1985 St. Lawerance Duck Boat

G

GregL

Active member
This boat is surprisingly sturdy, I can stand on one side and it barely lists at all and has a Merc 25 2 stroke of the same vintage which I am hoping to find a good deal on a yammie to replace it (something a little more reliable).

I'm thinking about removing this bench to give both myself and dog more room. To all the boat builders will I weaken this boat by removing the bench? I'm thinking if I"m doing glass work, I could glass in 2 side shelves on the floor
that might help keep it stiff with the bench removed.



View attachment 20200404_162637 (1).jpg View attachment 20200404_162641.jpg View attachment 20200404_162646.jpg
 
Cool looking boat, looks like an old Skeeter "bass boat" hull, they were popular down south years ago.

I am willing to bet that seat is structural, helps keeps the hull from flexing inward. Might be able to make a center cutout to facilitate walking foward & aft.
 
That's what I'm concerned with. I'm thinking I could cut some marine plywood ribs and glass them in to help support the sides.

If I could get that middle seat out and sit one on of those low blind seats and put the dog in a momarsh invsi-lab. Man we would be nice an low!
 
Greg~


I am not familuiar with this boat - but itcertainly looks like a sweet gunning vessel


A couple of thoughts:


1) Is the seat a flotation chamber? If so, could you add comparable volume else where in the boat?


2) If you can remove it - but the vessel flexes or wracks (hull twists along its length) too much - could you live with a bulkhead or even a simple thwart (as in a canoe) across the cockpit?


3) Were it my boat, I would cut the seat out very carefully - maybe an inch or inch-and-a-half from its perimeter - so that you could reinstall it readily OR fasten a new bulkhead to the "flange" that would be left in place. Half-inch plywood through-bolted to the flange and stiffened with a hardwood cleat across its upper edge (which probably would not have to be as high as the existing seat top) would probably do the trick.


All the best,


SJS






 
1) Is the seat a flotation chamber? If so, could you add comparable volume else where in the boat?
I was thinking of glassing in a shelf sort of down each side, it could be made almost 12' long as the boat is 15 or 16' long. If I did it 1/2 the height of the gunnel and 4 or 5" thick, that would be pretty darn close to the same volume. I would think.

2) If you can remove it - but the vessel flexes or wracks (hull twists along its length) too much - could you live with a bulkhead or even a simple thwart (as in a canoe) across the cockpit?
[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] I was thinking of some kind of vertical rib maybe..
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3)Were it my boat, I would cut the seat out very carefully - maybe an inch or inch-and-a-half from its perimeter - so that you could reinstall it readily OR fasten a new bulkhead to the "flange" that would be left in place. Half-inch plywood through-bolted to the flange and stiffened with a hardwood cleat across its upper edge (which probably would not have to be as high as the existing seat top) would probably do the trick.
This is a good idea! I could leave 5-6" on either side and maybe 2-4" on the bottom, the plywood and glass it. Should help with support. I really just want the seat out so I can put a lower chair and allow me to stretch my legs with my dog behind me :)

4) Trasnom?
How hard is it fix a transom on a glass boat? I haven't looked closely at it but haven't found any soft spots yet.

[font=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]What ya think?[/font]
 
Good morning, Greg~


Here are my thoughts on the "vertical rib" - which I would call a bulkhead - even though only several inches tall.


I would use one of the existing walls - the fore or aft one depending upon your space layout. I would cut it down as per the dotted line (B) in the sketch to leave a flange (C) as I mentioned previously. I would remove the top and other wall of the seat entirely.


View attachment St Lawrence Duckboat Design Sketch 01.JPG



I do not know either 1) how thick/stiff are the seat walls now nor 2) how well adhered the seat walls are to the floor.


So, I presume you would need to 1) thicken the wall (what I am calling a web after cutting) and securely fasten the web to the hull.


I would accomplish both with epoxy resin, thickened for fillets, and a biaxial 'glass reinforcement ( http://www.uscomposites.com/specialty.html ). You could get by with just a few yards of the 12-inch wide 1708 tape.


View attachment St Lawrence Duckboat - web details.jpg





Note how each layer of 'glass is an inch or 2 longer than the previous layer so the top layer covers the inner layers and fairs nicely onto the hull. I would use 2 layers of 1708 on each side of the web; 3 layers of 10-ounce cloth if not using the biaxial. The fillets should continue up each side of the hull. - but I would retain the weep hole (scupper) along the centerline so any water can drain aft as needed. All surfaces that will get epoxy need thorough sanding (40 or 60 grit) first.



The "hardwood cleats" (D in the first sketch) can actually be just treated decking. They should be set in 3M 5200 or other adhesive caulk - or thickened epoxy - on either side of the web, flush with the top of the web. Fasten the cleats first then sand the web flush with the top of the cleats after the 5200 or epoxy cures. This gives a 3-inch wide top on the web which stiffens it laterally but also provides a step and a gentler spot on which to fall...compared with a raw web edge.



This all make sense?


Regarding your transom: Any indication that there is rot in it? Any soft spots?


Hope this helps,


SJS





 
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Steve,

Thank you so much for the great input!!! Love this place!!

I'll post more pics once I got the blind and floors out.
 
Greg I owned one of these for about 10 years with a 2 stroke 40 hp on it. The seats on mine had flotation in them so taking the seat out will remove the flotation. I would first check the foam. Mine was water logged and ended up pulled out. The hull is fairly thick (first hand knowledge from repairing a hole) and I would suggest Steve's plan on cutting it out with the idea you can put it back in if need be.

These are great boats and not a lot of them around where did this one come from? Mine was in StanBridge PQ
 
WOW! 40hp man that would be a rocket ship!

I bought off a fella near Kawartha, Ontario :)
It certain way more stable that I expected.
 
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GregL said:
WOW! 40hp man that would be a rocket ship!

I bought off a fella near Kawartha, Ontario :)
It certain way more stable that I expected.
Click to expand...

Small world......I live in the Kawarthas and have the same boat.
 
Nice! What motor are you running? Mine has a very old Merc 25 that I would like to replace with something more reliable.
 
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