OReely

New porn movie?

and bouncers too!

Wow, you guys sure are tough on the blowboaters. It's a well known fact there are two types of blowboaters - the kind that will spend any amount of money to win a race and the kind that will steal toilet paper out of the public restroom!

While I applaud their effort, I question it at the same time. Their lead investor, an engineer according to the story, is supposed to have invested $600,000 in this and apparently has a rebuilt boat to show for it. I could deliver a complete set of molds and a proof boat for that kind of money. There are off the shelf parts used in the EV market that could be adapted to this concept so I can't imagine the money went to R & D. Maybe the figure is exaggerated to make a better story. Or they are trying to reinvent the wheel. In the comments associated with the story, there was one person who wrote as if he was part of the team. He commented that the battery bank weighed about 3000 lbs. If that's true, it would equate to about fifty 12 volt AMG batteries. The solar array mounted to the hardtop is nowhere near big enough to recharge the battery bank. Maybe the solar charging capability is inflated, again, to make a better story. I don't see a revolution coming. The battery technology will have to advance to the point where the boat will have range and performance close to what most boats are capable of today. 20 knots top end for an hour just won't cut it. 100 miles max range at 4 knots won't work either. Somewhere down the road, I'm sure there will be replacement electric vessels available the will satisfy the consumer. Perhaps these guys are the start of it. This is, of course, my opinion based on the info from the story. My opinion, and four bucks will get you a cup of joe at the Starbucks down the way.

I, for one, really like the idea of a projects section. It sounds like it will let you zero in on your particular interests.

Peace. Around the world would be nice but I'd settle for at my house.

The OP advertises here and added a thread for people to read. He's running a business and may only occasionally read this forum. A couple of days is not that long to wait, after all this is for entertainment. The design of the stringers and bulkheads in a small boat is not that big a deal. They perform a couple of functions. 1)stiffen hull panels. 2)resist torsional loads. 3) support additional structure (like the deck or liner). Speaking of supporting the deck, who ever said the stringers had to support the deck. The deck could be self supporting. This is a small boat. The cockpit is probably not more than a few feet wide. You could easily build a cored deck that would be of sufficient stiffness that it didn't require additional support. There could also be things running under the deck (rigging, storage, fuel tank, etc) that need the clearance. I've read some of Pascoe's stuff and believe a lot of it is opinion mixed with fact. For instance, this notion that the stringer must go fore and aft in a singular, uninterupted plane is not absolute or realistic. It is often necessary to change the stringer vertically and/or horizontally in a given design. There are multiple methods to accomplish this in a safe and structurally sound manner. What is important to remember is that loads need to be transfered, it's not a "only one way to do it" type of project. Remember, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Prisma beams can do it as can plywood and glass or Coosa and glass.

Is that water bottle really a bottle full of water? Enquiring minds want to know!

Excuse me stewardess, I speak jive. What knockers! It's good to be the king. Ahh, ahh, ahh. Wait for the shake. Of course I'm serious. And don't ever call me Shirley.

You know what they say... once you go bronze, you'll never go back!

Starboard is made of high density polyethylene. It's not porous, but it's not a good choice for a holddown either. You'd be better served with a stiff material to block it in place or as Cracker Larry wrote, tabs welded to the tank that could be bolted to the stringers. Coal tar coated tanks will last many, many years whether installed in foam of not. I've repaired boats that were 15, even 20+ years with coal tar coated aluminum tanks that didn't leak. I've pulled tanks out of a 20 year old boat that had no coating on it that wasn't leaking, although it was severely corroded. Am I say that you will get 20 years out of a tank? Definitely no, I'm not. There are too many variables. I'm just pointing out that they can last that long. 15 years is not an unreasonable number to use for an average tank, regardless of how it's installed. Today's urethane foams used in boat building are not open cell foams. They are not like a sponge but they can hold water in voids created during the blowing process. If you are in an area that sees freezing temps, the freeze-thaw cycle could lead to small degradation in the foam over time.

Any time I see ads like the ones they have, I really question the product. Save 50% on your heating bill? For me, it's just too hard to believe. Apparently, Consumer Reports has problems with it also. I don't have any experience with them, I just don't trust companies that seem to over-hype their product. Here's a link to the Consumer Reports article:http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2008/11/edenpure-heater.html

A friend of mine, who is in the business, told me he recently applied for a job there. I don't know the particulars of the deal but it is my understanding Roger Dunshee (sp?) sold Twin Vee and carried a note. I heard he was the one who forced them into bankruptcy for failure to pay. From what I've been told, he got Twin Vee back and is trying to get it going again. I don't know if "emerging from bankruptcy" is the proper term since he took the company back from the guys he sold it to. Apparently, the rumor of them getting going again is true.

I use the Red Phillips also. What I'd like to find is a knot that runs out through the guides smoothly when I cast. There's always that little tick when the knot goes through the tip top. I've got a couple of ideas I'm going to try out when I get the time but if anyone knows one I'm all ears.

No, but the ethanol people own the decision makers!

The only thing I wonder about is the configuration of the legs for the top. It might just be the photos but they look a little close too the seats for me. Could be real head knockers in heavy seas.

So, what you're saying is you go around town causing trouble. You probably give the waitress a hard time during the early bird special too!

Can't beat coal tar epoxy for the fuel tank. What are you using to hold the fuel tank down? Nice job on the pipes for the fuel hose.

Pictures would definitely help. From the info you've given, I doubt there is anything more than cosmetic damage. Did the gelcoat come off in a chunk? Or, is it really more like a scratch? Was there a void under the gelcoat? Is the damage on a radius or in a flat section of the hull? If you can provide some pictures or at least a better description I could probably walk you through step by step.

I would call Lee's and ask them. Tell them you want to put the Lee's poles in Taco bases. I'm sure they will know what you need. I know Tacos come in two different diameters so measure the inside diameter of your bases before you call. As far as the length, that is pretty much a preference thing. Just remember they will be sticking out behind the boat when they are down. As for rigging, the link below is a thread with a couple of different approaches for double line rigging. http://reelboating.com/forums/?showtopic=1423

My personal preference would be to have an all-in-one forum for things like general boat questions, electronics, boat repair, projects, etc. To me they just seem to fit together. Having fishing, photos, regions, etc as a separate forums makes sense also. Don't ask me to justify it, because I don't know why I like it that way. All in all, I guess it's okay either way, just a minor adjustment to the way I view threads.

I'd like to help but first I need some more info. Were you driving it too hard or did you neglect it? There's always a reason for the problem. If you know the reason then you have a better chance of fixing the problem. You could certainly fix the cracks in the boat. The crack walking up the drive is a whole other problem. You should probably trade that one in for a new model, if you can afford it.

Having never lived in the frozen tundra you guys call home I can't give you firsthand info but I have read several threads like this where people use RV potable water antifreeze in various systems. I'm sure draining would be best but sometimes systems don't lend themselves to that procedure. The RV stuff sounds like a good second best.

It's been a long time since I replaced a seal in a tilt helm but I believe the answer is yes, you can remove the seal from the front after taking off the tilt mechanism. If I remember right, it's 4 screws for the tilt, a set screw on the U-joint and 3 screws for the seal. Teleflex has PDFs for most of their stuff, you might want to check their site, teleflexmarine.com.

My grandfather, who ran charters, starting in the early 50's out of Brielle NJ, then Fort Pierce FL from the mid 50's on through the 70's could have been a model for your character, Captain Milt. Gristled old salt, white hair, goatee rather than a full beard, blue eyes. Not mentioned by you, but worn by many captains back then, the requisite pot belly from the adult refreshments. I'm not sure about his first boat but his second boat was plank on frame rather than lapstrake and not as old as WWII. The second boat was built in the late sixties. You just doing this for fun or planning on a short story, book, etc?