kleptonite Posted October 11, 2011 Report Posted October 11, 2011 Can this design be built in strip plank instead of sheet ply? If it can, what quantity of 16ft strips is needed? What are the pros & cons between the two approaches? What are the expected top speeds of this design using 50 and 75 hp engines? Quote
oceansky Posted October 13, 2011 Report Posted October 13, 2011 G'day Kleptonite, Sorry for not replying sooner, but I had trouble logging in. Can this design be built in strip plank instead of sheet ply? At the present moment, No it can't as the temporary frames would need to be drawn to suit, plus also a stem piece as well. I'm am however, looking at bringing the design out for foam core construction in the near future. What are the pros & cons between the two approaches? None really in regards to the Gulf Explorer 16. If the design had "flair" in the bow, then strip plank would be the better choice as opposed to plywood cold molding as strip planking is a far quicker build without the need for all the timber stringers etc required for cold molded boats. However, being a flat panel style of boat, its quicker again to build from sheet plywood of foam. What are the expected top speeds of this design using 50 and 75 hp engines? This is a question most asked of all designs and is a tough one to answer. The reason being, it depends on the final weight, the load that the boat will carry that day, the outboard Horsepower/ gearbox ratio/ prop pitch and diameter and, finally whether its a 2 or 4 stroke outboard and also "slip". All these can vary it's overall performance. To get into it here, would require a full page of an explanation. However, not taking all this into account, you should be looking a 33 kts (38 mph ) with a 60 Hp and an average prop pitch of 13 " and 37 kts (43 mph) with a 75 Hp with an average prop pitch of 15 ". These figures are based on a standard factory 3- blade prop and carrying a typical load of a family unit of 4 on board with all their safety equipment and personal stores/ fishing gear/ 75 litres of fuel (19.7 US Gallons) / anchoring gear and the like, for a total displacement of 861 kg (1898 lbs ) Hope this helps Mark Quote
kleptonite Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Posted October 14, 2011 Thank you for your reply, Mark. I have to say that I do prefer the curvature in the freeboard of the XR457, but I am really looking for a design that will carry 6 people comfortably. Would it be possible to 'stretch' the XR457 so that it had the same LOA and LWL as the Gulf Explorer? Or would that unbalance your design? k. Quote
oceansky Posted October 15, 2011 Report Posted October 15, 2011 G'day kleptonite, If your looking for a large load carrying vessel that can carry a large family in comfort, the Gulf Explorer 16 may be the right boat for you. We actually have a couple of GE16's about to commence construction, whereby the builders do have large family's to cater for. If you look at the specifications on both designs, the GE 16 is 7ft- 2" ( 2.18m) wide, whereas the XR457 is 6ft-8in ( 2.02m). The GE16 can also carry a greater load when calculated under the standards. In regards the the curvature in the topsides plate in the forward sections, the GE16 does have quite a lot of flare. It's just in plywood sheet form instead of curving as per the RipTide series. Can the designs be stretched?. Not really, as it effects so many other design facets which people in general don't realize. Then they run into all sorts of construction problems down the track. In other words, stretching the hull is easy enough, but the internals become the problem, which can lead to the boat becoming "unbalanced". This is why with most of my designs I try to bring out various sizes to cater for people who want larger of smaller versions of the said designs. As far as family activites are concerned in regards to swimming/ diving and, generally climbing on and off the boat whilst out and about, here once again the GE16 is the better option, as it also includes a swimming platform at the rear enabling easy access aboard, making it a more family oriented design in regards to water sports. As far as seating within the GE16 design itself is concerned, although we show pedastal seats for a avid fisherman, we're also at looking at including bench seats within as an option, whilst still retaining the centre console in it's present location. This is an option I'm presently drawing also into the new Edge Tracker Series, as shown on our website. Hope this helps Mark Quote
kleptonite Posted October 15, 2011 Author Report Posted October 15, 2011 Thank you for the prompt reply, Mark. From what you say, I can see that the GE16 would be more suited to to what I am looking for. k. Quote
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