Bluebill Update
- Thread starter Eric Caswell
- Start date
Ryan Werden
Well-known member
Hey Eric. Yea, still holding out for weather. It's been about 5-7 degrees here recently and I don't have a heated shop. I also have a rental property that we're selling and I've been real busy fixing that up to put on the market. No rest for the weary.
Love that handle you have there as well.
Again, great work.
Ryan
Love that handle you have there as well.
Again, great work.
Ryan
Eric Caswell
Active member
Ron, I think with the amount of experience on this board you should post your questions in a separate post. I don't think it would make any difference where your scarfs are as the plywood will as strong or stronger at the scarf. If you can position the scarfs where they line up (side panel to side panel)( bottom panel to bottom panel) you should get the same flexing in those areas when it's built. I honestly don't think it would matter.
The reason I suggest you post a seperate post with the question about suggestions is that Kenmack's boat appears to have wider side decks like mine and I know someone, Bill Vanderlaan maybe, suggested the sides be built 1 1/2" higher in addition to an increase in deck crown giving more space below and a bit more freeboard. The issue of placing a fuel tank forward below the foredeck would be easier with the increased height. Rick Kyte (sp?) built a hatch in his fore deck, etc. etc etc. The new format will enable you to acess this information as you need it. I know there is a bunch more info that others can contribute.
Pete McMiller's first words of advice to me "Don't overthink it." were on the money. That doesn't mean I heeded those words, hehehe, but I should have at times.
Hope this helps.
Eric
The reason I suggest you post a seperate post with the question about suggestions is that Kenmack's boat appears to have wider side decks like mine and I know someone, Bill Vanderlaan maybe, suggested the sides be built 1 1/2" higher in addition to an increase in deck crown giving more space below and a bit more freeboard. The issue of placing a fuel tank forward below the foredeck would be easier with the increased height. Rick Kyte (sp?) built a hatch in his fore deck, etc. etc etc. The new format will enable you to acess this information as you need it. I know there is a bunch more info that others can contribute.
Pete McMiller's first words of advice to me "Don't overthink it." were on the money. That doesn't mean I heeded those words, hehehe, but I should have at times.
Hope this helps.
Eric
Eric Caswell
Active member
Bill, Now you get to see what your work posting those pics of your motor mounting enabled me to do. I can't tell you enough how thankful I am you did that.
Thanks again,
Eric
Thanks again,
Eric
Eric Caswell
Active member
Thanks Ed, I hope you were able to put the duck camp to use this season.
Are you all settled into your new digs? Do your neighbors let you make noise and sawdust at the same time there? :^)
They are selling lots around a new golfcourse here but they are starting at a million or so. A bit out of my range.
Eric
Are you all settled into your new digs? Do your neighbors let you make noise and sawdust at the same time there? :^)
They are selling lots around a new golfcourse here but they are starting at a million or so. A bit out of my range.
Eric
Eric Caswell
Active member
Dave, I hope this answers your question.
The width at the transom is 20" the depth is 7" from the deck level at the transom and the forward surface is 7" (measured on the angle, giving the bottom a tilt towards the transom to improve draining), 8" forward at deck level leaving 3 1/2"x 11 1/2" on the bottom. Bill Buruss was kind enough to take a pic of the the [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]dimensions[/font] for a 15 hp Yamaha to base these measurements on.
Eric
The width at the transom is 20" the depth is 7" from the deck level at the transom and the forward surface is 7" (measured on the angle, giving the bottom a tilt towards the transom to improve draining), 8" forward at deck level leaving 3 1/2"x 11 1/2" on the bottom. Bill Buruss was kind enough to take a pic of the the [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]dimensions[/font] for a 15 hp Yamaha to base these measurements on.
Eric
Rick Kyte
Well-known member
Eric,
I must have missed your post when it first went up and just noticed it this morning. The boat sure turned out great! Lots of great features: the splashwell, the coaming design, the handle, the instrument box, . . . I love seeing how folks can turn out so many different versions of the same basic design.
Rick
I must have missed your post when it first went up and just noticed it this morning. The boat sure turned out great! Lots of great features: the splashwell, the coaming design, the handle, the instrument box, . . . I love seeing how folks can turn out so many different versions of the same basic design.
Rick
Brandon Yuchasz
Well-known member
Eric,
Thanks for posting this information. Its helpful to me going into a new build shortly. I realize that the dimmensions of a splashwell will differ depending on the motor and use but could you fill me in on a few things about your design?
Did you build into the cockpit area of the boat to get the needed space or build it off the back? I hope thats a clear question.
This second one is for you or anyone else. Do you see any reason you could not run a mud motor with your splashwell for the first week of season then change to an outboard?
Thanks for posting this information. Its helpful to me going into a new build shortly. I realize that the dimmensions of a splashwell will differ depending on the motor and use but could you fill me in on a few things about your design?
Did you build into the cockpit area of the boat to get the needed space or build it off the back? I hope thats a clear question.
This second one is for you or anyone else. Do you see any reason you could not run a mud motor with your splashwell for the first week of season then change to an outboard?
charlie foulds
Well-known member
Looks Great!!! I really like your custom work,great ideas.
Last edited by a moderator:
Eric Caswell
Active member
Dave, Rick, Brandon,and Charlie.
Sorry about the delay in responding. Sunday is our only day off and we had to get out of the bush for a power shop.
Dave ask anymore questions you want. I don't think I am the only one on this site that loves to talk about their boats. :^)
Rick, I was surprised as you to see this post. I guess i thought it was on the old page. So how come I can't remember how to get the pics under 100kb for a newer post? Thanks for the compliments.
One of the things I was taught by the old timer that originally worked for me was that boat work was 80% common sense,15% trying to figure out what the hell the builder was thinking at any given moment during the build, and 5% skill. Watching what others have done on this site and here in the yard has made that 15% much easier to grasp over time.
Brandon, I made my cockpit smaller on purpose as I hate surprises and cold water (although not necessarily in that order.).
I never thought to stretch out the Bluebill as I was looking for some thing that I could hunt alone in most of the time.
My aft deck is 12" into the cockpit, the fore deck is 4" into the cockpit and the side decks are about 3" wider also as a precaution to weather and the sea. Oh yeah, the coaming is higher also. In 20/20 hindsight maybe I should have built a larger version but I do love how it handles with one.
I still do not know what a mud motor is. (I have seen pictures and video though.) I do know the muddy "Rat Root" in northern Minnesota will cause you to twist the end off the shaft of your 20hp 60's something Evinrude when you are young and foolish enough to push it, so a mud motor would have its worth there also. Around here if you are in the mud check the tide. Given time you either walk out or float away merrily.
NYC Charlie. Thanks for the kind words. Have fun during the build and after hunting out of your boat. One of the things I was told (Pete McMiller's post comes to mind) here was to not over think the build. You can tell by the mods that that went in one ear and out the other with me. I'm not sure that is a good thing.
Eric
Sorry about the delay in responding. Sunday is our only day off and we had to get out of the bush for a power shop.
Dave ask anymore questions you want. I don't think I am the only one on this site that loves to talk about their boats. :^)
Rick, I was surprised as you to see this post. I guess i thought it was on the old page. So how come I can't remember how to get the pics under 100kb for a newer post? Thanks for the compliments.
One of the things I was taught by the old timer that originally worked for me was that boat work was 80% common sense,15% trying to figure out what the hell the builder was thinking at any given moment during the build, and 5% skill. Watching what others have done on this site and here in the yard has made that 15% much easier to grasp over time.
Brandon, I made my cockpit smaller on purpose as I hate surprises and cold water (although not necessarily in that order.).
I never thought to stretch out the Bluebill as I was looking for some thing that I could hunt alone in most of the time.
My aft deck is 12" into the cockpit, the fore deck is 4" into the cockpit and the side decks are about 3" wider also as a precaution to weather and the sea. Oh yeah, the coaming is higher also. In 20/20 hindsight maybe I should have built a larger version but I do love how it handles with one.
I still do not know what a mud motor is. (I have seen pictures and video though.) I do know the muddy "Rat Root" in northern Minnesota will cause you to twist the end off the shaft of your 20hp 60's something Evinrude when you are young and foolish enough to push it, so a mud motor would have its worth there also. Around here if you are in the mud check the tide. Given time you either walk out or float away merrily.
NYC Charlie. Thanks for the kind words. Have fun during the build and after hunting out of your boat. One of the things I was told (Pete McMiller's post comes to mind) here was to not over think the build. You can tell by the mods that that went in one ear and out the other with me. I'm not sure that is a good thing.
Eric
DaveP
Active member
Eric,
I have your Bluebill post saved in my favorites. And have been studying it for sometime. Great work!! I'm just starting a Bateau Duck Skiff 15 build. I think I'm the first to build this boat as I have posted and asked on their forum if anyone has built this boat yet. None have reply. The forum monitor replied saying it was a new plan and not many duck hunters hang out there.
This would probably deter most duck boat builders. Their plan is for a 15' 6" boat. They provide a metric option for their plans. I purchased the plans in metric and will scale it down 10% which will make it just under 14'. I'm currently cutting and making the frames, bow and transom. Their plans call for 1/4" and 3/8" plywood. I'm building it with just 6 mm plywood. Because of difficulty in obtaining marine plywood in WI, I'm using 6mm Baltic Birch 5 ply, exterior grade, phenolic glue, guaranteed void proof and boil proof. For frames, transom, and bow specifying 3/8" I'm laminating two layers of 6 mm with epoxy glue together. This plywood is 8% heavier than Meranti plywood, but a lot stronger and stiffer, of coures it will be completely cover in glass and expoxy. Today I'll be laminating the sponson plates to the back of the transom and building the spashwell as a separate unit which will be laminated to the inside of the transom as a complete unit. Hull panels will follow.
I have your Bluebill post saved in my favorites. And have been studying it for sometime. Great work!! I'm just starting a Bateau Duck Skiff 15 build. I think I'm the first to build this boat as I have posted and asked on their forum if anyone has built this boat yet. None have reply. The forum monitor replied saying it was a new plan and not many duck hunters hang out there.
This would probably deter most duck boat builders. Their plan is for a 15' 6" boat. They provide a metric option for their plans. I purchased the plans in metric and will scale it down 10% which will make it just under 14'. I'm currently cutting and making the frames, bow and transom. Their plans call for 1/4" and 3/8" plywood. I'm building it with just 6 mm plywood. Because of difficulty in obtaining marine plywood in WI, I'm using 6mm Baltic Birch 5 ply, exterior grade, phenolic glue, guaranteed void proof and boil proof. For frames, transom, and bow specifying 3/8" I'm laminating two layers of 6 mm with epoxy glue together. This plywood is 8% heavier than Meranti plywood, but a lot stronger and stiffer, of coures it will be completely cover in glass and expoxy. Today I'll be laminating the sponson plates to the back of the transom and building the spashwell as a separate unit which will be laminated to the inside of the transom as a complete unit. Hull panels will follow.