Boat re-launched, finally.

ThreeSummers

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Walker Bay, South Africa.
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Well, after standing in the garage for nearly two years of intermittently being worked on the boat finally got it's bottom wet again...

First picture is on her first ever outing on the Thames at Richmond, after which she got packed up and sent south.

_DSC0971_FirstMovement.jpg


We used her for the first three years here off and on, but due to buying a commercial boat, only logged 53 hours on the motor before being moved into the workshop at the beginning of last year.

Re-launched yesterday after finishing paint, varnish, windows, electrical systems etc. on the Klein River in the Western Cape, nearly as far south on the African continent as you can get.

_A023532_TSStanfordRiverLodge_600.jpg


Looking forward to many days like this.

Regards,

Tim.
 
Really nice boat Tim
I think I'll try one of those eTec 60s next. I've had Yam 50 (4T) on last tender, and now 70 on this one, both on the same 4 cyl block. They are lovely things, incredibly quiet and clean, and the high speed performance is a lot of fun. But with a 4 stroke you just don't get any power until the thing is spinning at nearly 4k rpm. The holeshot can be awful. I think it's time to get more torque at low rpm like in the good old days of 2 strokes. Maybe the eTec 60 can provide this
 
Really nice boat Tim
I think I'll try one of those eTec 60s next. I've had Yam 50 (4T) on last tender, and now 70 on this one, both on the same 4 cyl block. They are lovely things, incredibly quiet and clean, and the high speed performance is a lot of fun. But with a 4 stroke you just don't get any power until the thing is spinning at nearly 4k rpm. The holeshot can be awful. I think it's time to get more torque at low rpm like in the good old days of 2 strokes. Maybe the eTec 60 can provide this

Stick a turbo on your current engine! That will fill the torque hole :)
 
Really nice boat Tim
I think I'll try one of those eTec 60s next. I've had Yam 50 (4T) on last tender, and now 70 on this one, both on the same 4 cyl block. They are lovely things, incredibly quiet and clean, and the high speed performance is a lot of fun. But with a 4 stroke you just don't get any power until the thing is spinning at nearly 4k rpm. The holeshot can be awful. I think it's time to get more torque at low rpm like in the good old days of 2 strokes. Maybe the eTec 60 can provide this

Google: Problems with Evinrude outboards.......
emoticon-cartoon-008.gif

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/paris-tx/T1E45O8AB7ARAGDEH
 
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Well, after standing in the garage for nearly two years of intermittently being worked on the boat finally got it's bottom wet again...

First picture is on her first ever outing on the Thames at Richmond, after which she got packed up and sent south.

_DSC0971_FirstMovement.jpg


We used her for the first three years here off and on, but due to buying a commercial boat, only logged 53 hours on the motor before being moved into the workshop at the beginning of last year.

Re-launched yesterday after finishing paint, varnish, windows, electrical systems etc. on the Klein River in the Western Cape, nearly as far south on the African continent as you can get.

_A023532_TSStanfordRiverLodge_600.jpg


Looking forward to many days like this.

Regards,

Tim.

Hi Tim ..... sorry for a bit of a thread drift,...... BUT........ in the first of your pics, a have to ask, is the super structure "finished" eg varnished/stained etc ???..... reason I ask is because that light "natural" colour is just stunning IMHO...so is the whole package for that matter....what is the make/model of the boat as its not familiar to me?? .. at first glance I thought it was a vintage Fairline but am not sure .........
 
Hi Steve,

...in the first of your pics, a have to ask, is the super structure "finished" eg varnished/stained etc ???

All the wood is coated with epoxy - I like the look of the all-wood appearance, but the wood gets too hot in the sun, hence me painting the horizontal surfaces white (well, Toplac Ivory). Vertical surfaces are varnished to protect the wood/epoxy from UV damage. I still have more to do - benches inside: white tops/varnish sides and the sole is going to get a coat of white non-skid. On Sunday my mate was barefoot and had to put his shoes back on as the sole was getting too hot to stand on!

...what is the make/model of the boat as its not familiar to me?? .. at first glance I thought it was a vintage Fairline but am not sure .........

It's home built - "Classic 17" plans from bateau.com, a boat design company in Florida, USA: http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=C17#.UntFkt3Lrtg. I have several other plans from them, two of which (canoes) I'm going to start building next month.

Thanks for the comments.

Tim.
 
+1 to all that. It's a very pretty boat. I like the lines, and the curves put into the plywood make it look pretty as well as adding stiffness of course. Really nice. Even the engine is a very nice choice aesthetically! I can see the need for white paint to manage the heat and I think it's a very smart choice to keep the non-horizontal parts varnished. You must be really pleased with it Tim. The only thing I'd change if I had all the time in the world is I'd get some concealed fasteners for the throttle box, so that you can't see the bolt heads, but hey it's all too easy to say that from the comfort of a keyboard!

How fast does it go? I imagine it weighs 450kg plus passengers so it does high-20s knots?
 
How fast does it go? I imagine it weighs 450kg plus passengers so it does high-20s knots?

Thanks jfm, the throttle box has been moved from it's first position, so there are some filled holes visible - maybe later I'll add a mount for it below the coaming and lower it. Weight, I estimate under 300kg for the boat - motor is an additional 110kg. I will have to get it weighed sometime for certification. Next year.

Top speed I've recorded on GPS is 32 knots with only me on the boat...

Regards,

Tim.
 
I like the lines, and the curves put into the plywood make it look pretty as well as adding stiffness of course.

You can see it better in this pic:

_A023534_TSBanked_750.jpg


Although it looks grounded, it's actually mostly floating - I dragged it through the reeds on to the grass with two fingers through the bow eye... it's light!

Oh, and there's enough space in the cabin for two 6' people to sleep in. The kids can sleep outside...

Tim.
 
You can see it better in this pic:

_A023534_TSBanked_750.jpg


Although it looks grounded, it's actually mostly floating - I dragged it through the reeds on to the grass with two fingers through the bow eye... it's light!..........

Perhaps a little "African Queen" :)

Beaut boat Tim, she is a credit to you, and lovely scenery in the pics.
 
You can see it better in this pic:

_A023534_TSBanked_750.jpg


Although it looks grounded, it's actually mostly floating - I dragged it through the reeds on to the grass with two fingers through the bow eye... it's light!

Oh, and there's enough space in the cabin for two 6' people to sleep in. The kids can sleep outside...

Tim.

Great picture this and it underlines the get anywhere aspect of this boat which I like. I was also a bit jealous of the thought of burning the soles on the decks, especially since it dipped to just above freezing here last week.
 
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