Space required to build and OC20

[CaptSport]

HI all,

 

First let me say that the projects on this forum are incredible and inspiring, the attention to detail you guys put into your boats is awesome.  . 

 

I'm interested in an OC20 and was wondering if it could be built in a standard 2 car garage?  My garage is 21' x 21' which gives me about 29' on the diagonal, but is this enough room?  At the end of the day the boat needs to tuck into the garage and the door needs to be closed.

 

Also, how difficult is it to make changes to the plan?  I really like the looks of hull Lotus is building and like him I will be taking it offshore so would like the deeper hull as well as the euro transom with a walk thru.  I would also like to build it as a dual console.  I've had center console boats and have been on many of them as well and to me there all cold and wet.  I'm not interested in being cold and wet anymore.  I want to sit comfy behind a nice full width windshield. 

 

Thanks in advance for you responses and input. 

 

JR

[Lotus]

Welcome JR,

 

I do not like to work in tight spaces but think it can be done . Where there's a will there's a way    .

 

The good news is that Graham is re designing the OC family and one of the changes is the 16 deg deadrise . Don't know if these new plans are already available but its good to call Graham . He told me this when I was asking him about some changes .

 

In this forum there is a tread started by Lance NZ. He build an OC20 very similar to what you want and she's got very nice lines and very nicely finished !  Will try to post you his link.

 

 

 

http://messing-about.com/forums/topic/7419-okcracoke-20-in-nz/page-1?hl=ocracoke

 

 

 

Good Luck and keep contact 

 

Lotus.

[Designer]

Hi JR,

 

Here is a view of the OC 20 in a 21 x 21 foot net building. As Lotus said, we have been finishing up a 16 degree version. As long as you do not effect the structural integrity of the boat and the boats center of gravity, you can customize the boat for your needs. We have a spreadsheet with the weight study so that you can keep an eye on the CG.  For instance, twin screw installations will be heavier and therefore moves the CG aft versus a single, outboard bracket or transom mount etc.. 

[Chick Ludwig]

The previous post shows the kind of support that we get from the great folks at B&B. JR, I know that you'll be thrilled with all the help you get from B&B and also the good folks on the forum. Most anything you need, someone will be there with great advice because they've "Been there---done that!" ---unless, of coarse, you decide to do something like adding a cat ketch rig.  No---wait---I bet PAR has done something like that.......

 

 

Anyway, welcome to the family!

[Action Tiger]

I will absolutely second the support. I backed into "the family" and Graham welcomed me like the prodigal son. The forum, too, and they welcomed me when I was just wandering around looking for no good reason.

And, yes, there is a ton of FRIENDLY practical knowledge here.

I would maybe swing the bow more toward the corner and go for it.

Then again, I am the moron with two sailboats going in the garage right now. Lots of tiptoeing! Whatever you do, don't look outside under the trees. They are EVERYWHERE...

Peace,

Robert

[Guest Chris Beebe]

HI JR. When I started I was in a 2 car garage. The number one thing is to make everything mobile. Once the boat is flipped you can wheel it outside and life is great

[CaptSport]

Wow, the support here is incredible! 

 

Thanks all for the encouraging words. 

 

Designer thanks for the visual aid, that helps a ton, visualizing how it will fit in my garage and ensuring I have enough room to work. 

 

A little background on my goal for the project is something similar to a Robalo R227 albeit in a bit smaller package.  I don't have need for a toilet closet like the R227. but I would like two consoles I could store dive tanks/fishing gear in, with a wrap around windshield.  I'd love twin's as apposed to a larger single outboard, not sure if that's in the budget but it'd be nice for redundancy offshore.  I'd leave the interior wide open with only two pedestal seats for room to gear up for diving, and a smaller bait tank thrown in somewhere.  I live in Vermont right next to Lake Champlain and would like to be able to pull water toys on the lake every now and then.  But I also spend two weeks every summer diving and fishing off the North Carolina coast, which is what attracted me to the B & B designs in the first place, built for the local waters I want to frequent.  I also would like to frequent the coast up here in the North East as well to chase Striper's and False Albacore.  I guess basically nz lance's boat without the cabin. 

 

 

Thanks again all, I will patiently await the updated design,

 

JR

[PAR]

When I was first starting out, I wanted to build a 22' boat in a 21' garage. I realized I could cock the boat and get it to fit, but having work benches around 3 sides, I knew it would be too tight. I Built an extension to the front of the garage, replacing the door (actually the door just stayed in the up position) with a 4' thick, garage door tall/wide box. It wasn't especially pretty, didn't much match the house's styling, but it did permit me to have the boat fore and aft in the garage, with the bow hanging over one bench. The garage extension was framed conventionally, sheathed in 1/2" plywood and roughly painted to match the house. I made a single plywood door and when it was time to mount the boat on the trailer, I disassembled the front wall, rolled it into the driveway, rolled the trailer under it and rolled the boat/trailer back in. Of course, the trailer tongue had to be removed, so I could reinstall the front wall again, but welcome to the problem solving stuff, typically necessary every day you work on a boat building project. This space was below what I would recommend, but I got it done. Generally, you need a minimum of 4' all around, which is damned tight, requiring creative cursing, but workable.

[Chick Ludwig]

.....then there was the man who built his boat in the basement and had to have his house moved to get it out....

 

Depending on where you live, you could build a simple 2 x 4 frame extension and cover it with plastic tarps. As PAR says, you need space to work around the boat. You will also need room for material (wood, plywood) storage, and space to cut out plywood panels, build sub-structures, etc. Of course these can be done outside, weather depending.

 

Where there is the will, you will find the way. Another option would be to beg, borrow, or rent space somewhere else for your project.

[Action Tiger]

I did way hokier. I built fillers to go between the boat and the garage door frame. This on a roll up door, not flip up. The bow of the boat stuck out of the garage, covered by a pop up carport thing. Whenever I worked on it, I opened the door fillers and raised the door.

It looks terrible and funny, but my neighbor's have always been cool, because I am. This was at the old house.

The worst part of that build was it was a narrow space, too. I attached staging planks directly to the wall, so I could get at the bottom. This was a 28 foot sharpie. I sometimes miss that dumb boat.

Right now I'm facing a similar dilemma. Not enough room for two boats and supplies, so there is a lot of walking around the long way, stacking stuff, building staging, whatever.

As PAR said, this is a gig from problem solvers. Ain't no time to whine. Sit and moan a tick, but then hop to and figure it out. Or ask us. Shoot, a few of us have been, ahem, learning for years.

The hardest part is starting, after that, you just have to finish...

Best of luck,

Peace,

Robert

[CaptSport]

PAR, Chuck and Action,

 

Thanks for the recommendations and advice, I don't think my housing association would appreciate me building a temporary garage extension though.  So, the build will have to be completely contained in the garage.  I do have a 24 foot enclosed trailer I can store materials in, and I have room in the basement for storing some stuff.  Currently I'm finishing the garage so I can heat it this winter for "projects" not unlike this boat. 

 

Thanks again,

 

JR