Building a Brockway

[chuckp]

Hey Dan,

I always wondered how a short shaft would work on a taller transom - did not sound too bad.

Between family, work and travel I've not made any progress to speak of - I'm off today so I hope to get moving on the skiff!

Chuck

[Auroradan]

For those who are interested in how a Brockway Skiff performs, I have a one minute video of Greg in my boat. Power from a 15hp Honda long shaft. She want to plane, you just have to put most of the weight forward. You can see Greg walking forward but the five crab traps prevented him from going to the bow.

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t...enitch2010.mp4

Dan

[Auroradan]

Dan,
It the wonder if that poor motor ever get enough water up in the pump without it over-heating

Nope, never had any over heating issues with that 1957, 18hp Stink&Rude, shortshaft. I have many, many miles with her on that Diablo.

[chuckp]

Yeah, I'm going with a long shaft on the skiff!

Chuck

[Greg Stoll]

Brockway have a bit of rocker in it's design.. if the aft section of the bottom is flatten even with the center of hull, you'll be surprised...



Brockway were'nt meant to goes fast..

Ladybug Boat did removed some of rockers in their skiffs

That's kind of what I figured... When I get a larger engine I'll probably end up installing a Doelfin or something similar to help keep the nose down.

Greg

[Greg Stoll]

"Smart Tabs" might be a good choice.. but it's just another "things" to be hangin' out back that gets in the way...

Yeah, I thought about trim tabs, but they seem like they'd get ripped off backing off a beach or something. I'll likely stick with an engine-mounted solution.

Greg

[Greg Stoll]

Just a quick note to show the registration number boards. I went to Tap Plastics and had a couple number boards cut out of 3/16" white acrylic signboard. 4" tall, 36" long; I ended up cutting the last 8" or so off after the sticker application. That'll teach me to measure before I go to the store...

Registration numbers came from http://www.namemyboat.com. Very reasonable prices, fast shipping, good quality product. I applied them as per the instructions and added my state registration stickers too. Here they are:



It's gonna be friggin' cold here the next few days, gonna have to do some finagling with a heat lamp to get the transom warm enough to put the boat name on. I'm going to let the number boards cure inside for a few days before I screw them on the boat.

[chuckp]

Nice number boards, sure beats the separate mail box numbers from the hardware store - price is very reasonable!

Chuck

[Art Stoll]

Greg the kingpost looks really nice. Friction should be enough, moisture will seek it's way into the hole and swell the wood a bit. It would have been help full if you had knarlled the part of the shaft that contacts the wood. Very nice numbers, caution, the plastic back board can distort and lift off the hull in the heat. Oh! What is friggin cold? It is currently -10 C 8 F and forcast to be -18 C -4 F by tonight. Now figure in the wind chill of -20 C to -35 C -8 F to -38 F now that's friggin cold. Even under cover the boat is a freeze dryed condition.
Dad

[Greg Stoll]

Greg the kingpost looks really nice. Friction should be enough, moisture will seek it's way into the hole and swell the wood a bit. It would have been help full if you had knarlled the part of the shaft that contacts the wood. Very nice numbers, caution, the plastic back board can distort and lift off the hull in the heat. Oh! What is friggin cold? It is currently -10 C 8 F and forcast to be -18 C -4 F by tonight. Now figure in the wind chill of -20 C to -35 C -8 F to -38 F now that's friggin cold. Even under cover the boat is a freeze dryed condition.
Dad

Thanks Dad. I considered knurling the crossbars, but I figured I could try them as-is and if they fall out I can do something else. Interesting comment about the plates distorting and lifting off the hull. Bob Larkin, an Oregon Coot, did a nice couple pages on lexan elongation during his Bolger Birdwatcher build:

http://www.proaxis.com/~boblark/bw2_lexan.htm

http://www.proaxis.com/~boblark/bw2_lexan3.htm

Yeah, a high of 8 F is pretty cold. Better clean out the garage and move the boat inside!

Greg

[Spokaloo]

Possibility of a low of -20F up here, even the garage is out of commission....

E

[Greg Stoll]

Possibility of a low of -20F up here, even the garage is out of commission....

E

But, you're supposed to be over here crabbing right now!

Greg

[Spokaloo]

Wouldn't that have been nice. I'm stoked to see some launch photos of this thing, and we will be in Turner over Christmas if I can stop by and get a sneak peek in person.

E

[chuckp]

Must be a big front moving through, it's going to be 33F way down here in the south!

Chuck

[simonmags]

Yeah it's 30 degrees here too, Celsius though, not Fahrenheit...


I'm contented knowing that if I had a boat to build it wouldn't be too cold But the epoxy would probably go off before I finished stirring it So when do we get a picture of the boat in all it's finished glory?

[Greg Stoll]

Yeah it's 30 degrees here too, Celsius though, not Fahrenheit...


I'm contented knowing that if I had a boat to build it wouldn't be too cold But the epoxy would probably go off before I finished stirring it So when do we get a picture of the boat in all it's finished glory?

Christening is this coming Saturday, November 27th in Newport, Oregon. I have a full day of boat work scheduled for Wednesday, I'll probably post another pic or two then.

Greg

[Greg Stoll]

Got everything buttoned up yesterday. New bearings and seals for the trailer, name is on the transom, the engine has been started and run, the number boards are installed, the sampson posts are finished and bolted on. This morning I got up early to build those stylish wooden fenders.






Christening is set for Saturday in Newport at the South Beach Marina at 1:00. Come by if you're around!

Greg

[chuckp]

Hey Greg,

Very sharp looking, nice job!

Chuck

[Greg Stoll]

Wow... behold... thar she is...
I like the gray interior, not too bright, not too dirty
Greg... when did your state requires tail lights on boats...

Sometimes it's just easier to buy a set of HF lights for $9.99 and zip-tie them to a chunk of 2x6 than it is to wire up the whole trailer. Sometimes...

Greg

[gstanfield]

Well?? Inquiring minds want to know, how did the splash go?

George

[Greg Stoll]

A glorious day!

We arrived at the parking lot at the South Beach Marina a little before 1:00 and found Auroradan and David G waiting with Dan's red Brockway. John Kohnen was there too, and Michael "Doryman" Bogoger came walking up shortly after.

Left to right, that's me, David G, Doryman and John Kohnen at the far right:



We made our way down to the launch ramp, where my girlfriend Sarah read the ceremony, leading us in toasts to the boat and the sea. A bottle of Rogue Dead Guy Ale was sacrificed over the boat and we were off!

Here's a link to Doryman's photo set from the christening and launching:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2668736...56761803/show/

Dan had launched just before us, carrying David and John along for company. They followed us around for a bit, taking pictures and videos (which I expect Dan will eventually post on here). Dropped some crab pots in the water, but didn't get any keepers. Oh well, it was a good day anyhow.

Here's Tiller and I at the dock, just before shoving off:



Tiller enjoyed the raised foredeck, it apparently made it easier to watch the birds:



We even saw a rainbow. That's a good omen, right?



As for performance:

The boat handled well. I have quite a bit of extra mass/weight up forward for the foredeck, fishbox and anchor well. That made the bow dig in a little, which caused the boat to dart off at times (especially when the foredeck was occupied by the Lab). OTOH, I had a small engine hung off the transom and the stern was without benefit of the added weight of the battery, extra fuel and equipment box. I expect that to get better.

The crab tank worked well, we did retain a nice Redrock for a bit but threw him back at the end, as it wasn't worth setting up the cooker for one crab. The box naturally filled about halfway and I left the plug out to allow for circulation. It seems that another plug on the starboard side would allow for better circulation, so I've added it to my mental list of improvements.

The boat made an roughly-estimated 5 knots with the 4 hp Mercury outboard. The prop is pretty beat up, so I imagine I could have gotten a bit more out of it with a new prop.

When we were done, with the boat sitting in the water empty except for crab pots, the water was just lapping over the external chines amidships. That means that at rest the hull draws just 4" (the boat draws 6" when the depth of the keel is added).

I imagine the boat could benefit from a larger engine. OTOH, it seemed to work just fine with my little 4 hp, so I'm not in as big of a hurry to get a larger engine.

There are some good underway photos and videos which are sure to pop up soon too.

A great day!

Greg

[Greg Stoll]

Oh, one more thing; the boat's name is "Sabbatical"...

Greg

[David G]

And... even these fine fotos don't do the boat justice. It's quite fetching on the water. Nice paint scheme, and the external chine and contrasting sheer stripe make for a lovely composition. All in all, it was a lovely day, if a bit chilly. The chili at the Rogue brewery afterward was quite welcome. I discover another really nice beer - Rogue "Oyster Stout". If you like stouts - this is worth a try!

[Auroradan]

We had a great time Christening and Launching Greg's newly completed Brockway "Sabbatical" today. Weatherman predicted 60% chance of rain, he was close.
















Have more pictures and some videos uploaded here:
http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t...1%2027%202010/

Even in the rain and cold wind, it was a wonderful day on the bay.
Dan

[Greg Stoll]

Thanks a bunch Dan! Great pictures and video. I'm surprised by how high the boat rides in the water. The top of the 4" tall chine is showing in most of those!

Greg

[Hunky Dory]

Looking good, Nice to see you putting her to work on the maiden voyage. Just needs a couple of bow chocks.

[BobW]

Looks great, Greg! You did a fine job.

Bob

[chuckp]

What a great launch day - and the weather looks just like I remember it! That sure is a nice launch facility with lots of room.

Both boats look good on the trailer and in the water - perfect!

Greg, is your motor longer than the standard long shaft?

My wife will be wanting me to get some crab traps now although the crabs we have are not nearly as abundant.

Looks like a terrific day - thanks for the photos!

Chuck

[Thorne]

Congrats, Greg! And it looks like Dan's Brockway is sealed up a bit better than it was at Timothy Lake last year, eh?

PS - Twin, you look SCARY in that blue mushroom hood setup...

[Auroradan]

Congrats, Greg! And it looks like Dan's Brockway is sealed up a bit better than it was at Timothy Lake last year, eh?

Yea, sure.. well maybe not

[gstanfield]

Looks good there pard, congrats on the successful splash.

George

[Auroradan]

Really.. Not a bad idea.. lights being up that high are easier to see than it is under the boat.
People these days got their mind elsewhere, along with talking and texting on the danged cellphone, needs to pay attention what's in front of 'em

Made a similar setup for my Brockway. Used a pair of submersible LED trailer lights from wally world and 6" wood clamps from HF. Wire and aluminum angle from my scrap pile, total cost about $50.

Dan

[Greg Stoll]

Really.. Not a bad idea.. lights being up that high are easier to see than it is under the boat.
People these days got their mind elsewhere, along with talking and texting on the danged cellphone, needs to pay attention what's in front of 'em

I can vouch for Dan's lights, they work great! I've had a light bar before on a different boat, it worked well too. I used oval truck lights like these:

http://www.buytruckstuff.com/product...y=23&p_gpID=78

They mount in L-brackets with rubber grommets. Screws pretty easily to a chunk of 2x4... I used the cheap HF lights because they were already wired and on-sale for $9.99. I've had them before and don't expect them to last very long, but we'll see. I'll eventually wire up lights on the trailer itself, probably in the spring. These lights will work for now!

Greg

[David G]

Congrats, Greg! And it looks like Dan's Brockway is sealed up a bit better than it was at Timothy Lake last year, eh?

PS - Twin, you look SCARY in that blue mushroom hood setup...

Dan's Brockway now has a permanent bilge pump and battery setup <G> Several times he had to ask Kohnen & I to move to the back of the boat, so the bilgewater would collect at the pickup for removal.

OF COURSE I look scary. That's my "Scare Away The Predicted Storms" outfit. And... I gotta tell you... it was substantially successful. Didn't keep a very cold cold front from blowing thru, but it kept the downpours down to a couple of brief periods.

[Thorne]

OF COURSE I look scary. That's my "Scare Away The Predicted Storms" outfit. And... I gotta tell you... it was substantially successful. Didn't keep a very cold cold front from blowing thru, but it kept the downpours down to a couple of brief periods.

C'mon, Twin - I know that funny water stuff falls from the sky up there in Or-E-gone, but that Mushroom Monster look is downright terrifying! Whatcha got on under that hood, eh? We do have a certain reputation for suavity to maintain, after all.

[David G]

C'mon, Twin - I know that funny water stuff falls from the sky up there in Or-E-gone, but that Mushroom Monster look is downright terrifying! Whatcha got on under that hood, eh?

jThat's just how big my brain is. You hadn't noticed before? It wasn't obvious when I was calling you, asking how a cell phone worked... and whether it could be used to microwave popcorn in an emergency?

[Thorne]

jThat's just how big my brain is. You hadn't noticed before? It wasn't obvious when I was calling you, asking how a cell phone worked... and whether it could be used to microwave popcorn in an emergency?

Ah HA! You ARE the smarter Twin, after all! I knew it...

[Art Stoll]

Greg,
Wow! AN OUTSTANDING BUILD SON. I'm envious. Sorry abiut not catching any legal Dungies. Most of them are aoutside waiting for the girls to show up. Sarah looked like she was enjoying the day. As for Tiller...a typical Lab, excited about seeing the birds.
Very good job, hope you have many great sailing days.
Dad

[wharf rat]

This has been a super thread-- thanks Greg.

I love the picture of the Brockway passing the aluminum can with the two guys in it. It says so much. Old school versus new. Wood versus metal. Handmade versus stamped out by a cookie cutter. Cheap versus expensive.

But in the end, a truly beautiful boat crewed by two people and a dog riding in comfort (helmsman standing, even) passing a state-of-the-art, tippy, noisy, uncomfortable--and marginally safe with 2 people and gear-- aluminum wonder.

Yes great picture.

Someone needs to start another one of these threads now that this one is pretty much done. This has been a fun read.

[Greg Stoll]

Thanks for all the positive feedback guys, it really tops off the experience of building and launching.

I'll be doing a number of additions and improvements over the winter and spring. Does anyone have an opinion on whether I should start a new thread for each project or should I resurrect this one every time?

Greg

[Auroradan]

Greg,

I say start a new thread. Future improvements need their own spot light. May be members here not interested in a complete boat build but will enjoy how you might build your own Crab trap pulling block, cheap bimini top or homemade trim tabs.

Dan

[David G]

I say keep it right here, so folks can have the entire evolution in one spot.

Sorry to disagree, Dan... and very sorry about missing you yesterday. Mea culpa, mea culpa!

[Greg Stoll]

Maybe I'll do new threads for specific projects and post links on this thread to keep it complete?

Greg

[Auroradan]

Greg scraped his pennies together and bought a nice Mariner 40hp. Called me for an impromptu test on the river. Grabbed my video camera and met him at the ramp.

Still uploading videos and pics but here is a short video of Greg pushing the Brockway to Light speed!



Dan

[Greg Stoll]

Greg scraped his pennies together and bought a nice Mariner 40hp. Called me for an impromptu test on the river. Grabbed my video camera and met him at the ramp.

Still uploading videos and pics but here is a short video of Greg pushing the Brockway to Light speed!



Dan

Thanks Dan. It's actually a 1996 Force (by Mercury) 40 hp 2-stroke. Runs great! I need to add a hydrofoil/doel-fin to make it plane a little better and ride more level with a light load. It's pretty fast!

Greg

[Greg Stoll]

One more thing; the aluminum console will be replaced with a wooden one in the next few months. I started with the aluminum because it was available. It'll help me fine-tune placement and size before I make the final one.

Greg

[Spokaloo]

Greg, is she porpoise-prone from the combination of the big motor and some rocker aft?

E

[Greg Stoll]

Greg, is she porpoise-prone from the combination of the big motor and some rocker aft?

E

Yep. We'll try to compensate for that with the hydrofoil. It helps to have weight up front too, with Dan aboard it only porpoised at full throttle. It's a combination of a bunch of things, all of which I pretty much expected and planned for. Every boat is a compromise....

Greg

[Spokaloo]

I've got the two piece doel-fin setup sitting in my shop if you want it.

E

[Greg Stoll]

I've got the two piece doel-fin setup sitting in my shop if you want it.

E

Maybe... How soon can you get it here?

Greg