Seawolf 31' Build

[spoiled one]

Looking good, Jim. ARe you able to go down and "visit" her at all during the build or just for the delivery adn sea trial?

[jrogers]

Good question,Pete. I have put some thought into that and at this point I am deciding to hold off on trips there now, even though I am flying to the states several times during this period on business and personal trips. In reality, I don't think I can add much in the way of a technical review of their work beyond the conversations that come up from the pictures. I typically talk to them once per week or so right now when I have questions on how things are being done. My plan is to invest my time there at the sea trial time and afterwards, hopefully putting a significant number of hours on the boat the later part of the winter and the spring time. That way if I find a problem, it is all under warranty and I can leave it and say 'fix it' without having to deal with long distance repairs or losing out on the great summer we will have next year. I am also thinking hard about running it up to Juneau and then using the ferry to get it from Juneau to Whittier, so I want to make sure things are sorted out before the spring time.

[spoiled one]

Spring will not come soon enough! Keep the pictures coming. I have always wanted to do the inside passage trip. Perhaps I will do it after I retire. After seeing the market drop to near record lows, this may not be happening as early as I thought.:( She looks real good, Jim.

[jrogers]

Continued progress....

[jrogers]

They say the metal work should be complete in a couple of weeks. Then it moves to the other station where they start adding all of the other 'stuff'.

[Chaps]

I would be interested in knowing what the they use the Makita power planer for. Are they flattening weld beads with it? Or shaping some of the structural pieces? I know from my own experience that working aluminum is similar in some ways to working with very hard wood but i didn't know you could plane it.

[jrogers]

Bob, they say they use the planer for making smooth contours once pieces are in place, much like you would in woodworking.

[Chaps]

Interesting, I see the fellow trimming the roof support beams so they are true to each other. I'm going to have to try that, using a planer that is.

[jrogers]

[Ironwoodtuna]

Chaps,
Its really looking nice. I like the angle of the front windshields, I question the diamond plate decking, not very good without non-skid and then its will be harder on your feet. A flat deck with non-skid or the PVC decking I used or the cork that Ironwood uses may have been a better choice. Or it may have been your financial choice that made your decission for you. I did my deck my self in three long days and $3,800.00 in materials for a 10' x 12' deck area. Guess your just sitting by the pc waiting for the next round of pictures to come in. Its great watching a build take shape. Marty

[peterbo3]

JR,
Looking very smart. Good welding & a big cab.

[Chaps]

Marty - its Jim Rogers boat, wish it was mine though . . .

[warthog5]

I have a question about the rub rails on the sides.

First I like them very much. They are form & function, which is a win-win deal. The stiffness they add to the side panels is incredible.





Now the question.

I see they are stitch welded now. Long runs in a flat panel can warp the panel. [Not good] :(

Will they weld them out solid or will they have some kind of sealer to stop water/ salt from being trapped behind them?

[Chaps]

I have a question about the rub rails on the sides.

I see they are stitch welded now. Long runs in a flat panel can warp the panel. [Not good] :(

Will they weld them out solid or will they have some kind of sealer to stop water/ salt from being trapped behind them?

They are normally left as you see them. Oftentimes on items like these or railings or other less than watertight pieces the builders will drill a hole at the base or other low point to insure drainage and to discourage water entrapment.

[S L Dave]

Man that boat is looking great! The welder is really an artist.

What is the alloy typically used for the diamond plate decking? Is it a marine grade like 5052,5083,5086, etc? Or other?

[jrogers]

The decking is 5052 .190" treadplate. I might have been able to ask for something different, but this is their standard way of doing decking, even on their largest boats. The builder generally encourages bare aluminum since there are no corrosion issues. My wife was interested in having the boat painted, and I was suprised that he argued against this, even though it would have been a $20-30K addon. Just to confirm what Chaps said, I looked at a finished boat, and they do leave the rub railes stich welded.

[spoiled one]

Chaps,
Its really looking nice. I like the angle of the front windshields, I question the diamond plate decking, not very good without non-skid and then its will be harder on your feet. Marty

Hey Marty,

Up here in the north land, the days that we can fish bare foot are far and few between. The diamond plate is pretty standard up here and when you are wearing extra tuffs, traction is not an issue.

The boat is coming along nicely, Jim. Keep the pictures coming.

Pete

[Bullshipper]

Wow

Double WOW !!

[jrogers]

And now it gets the rails. We are discussing on if to hold dead on to our wide load limit or cheat an inch or two. I figure it would be easy to pull them in later if it became an issue, so I said OK to letting them flare out a couple of inches past our wide load limit.

[jrogers]

[Chaps]

Dang, they built that boat in 5 weeks . . . it takes me that long to clean off my workbench! :lol:

Mighty fine ride you're going to have there!

[jrogers]

[JETTYWOLF]

Dang, they built that boat in 5 weeks . . . it takes me that long to clean off my workbench! :lol:

Mighty fine ride you're going to have there!

Agreement all around...I thought my work bench decided to move. Can't find it! :|

[jrogers]

I was able to get to see my boat for the first time last week in person. It looks bigger in person; the cockpit seems huge. Here are a couple of pictures I shot while there:










Jim

[tbirder]

OH MY GOD!!
All that shiny aluminum just makes my heart go pitter-patter.
There must be ten square acres of sheet metal there.
Clint