Thread: Goat Island Skiff (Guatemala)

Mast step and partner installed. I had a bit more of bulkier rig to support the partner initially but after the glue started to hold I simplified it so I could remove the tape.

Rear tank side cleats also glued in. I tried the clamping method described in the plans but couldn't get the cleats to sit properly. I ended up putting two screws through the hull into each cleat.

Next steps: complete and install the front gusset for the centrecase and the rest of the seat/tank cleats and supports.

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I love your work. You are just far enough ahead of me to let me see exactly how things should go together. Your work looks beautiful.

Originally Posted by Northstar

I love your work. You are just far enough ahead of me to let me see exactly how things should go together. Your work looks beautiful.

I'm probably a better photographer then a wood worker....! It's going really well at the moment and I'm excited to be making some progress. I'll do my best to keep blazing the trail.

I've been saving up some questions...


1. On page 53 of my plans in the section "Which is the front face of the mast?" it mentions a notch on the mast. This is the only reference I can find of a notch on the mast - what is the notch and what is it for?

2. The front and rear tank - do these just need to be epoxy coated or will they also need to be painted?

3. The u-bolt on the stem - what are the advantages/disadvantages for attaching this above or below the front tank top?

4. The "deck plates" for the front and rear tanks - how water tight do these need to be? Are they attached directly contacting the timber faces with screws or do they need to be epoxy glued in place?

5. The rudder gudgeons I have are a little oversized; the arms are 95mm long and the holes on the arms are 50mm apart. The solid timber section these are designed to bolt through is 45mm wide. Is it OK to cut these down and drill some more holes?

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Thanks for any information provided.

Cheers

Matt

Matt, epoxy seals the wood from moisture absorption. Even the "dry" buoyancy chambers can become humid and it's a food idea to store the hull with deck plates removed or loosened. I vote epoxy. But some builders have used no epoxy at all and are satisfied.

Deck plates are part of your buoyancy tanks; they should be water tight (and so should your fillets). I personally need to address the rubber o-ring on one if mine because I took on about .5 liters of water during my capsize. At the time I also had damage else where on the chamber that provided a vent that facilitated the leak. I still don't like how much water intruded in such a short period of time (5 minutes maybe?)

U bolt should not penetrate the forward chamber. That's just asking for a leak. I have mine set at the stem's mid point and it clears the chamber by a healthy margin. Others have gone higher. You might want to consider how a trailer will match up to the bow eye.


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My take at your questions (remember you are ahead of me in the build, but I have spent a lot of tome reading build treads)
1. The notch: I think this is something that another storer boat uses
2. Epoxy only should be fine.Paint over epoxy is mainly for UV resistance and shouldn't be needed
3.At Davlafont says, don't make holes in your watertight compartments. Lower position might be beneficial for towing, but probably better to have it a bit higher for it you intend to winch it onto a trailer
4. I would recommend something less stiff than epoxy for attaching the Deck plates, Sikaflex or similar, you want them watertight
5. I see no reason why you cant cut your gudgeons a bit shorter. If they are 50mm wide you should place some distance material between them and the rudder box to get a nice tight fit.

Builds looking great and I am quite envious of your building space!

Pontus

Thanks for all the info Dave and Pontus.

I'll have to do some investigating and see what sort of "sealing" products are available here. Is there anything to avoid using when installing the deck plates - silicone sealant or caulk? Just trying to think what might be used in the construction industry here.

Re-reading I see the paint question was in addition to epoxy (maybe?). There is the traditional touch of painting those spaces to aid inspection. Not necessary but not silly either.

I sealed my deck plates with 3M's 5200
marine sealant. It's the stickiest goop I've ever touched; very hard to remain neat. But it is known for having enough flexibilty to accommodate material shifts without breaking seal. It's adhesive enough to use alone, but I installed SS screws too because the blank holes just didn't look right.

Yes, the mast notch reference is an artifact of a different instruction set. The GIS has an Eco-friendly amount of recycled instructions!


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Was able to turn the hull over today and clean out six months worth of dust and crap. She's looking pretty neat - at least from a distance. Today I glued on some more support structure for the front and rear tank.

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Sikaflex or 3M 5200 work for the access rings. A high quality household (exterior) caulk would be OK but don't use silicone.

The gudgeons you bought for the rudder box will work but the after-most screw holes appear to be too far back to catch wood. You should probably cut the excess off and drill holes so you have two fasteners; one would not be adequate IMO. And, yes, fit spacers so that the gudgeon fits snugly.

My u-bolt is just above the air box. You will want access to it many years down the road and you wouldn't want to tear off the box lid.

Originally Posted by MiddleAgesMan

Sikaflex or 3M 5200 work for the access rings. A high quality household (exterior) caulk would be OK but don't use silicone.

The gudgeons you bought for the rudder box will work but the after-most screw holes appear to be too far back to catch wood. You should probably cut the excess off and drill holes so you have two fasteners; one would not be adequate IMO. And, yes, fit spacers so that the gudgeon fits snugly.

My u-bolt is just above the air box. You will want access to it many years down the road and you wouldn't want to tear off the box lid.

Thanks for the info MAM. Is there any reason in particular why silicone is not a great idea (for my own personal knowledge)?

G'day,
I popped this question quite a while ago and here's the response I recieved ; https://www.woodworkforums.com/f169/i...-ports-154061/

I hope this helps,

Cheers,
Kev.

Originally Posted by Flatdog

G'day,
I popped this question quite a while ago and here's the response I recieved ; https://www.woodworkforums.com/f169/i...-ports-154061/

I hope this helps,

Cheers,
Kev.

Thanks Kev - very useful.

Tank supports (mostly) fitted and tanks coated. I will install one large deck plate in the centre of the rear tank top; hence the dual rear supports to accommodate this. The coating of the tank areas was bit rough (mostly fluff from the cheap roller used) but I had already pre-coated the ply panels so it should be well sealed. Now I'm moving on to fitting the seat/tank tops.

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