DaveH6
Bluejacket 25.5
This is the Bluejacket I'm building.
The average daily high in Austin in the dead of Winter is 62 degrees. Factor in the comfort of the pilot house and we shall boat on Lake Travis in the Winter.
The BJ25.5 has berths for three, adequate cockpit space for a couple of chairs along with two built-in seats. One reason I selected this boat over the BJ 24 was the extra seats in the pilot house for passengers when the weather turns foul. More importantly, the B25.5's scale of the pilot house to the hull length is most pleasing to my eye. If you don't break out into a smile when viewing your boat at anchor, you have selected the wrong boat.
When I tell folks I'm building a wooden boat, (I guess I should call it a "composite" boat) no doubt they believe I must be out of my mind as they think leaks, rot, high maintenance and obsolete building materials.
In regards to longevity and subsequent maintenance issues, the Bluejacket's marine plywood monoque hull ("welded" plywood panels into a one piece structure) is sheathed in abrasion resistant Xynole polyester fabric laminated on with waterproof epoxy resin. Consequently, no wood in the hull is in direct contact with the water. The exterior (other than decorative trim) of the rest of the boat will be covered with either epoxy or fiberglass so no wood on the deck or roof structures will come in direct contact with the elements. Bilge areas are coated with three coats of epoxy. Yes, if any of these coverings are breeched, rot could be a consequence. Traditional wooden boat builders may scoff at the use of plywood as well as stitch-and-glue but lack empirical data supporting their opinions which seem to be based solely on failure situations where builder practices not the material was at fault. I expect to have used 35 gallons of epoxy when my boat is finished.
My so called " fiberglass" sailboat has 1/2" plywood between the fiberglass deck surface and interior fiberglass liner. If the bedding on a deck fixture fails, this wood core around the hole could rot. Twice I have removed all deck fittings on my sailboat and rebedded them. The proper approach would be to drill oversized holes and fill with epoxy and after curing drill the proper size hole. This will be done on my Bluejacket to prevent rot around a bolt hole.
Now the payoff for using plywood. Using same weight as a comparison criteria for a given panel foot print, plywood has greater panel strength than fiberglass or steel. The key element in the performance and economy of operation of the Bluejacket is light displacement. My Bluejacket without an engine and tanks empty, will weigh about 2,000 lbs. Looking at fiberglass boats of a similiar beam, length and accomodations, I believe the Bluejacket weighs at least 1,000 lbs less than the fiberglass boat.
If I was considering a large displacement hull for bluewater sailing and expect that sooner or later I will ground on a reef, I want a steel hull. If I want to eliminate rot and corrosion from my vocabulary and want lightweight, I specify exotic fiber materials, and costly construction techniques employing resin infusion, autoclaves, etc. If I want lightweight and durability for an amateur home construction environment, I build a composite boat featuring quality marine plywood.
So...no construction material can claim absolute superiority over other materials for all occasions. It all depends on how the boat will be used and the desired construction environment and budget.
Yup, when running in a displacement mode, the lightweight Bluejacket won't carry her way as well as a heavier boat. But at the gas pump, the Bluejacket and her tow vehicle will prevail. All boat designs are compromises.
Plywood has some insulation qualities thus cabin interiors don't sweat as much as fiberglass. Foam core construction in the Bluejacket's foredeck and pilothouse roof will help mitigate surface temperature extremes. Foam flotation under the cockpit and pilothouse soles enhance safety. Based on my experience of crewing on wooden sailboats, I speculate that the Bluejacket may be quieter than a similiar sized fiberglass boat when the hull is bouncing off waves. We shall see.
My Bluejacket has an 8' beam but more importantly in regards to compliance with state specified legal trailer widths, the fender to fender width of my recently purchased aluminum trailer is 8'. This trailer weighs 1180 lbs.
I am using high end Joubert British Standard 1088 Okoume marine plywood. I selected Joubert Okoume because of its light weight, cold molding flexibility, splinter free cutting and defect free surfaces. I speculate the cost premium will be recovered in reduced fuel costs. A downside of okoume is that it has less rot resistance than other plywoods. With my manic attention to building tasks such as sealing all plywood edges with epoxy, and quickly addressing any future maintenance needs, I expect no rot issues.
My boat will be powered by a 60-70 hp four stroke outboard. While inboard engines have many advantages, I for one will not miss stuffing boxes, engine mounts, engine alignment, exhaust elbow issues, loss of interior space, etc.. Performance and economy of my boat will be similiar to the proven Bluejacket 24. A Bluejacket 25.5 owner reports 2 1/2 gallons per hour of fuel usage running his boat at 16 knots. Power is a Yamaha 70 four stroke (253 lbs).
My Bluejacket with engine, equipment, fuel and aluminum trailer should weigh less than 4,000 lbs thus within the prescribed tow rating of my 4WD Honda Pilot. I expect no problems in regards to a short tow to our community's boat ramp. However, I harbor no illusions concerning potential destruction of the Pilot's drive train if I tow the Bluejacket up lengthy 6% interstate grades. In addition, with the white knuckle factor at Interstate speeds with adjoining truck traffic, I suspect I may be upgrading to a longer wheel base, heavier and more powerful tow vehicle.
Edit: in May 2015, I purchased a 2011 Nissan Armada Platinum 4 wheel drive vehicle in Austin Texas (thus no rust.) This 5,900lb SUV with 385 lbs of torque has the same running gear as a 1/2 ton Titan pickup truck and is equipped with the factory tow package that includes rear spring airbags and supporting compressor. This gas sucking beast will be primarily used for towing and our Texas to Maryland commutes. We shall use our Hondas for daily driving needs.
Other Bluejacket build sites:
www.flickr.com/photos/ed_boat/
www.flickr.com/photos/bluejacket28/
www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150284696947578.38723...a
www.flickr.com/photos/58798913@N03/
www.flickr.com/photos/73563075@N02/
www.flickr.com/photos/chas231/
Edit. 07/16/2012:
Ray Macke has constructed two powerboats from plans from Glen-L. The following site contains his very well written travel logs of boating primarily on the Tennessee River. Inspires one to travel in his foot steps.
Bluejacket 25.5
This is the Bluejacket I'm building.
The average daily high in Austin in the dead of Winter is 62 degrees. Factor in the comfort of the pilot house and we shall boat on Lake Travis in the Winter.
The BJ25.5 has berths for three, adequate cockpit space for a couple of chairs along with two built-in seats. One reason I selected this boat over the BJ 24 was the extra seats in the pilot house for passengers when the weather turns foul. More importantly, the B25.5's scale of the pilot house to the hull length is most pleasing to my eye. If you don't break out into a smile when viewing your boat at anchor, you have selected the wrong boat.
When I tell folks I'm building a wooden boat, (I guess I should call it a "composite" boat) no doubt they believe I must be out of my mind as they think leaks, rot, high maintenance and obsolete building materials.
In regards to longevity and subsequent maintenance issues, the Bluejacket's marine plywood monoque hull ("welded" plywood panels into a one piece structure) is sheathed in abrasion resistant Xynole polyester fabric laminated on with waterproof epoxy resin. Consequently, no wood in the hull is in direct contact with the water. The exterior (other than decorative trim) of the rest of the boat will be covered with either epoxy or fiberglass so no wood on the deck or roof structures will come in direct contact with the elements. Bilge areas are coated with three coats of epoxy. Yes, if any of these coverings are breeched, rot could be a consequence. Traditional wooden boat builders may scoff at the use of plywood as well as stitch-and-glue but lack empirical data supporting their opinions which seem to be based solely on failure situations where builder practices not the material was at fault. I expect to have used 35 gallons of epoxy when my boat is finished.
My so called " fiberglass" sailboat has 1/2" plywood between the fiberglass deck surface and interior fiberglass liner. If the bedding on a deck fixture fails, this wood core around the hole could rot. Twice I have removed all deck fittings on my sailboat and rebedded them. The proper approach would be to drill oversized holes and fill with epoxy and after curing drill the proper size hole. This will be done on my Bluejacket to prevent rot around a bolt hole.
Now the payoff for using plywood. Using same weight as a comparison criteria for a given panel foot print, plywood has greater panel strength than fiberglass or steel. The key element in the performance and economy of operation of the Bluejacket is light displacement. My Bluejacket without an engine and tanks empty, will weigh about 2,000 lbs. Looking at fiberglass boats of a similiar beam, length and accomodations, I believe the Bluejacket weighs at least 1,000 lbs less than the fiberglass boat.
If I was considering a large displacement hull for bluewater sailing and expect that sooner or later I will ground on a reef, I want a steel hull. If I want to eliminate rot and corrosion from my vocabulary and want lightweight, I specify exotic fiber materials, and costly construction techniques employing resin infusion, autoclaves, etc. If I want lightweight and durability for an amateur home construction environment, I build a composite boat featuring quality marine plywood.
So...no construction material can claim absolute superiority over other materials for all occasions. It all depends on how the boat will be used and the desired construction environment and budget.
Yup, when running in a displacement mode, the lightweight Bluejacket won't carry her way as well as a heavier boat. But at the gas pump, the Bluejacket and her tow vehicle will prevail. All boat designs are compromises.
Plywood has some insulation qualities thus cabin interiors don't sweat as much as fiberglass. Foam core construction in the Bluejacket's foredeck and pilothouse roof will help mitigate surface temperature extremes. Foam flotation under the cockpit and pilothouse soles enhance safety. Based on my experience of crewing on wooden sailboats, I speculate that the Bluejacket may be quieter than a similiar sized fiberglass boat when the hull is bouncing off waves. We shall see.
My Bluejacket has an 8' beam but more importantly in regards to compliance with state specified legal trailer widths, the fender to fender width of my recently purchased aluminum trailer is 8'. This trailer weighs 1180 lbs.
I am using high end Joubert British Standard 1088 Okoume marine plywood. I selected Joubert Okoume because of its light weight, cold molding flexibility, splinter free cutting and defect free surfaces. I speculate the cost premium will be recovered in reduced fuel costs. A downside of okoume is that it has less rot resistance than other plywoods. With my manic attention to building tasks such as sealing all plywood edges with epoxy, and quickly addressing any future maintenance needs, I expect no rot issues.
My boat will be powered by a 60-70 hp four stroke outboard. While inboard engines have many advantages, I for one will not miss stuffing boxes, engine mounts, engine alignment, exhaust elbow issues, loss of interior space, etc.. Performance and economy of my boat will be similiar to the proven Bluejacket 24. A Bluejacket 25.5 owner reports 2 1/2 gallons per hour of fuel usage running his boat at 16 knots. Power is a Yamaha 70 four stroke (253 lbs).
My Bluejacket with engine, equipment, fuel and aluminum trailer should weigh less than 4,000 lbs thus within the prescribed tow rating of my 4WD Honda Pilot. I expect no problems in regards to a short tow to our community's boat ramp. However, I harbor no illusions concerning potential destruction of the Pilot's drive train if I tow the Bluejacket up lengthy 6% interstate grades. In addition, with the white knuckle factor at Interstate speeds with adjoining truck traffic, I suspect I may be upgrading to a longer wheel base, heavier and more powerful tow vehicle.
Edit: in May 2015, I purchased a 2011 Nissan Armada Platinum 4 wheel drive vehicle in Austin Texas (thus no rust.) This 5,900lb SUV with 385 lbs of torque has the same running gear as a 1/2 ton Titan pickup truck and is equipped with the factory tow package that includes rear spring airbags and supporting compressor. This gas sucking beast will be primarily used for towing and our Texas to Maryland commutes. We shall use our Hondas for daily driving needs.
Other Bluejacket build sites:
www.flickr.com/photos/ed_boat/
www.flickr.com/photos/bluejacket28/
www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150284696947578.38723...a
www.flickr.com/photos/58798913@N03/
www.flickr.com/photos/73563075@N02/
www.flickr.com/photos/chas231/
Edit. 07/16/2012:
Ray Macke has constructed two powerboats from plans from Glen-L. The following site contains his very well written travel logs of boating primarily on the Tennessee River. Inspires one to travel in his foot steps.