Dillon Laker 14/16.5 Wooden Tunnel Hull Build/Mod Project

[gomopar440]

Permission granted, hop on board! I started this build thread because of that very reason. There's not a lot of scratch build info out there, especially for this particular hull. That's why I'm trying to post as much detail as I can about the what, how and why of building it.

I've slowed way down on the Laker build lately, but it's still on my mind every day. I'm not planning on working out in the tent when it get's below 32*F, and we've had a LOT of days like that around here. I also have another non-boat related project that has been getting some attention lately. I'm able to work on that project inside my shop or barn, both of which are real buildings with decent wood stove heaters in them.

 

[Patfromny]

A barn, a shop, neither with a garage door? Sounds like a project for the top of the list. Lol. I can't wait to see the fury unleashed on this poor boat once it is warm enough. Hope you have the plow working again. You need a clear driveway for the UPS dude to bring boat goodies to the front stoop.

 

[Pcolafisher]

Thanks Gomopar I'm wanting to build a wooden boat once I get caught up with projects for our chicken flock, our house (bathrooms, kitchen, and floors), my daughter's farm and my other daughter's cottage. I'm looking at the Galveston from Jeff Spira. I don't envy your weather. I grew up in Michigan, spent a year in Colorado, and 25 in Tennessee, and, now that I'm retired, we ran for Florida. I served 23 years in the Navy, and starting about 20 months after retiring, worked for Navy MWR for another 18.5 years. Cheers shipmate!

 

[gomopar440]

A barn, a shop, neither with a garage door? Sounds like a project for the top of the list. Lol. I can't wait to see the fury unleashed on this poor boat once it is warm enough. Hope you have the plow working again. You need a clear driveway for the UPS dude to bring boat goodies to the front stoop.

Got it started with the pull start cord, so at least I was finally able to get the driveway cleared out. The 2' deep snow drifts had solidified before I could plow them, so it was quite a bit of work. And I definately need to work a real (heated) garage into the schedule someday.

@Pcolafisher:
The iBoats forum seems to be one of the best online places to learn how to build a boat. There's a ton of accumulated knowledge and experience in the members here. Just do a little reading and researching in the build section of this forum and then start a build thread when you're ready to start on yours. I haven't run into anyone not willing to share boat building ideas and techniques on this forum.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Sounds like the Skater is setup more like a race boat by your description. I'm shooting for more of the middle ground, between race and regular setups for my boat. As far as RPM goes, I'm sticking with the factory limit of 5,500 to try to keep it reliable. I don't need bleeding edge performance, especially at the expense of motor longevity. Don't get me wrong now, I'd LOVE to take a few laps around the lake at the controls of a boat like your friends Skater. I just don't have the budget to be able to live with a high maintenance setup like that, which is why I'm sticking with a milder setup on mine.

I know there are factory low water pickup parts out there, but I haven't come across any to get an idea what those parts sell for. As a result, I'll most likely end up making own design low water pickup for the TOP. I'll probably use some small aluminum C channel and bend it to wrap around to the under side of the LU to about where the skeg starts. I'll need to get someone to weld it on for me though as I don't have the right kind of welder, nor the knowledge to weld aluminum. That way might be a little draggy if I don't blend it in well enough with the LU sides though. The other option is to have a tube, or tubes (one on each sponson), rigid mounted just under the sponson keels. Then attach a flexible hose to that and route it to the water pickup in the LU. Either way, I'll want to make the covers that direct the water into the stock openings removable for maintenance and cleaning.

Started reading through this thread - caught my eye as we used to have a race team racing various small glass v-bottoms as well as wood tunnels. For set-up, our usual starting point for engine height was prop shaft running at the surface (or maybe an inch below, and go up from there) at top speed. We didn't use low water pickups on the smaller merc and omc three cylinder outboards (they weren't permitted in the rules). The engines were cooled by the spray being directed up by the front of the "bullet" on the gear case. We also didn't use a pressure gauge - no way to know if it was measuring water pressure or steam pressure. Instead, we ran a small hose from the telltale water outlet on the OB all the way up to the cockpit, firing out along the stem for the mirror. If the stream of water stopped, you weren't getting cooling water. Simple and reliable.

On the merc, I did end up turning a few of the lower water intake holes into more of a slot, and then blocking the upper two or three holes with JB weld to improve water pickup. And those cleaver props were razor sharp. Cut my hands on those a few times...

 

[gomopar440]

CrazyFinn Thanks for the insight from a first hand perspective. I don't have much boat/boating experience to draw from so most of my knowledge on the subject is from reading about it. Always good to hear some input from someone who has "been there, done that".

A far as the Laker's motor placement goes, I'm leaning towards following the designers suggestion to keep the prop shaft inline with the bottom edge of the sponsons. I know that placement wouldn't be a good idea for racing due to the extra drag from the bullet, as it would kill top speed. However on a recreational boat it'll give me more reliable slow speed cooling, which is just as important to me as top speed for this particular boat.

I have a couple of ideas for how to make my own low water pickup setup on the TOP, but it probably won't be needed unless I decide to move the motor up higher sometime in the future.

 

[CrazyFinn]

CrazyFinn I'm leaning towards following the designers suggestion to keep the prop shaft inline with the bottom edge of the sponsons. I know that placement wouldn't be a good idea for racing due to the extra drag from the bullet, as it would kill top speed. However on a recreational boat it'll give me more reliable slow speed cooling, which is just as important to me as top speed for this particular boat.

I have a couple of ideas for how to make my own low water pickup setup on the TOP, but it probably won't be needed unless I decide to move the motor up higher sometime in the future.

On a properly running tunnel, the waterline is the bottom of the sponsons at top speed. They basically dance on the surface, on the last few inches of the back of each sponson. The rest of the boat doesn't touch the water. The idea is to push the boat through the air, not the water. Water creates more drag...

The designer's suggestion is exactly the right way to start, then do some testing to move it up or down in very small increments. Power trim is essential on a tunnel. Along with a foot throttle. We usually set up the "up" trim as a button on the left foot rest (old school car floor mounted start buttons work well). "Down" trim was three mercury waterproof start buttons mounted to the three spokes of the wheel. That way you can keep both hands on the wheel. Separating up and down trim means you are les likely to hit the wrong button if things get a bit hairy and you get too high...

We had no gear shift. Race boats are always in gear.

In regards to the water cooling line, make sure it is being fed from somewhere near the top of the engine. Reduced water intake will starve the top cylinders first.

The trim gauge was usually a mechanical device fabricated from a surplus throttle cable. Only gauge we used was a tach, rotated so the redline was pointing straight up. Of course, these weren't recreational boats...

I will do my wiring on my rebuild as if I were wiring a race boat though. Most pleasure boat wiring is just bad.

 

[Pcolafisher]

Happy New Year all!

 

[gomopar440]

Happy New Year to you as well!!! ...:doh:

I had to look back all the way to page 6 before I found my thread. :facepalm: I guess I wasn't as prepared for the cold as I thought I was. Even with those heaters in the tent, the temps were just too brutal to be able to work out there and be able to glue stuff together. Sooo, I switched gears and started on another project that I could work on in the house, or out in the shop. I've been building another commie AK type boomstick, a Yugo M72B RPK. We've still got about another month of pretty low temps here before I'll be able to start gluing up parts in the tent again. That should be plenty of time to finish up this other project before then. You'll be seeing a lot more of me here again when I get back to building the Laker.

And since I know how everyone here loves pics, here's one of my M72B kit (only mocked up for this pic).

 

[gm280]

You can never have too many guns. :smile:

 

[archbuilder]

I was just wondering about you this weekend. Looks like you are staying busy, looking forward to seeing more on the boat when it warms up!

 

[gomopar440]

Thanks guys. I really wanted to work more on the Laker over the winter, but it just wasn't meant to be. The mind was willing and the body was weary, but the temps said forget (or some other F-word) that.

On the upside, the tent survived the winter winds and snow fine, and the boat is just how you last saw it. Well, except for a bunch of dust that's sitting all over everything in there now.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Glad to see you posting again. I too am looking forward to more progress on the laker.

 

[nurseman]

You can never have too many guns. :smile:

What he said!

 

[Patfromny]

Welcome back MOPAR. Hope all is well. Looking forward to the restart of your build

 

[gomopar440]

Good news, bad news.

Bad news first. Another project just popped up and nudged it's way (ahead of the Laker and the AK) to the top of the priorities list. :facepalm:

And now the good news. It's still a relatively boat related project.

I recently picked up a 1975 Dodge W300 (1 ton) truck so I'll be able to tow bigger/heavier stuff without straining my little Mazda pickup or the wife's Jeep. It'll need a new clutch and a bunch of general maintenance items done to it before it gets a clean bill of health, but it's currently driveable as is. It has a 440ci engine, 4 speed trans, NP203 transfer case, dual rear wheel axle, a regular cab and a flat bed. Well, two flat beds actually, it's a long story. I guess now my forum user name finally makes sense again.

As a bonus, the seller threw in a 1965 15' Silver Line boat with a trailer and a supposedly good 65HP Mercury still on it. I just need to grease the wheel bearings and get new tires on it before I can haul it home. It's currently full of water and trash, but it has the correct font "Silver Line" emblems in need for the Rambler and they're both still intact.

 

[nurseman]

I love the 70's era Dodge trucks. I had a '78 half ton back in the 90's, still kinda regret selling it.

 

[Patfromny]

Good to see you back at it. Pics or it didn't happen though. What? I didn't make the rules. Lol

 

[gomopar440]

I won't have any pics of the 15' Silver Line until I get it home. Here's the photobucket album for the truck: http://s326.photobucket.com/user/GoM...20Dodge%20W300

Or just feel free to follow along the truck build if you want. http://ramchargercentral.com/project...-ol'-blue/

 

[nurseman]

I looked through the photobucket pics and the forum posts, and I see that your truck had the highly sought after, optional floor venting :facepalm:. cool truck, I think a club cab and a nice little short box would look neat. Are you gonna keep the dual wheel rear?