I tried four times to upload pics. Not happening. Kracker my stringers are not attached either. Yet they are cut perfectly to match the transom curve. Do i need to leave this last layer in the transom for lifting and moving the boat or can i remove it?

Ok I am bored. Rest of the plywood is coming out. Also cut the lifewell off the bottom of the cap. It has a half inch of either insulation or a composite material around it. So it might actually be an insulated fishbox and not a livewell.

The outside skin on my boat was thick enough that if you want to run an eyelet thru the glass you could to lift it. When my boat was gutted me and my buddy could lift the back of the boat off the trailer like it was nothing. Rip it out!!!! Lol!!!

Had to take a break to run mom to the store to get stuff to fry the mullet I caught yesterday. So far I have all the plywood off the starboard side, all but a skin in the middle, and half off the port side. Next will be cleaning it up with a cup wire wheel on my side grinder. Also it must matter having the stringers tied correctly to the transom. When i cut the glass skin off i cut a "u" around the stringers. On the starboard side i pulled the tabbing off the stringer with no effort. It was already broke. Port side transom/stringer tabbing is still solid. Kracker you did your transom core all in one piece didn't you? Due to my bracket design, I am only installing one piece of marine ply in the transom and would like to do it in one piece if possible for the most strength. I know you did two layers, but did you cut each layer into pieces?
So far all the core has been wet. It has been abouy four or six months since I removed the outboard and swim platform.

Also got a few questions. Is it worth the effort to build a cradle for the boat to avoid a hook in the hull?

And I want to do a transom door. Would one layer of plywood provide enough strength to allow this. I will build knees to help with stability. Also the transom is getting closed off. UNLESS, I use the existing motor slot as a transom door and build a closure that slides in and out for access and to keep water out?

Got the bulk of the transom plywood out. Whats left is skin in places. Tried to upload pic but all I get is invalid post specified. Not sure if its my phone. Kracker I was able to lift one corner of the transom off the trailer, which really surprised me. And i still have foam and stringers in it.

Why will you need only one layer of ply on your transom? Are you still extending your sringers into the bracket? I would hold off on doing anything with that transom door until you are in the final stages of your restoration. Really if your going to cut your splash well out then enclose all your transom except for a 20" width and have the bottom of the passage 25" above your keel and don't worry with a door.

Yes Tartuffe I am building what I call an outrigger bracket. I am buiding my normal stringer setup, but in the back, there will be sister stringers that extend out the back 30" and marry up to the main stringers for 66". The stringers extending out the transom will be the sides of my bracket. So I add a bottom, top, and figure out a mounting pad across the back. Then I have a flotation bracket. I am still glassing it off to the transom to spread weight. However wide the main stringers are will be my bracket width. Should provide enough flotation for my plan of twins in the future. But what I am truly gaining is 2' of back deck that was taken by the splashwell. That is what really has me excited.

how are you posting pictures?? from your computer or from photobucket or another site??
I using photobucket or other hosting site, open your pic, right click it and copy the thing that says Copy image URL then come here to your post and hit the icon that looks like 2 mountains and a sun, put the copyed address in the little window and hit submit, your done!!
if from your puter go to the bottom of this post and hit mange you attachement and follow the instructions.

MJ I have been posting some pics from my phone. I have not figured out how to photobucket on my phone. I can upload pics to photobucket but thats all I can do on my phone. So I just use the manage attachments bar which worked fine till yesterday. It does not work on the local fishing forum either?? So i think its a phone problem. Trying to figure out photobucket mobile.

Internet is off at the house so mobile is all I have now.

ok, well i am of no help, i have a regular flip phone and don't even use it for the net or anything, i don't even text!! :head:

Thanks MJ. I think my problem is this prepaid at&t cheap phone. But I refuse to go on a contract plan!

test

It worked? Well, this is the transom out of my V20.

I spent a while trying to decide on my bracket design. I wanted the most flotation yet also wanted the most for performance potential. I liked the Hemco brackets how they have a v bottom yet I like the stainless because of their flat bottom that swoops up. So I decided onba hybrid design. A 13" pad that then follows the bottom angle up. It is 3" off the bottom on the angled sides and 4 5/8" off the bottom at the keel to the pad. 4 5/8" is the height from the keel to the first strakes. Then I had to decide on how tall to make the bracket. Spare mentioned to make the tub as tall as possible. But it did not look right with the motor cut out. It looked out of proportion. UNTIL I slid a piece of plywood over the cutout. Then it looked good! The outside of the tape is my final bracket outline. Still have to decide whether to make it swoop up or not.

most converts are closed transoms, so the plywood in the cut out is not a issue. as far as swooping, i would think you have to do it as when you give the boat gas on take off, the rear is going in the water, lots of drag there if no swoop. while planning the rear is going to go down some.
I have the SS Marine type bracket on both of my boats and they are great with the swoop, on the Ox its just a single and on the wellcraft it was the type with the platform, I took a 10 footer with the wellcraft and filled the boat with water. motor stayed up and running with all that weight!! the rear of the boat was in the water but the motor was able to stay 3 or so inches above to run, when the 2nd wave came it lifted the boat and motor was running and we manged to live.

Just somrthing to think about??

When I mentioned the plywood, I was meaning it was an illussion without it. Transom will be a closed transom. But I do not like the way the top of the transom angles up. I prefer it flat from side to side. So that means a little more cap modification. As is I am almost cutting the entire back of the cap off to accomplish what I want my boat to be.

I have sinned. I have been on Classic SeaCraft looking at bracket builds. Not the first home built bracket has any swoop. All leveled v bottoms. Everybody is building molds. I was thinking with my outriggered stringers I could glass a top, bottom, and a motor mount on and call it done. Wondering If i need to rethink that. I want to go wider with my bracket, but I do not think I can with trim tabs. As is fully submerged I have 700lbs of flotation minus the bracket weight. I think its around 400lbs flotation at rest. I decided against a full width platform.

MJ one thing I did notice was with my Merc being a 25" shaft she should be high.

BS, has built at least 3 and they have all been as you describe, he has done it on Seacrafts the one he did for his self and one other he did a 30" shaft, and WOW what a difference, the boat performed better then the other andthe motor is out of the water!! Mine are 25 and the motor sits close to the water all the time and is a bit scary at times. If I was to do it I would go with a 30" and V the bottom same as boat, now making the boat a 22 footer instead of a 20 footer. Trim tabs this way might be able to be mounted on the bracket?? as it will be the rear of the boat now?? I am just thinking not sure if its doable, I will ask BS tomorrow

Here is one he made
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...035_Medium.jpg

Here is a thread of a build he did with pic from beginning to end came out great!
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/communit...hlight=bracket

His did come out good. But one thing I have noticed is how heavy they are built. This is because they are bolted to the boat. I know that the outrigger stringer bracket is a much simpler and more capable design. The bracket is literally part of the boat not a bolt on.

it was only about 100 pounds a little more, and gave 400 pounds of float. the stainless marine is 125#, and gives like 315# of float

I am thinking the outrigger bracket will weigh a little over 100lbs. Using marine ply for the stringers and motor mount. The rest will hopefully be divinycell as the rest is the float chamber. I am thinking about going even wider with my bracket. Wider to the point, that its over my trim tabs and the actuator itself will determine where the bracket stops. Trying to get a 48" wide chamber. Then that leaves me room for twin engines without modification. The engines really need to be on 34 1/2" centers. But I want them as wide apart as possible. But for now its getting the single 2.5L Merc. Unless I find another during tax time. :sly:

mebbe think outside the box.... If you really want to maximise it then just make it the whole width of the boat and put the tabs on the bracket.... the further back, the more effective they are with less input... IE more efficient/faster

Good idea Smoke. But I am thinking the bracket will be out of the water when on plane. I have never owned a bracket boat so this is new. It will be 30" setback. But yeah, I have no problem mounting tabs on the bracket if they will still be effective. My bracket willbe 3" off the bottom of the boat.

If the bracket is out of the water then the tabs couldn't be on it.... maybe it should be even with the bottom of the boat with just the SLIGHTEST amount of rocker factored in to help lift the bow when tabs are retracted for max speed..... dunno.... might be virgin water here.

I have seen a few brackets custom made same as the hull, this way you 20 footer would be a 23 footer, then you can add the tabs to the bracket as its the same as the hull, not raised.

But wouldn't that be a hull extension, and not a bracket? The main reason I am going to bracket is for the performance and safety of a closed transom. I think if I take the bracket to the tabs that will be enough flotation. So 30" setback 44" wide and 20" tall with about 10" submerged. So thats ~550lbs flotation at normal water level and over a thousand if fully submerged. Minus the bracket weight.

On the pilot house, just doing some rough measuring. 44" off the windshield mounting suface gives me a couple inches over my head of clearance. Should I increase that to 48"? Also having a clearance issue with the front. If I follow the original windscreens angle that puts the windscreen and drivers head in the same spot. Its either angle the windshield up more or move the helm back. I am going to cut some plywood to mock one side of the pilothouse and see how it looks. I am thinking of doing a pilothouse roughly four or five feet back from the windscreen. I wont need a massive pilot house but it needs to allow clearance for access to my fishboxes with the back wall installed. The back wall will be a cold weather install. Otherwise its an open back. Any suggestions? Its hard figuring out how to make a pilothouse work on a 20' boat.

Scrap plywood mockup. Nobody use the b word!

That should work nice!! But with most CC, I have seen they have their house's
more to the rear of the boat, thats why CC ride better, not so much weight forward. But I am sure at this point you know what you're doing!! So I will :shut:

I'm gonna be honest...I liking it!!! Looks good dude.

Its 74" long at the gunnel, with the cap out of the hull it all looks out of proportion. Once I drop the cap back in, I will mount the mock up again. This was just to see how it would flow with the lines. Its 6' 3" headroom inside. Windows are 24" tall. I would like to make it longer butbI believe once the roof and front window mock is mounted, that It will all look better. Its really a simple design. The most complicated part is the actual windshield opening for the cuddy slide.

I'm w/MJ...I like that exact profile...how much overhang you planning all around?...

Reel I really have not thought about overhang. Maybe 8-10" front and back and 4" on the sides? I like the profile but I may drop the cap back in the hull to check how propportioned it is. I may go back another two feet and make it longer. But I am already over the gunnel rod boxes, I do not want to take all my back deck yet, without the back and door on that is full access shade that I can fish from. I need some opinions on making it longer. Thanks for the comments everybody.

Reel you got me thinking, what about just doing a two foot rear overhang on what I have now?

That's REELY why I asked about about overhang...like me, you sound concerned about taking up floor space...I don't know your priorities in the outcome of this project...shade or cockpit space?...or other?...two feet out sounds excessive to me, but might be just right for you...when holding pressure on a fish, that rods gotta have plenty of room to be held STRAIGHT UP...and my concern is too much out the back will be restrictive when it counts...but again, that's me..you may have other priorities...

I have been running that scenario through my head also. I love to drift fish over reefs and wrecks. But my main goal with this build is bluewater fishing. Even having Bluewater V20 decals made. I am looking at trolling for wahoo, tuna, and my ultimate goal is a swordfish. Thinking about it, yeah its all around fishing types. I have never held a rod straight up with a fish on except when its boat side and we want to stick it with the gaff. I would also like to get back into King Tournament fishing. I will have to do a mock up of my roof and see how it works. Something else, is a V20 stable enough to mount a crows nest? Or do yall think that will be too dangerous?

A lot of cc don't have a ton of space in the rear of the boat. The overhang will be nice, but you only need enough to let the water run off, and not down your back when under way. For shade get a good hat! I love my hard top, never have to wear a hat anymore, but it can get in the way when casting a lot, but I do most all bottom fishing.
As far as a crows nest, It has been done on the V20, and we have seen some pic's, but know one has ever said how they go?? I would think a small lower type might not be to bad, but if you make one to high you going to have issues. You know what would be nice, a sunroof in your pilot house with a small ladder to step up on, stick your head out the top and get a great view without building anything to high?? Just popped in my head as I am typing.

Whatever its coming out great!! Keep it going you have a whole winter to go before you need it.

Good idea MJ! I have seen center consoles with an opening in the t-top and you stand on the console for increased view. I might do that! If I do decide to go to a cabin roof mounted crows nest it would also make access easier, since I would not have to crawl across the top. FYI I am not wanting a tower, just a crows nest on the roof, maybe with controls too?

And MJ what do you mean by cc? Center console or cuddy cabin?

Just keep in mind our Vs are only 20' w/not a bunch of beam...so whatever weight you mount on high will tend to exagerate the rock n roll of a beam sea...if were me, I'd put the hatch through the top w/a sturdy rail up there for security and call it a day...go w/that for a while, then see if you WANT controls up there...you can always add...and the weight up high issue...a top sturdy enough to stand on is already gonna be heavy to start with...

REEL, the top will be plenty sturdy if I use a pole like BlueRunner has in his boat! :you:

Back on topic. I am thinking its around 6.5' from side to side which the roof will span. I can always do what XShark did in the Mako build and arch it. Still might run stringers across. One layer of 3/4" will support me, and with stringers it ought to support twice my weight. If I go with twin motors I wont even install a steering helm on the top, just the throttles and shifts. Still working on the details.

IMHO... 3/4 is WAY too much! with ply and glass combined, keep it under 1/2" with a few 3/4" stringers... definately arch it at least a little..
Your electronics box can be structural... a 4" high 1/8" sheer panel ( the back of the box) can be VERY strong

one layer of 3/4 with glass, stringers, and proper engineering would easily support you AND a volkswagon