Building an Aluminum BBIII - what modifications would you make circa 2017

Why do you think you need 1/8" or 3/16" plate for your hull? Properly braced, .100" will do all you ask of it, and at a fraction of the price and weight of the other options. We have always run .100 boats in some very shallow rivers where hull strikes with logs, gravel bars, and rocks are common, with little damage to show for it.
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He is using a design where the bracing is far apart. The design calls for 3/8" plywood.
 
Why do you think you need 1/8" or 3/16" plate for your hull? Properly braced, .100" will do all you ask of it, and at a fraction of the price and weight of the other options. We have always run .100 boats in some very shallow rivers where hull strikes with logs, gravel bars, and rocks are common, with little damage to show for it.
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Bracing reasons, but your indeed correct you can cut down on a lot of weight by going thinner and properly bracing the hull. Now days guys think they have to have half inch thick aluminum transoms and 1/4" thick hulls. All that does is cause extra weight and drag. Find a proven design thats been engineered properly or have Devlin send the design the Specmar since they are working together now and let Specmar make an aluminum version of the boat from the plans with the proper engineering done to it to provide all the answers before the boat is ever built.
 
I can easily build a BBIII at 200 pounds without sacrificing anything. That is significantly lighter than an all-weld john boat of most any manufacturer.
 
I can easily build a BBIII at 200 pounds without sacrificing anything. That is significantly lighter than an all-weld john boat of most any manufacturer.
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Beauty of stitch and glue right there! For those that can't build and maintain one themselves, I guess have to settle for an inferior build out of aluminum.
 
That's what I said above. Keep in mind that some aluminum boat manufacturers heat treat the aluminum to increase strength. The strength of 3/8 plywood with epoxy resin on the inside and epoxy resin and glass on the outside is far stronger then .100 aluminum. The down side to wood is the eventual maintenance.

Tom
 
That's what I said above. Keep in mind that some aluminum boat manufacturers heat treat the aluminum to increase strength. The strength of 3/8 plywood with epoxy resin on the inside and epoxy resin and glass on the outside is far stronger then .100 aluminum. The down side to wood is the eventual maintenance.

Tom
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Yes, I always appreciate your input!
 
That's what I said above. Keep in mind that some aluminum boat manufacturers heat treat the aluminum to increase strength. The strength of 3/8 plywood with epoxy resin on the inside and epoxy resin and glass on the outside is far stronger then .100 aluminum. The down side to wood is the eventual maintenance.

Tom
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Tom

I built my BBII in 2002. The only maintenance to the wood was when I ran over a tree with a nail sticking out and it raked a groove 1/8" deep in the hull. I had to flip it and repair. No other maintenance than typical stuff like new battery and cleaning out mud/debris at the end of a season. I'm sure there will come a day when it needs some tlc but after 14 seasons I'd call it very low maintenance.
 
Eric, That's really good. Don't get me wrong. I really like wood boat construction. Epoxy resin has the best resistance to moisture. I grew up around wood working with my Dad and appreciate fine wood. My Dad made most all the wood furniture in my home. I make fiberglass boats for the guys that don't have the desire or time to build there own.

Tom
 
Hi All - thanks for the ongoing input.... some responses....

JPWard - i like the BBIII specifically because of the motor well, and ease of access to the prop. Can you tell me / explain what you mean by "I would plan to bob the inner corners of the sponson to avoid the issue". do you mean trim them at a 45 degree to improve motor range of motion?

The scaup 16 is a good looking boat, and thanks to those of you who offered to let me come see yours. I'm moving from a Gus Heinrich BBSB, and the 16' is bigger than i want given where I like to hunt. It's more than I need.

.100 - maybe, but i'm rough on boats and tend to over index on dimensions i really care about - durability being one of them

specmar - don't know them. Sam didn't mention when i spoke to him, though i don't recall if i mentioned i was considering aluminum. net, i'm comfortable with the decision at this point, especially given input.... and this is going to be a homemade boat...

Eric - building a bbiii < 200lb. I know you could. i've read a lot on this site and am so inspired. The bottomline is that i do not have time to build. it would take me years, but i do aspire to build one myself and will do so when i retire. the concept of building is very appealing. but i need the bbiii this year not years from now.

Tod - re: aluminum being an 'inferior build.' i suppose everyone is entitled to an opinion. I don't see this as anything more than personal preference. respect your pov. don't agree with it though, as it applies to ME.

you all should know I have personal reasons for making durability and maintenance high priorities for me.

Thanks for the continued input and opinions.

FYI - I'm seriously considering adding flapper sides that fold into and nest between grass rails and combing on cockpit. Will be a way to break up lines of boat when/if i want (2 hunters?), yet stay out of the way / secure when i don't.

my other option to do the same is to install flush mount 'scotty' holders at the outside edge of the 4 corners of the cockpit, just insert a vertical pole and run a 'grass curtain' around the perimeter.

anyway for all of you recent guys - are there any other changes you'd make to your BBIII if you were building it all over again?
 
Eric, That's really good. Don't get me wrong. I really like wood boat construction. Epoxy resin has the best resistance to moisture. I grew up around wood working with my Dad and appreciate fine wood. My Dad made most all the wood furniture in my home. I make fiberglass boats for the guys that don't have the desire or time to build there own.

Tom
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Tom I wasn't disagreeing with but agreeing with your assessment. I was trying to add that the "eventual" need for maintenance in my case has yet to really happen.
 
I'm sure it helped that you took the time to do it right the first time. When I was 6 or 7 we used to vacation on Houghton Lake Mi. and the place had wooden boats with small outboards. It's a very shallow lake so when a storm was coming they would anchor the boats away from the dock. After the storm they were brought back to the dock. My brother, sister and myself would run out jump in the boats and bail all the water out. The owners must of thought we were nuts but we thought it was a blast. Good old fashion entertainment. Tom
 
Hi All - thanks for the ongoing input.... some responses....

JPWard - i like the BBIII specifically because of the motor well, and ease of access to the prop. Can you tell me / explain what you mean by "I would plan to bob the inner corners of the sponson to avoid the issue". do you mean trim them at a 45 degree to improve motor range of motion?
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Yes, I liked the motor well too and there were no problems after taking the inside corners off.
 
For bobbing the corners - when you tilt the motor into its shallow water operation position, the prop will contact the inner corners of the sponsons to each side of the motor well when you are turning. This happens if you build the stern to the plan dimensions. If you mess up by two inches and place the transom piece on too far back, then there may be no need to clearance the inside corners of the sponsons. Either of these modifications result in less flotation in the stern. One more than the other.

In your OP on this thread you mention that you weigh 290...a four stroke motor and you at the stern of this boat will present some operational issues. When I built my BBIII I was pretty heavy at 250ish. Dressed for hunting I was probably close to 270ish. I had to make a 20" tiller extender to get the boat to trim out when hunting alone. I could stand on the sponsons over the motor and push pole. The rear decks would be at the water line or just over it. I run a 25hp nissan 2-stroke, or a small long tail.

Flapper blind panels...I tried that on my BBIII...its a really wide boat so any panel that fits between the coaming and the grass rail is pretty small and nearly useless to hide someone your size sitting on the floor. Also at 6 feet your knees will be in your chest when sitting on the floor facing out to the side of the boat. What size boot do you wear? I'm 5'8" and wear a sized 10 wader boot. My knees are not up into my chest, but my boots do not fit under the built to plan side decks. Who ever sits towards the bow needs to be pretty short to be comfortable sitting on the floor.

My main seat is a sliding slat bench made out of cedar 1x2 that rests on the coaming. I use it to adjust my location in the boat to trim it. I stand on it to scout the marsh and cast when fishing. It is a handy shelf to hold a grass mat over me when I sit on the floor. Fixed seats are not all that usable in a BBIII and I don't recommend them. They prevent options and restrict my setting up fishing or hunting.
 
My main seat is a sliding slat bench made out of cedar 1x2 that rests on the coaming. I use it to adjust my location in the boat to trim it. I stand on it to scout the marsh and cast when fishing. It is a handy shelf to hold a grass mat over me when I sit on the floor. Fixed seats are not all that usable in a BBIII and I don't recommend them. They prevent options and restrict my setting up fishing or hunting.
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This is a great idea. I love the versatility of the seat, the platform, the deck. Do you happen to have a picture? i'd love to see the design. Thank you for the good suggestions.
 
ok - a couple of more questions / ideas for vetting with you guys:

1. anyone know metal properties to know whether I should go with brass vs. Stainless Steel fittings, if they are 'mating to' aluminum, or does it matter? I'm thinking about reactivity of one to the other.

2. gas tank... i'm thinking of getting it custom made to fit vertically next to Bulk 1. Upside better counter ballast vs me/motor, and tucks gas up nice and tight to maximize storage space between Bulk 1 and 2. Thoughts? Who does this?
 
Troy, I think it'd be awesome to build it from 3/16" but I don't know if anything beyond the hull would be truly helpful. As a teenager, I built a couple boats from scratch. I beefed them up, then I realized I made a grave mistake by adding way too much weight. I know it'll be a tank, but I don't know if that will realistically help you kill more ducks. It's your call, but I think I'd minimalize the use of the thicker gauge aluminum to only the essentials. But it definitely would be crazy cool if you built the whole thing 3/16"!
 
BB3bench2.jpg


BB3bench1.jpg


Its made out of western red cedar 1.75" by .75" trim pieces from a box store. I cut dados in the ends to mount the side rails to so that they hang over the coaming. I used polyurethane glue, but I recommend Titebond III. I have had a couple of other projects come apart in the weather due to UV damage and probably extreme cold cracking. The only hardware are the six screws to hold the end rails on while the glue set.
 
Ray - that's slick! I like it.

and yes 3/16" only on hull... 1/8" everywhere else...

any ideas on gas tanks? or opinions on metallurgy?
 
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