Build a gunnel for a roll top boat hull?

[24 Albemarle]

I have a small 16' v hull boat for fishing, this boat has what I am calling a rolled topside edge, I would like to build a gunnel so I can have rod holders and a closed bow front (place for a cleat) as well as cleats in the rear. Then I can put a rub rail around the perimeter. The question is this, I know somewhere in this wonderful forum someone has covered this, but I can't seem to find it. Any help? I am assuming to build this will take a 1/2' or 3/4" plywood base with 1/4" plywood inside and outside, what can I use for the rolled edges that can form to the lift and curl in the bow? Perhaps a routed piece of wood or ??? I don't see the wood being able or willing to make the twist that would be necessary at the bow. As I said any help or direction to find someone's project would be great. Thanks

 

[rickryder]

Welcome Aboard ! This is a very interesting idea and with all the talent on here I'm sure a solution can be found. Please post some pictures of the boat you're working with. It will aid us in throwing ideas around on what can be done.

 

[Woodonglass]

Yup, pics are gunna be required so we can see what you see!!

 

[64osby]

Without pictures it is hard to tell. The one thing I would think some thick aluminum C channel would be more effective than wood.

The issue you will have, same as the wood will be conforming to the changing angle and forming to the curve.

 

[K-2]

Something like on this HiLaker ?
http://s1232.photobucket.com/user/o...mine and photos ov others/HiLaker002.jpg.html

 

[friderday]

This will be a good thread...I am watching!! Would've liked to do this on the Larivee...

 

[24 Albemarle]

Yes to k-2 that is exactly what I,m talking about.I am looking at coosa board but not sure if I can't just do it with marine plywood with a hardwood edge that I can rout to make the round overs , then some over layers of matt and flip and a couple laters of mat inside. flip over and finish with fairing compoud for the unroutable spota (omg! hand work with files and sandpaper!) then prime and paint... I realize that's oversimplification but we're still in the planin stage. Ideas about materials that can be glued for the 2" or 3" internal face and then same on the outside making a bonding landing for screws into existing roll, which then gets the coverup with rubrail

 

[24 Albemarle]

Well here is a quick update, the coosa is out ( guy sold it) but I have thought more and am thinking just build it with 3/8 marine grade ply and laminate it with West system and then float a couple layers of mat under to give the rigidity. I know you guy's want pics and stuff but I'm working with an XP and it ain't so easy.. I'll get some pics with my cell and try and keep track but I really wasn't looking to make a documentry out of this, it sorta seemed simple. If I can just make the internal bends the rest is carpentry and bodywork. I am considering a flip and paint though... That might be more interesting, especially if we lose her in the roll...But seriously boy's and girls, I'm just a man and can only do so much so fast. The older I get the slower it happens, but I think it's better this way. It gives you time to reflect on the stupid stuff you've done in a hurry. Remember- remain calm "these are the normal voices in here." They are not the ones you are looking for.:lol:

 

[64osby]

Bow cap, rod holders and cleats. If this is what you are looking for than I say building a complete gunwale rail out wood is not the right move.

You can build a nice cap with some aluminum plate or diamond plate. Transom corners could be made from the same.

You could install a track system below the railed edge to allow mounting for rod holders and more.

On my 14' Tinny I added cup holders, and rod holders and a home made track on the transom all made with scrap aluminum pieces.

An anchor light mount

Here is one side of the transom track. It has 2 rod holders 1 cup holder and the horn mounted to it.

Aluminum hulls bend and twist. Trying to form a rail with wood, epoxy, and fairing it might look great. But over time the joints are going to break free. What happens when your 250# fishing buddy steps on it? My .02 for what it's worth.

 

[24 Albemarle]

I,m back, a brief hiatus to photobucket land and some frustrations related to being a dinosaur... So here are pics of the "little darlin" at 15 1/2' she's not real roomy and doing gunnel tops isn't going to help, but when you gotta, you gotta. After getting it on the blocks and stripping her chicken roost rail off (what were they thinking), I can see we'll be doing a transom as well.
I should back up a moment and give you some facts about this boat. I bought it the other day and with Christmas and all haven't gotten the title so I don't know the Manu. or year etc. What I do know is it says on the side 1550 Bandit and hull #'s are PME 50187G788 two owners back, had the floor redone and put a new console in (not a hole cut in it anywhere) and must have gotten a bug for a different boat and sold this boat and trailer to the guy I bought it from. He just wanted the trailer. I didn't pay much, the console and hatches are worth what I paid for the boat, but I like her little V hull she has a sporty look to here hull lines and if I can clean up her topsides.. We'll see.
Another little kiss was the pvc tube is coming up at the stern about 12" off center line so there is no using that for teleflex steering cable, which means either cut the floor and set a new tube or go hydraulic. I don't really want hyd. steering and don't want to spend a pile of money on steering. I'll have some choices to make on this item soon. Bear with me as dinosaurs move slowly. Peace

 

[64osby]

For reasons unknown i was thinking this was and aluminum boat. That's what happen when you assume.

Carry on.

 

[sphelps]

Nice little fishing boat ! On the gunnel rail I think if it were me I would use 3/4 plywood . Fasten it to the top of the rolled edge . Grind the gell off down to the glass and adhere it with pb and maybe some small s/s screws from underneath . Make a cardboard template for the curved bow area that you can transfer to your plywood .. You may have a bit of waist . I would do that with a whole sheet . Cut one out check for fit then use the same piece to make the other side . Temporarily fasten that in place then figure out the closed in bow piece .. I,m sure there are other possibilities someone may come up with a better plan ..
I,m getting ready to start on a little c/c fishing boat project myself so I am really interested in what ya come up with for the steering cable issue ..
Good luck ! Tagging along for the fun !
SP...

Just another thought . If you fill under the rolled edge up with some solid wood you can place screws from the top down through the plywood ,fiberglass edge and into a solid piece of wood . With everything all glassed in and sealed up I think that would be pretty strong ..

 

[rickryder]

How much height are you looking to add to the gunnel? sphelps has a good idea there about packing under the existing rolled edge for a good attachment point.

 

[24 Albemarle]

I was thinking I would stay right on top of the rolled edge ( grind it flatter first and then use two pieces of 3/8" ply (for topside face) and stagger my joints alowing me to get a smooth lift up to the bow. I don't really think filling the roll is a good idea as this will make the edge unable to flex under strain (dock whacking etc.) and be more subject to cracking. I will block under inside every so often as dictated by rod holder placement etc. giving gunnel support for downloads,(my fat ars stepping on the side) or hauling a fattie over the side.
I am going to have to do the transom first so I can work out the joint to floor and underdeck work and I'll probably go ahead and roll it so I can do the bottom ,minor glss and gelcoat stuff mostly but I want to paint it and then roll it back and start my gunnel work. I don't know if I should start a new post for the transom and bottom work or just don't say anything until I'm ready to do gunnels or ??? Not sure of forum etiquette here. I spent today getting this really cool articulated arm that was made for fume colection mounted to my trolley hoist for grind dust collection. If it works it will be awsome, it has spring loaded 3' flanges at each joint that hold position for the 6" flex hose to vacuum. pretty cool tool I bought at sale a couple of years ago and just haven't had time to put it together. The only bummer is it has a three phase baldor motor and i have to pull some power from the other bldg. to run it.So now I need a trencher for a half day and some pvc and some wire and a three phase panel and then some switching and and and.. Until then I'll be "standing by"... PS: I checked today and there isn't room to put a new tube in for steering cable (deck to bottom is to close at the edge, and I have to cut nearly the whole of the stringer) so I suppose hyd. is the way. I wish they made hyd. shift and throttle servos. Then you could really get clean!

 

[sphelps]

2 layers of 3/8 staggered sounds like a good plan .. Maybe beef up the inside edge with a few rod holder cleats or gussets ...

 

[GA_Boater]

I am going to have to do the transom first so I can work out the joint to floor and underdeck work and I'll probably go ahead and roll it so I can do the bottom ,minor glss and gelcoat stuff mostly but I want to paint it and then roll it back and start my gunnel work. I don't know if I should start a new post for the transom and bottom work or just don't say anything until I'm ready to do gunnels or ??? Not sure of forum etiquette here.

24 - What gets hard for members to do is try to keep track of many little threads and a Mod ends up combining them at some point them so everything makes sense.

In this case, you can (1) change the title of the thread showing it's a resto/repair and continue with the thread up to and including the gunnel work, or (2) leave it the way it is looking for ideas to flatten the gunnels and cover the work in a new resto/repair/upgrade thread. I feel option 2 is the best way to go, but it's your choice.

 

[24 Albemarle]

It's good news bad news for the little bandit, I got down with a mirror/ light and looked at how the previous owner before the last did on the underside of new floor. I'll call them the X-crew as I don't know them, but I was able to see they neglected to coat the under side of the plywood with resin let alone mat. It appears they wet a 4" strip of mat, laid atop the stringer and put her down with black drywall screws... Top notch work (for a two year old). I think if you ran this boat (it's not had a motor on it since X-crew "glassed er in") 30 knots and hit a wave with the wind in your face the whole floor would pop up flip over and splat you on the water like a giant fly swatter! So that's the bad news, The good news is I think I can run a sawzall around the perimeter and pop the whole floor out, flip her over and go again. Put the X-crews topside down with a serious coat of Epoxy butter then do the topside right. they were so sloppy, I don't understand how guys go to all the work and just fall apart on the main stuff. I seriously doubt I could flip and use the bottom as the topside since they no doubt didn't get good piece to piece alignment, and I am to tickler to let it be. So now I have a transom and a floor to do then gunnels? maybe with the floor out I can figure how to run a tube for the steering cable.See there is a silver lining after all. Now for that rainbow with that pot at the end... slong fer now..

 

[Woodonglass]

Uhmm, You MIGHT be able to do what you are proposing but, I wouldn't bet on it. Attempting to cut that close to the hull sides with a sawzall is not gunna be possible IMHO. You might be able to get withing a couple of inches at best. Re-using the old Deck is IFFY at best. The cost of Plywood, Resin and Glass to put in a new Deck is not all that expensive so I just wouldn't even attempt this. But...It's your boat and you're free to do as you see fit.

 

[24 Albemarle]

I think you are right on all counts, I was just speculating on what if's. I'm still rigging my articulating arm dust collector system, mentioned b4 and am just blocking the original 3 phase motor port and hooking a bag dust collector to it so I can try it out. I'll see how it works, then see about some 3 phase power to utilize the original drive motor, or maybe use both, I hope it sucks... (in a good way)
I wanted a project and boy did I get one! I think I may just fade out on the deck replacement thread it has been done a plenty and just come back to the gunnel work when I get squared away with the deck and transom, does that make sense? I still have to work for $ and it will get stretched out over some time. Thanks for the input, all I need now is some output!

 

[24 Albemarle]

I realized I posted this following in another ( wrong) thread so I'm sort of reposting here maybe no one will notice... Kinda new to this whole posting stuff.
I'm still working on transom removal, down to half way and waiting for weather so I can get outside and fire up the stihl saw for some clearance work. I pulled about four feet of deck out after cutting the perimeter I pulled about hard enough to lift a sack of feed and the deck piece popped right up so that was good for me except now I know it will all have to all come out. I am wondering if anyone has a suggestion as to reinforcement on stringers, I want to cut through two of them and install a pvc tube for teleflex steering. I need to go through one stringer that is about 6" tall and then the other next to hull side( about 3" inboard of the hull ) is only 3 1/2" tall. I am trying to use a smaller size pvc so I can minimize impact of this penetration but it has to be an acute angle so the hole gets large in length. I am thinking maybe an aluminum gusset on either side of the smaller stringer with epoxy and glass.I have seen some composite material for signage that has an aluminim sheet with a honeycombed interior and then aluminum sheet outside, I don't know if the honeycomb will add any apreciable strength on edge load or if it is only for compresive strength, but it is amazingly strong stuff for no more thickness than it's aprox. 3/16" may be that alum. is all I need??? It's really cold here and I have time to think about planning ahead so any suggestions would be helpful. I will run a separate tube for electrical, so I am thinking I might get away with 1 1/4" pvc for steering tube, my friend is saving a bad steering cable for me so I can lay it out and see what bend angle and size I can get away with, this boat no doubt was never built for a cable steering system, tiller was the way, back then.
I was reading Woodonglass Lone Starr build and I have to say it was really quite a saga, man you had a time... I was happy everyone was alright in the end, but man... I was glad you owned up on the trailer deal as it showed you are of quality character, you could have easily just said a story and no one would have known the difference. Myself and anyone that has nerve to do builds or projects or anything that is hands on will screw up ( and I can tell you I have done plenty of that several beers worth to tell half) but if we own our screw ups then we can also own our successes. Grind-on, joy lies just beneath the surface.
24 standing by