Flatback Fireboat Rebuild

[RickK]

Maybe I'm forgetting previous conversations but is that your Aquasport hanging from the davits in the background?  If it is, you should add a "Signature" in your Control Panel and list the boats you have    (see mine)

[CLM65]

Yes Rick, that's my 205 on the lift.  I'll take some pics and add a signature in the next couple of days.

[gman 82 aquasport]

The bend should be fine.. I put the same size tank in my 19-6, and the fill connection was facing the stern, I just got a longer fill hose and ran it down the top of the tank and turned it back toward to bow to hook it up... no flow problems while filling(not slow)..with your vent farther forward  it should vent fine..Picked up my poly tank from greatlakesskipper off ebay....it is an INCA....boats coming along nicely

[CLM65]

Thanks gman.  I looked at several tanks at greatlakesskipper, both on ebay and their website.  Their prices seem to be pretty good, but the shipping is a killer.  I actually contacted them last week to make sure the shipping calculator on their website wasn't screwed up ($265 shipping       ).  It wasn't.  And the ones on ebay with free shipping...well, nothing is really free...it seems to be rolled into the "buy it now" cost.

I'd pull the trigger on the 55 gallon tank I found for a good price, but I need to layout the console and casting deck location.  The tank will need to be fairly far forward.  I know everyone says to locate the tank forward to compensate for mounting the motor on a bracket.  But is there such a thing as too far forward?

[GoneFission]

Thanks gman.  I looked at several tanks at greatlakesskipper, both on ebay and their website.  Their prices seem to be pretty good, but the shipping is a killer.  ?

Ship by Greyhound.  They are very reasonable for large packages.  You just have to go to a bus terminal for drop off and pick up.

[gran398]

Thanks gman.  I looked at several tanks at greatlakesskipper, both on ebay and their website.  Their prices seem to be pretty good, but the shipping is a killer.  I actually contacted them last week to make sure the shipping calculator on their website wasn't screwed up ($265 shipping       ).  It wasn't.  And the ones on ebay with free shipping...well, nothing is really free...it seems to be rolled into the "buy it now" cost.

I'd pull the trigger on the 55 gallon tank I found for a good price, but I need to layout the console and casting deck location.  The tank will need to be fairly far forward.  I know everyone says to locate the tank forward to compensate for mounting the motor on a bracket.  But is there such a thing as too far forward?

Yes there is. Too far forward, the bow will dig. In a following sea, digging into the backs of the swell....could cause the bow to "grab" and brooch.

Captain Matt has been real busy lately,  hasn't been able to get on the board much running 2 trips a day. Since he runs his flatback daily, he'd be the one to answer "where" on the tank placement.

Give me a holler if you like, I'll get you his number.

[CLM65]

Thanks gman.  I looked at several tanks at greatlakesskipper, both on ebay and their website.  Their prices seem to be pretty good, but the shipping is a killer.  ?

Ship by Greyhound.  They are very reasonable for large packages.  You just have to go to a bus terminal for drop off and pick up.

Picking it up at the local Greyhound terminal is no problem, but how does one go about getting it from the store to the departing Greyhound terminal?

[CLM65]

Yes there is. Too far forward, the bow will dig. In a following sea, digging into the backs of the swell....could cause the bow to "grab" and brooch.

Captain Matt has been real busy lately,  hasn't been able to get on the board much running 2 trips a day. Since he runs his flatback daily, he'd be the one to answer "where" on the tank placement.

Give me a holler if you like, I'll get you his number.

Capt. Matt posted a page or two back, recommending the tank go as far forward as possible, with the back of the tank close to the front of the console.  That's the reason I pm'd you about the dimensions of your console.  I seem to have lost your cell number.  Give me a ring when you get a chance.

[gman 82 aquasport]

I put mine as far forward as I could, which translates to the front of the tank is about 6 inches behind the front deck..
Thats as far forward as I could get the tank and keep it under ther floor I will attest that the bow of mine does ride a little bit lower than before( 1-1 1/2inch), but when my livewell goes in (stern), it should be about where it was originally

[CLM65]

It's been a while since I posted - not necessarily because I haven't been working on the boat, but mostly because there has been nothing noteworthy lately.  Still grinding...still removing paint...still trying to stay on the wife's good side...only now I sweat a lot more when I do these things.  Man is it getting hot!

Anyway, I am at the point of removing the wood strip in the keel.  In order to make sure I am cutting in the center of the keel, I drilled two small (1/8") holes from the outside of the keel - one at the front of the keel and another at the back, and then ran a string between them:



I was expecting to see some wood chips come out when I drilled the holes, but didn't see any.  So then, before I attacked it with the right angle grinder, I drilled some exploratory 3/8" holes along the center of the floor.  I was mostly curious to see what condition the wood was in, but I also wanted to see how thick the glass is above the wood.  This is what each one looked like:



Each hole was about 1-1/4"  to 1-1/2" deep, and each one had the exact same result.  Does this look like wood to anyone?  Is it possible that this boat was made before or after they started using wood in the keel?  Does anyone see a need to go any further with this part of the project?

Oh, and I also got to play a little with fiberglass.  Here is the cradle I made for the gas tank.  Not the prettiest thing - more of a learning experience - but I think it will work fine once I properly reinforce it.  And yes, I did leave room for tank expansion and foam padding.

[dirtwheelsfl]

Not sure what mine actually is (title says 72) but i cut a foot or so off the end of my keel and it was nothing but glass and putty with a fair amount of voids. Definitely factory. Not a whole lotta water to be found in mine but alot of voids. Ground mine down to bare glass and filled all voids before glassing...

Another mystery. Every flatback ive seen in person has the same bit of rocker in the forward section of the keel and turns into a hook toward the middle. Not the hulls but just the keel itself. I tried to get it out of the keel at first, but the hull was straight so i left it alone...

[gran398]

Craig, great progress. From the drill pics...no wood in my former and your new Flatback Fireboat

I'm with you. If it ain't broke...don't fix it

[CLM65]

Thanks Scott - I'm all for less work!  I know we kinda made an educated guess on the year...I wonder if it may be newer, like dirtwheels.  Doesn't really matter to me...I'm just happy I got a flatback!

[RickK]

My 70/71 170 didn't have any wood down the middle either.  Maybe just some years?

[gran398]

Yours may be the same year as Rick's. What year is Dirtwheels?

It will be interesting to see if the '69 with the windows has the wood strip.

The more flatbacks we have the more the dots are starting to connect