My new project

swimmin' for shore

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
490
I've done a few boat projects, but going to start something completely out of my line of experience and looking forward to a 15,000 dollar plus project that will take quite some time. I thought I'd weigh in here to start out and I'll try and keep updating this post as we go. So, here goes.

First of all, I'm reasonably well set up to do this. I own an outboard parts business and have for some years, so I have some amount of help with this project...as time allows and money dictates. I also have a great source for various pieces, parts, outboard engines, etc...

I've recently purchased a mid-70's houseboat. I don't have the title sitting here so I'll repost with the brand later, but it's 12' wide and 43' in length. This is an all aluminum hull and all aluminum frame. It came on a trailer that's in good condition, and I paid 1500 dollars for the whole package. Getting it here cost me another 900 dollars, so I'm 2400 dollars deep thus far.

There's very, very little wood in the boat at this point, and no steel, aside from the engine and generator currently in it. It's a very light boat, as 43 foot houseboats go, and I purchased this completely gutted. The guy who towed it down here estimated that the boat alone doesn't weigh more than 3000 lbs. as it sits right now. I'd guess that it will be 2000 lbs or less when I pull the engine and generator, so that'll be the starting weight. The original engine is sitting in it, but is locked up. It has a direct drive engine and essentially, someone took most of the parts off of it, but the shaft, prop, and block are still there. There's a generator in it that I'm quite certain won't run at this point so essentially, we're going to pull the engine, Paragon transmission, shaft, prop, and generator out of the boat first off. We'll go through the Paragon tranny and sell it in short order. We'll probably pull and polish the crankshaft and sell it, and I'd guess that the rest is going to the scrap yard. Beyond the engines, the boat has been completely gutted down to the framework inside (the tanks are still installed), which is what makes it such an intriguing project. I like the possibilities.

I have an idea that since I'm an outboard parts dealer that I'd prefer an outboard, or even twin outboards, on this boat. Given how light the boat is, I was hoping to get someone with experience to weigh in on what I could expect with a 200 HP engine, twin 200's, and whether or not we'd be better off with 4-stroke engines in this case. 2-strokes will be cheaper, of course, but I just sold a set of twin 200 Hondas that would have been suitable, as well, and that kind of set will come up again before this boat is done, so I have options. Your thoughts and opinions will be greatly valued throughout this process.
 

nurseman

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
1,045
Sounds like a super cool project! I would like to come aboard and follow along!
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
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Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,297
With the displacement of the houseboat, not sure you would see any difference between 1 motor or two except in fuel usage and potentially docking. You could move that thing with a pair of 50 horses
 

Teamster

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Nov 8, 2010
Messages
1,923
Where are you located and where will you be using it??

And pictures,............We like pictures!!!
 

Mark72233

Ensign
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
926
Welcome to the iBoats dry docks. Permission to come along for an interesting restoration.
 

swimmin' for shore

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
490
No Title

Ask and you shall receive. As big as this is, I don't feel particularly overwhelmed with it. I think that the greatest struggle will be at the very end, with paint, because I've painted a few boats but I'm a little design challenged. I need to get that water, the engine, and the generator out of there. That's likely to happen this weekend.

Scott, your point is valid and I've seen houseboats with 50's. I'm kind of hoping that with 200 HP or so, we might be able to get a bit more power out of it. I wouldn't generally consider outboards for a boat this size but aluminum being so much lighter than glass.....maybe.

I'm in central Illinois. The business is here, so I'm stuck. We're a little ways off yet but hoping to retire out west so I thought maybe this would be a project that I could put together and either take out west later or if we buy property sooner, which has been discussed, take it out there earlier. That would be somewhere between Arizona and Washington State. I've lived in each of those places and I'm partial to Washington, but I have something less than half the say about where we'll live in later years.
 

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swimmin' for shore

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
490
To clarify what you're looking at in the pictures above-when you walk into the front door there, you have a platform for driving. There's a console in there, on it's side, but it's junk. Originally, that platform extended in about 6 or 7 feet and then you have some steps going down into the cabin. I think, because driving doesn't require a lot of space, I may shorten that initial platform back to 4 feet and build a sleeker console for it. After the shop guys and I get the engines and water out, I'll likely go to work with a pressure-washer, getting the inside of that hull cleaned. After that, I'll lay some plywood down so I can start getting a floor plan in mind. Anyone who hears me missing anything or thinks I may have forgotten something, please chime in. I've been on this forum many times in past years and I brought this back here because I know how much gets figured out by the people here.
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Now that is some monster tin! The hull looks like it might even be able to plane? Twin 200's would sure put her up to that threshold I would think. Yeah just have the lumber yard deliver a unit of ply to the site! :lol:
 

Teamster

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Nov 8, 2010
Messages
1,923
Very neat rig,.......

And most of the hard work has already been done,.........
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,297
I have limited exposure on houseboats, however for the two that I was on, one had a mercruiser 260 in it, the other had twin 50's. both did about 8 knots plowing water. My experience with 'toons tells me, that unless you get enough power to plane the boat, throwing more power above idle speed is not going anywhere other than churning water. I know plenty of people with 'toons that swap out a 50 for a 115 and wonder why there speed didnt change, only the fuel consumption.

Just watched a show on extreme houseboats. the one boat had twin 600hp detroit diesels in it. top speed was 20knots, however the thing did weigh in at 220,000# yes, that is 110 tons.
 

Teamster

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Nov 8, 2010
Messages
1,923
That sure looks like a full aluminum hull and not pontoons to me,..................
 

Fastatv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 28, 2013
Messages
258
Nice nice boat. There is one similar in my area, and the owners are doing a full restore on it...themselves. In regards to performance, theirs has a single Chrysler 318 CI, not sure of the horsepower but, according to the owner, the boat is supposed to run about 30 mph ( very hard to believe ) but there was something special about his particular aluminum hull. I wish I could remember the brand. What brand is yours.....or did I miss that in your post? I would like permission to tag along....thanks
 

Ned L

Commander
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
2,266
Fun! I will point out that Paragon has been out of business for years, so finding parts (if you need them) may be difficult to find (they were good reverse gears). Also, as an inboard, the transom really needs no strength, NOT at at all true for an outboard. You will need to completely redesign an add to the transom framing.
 
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