Ever have one of those days?!?

[IDBoating]

Sorry, I need to vent to folks who will understand.

I'm way behind on getting our new 24Ve ready for its first season. I only get to work on it for a short time after work on some weeknights. I'm starting to worry I won't be done by July 4th!

So today, I take the afternoon off to dedicate solely to making progress. I have all the tools. I have all the materials. I have an itemized list and a plan.

First up: Build some backing plates for my thruhulls. I measure and discover that the threads aren't long enough to permit the use of backing plates... if I install plates, there won't be enough exposed threads for the valves to screw onto them. Strike one.

OK, might as well start installing the valves and pumps. Oops, no pipe dope. It's at the lake house. Strike two.

Fine, I'll install the custom made grab handle/tow ring that I ordered from the same fab shop that made the original for this boat for Tige. Waited three weeks for it to be made. I tape off the transom, line up the new handle so I can mark for the two new holes that support the tow ring... and discover that the outside studs are too wide. They don't fit in the existing holes, just enough that if I enlarge the holes the finish washers that are part of the handle won't cover the (resulting) oblong holes. Strike three.

OK, nothing new will get done today. I'll just do factory standard stuff. How about the wakeboard racks? They need to be installed. Grab those, thread in the bolts... and the factory bolts are too long. Screw them all the way into the tower, until they're completely seated, and the racks just rattle around nice and loose. Strike four.

None of these problems are insolvable. But it sure is frustrating to take an afternoon off and get absolutely nothing done.

Rant over. Thanks for listening.

[laserfish]

Oh, how I feel your pain. Why are you using backing plates? You will be pleasantly shocked to see how thick your hull is. Don't think you need them. I know I was surprised to see how thick the bottom was when I installed my Perfect Pass.

[jbort]

Been there and it sucks. Hang in and keep pounding.

[IDBoating]

Here's a photo of the two handles, overlaid to show the misalignment.


Grrrrrrr....

[IDBoating]

You will be pleasantly shocked to see how thick your hull is.

Actually, I was surprised how THIN the hull is. Wait a moment....

I just measured the plug that came out of one of the holes. According to my calipers, it is exactly 0.404 inches thick. That's including the gelcoat. Not even half an inch. Seems rather thin to me, which is why I wanted to use backing plates to distribute the load.

Just measured again, after noticing that the thickness varies across the width of the plug. I measured one spot that is only 0.394. Here's a photo:



Is your hull thicker?

[Duncan]

But it sure is frustrating to take an afternoon off and get absolutely nothing done.

Ouch. Hope future efforts are more productive. At least you have identified the issues!

[Fiveflat]

Does your impellar have a backing plate?

What kind of leverage do you expect on a through hull inlet?

[IDBoating]

What kind of leverage do you expect on a through hull inlet?

I'm using the Rule 209B pumps, which have a brass base and weigh six pounds.



Starting from the hull, I'll have the thruhull threads, then a ball valve, then a short fitting, and then a six pound weight at the top. Imagine a hand hammer with a six pound head - that's about the right length.

[brett22i]

That is a lot of glass! I may not seem like much but that is a very thick hull. I have seen thinner plugs on MUCH larger boats and from a variety of manufacturers. Tige has never been afraid to lay glass down. You have to remember there is a super strong stringer system in place to keep the boat from flexing.
I have watched videos of people taking different caliber guns and shooting at core samples from boats of various thickness, you would be shocked at the impact fiberglass withstands.

[IDBoating]

I know Tige has the reputation for being generous with their fiberglass, just one of the many things that first attracted me to the brand. But when I read up on fiberglass work by owners of aailboats and such, they talk about an inch or more of hull thickness. That's why ~0.400 seemed thinner to me than I expected.

[bigdaddy_houseboater]

There has to be a better configuration to get that pump lower... or in a more supported position. 6 pounds that high is a LOT of leverage.

I'm using the Rule 209B pumps, which have a brass base and weigh six pounds.



Starting from the hull, I'll have the thruhull threads, then a ball valve, then a short fitting, and then a six pound weight at the top. Imagine a hand hammer with a six pound head - that's about the right length.

[brett22i]

I have never personally seen anywhere close to an inch of glass from the bottom of a hull, in the transom maybe where structural support is critical? I cant imagine what a wake boat would weigh with inch thick glass throughout the boat?

[Fiveflat]

I don't believe there is 16" of space between the floor and the deck...

Oh well, sounds like a chore to add more threads to your Rules. Good luck with that.

[IDBoating]

There has to be a better configuration to get that pump lower... or in a more supported position. 6 pounds that high is a LOT of leverage.

Only one of the two 209B intake pumps will be truly vertical. The other will be on a 45 elbow and have a support bracket. It's the vertical one about which I'm concerned. I will work on bracing it somehow because I agree, it's a lot of leverage.

The intake pump for the much smaller bow sac will be a 405FC, much less mass so not as big an issue.

[IDBoating]

I don't believe there is 16" of space between the floor and the deck

OK, I may have exaggerated when I compared it to a hammer. It's not 16 inches. I was trying to come up with something that illustrated the concept of a narrow support shaft with a large mass at the top, and how such an arrangement has a lot of leverage if you try to support it solely at the bottom of the handle/stem/whatever.