Voyage to Recovery
click "comment" to read or make an observation about this  article - click "email" to send this page to a friend
By Steve Bosquette - Brunswick, Maine - USA

IT ALL BEGAN WITH A REALLY BAD DECISION. I GAVE UP BOATING AND BOAT BUILDING IN JULY OF 2004. I HAD JUST FINISHED BUILDING AN AF4 GRANDE WITH WHICH I WAS THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED. IT WASN’T THE DESIGNS FAULT, I THINK I WAS EXPECTING MORE FROM THE BOAT THAN IT COULD DELIVER. I DONATED THE BOAT TO THE LOCAL YMCA.

DISGUSTED I PURSUED ANOTHER HOBBY, RADIO CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT. I WAS TERRIBLE AT THAT. I FINALLY GAVE UP ON THAT HOPELESS PURSUIT THE THIRD WEEK OF AUGUST, 2005. WHAT TO DO NEXT? I LIKE TO KEEP BUSY YOU KNOW!

I WAS SURFING THE NET AND DECIDED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON DUCKWORKS. THAT DID IT, I KNEW I MUST RETURN TO MY FIRST LOVE; BOATING. I WROTE TO CHUCK LIENWEBER AND HE SAID… YOU KNOW STEVE A LEOPARD DOESN’T CHANGE HIS SPOTS!!!. WHAT A WISE MAN!!

I THEN CHECKED IN ON BRUCE HECTOR’S SITE TO SEE IF MAYBE HE WAS HAVING A KNIGSTON MESSABOUT THIS SEPTEMBER. SURE ENOUGH HE WAS. I WROTE TO BRUCE AND TOLD HIM OF MY RECOVERY TO BOATING AND TOLD HIM I PLANNED TO ATTEND. I JUST COULDN’T GO WITHOUT A BOAT, SO I DECIDED TO DESIGN AND BUILD ONE. THE FOLLOWING IS THE FAST DESIGN AND BUILDING OF “T3” MY BABY SNEAKEASY.

I NEEDED SOMETHING SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT ON TOP OF THE CAR BUT LARGE ENOUGH TO CARRY MY BULK. ONE OF THE WORST DECISIONS I MADE IN THE PAST WAS TO SELL MY SNEAKEASY “KATIE”. SINCE I COULDN’T FIND THE DESIGN I WANTED I DOWNLOADED GREGG CARLSON’S HULLS PROGRAM AND CAME UP WITH WHAT HAS BECOME A PRETTY GOOD DESIGN. SHE IS 12 ½ FEET LONG AND 3 ½ FEET WIDE. VERTICLE BOW, PARALLEL SIDES, FLAT BOTTOM AND “DRAKE TAILS” AFT.

PICTURES OF THE CONSTRUCTION

I CUT THE SIDES OUT PER SPECS AND GLUED AND SCREWED THE CHINE LOG AND SHEER CLAMP. I THEN SET THE SIDES UP AND INSTALLED THE TRANSOM.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

(click images for larger views)

AFTER JOINING THE SIDES AT THE BOW I TURNED HER OVER AND PUT THE BOTTOM ON. I WASN’T GOING TO USE ANY FIBERGLASS OR EPOXY SO I SEALED THE BOTTOM AND STEM WITH 3M 5200. I DIDN’T WANT HER TO LEAK.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

click to enlarge click to enlarge

SINCE SHE WAS TO RESEMBLE A SNEAKEASY I PUT A CURVED DECK FORWARD AND FAKE DRAKETAILS AFT.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

I THEN WORKED INSIDE AND INSTALLED THE SEAT SUPPORTS, MOTOR MOUNT PLATE AND SOME ADDITIONAL BRACING.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

WHEN SHE WAS READY FOR PAINT I CHOSE TO USE THE SAME COLOR SCHEME AS MY “KATIE” BLACK, WHITE EXTERIOR AND GRAY INTERIOR. AFTER TWO COATS OF BEHR 10 PLUS PRIMER I APPLIED THE COLORS.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

SHE WAS READY TO TRAVEL TO THE 2005 KINGSTON MESSABOUT IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO.

WATCH FOR MY UPCOMING ARTICLE ABOUT THE MESSABOUT HERE IN DUCKWORKS.

click to enlarge

PERFORMANCE

WHILE I WAS AT THE MESSABOUT T3 HIT THE WATER FOR THE FIRST TIME. SHE FLOATED HIGH ON HER MARKS AND HANDLED MY WEIGHT SURPRISINGLY WELL. I HAD BORROWED A FRIEND’S NEW MERCURY 3.3 AND HEADED OUT. I HAD INSTALLED A REAR SEAT WHICH WAS IN THE WRONG POSITION. IT NEEDS TO BE FORWARD ABOUT MIDSHIPS. PAUL MCLELLAN OF BOLGER HOUSEBOAT FAME GAVE ME A MILK CRATE TO USE AND THE BOAT WAS PROPERLY BALANCED. I TOOK OF WITH A NEAT WAKE CAUSED BY THE DRAKE TAILS. SHE SKIMMED ACROSS THE LAKE AND I WAS PLEASED WITH HER SPEED AND LOAD CARRYING ABILITY.

I CAME BACK TO THE DOCK AND ASKED MY NEW FRIEND STEFAN GUTEMUTH, WHO WITH HIS PARTNER GEORGE BUILT A MAGNIFICENT BOLGER WATERVAN, IF HE WANTED A RIDE. HE GRABBED HIS CAMERA AND OFF WE WENT. WE HAD A GREAT RIDE. THE BOAT HANDLED THE WEIGHT OF BOTH OF US VERY WELL. SHE WAS NIMBLE AND STABLE.

SUNDAY MORNING I WAS CHASING PAUL MCLELLAN IN HIS HOUSEBOAT. WHEN I CAUGHT HIM I ASKED HIM TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND HOW FAST T3 WOULD GO. I WENT FLATOUT NEXT TO PAUL AND SHE DID ABOUT 7 KNOTS. NOT TOO BAD FOR A 12 ½ FOOT FLAT BOTTOM BOAT WITH A 3.3 HP MOTOR.

WANTING TO SEE HER STABILITY I PUT MY FULL WEIGHT ON THE RAIL AMIDSHIPS. SHE WENT ABOUT 6 INCHES DOWN ON THE SIDE AND STOPPED. THERE STILL WAS 11 OR 12 INCHES OF FREEBOARD LEFT. YOU GOT TO LOVE THOSE FLAT BOTTOM SHARPIE BOATS.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

BOATBUILDING IS A SATISFYING AND REWARDING PASSTIME. IF YOU ARE THINKING OF GIVING IT A TRY GO AHEAD AND DO IT! YOU TOO CAN BUILD A BOAT, SURE YOU CAN!