Hulls

[paddlesteamerman1]

This doesnt really fit in to any other topic. Is $600AUD a lot of money for an 11'3" wooden hull? And would you recommend building a paddler from a ready made hull?

[thewharfonline]

I'm buildinmg my paddler from an existing hull. It cost me $160AUS second hand but a lot more will end up going into her to make her nice and ready to return to the water.

Is $600 new...11 foot is only about 4 metres isn't it...perhaps less...then it would be almost the size of my boat. I remeber looking at wooden kits that were going to cost me $500. I suppose the things you have to ask: What kind of contruction is it? Clinker, stitch and slue, etc. How will I go either restoring/making repairs and will that be worth it? Is the hull shape possible to create a paddler with...either side or sternwheel?

They're the kind of things you have to look into before purchasing any hull...oh and if it's second hand check for rot!

[paddlesteamerman1]

No the $600 hull is second hand, the dealer does say the it only needs a bit of paint!! Who knows what that could entail... Also it is about 1.5m wide and about 4 long, and it is an old sailing vessel, it does look very stable. And I dont really know anythingfor sure until I actually see it, but it looks like a stable hull.
I have also been looking at a 15' Skiff, I found the plans on the internet from a site called www.boatplans.com.au and the plans alone cost around $55AUD. It looks quite good, and would look geuine when it came to a paddle steamer. Also the sides are level, which would make it easier (i think) to attach paddle wheels and housing and the sponson decks. I hope it would anyway!!
What are the specifications of the Grebe? Because I found a hull that was 24' long, but came at a price of $8000AUD, but is the perfect shape for the boat.
Thanks for the advice, I will look into it

[thewharfonline]

Grebe is 3 metres by 1.5 metres. She's square at the back but balloons near the front of the boat both on the sides and the bottom. She's a stitch and glue built entirely of wood although she did have a metal strip along her keel so that she wouldn't wreck the wood there when being pulled up and down.

She was originally a row boat as she came with oars and oar locks but that's all going to change soon enough.

She sits about 1 to two inches in the water at the moment but with added weight she will sit lower.

Currently I am contemplating powering with a steam engine to power sidewheels which will be welded together. Currently it looks as though it might be belt driven to the shaft. She'll have a small cabin at the front (just to protect the driver in bad weather).

I'll add my newly made image to PD's soon when I get some downloads and uploads again!

[paddlesteamerman1]

How much to the small steam engines cost and cost to run? I shouldnt think that they would be very much to keep running, and if you geared the drive shaft about 1:2 it shouldnt need to be running at top rpm to keep the boat moving should it? I think that the length of the my boat will be limited to about 5m and the width should be about 1.5-1.7m, and I am aiming to have her sit about 2-3'' in the water. I just need a hull first. Did you buy the Grebe hull from a private dealer, or from a shop/second hand dealer? I have been looking at the Duck Flat Wooden Boats, and was thinking  :idea:  if I got the hull from a Mundoo III I could just attach paddles to that and have it look genuine, mostly because the few I have seen dont have the bow that looks authentic and the Mundoo's does. I will have to do some research, and will be utilising PD's website and talking to as many people as I can :gather

[michael]

James everything cost's money and you get what you pay for. I got a 16ft hull for $200 with a trailer which is a steal, got it from PV Colonial Lass builder. She is kind of like Sean's boat with a square stern and steelstrip underneath her.
Only the last couple of days have I done work on her, since owning her in Feb last year. She has a cabin in the forward half and open at the back, she will be powered by an outboard, as I don't think paddlewheels would suit her. At the moment if all goes well she will be going to SA next year lashed to Billy Tea, and used for traveling up creeks.
When I bought her she had a small leak but as soon as I did some investigating it became a big leak and she hasn't seen water for a while now. Hopefully the girlfriend will be doing some painting to it in the next couple of weeks after her exams

[paddlesteamerman1]

Yes, everything does cost money (unfortunately). So I was thinking of just buying a basic hull, with a sqaure stern and narrowing to the bow and really start with a blank canvas. I will certainly go and inspect a few ready made hulls in SA that I found intersting though.