C-Voyager's 24" hull extension

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oldgrowth

New member
It has actually started. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get started on this extension. Today was the official starting day of the extension. The rub rail has been cut and the deck lining and seat boxes have been pulled. We spent hours talking about the best way to cut the stern so the addition does not change the contour or looks of the boat. The top of the hull gets narrower (about five inches) as it goes back to the stern while the bottom of the hull only changes a half inch.

We decided to go to lunch and come back for another look and more discussion after lunch. It appears that our initial plan is the best but we will sleep on it before the cut is made.

I have posted some photos in my album, showing the location of the cut. They are in a sub album in my Boat Projects album titled “Hull Extension”. This LINK will take you to the album. There are five photos in it and I will add photos of the progress.

Now that I have pulled the deck lining, I know I can build 20-gallon saddle tanks for both sides.

I'm excited.
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Dave dlt.gif
 
Certainly a most interesting project. We have actually "wedged" some hulls we rebuilt--that is worked the existing fiberglass to be wider or narrower than it was origionally. However the way you will be cuttting looks like you can avoid that problem. Looks like some "long board" work down the line. The saddle tanks sound like an excellent addition, and much better than the origional. Thanks for posting. Now if I just had the "guts" to cut the TC 255 and add 6" of hull depth!--I'll wait until the boat is a bit older....
 
Kinda Bold to start rippin into a perfectly good hull! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one thinking this. :shock:

I know nothing about hull extensions. So you must. Have you seen other boats that have had this done and how did they look?

Are you going to use the same engine?

Good luck! :thup

Chris Bulovsky
 
Bob – it is an exciting project for me. My boat is five years old and I have had it for just about two years. Not sure I would have the guts to do it if it was brand new. As everybody says all boats are a compromise. Well I am trying to get this one as close as I can to not being that boat.

Chris – the answer to your assumed question is no and no. I know nothing about hull extensions and have never seen one done like this. My experience and knowledge is from looking, thinking then doing. It is the way I learn. I know I can’t do everything by myself so I will have help. And yes I will keep the existing 50 HP Honda on the boat. I will even put the 8 HP kicker on when I venture out into the Pacific. Part of the reason I am tackling this project is because of what you did with the Scout. That was a masterful job. Congratulations.

The drawing below is what the boat should look like when finished. As you will notice, the bow rail will be extended also.

I just like the way the boat looks with two feet added to it.

c_voyager.gif
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Dave dlt.gif
 
Dave,

For some reason I had the idea that you might put a bracket on the boat (sort of like the other extension that was done). Either way, the extra 2' of cockpit space will make it a better fishing, crabbing and shrimping boat.
 
Roger – the reasons for not going with the bracket are

• It does not add much to your carrying capacity
• It does not add any cockpit space
• I think they detract from the looks of the C-Dory
• If I am going to go through the expense and time, why not do it right

I have calculated the added carrying capacity to be around 250 pounds.

Chris – I just hope my boat turns out looking as good as yours when I am finished.
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Dave dlt.gif
 
I thought it did add some cockpit space since the need for a motor well goes away and you can run the transom flat across. What am I missing?
 
Hey Dave,

Whatever happens on this project, you have certainly caught our attentions! You and Chris may be the only true, "John Wayne", line in the sand ( or is that line on the hull?), truly macho men among us! We'd all like to come and dive into that project with you.

Dr. Bob of Thataway, I wonder if a guy could make sort of a set of "snow shoes", or "boot-like" temporary, foamed additions to the bottoms of the TomCat hulls to see what would happen with the extra 6 inches?

John
 
I kinda like it just with the interior stuff out of it. That in itself adds a lot of room. This looks to be an incredible project. Have to admire someone who has the guts and confidence to rip into it. Two thumbs up to you.
 
Dave,

You are a brave man! I hesistate to even drill a tiny hole in my boat at times. :oops: Interesting project though. A couple questions from someone who know's very little about fiberglass work. First one, why is the cut angled instead of vertical, does this increase strength? Second question is how different from say Byrdman's 18 or the 19's will your boat end up dimension wise, does it compare as far as width? Anyway, have fun it looks like one heck of a project, I will be following closely.

Sark
 
rogerbum":2oollyeq said:
I thought it did add some cockpit space since the need for a motor well goes away and you can run the transom flat across. What am I missing?
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Roger - from my knowledge of brackets, you are mounting the engine a certain distance behind the transom. That frees up the engine well for storage or other use but the deck space has not changed. You just have more storage space.

Billy of Beer:thirty went a step farther and added flotation to his bracket that was a modified hull extension. However, this did not increase his deck area. By the way, he did a good job on his project and he was one that inspired me to tackle this project.

Pictures of his extension begin HERE

dotnmarty":2oollyeq said:
Dave- Here's another option

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=5061
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Marty – that would probably be a cheaper option, but there is no challenge to just buying a new boat. I needed a new challenge in my life, so this is this year’s challenge. Computers are fun but I needed something different for a while.

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Dave dlt.gif
 
B~C":u3p92r1s said:
man, that's wild, I hope it all turns out well. Wind, how is that going to effect how she handles in the wind?
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Ken – I think the biggest wind catchers on the boat are the bow and cabin. I know adding 24 inches to the stern will add a little more area for the wind, but I don’t think it will be enough to make a lot of difference. I think the ride and handling will be greatly improved.

lloyds":u3p92r1s said:
I kinda like it just with the interior stuff out of it. That in itself adds a lot of room. This looks to be an incredible project. Have to admire someone who has the guts and confidence to rip into it. Two thumbs up to you.
Click to expand...
Thanks Lloyd.

drjohn71a":u3p92r1s said:
We'd all like to come and dive into that project with you.
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John – the project is being done at a warehouse I have in Olympia, WA. Anyone going to the SBS or anyone in the area can stop by and see how it is going. It will be early in the project and the pieces will not be mated, but enough of the work will be done to see how it will go together.
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Dave dlt.gif
 
Good God, man! Just out of curiosity, what thoughts went through your mind when that saw first started chewing away at the hull? :shock:

Yikes!

Very interesting...hope it turns out like you want it! :beer
 
Every since I say what Chris did to the Scout and Billy of Beer:thirty did with his extension, I started thinking about extending the hull of my boat. This isn’t something I all of a sudden decided to do. The thinking and planning process was long and detailed, so when it came to the actual cut (which changed several times in the last week), I had perty much prepared myself. As a mater of fact, it is kind of exciting now. I have no doubt about being able to complete the project while maintaining the integrity of the boat and the addition being un-noticeable.

Photos of the project start HERE
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Dave dlt.gif
 
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