Flatback Fireboat Rebuild

[Blue Agave]

Craig, I agree with Capt. Matt 10 - 20 gallons is more than sufficient.

[CLM65]

What's your plan for the fresh water, just enough to shower to wash the salt off?
If so 10-20 gallons should be plenty even if taking a extended showeri with a female friend
I use a saltwater wash down to keep boat clean while out
Capt Matt

Mostly just to rinse the salt off.  Someday I also may add a misting system too.  The tank I have is 16 gallons, so I think I'll stick with that.  If I didn't already have it, I'd probably do something with the PVC pipes - that really is a good idea.

Thanks guys  

[gran398]

Consider the misting system, in addition to the freshwater shower.

We took a look at it...there were misting systems for sale to rig through the T Top.  Bottom line, the pump was readily sourced. The spray heads...not so much, more of a challenge, you had to dig...but they were out there.

Take the specs of the available misting "systems" ...and source the components on your own. That's what they did, and added their margin.

[dburr]

What Scotty said on the misting parts..

 

Take a look here:

http://www.agrimart.net/greenleaf-turbodrop-nozzles/

Start with something like this maybe: (part number) 1/4" (F) Adapter (QJ8355-1/4-NYB then put a nozzle, end cap and diaphragm  on and your in..   In a previous life I did aerial application and we had at least a hundred of these around the shop and all kinds of tips for different application rates.  They would be really slick for a mister because of the positive shut off.  Hanging on a T top, maybe 3 bodies with flat fan tips and your in business..

Or, go to your local Ag supply and let them know you would like about a 20 micron droplet size and tell them the expected operating pressure and see what they hand you..

[CLM65]

Sweet!  Thanks for the info

[CLM65]

It's been a long time since any updates.  I have not been very good about taking pictures, but here are a few showing where I am at today...

Since I kept the original stringers and am raising the deck a few inches, I made new stringer caps for the main stringers.  I also am integrating a fairly large fuel tank, so my stringers are now a little unconventional.  Here is one of the caps in the mold.



And here it is removed from the mold.



On a different thread I had asked about how T-tops and towers are typically mounted to the deck, particularly with the stringers directly under the feet of the top.  I got a lot of great responses, some with tapping a backing plate, others with through-bolting, etc.  While all good suggestions, I went with through-bolting with notches in the stringers to access the underside of the backing plates.  The photo above was my original concept, but since I don't have a tower yet, I decided I need to allow more flexibility for different width towers.  So I modified the design and ended up with this.  



Although I am using poly for most of my rebuild, I attached the stringer caps to the existing stringer bottoms with epoxy.  I figure this is a critical joint, so I felt safer using the increased bond strength of epoxy.

[CLM65]

I have 3/8" x 8" wide aluminum plates that get through-bolted to the stringers (I embedded backing plates and nuts inside the stringers) at four locations.  I surveyed several members and also some tower fabricators to determine the best locations of the plates.  I should be able to accommodate most towers with this layout.

I also made and mounted a tank cradle to adequately support the 72 gallon poly tank I have.  They are hard to see, but there are drain holes at each end of the cradle.  I glassed a piece of 1/2 nida core to the hull below the fuel tank, and also in the open area between the bilge and the fuel tank.  That stuff really stiffens up the hull.  

[CLM65]

And lastly here is the bilge with integrated knees and a rigging tube (one on each side).



I still need to finish the stringers forward of the gas tank, and then I'll be ready for foam.  Then, on to the transom cap.  That should be fun  

[gran398]

Craig, you've gotten a lot done!

That thing is gonna be a brick house...the bulkheads locked it right down, the glasswork looks great too.

Man...wish the sucker that sold it to you could see it now

[CLM65]

LOL!  Thanks Scott!  It's not perfect, but it does feel pretty solid.  It's great to feel how much each little change affects the overall structure.  From the additional glass on the hull, to the nida core, to the stringers and bulkheads, etc.  You could definitely feel the give in the hull when it was just original glass and empty stringers - there was a definite deflection under my feet as I walked on it.  And the whole boat would wobble when you shook the sides.  Now you can't notice any give in the hull, and it is solid when you shake it.  By the time I get done with the rest of the bulkheads and glassing the sides, I hope it really is as solid as a brick house!

[Aswaff400]

LOL!  Thanks Scott!  It's not perfect, but it does feel pretty solid.  It's great to feel how much each little change affects the overall structure.  From the additional glass on the hull, to the nida core, to the stringers and bulkheads, etc.  You could definitely feel the give in the hull when it was just original glass and empty stringers - there was a definite deflection under my feet as I walked on it.  And the whole boat would wobble when you shook the sides.  Now you can't notice any give in the hull, and it is solid when you shake it.  By the time I get done with the rest of the bulkheads and glassing the sides, I hope it really is as solid as a brick house!

i noticed the same thing when i loaded my flat back on the trailer a couple weeks ago, before she'd twist and sounded like a hollow can, now she's rock solid and will be more solid once im done glassing all the bulkheads.

[RickK]

Looking good Craig - those stringers look kick-butt  
I finally got to get back into the fiberglass dust today after a month hiatus - felt good and I put a few hours on the console, trimming up the seat and beefing it up a bit.
The cooler weather sure makes it nice to work outside now.  

[gran398]

Guys to get her really tight....run a ledger down the inner hull sides for deck support

[gman 82 aquasport]

X2!!! She looks like she will take a hard wave real good Like the forethought that you have given the things you've added and beefed up, will make a great difference in the end result

[CLM65]

Thanks guys!  The cooler weather definitely helps.  I just want to get the foam in before it gets too cool.  I understand that below about 80 degrees it doesn't expand as much.  I really hope I don't need to order any more.

I will be adding outer stringers (or ledgers) after I glass the inner hull sides.  They will be similar to the original outer stringers, only not as wide (and taller of course).

One bit of information I got from a very reputable aluminum fabricator in the Tampa Bay area is that the problems he has seen regarding mounting towers is not that the tower pulls free from the deck, but that the deck separates from the stringers.  I am hoping to avoid that problem by bolting the aluminum backing plates to the stringers, and then bolting the tower to the plate, essentially resulting in bolting the tower to the stringers.  At least that is the theory anyway.  It may make more sense after I get the tank in and the plates mounted.

And Aaron, how is your flatback coming?  We haven't seen pics in a while.  You're not going to surprise us with a finished product, are you?