new member from Yorkshire, UK

[yorky]

My name is Chris Atkinson, I am a metal worker, making mostly multicurvature sheet steel items. Built my first boat last year, as its aluminium thought it may be of interest.

It was inspired by a trip to New Zealand where I saw their boats, so decided to build one,Kiwis will reckognize the particular model from a Napier company that I choose to try and emulate; as I had no plans I used pictures of boats for sale as my guidance, as well as books and web sites featuring similar boats.

Below is a link to the maiden launch in Bridlington bay end of last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eJE4HlXTwQ

if the link doesn't work it can be found by searching youtube for Kiwikate , clip is titled s620.

better get to work.

Regards

[Sabs28]

Welcome to the forum Chris. Very nice boat. Any build pictures???? What are the specs on the boat, motor??
Love the way you launched the boat.

[yorky]

thank you for the welcome, the boat is 6.2 m , I have a used 150 Yamaha two stroke (which has never run properly yet, starts cuuting out over 3000 revs, so have never managed more then 37 knots). the boat has only been to sea four times as winter arrived so I'm still sorting out the bugs, the boat seems fine its just the motor.

The boat is built with 5 mm bottom plates; 3mm sides, 4 mm flooring, the folded sides are air tanks for reserve buoyancy, these caused a lot of work getting air tight, all welding by Kemppi pulse mig, this was my first aluminium welding project, though have done plenty of steel welding with tig. I rotated the boat once the sides and transom were on between two post/ jacks for ease of welding.

As for build pictures I have a lot, but don't know how to post them on here, when I work it out will put some on.

[goatram]

Welcome Yorkie as well from the PNW, Washington, USA

[3f8]

Welcome to AAB. Your boat and your skills suggest this will be your kind of place.

[JETTYWOLF]

W-O-W......home made? That's one good looking vessel.

And that video of the beach launch is great. Need to show that to all the nutz around here. Because if we could do that the boat launch wouldn't be such a nightmare every saturday.

[welder]

Chris, welcome to AAB , glad to hve you aboard. Can't wait to see some build pics and what kind of performance you get when the motor is dialed in.

As far as loading pictures ... Just below the text box , where you type your post is a Tab that says Upload attachment , left click it and follow directions. If you take or resize your pictures to 800 X 600 pixels it works very well.
You can also go to your profile and start an album and load up larger pictures there .

It all just take a little playing with and you will have it.

[goatram]

Waiting the build pictures
I agree with Dave. To build it without plans or blueprints just pictures says you are talented.to hit 37 knots (Kilometers?) at 3000 rpm is wickedly fast. What will it do at 5500 to 6000 rpm. Scary fast?

Check your Fuel Filter on the engine. A friend was experiencing a similar issue. His was fixed by the shop mechanic when he replaced the internal fuel filter. His was a 4 stroke Suzuki 175hp. good luck on the fixing the gremlin

[yorky]

thankyou for the welcoming words and advice; hopefully here a three build pictures start ,middle and end.

If these work I will do a more thorough post in show and tell.

[Sabs28]

Nice pictures. The more the Merrier.

[pjay9]

WELCOME again from the Pacific NW! Great PICS! Keep them coming. What are you going to do with this boat? Tell us more about the beach launch...is that a service you pay for and the guy just has his tractor there...it would be fun to see a recovery.

Glad to have you aboard from merry ol' England. You know there is no better compliment than emulation, I am sure the colonials will be proud.
Capt PJ

[yorky]

Beach launching has always been the traditional method of launching for the smaller commercial fishers due to our coastline being nearly all beach with little natural shelter; they must have used horses before tractors came along.

The launching and recovery service is provided by the County from April to Oct, adjacent is a secure compound for boat storage on trailers, they have several tractors you just turn up and pay.

Recovery is not too bad but due to the very shallow fall of the beach and the surf, floating your boat onto the trailer is rare without a very low launching trailer designed specifically for beach launching, so its a case of beaching the boat and winching, the trailer is attached to the three point linkage of the tractor so he can lift the front thereby lowering the back of the trailer, a roller type trailer is a must.

beached ready for reloading onto roller trailer

300beached.jpg (197.49 KiB) Viewed 8209 times

regarding the 37 knots, this was the one time it didn't cut out at 3000 revs, reckon must have been 4500 ish, it didn't last long enough for me to take note.

[Gypseas]

Great looking boat!

cheers

[JETTYWOLF]

""a roller type trailer is a must.""

I'd think so.........

Now that's Funny!