Anybody ever build a sled in here?

SnagMagnet · 06-24-2001, 04:00 PM

Great another board to spend hours on.... You people aren't that rich white collar crowd are ya?.... Hope not....read to much mud flingin in the last few weeks and hope everybody remembers FISHING is the topic here... (Just to let ya know....never seen RT's crack and after what I've read.....don't really care to... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ) Building one as we speak...Sled that is.....can't afford a crack like RT's... But after it's done It'll be able to hull it up the mighty Snake in comfort.... Anybody ever think of taking on a project of this size..... [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[ 06-24-2001: Message edited by: SnagMagnet ]

ol tuna skipper · 06-24-2001, 04:20 PM

My boss just bought a hull and we desighed the windshield and fabricated it. It turned out real nice. He now has it painted in and out. Waiting for the motor next week. Fun project and a lot cheaper than buying a pretty 30,000 dollar sled.

Bait O' Eggs · 06-24-2001, 05:18 PM

SM - welcome to ifish. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

This sled you are building, is it wood or aluminum? I alway thought I would build my next sled out of aluminum and either save a bunch of money or end up with a really big anchor. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

WaterDog · 06-24-2001, 08:20 PM

Hey SnagMagnet welcome aboard. Good to see you getting away from that Yahoo board. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

SnagMagnet · 06-25-2001, 03:21 AM

ol tuna, I tossed that idea around before starting it. The hull a design of it is the most time consuming part of the whole project. Now that the spring run is done (sigh) [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] I'm going to hit it hard see how far I can get before the Steelies start callin me. I picked up 95% of the sheet aluminium for just over $2000. Thats..

1ea 6'x20' 3/16 (bottom hull)
2ea 4'x20' 1/8 (side hull)
1ea 4'x8' 1/4 (transom)
3ea 4'x8' 3/16 (ribs) 7 of them
6ea 1.5'x1.5' 3/16 structural tee (stringers)
1ea 2'x2' 1/4 structural tee (chime)

Going to put an inboard V8 with a pump. It's going to be a 20' with a 17" delta pad and fully enclosed with a semi hard top. Trailers done with a cost of $1700 and that includes two custom axles built to my specs and five Nakang 8 ply trailer tires. I'm going to build the jig inverted on the trailer to make it portable. I'm sure I'll turn a few heads pulling this thing around town [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] .
Bait, The thought of what this thing might look like has crossed my mind. I'm going to do my best not to make a boat anchor out of it.
Waterdog, A little birdy told me this is a good BB to get input on boats. What can I say....we meet again
[img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

By the way my signature is the boat name...

[ 06-25-2001: Message edited by: SnagMagnet ]

ol tuna skipper · 06-25-2001, 05:24 AM

SnagMagnet

Sounds like your starting with all the right gauge aluminum for the sled. This was a major deciding point when I purchased my boat 6 years ago.

Are you laser cutting the sheets to exact fit. I have some good laser specs to get the aluminum to cut right. What type alum. is it.
May be able to put you in touch with a fab shop in Boise. I work with a laser dude and we do R & D for the sheet metal industry. Look us up at www.oatc.org.

Sounds like your going to have a nice boat when your done. I grew up in Cottonwood, ID. and my dad used to take me fishing on the snake and salmon rivers. I sure do miss that.

Take care.

Ol tuna skipper

Orca · 06-25-2001, 06:55 AM

You might find a usable plan here:
http://www.boatdesigns.com/

I have a 12' foot sled that my brother designed and built. It has a 45 hp mid-jet motor and pump. Fun little boat. Great for Santiam size rivers, and super on the John Day (that is before the BLM in their infinite wisdom deemed that power boats were too dangerous and were destroying the John Day. Hoping to win the lottery and sue them). I have a 90 hp SportJet in the garage that I am thinking about putting in it, but then that may just be crazy.

One of these days I may build build a 16'-17' sled and put the 90 hp in it, or go get a 175 SportJet to relly make it go!

SnagMagnet · 06-25-2001, 04:57 PM

ol tuna, Now your talking...the aluminium is 5052 or 5084 for everything but the stringers, top frame, windsheild frame, and flooring supports which is 6061 T6 extrusion. I have access to a CNC routher with a 8'x12' vacuum bed that holds an extreme tolerence and capable of pulls up to 30'. The frames have already been cut with the 17" delta vee with a 12 degree deadrise and I'm going with 30" sides. The floor width is 64" and bottom width at 70" with the beam at 92". [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Mystic, I started with a set of plans from Ken Ackintson out of Sand Point Idaho... I changed them to my needs. Spent an hour on the phone with him and he freaked out when I told him what I'm doing to his master plans....lol.. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ... He didn't like it when I told him I'm getting a CNC involved to make some critical cuts. Twit needs to rethink his plans... If I made them to his specs in my backyard it would never get done. Your looking at double the aluminium price not to mention the twin Big blocks needed to power thing at a reasonable speed. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Bait....what dreadrise did the boss order?....and If you don't mind how much did he spend on the blank hull? Add the specs if ya got them....

TIGHT LINES..... Snag out [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[ 06-25-2001: Message edited by: SnagMagnet ]

ol tuna skipper · 06-25-2001, 09:58 PM

Snagmagnet,

I'll get the specs on the hull. Boss told me today he took it out this weekend. He got kinda ****** as his wife packed the thing full of uneccessary crap for a day trip. It isn't as large as yours is going to be. He lives right on the Clackamas which is a relatively small river compared to the Snake. What your building sounds more like what we run on the rogue at the coast. The mailboats here run four V-8 454's I believe and it is a kick.
I took my whole family of six on a 8 hour mailboat ride up the Rogue river out of Goldbeach. Thats one ride the kids will never forget. Got plenty wet in the rapids. Saw Blackbear, dear, river otter and tons of fowl. Ate at the lodge and got back to gold beach about dark.
I'll get back to you with the hull specs. and cost.

SnagMagnet · 06-26-2001, 03:14 AM

ol tuna, I've spent 3 years in open boats fishing the Steelhead runs in Idaho and it's extremely cold business. This all started two years ago when myself and two friends where anchored pulling plugs doing all we can not to get frostbite. Had this huge inclosed CustomWeld come up and anchor next to us. The guys throw there lines out zip the door shut and proceeded to play cards in tee shirts. Would've been a great advertisment for CustomWeld to get a picture of this. They could of put a caption on the bottom reading.... "EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE"

Mystic, I also wondered about building a smaller craft. I have a 65 hp Suzuki JetStar inboard jet pump sitting in the garage that was givin to me after I started the big boy. Sure would be a kick in the pants to mount it in a little 10 or 12 footer. Oh well....One project at a time.... [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Orca · 06-26-2001, 07:08 AM

SnagMagnet,

If you ever get around to that smaller craft, I could send you some pictures and rough plans from my boat and you could go at it. I currently sit over the top of my moter since the Bombadier/UA pump package is quite small. The SportJet is too tall to sit over, and I don't know about the JetStar.

I'm sure the 65 hp would be super fun in a 12 footer. I try to take mine to Hell's Canyon about once a year. We go below the dam down as far as conditions will allow. This is sometimes a few miles or sometimes all the way to Wild Sheep. Depends on the flow. We were there one day when they released a bunch of water, and the flow hit 55,000. Now that was crazy and I will never do that again.

SnagMagnet · 06-26-2001, 04:02 PM

Mystic, Think about this... A 12 foot sled with a 6 degree deadrise running 28 inch sides....set it up for two people and two people ONLY. If you keep the people and gear weight under 600 pounds I can build a little skeeter boat that has a two person cocpit thats enclosed and a 6' wide by 5' long raised fishing deck out back.... With my 65 hp it would scoot....with your 90 it would fly... I could pick up the material for about $400 that includes 95% of it! Keep it simple and very fishable. I'm talking 1/8" sides and bottom here....tough and light... Figure the whole craft might reach 900lbs loaded and wet.... The kewl thing about a small craft is it's easy to form....you start talkin bigger and heavier you start talkin cash..... I was to late when I scored the StarJet pump/motor........ If I would have gotten it 1 month sooner.... I'd be turning heads on the river as we speak.... [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

willierower · 06-26-2001, 06:52 PM

Speaking of small jeboats. I saw a 12' Valco with a Kawasaki 660 jetski moter and pump in it. The Operater sits over the moter. Steering and throttle are controled with the handle bars from the jetski. The boat moves along at a good clip and can run in really shallow water. I talked with guy who owned it and he said he could run around all weekend with 6 gallons of fuel.
I thought it was a pretty cool idea. I wouldnt have used an old riveted Valco though. Im thinking one of those 1000 cc motors in a 14' flat bottom welded boat would be pretty neat. There are all kinds of after market goodies for jetski pumps. I bet you could make one fast little sled for under 3 grand. There aree allknids of wrecked jetskis around and you can pick up a hull cheap.

SnagMagnet · 06-27-2001, 02:21 AM

Willie. I agree with not using a Valco hull... Way to thin of material... I know...I owned a 20 footer that leaked and dented everytime you looked at it wrong [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]. My JetStar motor/pump combo was made by Suzuki and they had 55hp and 65hp versions. This was back in the days when Suzuki was in the water toy business. They put it in wetbike version and a fiberglass boat that came with one or two motors in it. Talked to a guy that has a Alaskan Grissly 17 foot welded sled powered by the 55hp version. He said it was fine with just him but more than two and the boat was under powered. I guess they made this boat because of the increasing regulations on HP in certain areas of Alaska. Parts for these motors can be found but there is only one place in the US that sells them so you are at their mercy... Thanks for the replys guys.... TIGHT LINES....

Roeboat · 06-28-2001, 09:17 AM

I built an 18 footer out of wood/foam/fiberglass with a very custom tunnel bottom design, 5 degree vee, powered by a 90 hp pump. I figure I have at least 50 gallons resin in it with a lot of hand layed glass. It weighs about 1500 lbs. and has a top speed of 40 mph. The bottom is very tough and has seen plenty of rocks with no damage (the boat is not babied) The boat is glass/ply/2"foam/ply/glass construction, extremely rigid like a Whaler and unsinkable. The multi composite construction took longer than anticipated and though performance is excellent, I'd probably build in Al next time as it would be quicker to build that way (and cheaper). I have noticed that my boat is considerably faster than same sized alumawelds and Wooldridges and sits higher in the water. Out of the hole acceleration is good but not as good as the big willie Predators with the monster Mercs on them. Once on a plane we are evenly matched and neither can gain or pull away. I attribute the boats success to the tunnel design which forces a very strong water stream directly into the pump acting like a ram charger. The tunnel design is much like is found on full channel bottom surfboards. I used to manufacture a lot of channel bottom boards in Hawaii and just extended the concept to the jet boat.

SnagMagnet · 06-28-2001, 02:29 PM

roe, 1500 pounds is pretty light for a homemade glass boat considering you have a double hull(is that with or without your pump?). I'm going to line the inside with removable foam panels where ever I can. I don't want to spray the foam in because it makes welding a bear if you need to repair the hull. Estimated weight for this thing is about 1800lbs and thats with a small block 300hp with twin 30 gallon tanks. Going to skin the inside with 3/16 lexan for the floor and .040 aluminium on the sides. The sides are going to have indentations for things like fire ext.(2) and the important first-aid kit. Once everything is done I'll have it sprayed with Rhino liner or Line-X bed liner. This stuff comes in any color you want and really tuff and easy to clean. It's going to have a 6' long by 92" wide raised fishing deck in the rear with extended rails and them neat little seats in the corner to park your butt. The bench seats in the middle are going to be padded 124qt coolers for all them dang fish I'm going to have to haul around [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] . Put a couple of Trailbosses up front and what you have here is truly a custom sled..... Watch out Wille, NorthWest, NorthRiver, CustomWeld, DuckWorth, Thor, FishRite, JetCraft, MotionMarine, and everybody else.....there's a new kid on the block.... [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] ... Oh no I'm gettin cocky... I know talks cheap, building boats isn't and If I had the cash.... I would love to own anyone of these fine sleds.... One good thing about building your own sled is no payments. Well mabe at the start [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] . If I put more than 15k into this sled I'll be amazed and thats with all some pretty kewl gadgets.... Just remember....measure 4 times cut once [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] .