Rascal Progress Pics - 1st layer plywood & Cockpit ceiling

[Speedboy]

Here are the latest Rascal (15' Mahogany runabout, K. Bassett Design) pictures showing the inside layer of okoume plywood and progress on cockpit ceiling.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/pc02d2d297aee0dea73c554499db16ccd/f9676e2d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/p0c9650af6365d13bf1582f2d6bc0c746/f9676e2b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/pfe07c92fd2cb2ccff44329880e54fc32/f9676e34.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/p9c5cff6b96741659dcefa59dbfd8918b/f9676e32.jpg

I am now fitting the cockpit coaming and mounting the dashboard. Plan to flip over and start 2nd layer on the bottom soon!

[Martien]

It's a nice project you're working on!
I like this Rascal design very much. I think driving her will be as much fun as building her.

Best regards,

Martien
Riviera project (http://www.veltens.nl) (Building two classic runaboats)

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Very nice work Speedboy. smile.gif
Keep those photo's coming :cool:
Peace---> Kevin in Ohio

[Darren McClelland]

Speedboy

nice photos, great looking project, that oakume plywood is cut into strips and then epoxyed onto the frames?, what thickness is the plywood each layer and total?, and do you cover that with a layer of cloth? keep the photos coming

Thanks Captain Sawdust

[Speedboy]

The first layer of diagonally laid okoume plywood on the bottom is 5 mm thick. The diagonal pieces are 1'x4'. The first layer for the sides and deck is 4mm okoume. The rear 2/3's of the bottom gets a 2nd layer of 5 mm okoume put down as two pieces (one on each side of the pad keel). The front third of the bottom is planked with 1/4" Honduran Mahogany (spiled so seams fall on batten centers). The sides are deck have a 2nd layer that is also 1/4" Honduran mahogany epoxied with West Systems to the plywood. Thanks for the feedback!

[Speedboy]

I forgot to mention that no cloth is used, just wood and epoxy. Final finish for rear of bottom will be paint, and all of the mahogany will be finished bright.

[Darren McClelland]

Speedboy

No cloth , just mahogany finished bright, is that first epoxy resin coated , then varnish, I am going on march break so I will read your response and see any up dated photos on my return , thanks for your response, I very interested in this project, looks great
Thanks Captain Sawdust

[Speedboy]

No epoxy over the mahogany, just varnish. The okoume gets epoxy coated prior to paint. The okoume has very little decay resistance. Enjoy your trip!

[Mike Vogdes]

Speedboy,
Your doing a really nice job it looks great. What kind of power are you planing?

[On Vacation]

I must stay away from these threads. Say it again. I must stay away from these threads. smile.gif

[Speedboy]

Recommended power for the boat is a 60 HP Mercury ELPT engine. Designer Ken Bassett saw 52 mph with this engine. I have heard of a Rascal with a 50 Hp mercury that will do 44 mph. Another owner has a Mercury 60 hp 4-stroke and his also does 44 mph. I would like to find a clean, late eighties 60 hp mercury, but I am also torn between going with a late model 4-stroke. As I read in an old edition of Wooden Boat magazine, an older style boat like this with a new engine on it looks like it has a split personality. It really would be neat to fit it with an older american motor. However, I want reliability, fuel efficiency, and quiet operation, so in the end I will probably lean toward a 4-stroke. I've got a line on a 2001 50 Hp Yamaha 4-stroke with few hours and fresh water operation. Every time I move this boat around and feel how light it is, I get a little concerned that 60 HP is an awful lot of power for a boat that only weight 450 lbs (hull) and 750 lbs with motors and all accessories. But then again, I feel the need, the need for speed!

[mmd]

Speedboy, the project looks great. You'll be the envy of your local boat ramp. Are you planning to finish the hull bright or paint it? As for the engine, I'd go with the four-stroke and if it looked too modern, I'd paint the cowling & casings to "camoflage" it.

If I may be so bold as to offer a bit of advice, at the velocities you are contemplating control becomes a serious issue. Controlability is highly dependant on the hull surface and appendages. Be very fussy about such things as the fairness of the bottom panels and ensuring that deadrise angles and skeg are perfectly symmetrical from port to starboard. Also check that the buttock lines of the aft half of the bottom are precisely symmetrical from port to starboard - if one has a bump or is at a different level than it's opposite the boat will get a bit squirrely at maximum velocity. Attention to subtle details is worth 5 mph and smooth precise steering. Inattention results in not being able to reach the hull'motor combination's maximum potential and steering that is like riding an American Flyer wagon down a rocky slope. Tolerances of around 1 mm (1/16 inch) should be held or bettered on the bottom surfaces. Consider hydraulic trim controls for the motor so that you can adjust hull attitude "on the fly".

I'll look forward to your next installment of photos. Keep up the great work.

[Geoff C]

Here's the perfect (old, American) engine for this boat, if 1962 is old enough:

http://members.aol.com/home4cycle/broch22.jpg
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.
.
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http://members.aol.com/home4cycle/broch25.jpg

The Homelite/ Bearcat 4 cycle, 55 hp. outboard was ahead of its time. Only 227 lbs.! Still good by today's standards.

[ 03-12-2004, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: Geoff C ]

[Mike Vogdes]

The Yamaha 4 stroke sounds like a perfect match to me. Of all the newer 4 strokes, Yamaha seems to have gotten the upper hand lately, however Honda IMHO is also be a very good choice. The new Yamaha engines are good looking motors, it shouldn't look out of place on your boat, and as mmd sugests, a clever paint job or maybe a little of Yamaha's color, strategicly placed in your color scheem could work too. Keep the pictures coming..

[Speedboy]

MMD, your advice is right on. The designer states in the General specifications provided with the plans that the builder should not overlook the opportunity to fair the hull after the first layer of plywood is installed. It is critical that the surface be fair with deadrise increasing as the bottom sweeps forward. Note that the boat has a built in pad keel on the bottom. As stated in Boat Design Quarterly #6 which has a review of the Rascal Mahogany runabout design, "The pad keel (a flat, horizontal surface that runs along the bottom from station 2 aft, widening as it approaches the transom (12" wide at transom)) acts as a water ski that provides dynamic lift to counteract the weight of the driver, engine, and fuel. It allows the boat to get onto a plane quickly and K. Bassett believes it adds stability at high speeds". I appreciate the advice and I plan to spend a considerable amount of time insuring that the bottom surface is free of any defects prior to installing the 2nd layer.
I like that Homelite 4-stroke. It's amazing how many ideas that have fizzled early on often end up becoming commonplace.
I have finished fitting the cockpit coaming and plan to flip the boat over tomorrow to start the preparation of the bottom for the 2nd layer. More pictures to follow!
Here is a picture of the pad keel:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid106/pea8be962de4345a6ac2f25d447c86a64/f96f74de.jpg

[Speedboy]

And another picture of the pad keel. I do plan on finishing the topside and deck bright. Note that the plywood is held in place while the epoxy cures with Stainless steel 18 gauge narrow crown staples.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid106/p29766bf592b56aeb0eaa62b11b337600/f96f74bd.jpg

Speedboy

[On Vacation]

For the record:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid107/p5c2f7b2285bc07640d88089d566b4d62/f950a5ed.jpg

:D