing out of port Logan what a nice place didn't get to see the cod pool across the bay though shut for winter I suppose.
Good choice on the wally by the way definitely right to wait and get exactly what you want.

Thanks for looking cheers Jeff

[jeffstevens763@g]

well here we are again after a bad season not getting out for one thing or another i desided to make further changes to the boat to get my fix.
the console was taking too much room up and i was limited for carring extra fuel when needed, stowage wasnt ideal either, after purchasing the anchor bucket it made a big difference in terms of tidiness and something robust to take the knocks,as said fuel was a concern i dont like stuff laid around i know sometimes its unavoidable but i desided to increase capacity from 22lts to 43ltrs with a new tank fixed in the bow the fuel line was already up there so just a fix down with new straps sorted it out. i had a bow dogger made from fiberglass covered ply already so slotting the anchor bucket set in there was ideal. my next task was to build something that would hold the electronics so i desided to build a low lying dash board fixed to the bow dodger. a few changes aft for my tool box and safety box and a new floor laid to soften the impact on the knees when crawling about, pics of the results.

cheers

[cgoing]

Very nice!

[kaman]

As much as I liked your original set up I'm not overly keen on a consoles in a Sib due to restricting deck space.
I think your revised edition hits the nail right on the head.
I'm all for plenty of ballast up front and I'm keen on bow dodgers hence i built a bow box and bow dodger from an old tarp.
You've got the best of both worlds there Jeff.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Thanks guys to be honest I was inspired by the fabric bow Dodgers you made Kaman along with gurnard and contemplated making one with an open dash from the back if that makes sense but two things swayed me, one was the anchor bucket & the other more dry storage & battery compartment. Anchors can do a lot of damage in a sib or any boat for that matter if not stowed properly and the bucket fits the bill it's suspended clear of the deck & tubes, it's easy to take out to get at the keel inflation & bow inflation valves with room to store bits & bobs around it.keeping all the electrics dry & dry storage is a must so making the dash enclosed with two 350x280 ish lockable hatches & a circular dry hatch with waterproof bag on the dash face is ideal for car keys, phone etc. The radio Ariel is detachable & the cable comes through a cable gland so if I want extra height I can pull the cable through fix the Ariel to a paddle for more height if needed. The whole bow set up is held on by four SS bolts & weighs only 10 kg all up made from 6mm exterior ply & all joints glued with a coat of styrene primer one layer of CSM glass fiber & a coat of flow coat the inside is the same but done with 15 MM long glass strands for ease and getting into awkward areas. I put two elasticacted pockets on the dash sides for the covers off the plotter & radio when in use. An elasticacted cargo net over the anchor bucket and bow dodger gives strorage for items that can get wet hence the blunt front to the dash to give a face for kit to rest on. Having done this now I am hoping I have got rid of the bow wobble at WOT which I think was due to not enough weight in the bow giving the keel chance to steer in a straight line meaning the stern was digging in a bit and allowing the boat to spin a bit to and frow. I have the right balance now using the trailer axel as mid point to prove it we shall see.

Cheers

[kaman]

Looks very professional Jeff☺
Looks similar to the RNLI inshore sibs.
Like how you have mounted the fixed VHF.
You've given me a few ideas for next year's project��.

[Antonio]

I'm an little geek near you... great job.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by kaman

Looks very professional Jeff☺
Looks similar to the RNLI inshore sibs.
Like how you have mounted the fixed VHF.
You've given me a few ideas for next year's project��.

glad its of some inspiration Kaman the biggest obstical is fixing it down the splash rail on mine is spot on and the base to build from just a tip if you do something similar stick some foam between the tubes and your fixed dash/dodgger to prevent chafe.

cheers

[T4Syncro]

I also like your revised design. My Quicksilver 430 is standard and one up with nothing up in the bow its a little naughty.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by T4Syncro

I also like your revised design. My Quicksilver 430 is standard and one up with nothing up in the bow its a little naughty.

as you can imagine my 365 with the 25hp on was a tad naughty too but i have the same weight as the engine roughly in the bow now so she should travel more balanced.

[smallribber]

Now get out on the water and enjoy her. Don't let the winter stop you


Dennis

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

Now get out on the water and enjoy her. Don't let the winter stop you


Dennis

looking for a cottage Dennis over the chrismas hols but very busy this year fingers crossed if not it will have to be days out

[jeffstevens763@g]

small addition to tidy up the stern made out of 3mm HDPE from direct plastics got them to cut me to size all the bits then welded them together with a standard soldering iron which has made it strong enough without welding properly with a bead welder which i can do at a later date if required.
cost for the box about £20 i had the four eyelets in the shed which i intend to thread a rope round and through to secure to the seat.

[Cliff B]

Looks great that mate, I bet you have a lot of fun!

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Cliff B

Looks great that mate, I bet you have a lot of fun!

Thanks cliff it won't suit everyone but it's ideal for me I trail my boat so a little extra weight isn't a problem and for a few quid I got something you carnt buy off the shelf.

Cheers

Did you get all your bits ready for the big day?

[Cliff B]

Yes, individual for your needs and pretty cool to boot mate.

Yep, picked up all my bits. Trailer is almost customised so I'm counting down the days now. I've got the first week in March off work so want to get her as wet as possible that week, but can't wait that long so hopefully this coming week or the week after.