Marinaut with square rear window... looks good!

Jake":2t3attvt said:
I like cute, but I also value maximum visibility. Great to have a choice. :)
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That is what is truly great about Les: within reason, he can accommodate most people's needs with his creativity. Where my wife and I feel he particularly excels is his use of space. He has the experience of living in a trailer where space was at a premium. So on the Marinaut, there are so many nooks and crannys everywhere to store stuff. This season, we have already spent 14 nights on our boat, and have a couple of more trips planned. The thing that surprised us the most about the Marinaut is how much we love spending overnights on our boat in marinas. We actually enjoy that as much as traveling on the water. Dave Thompson should be given a great deal of credit for his wanting the saddle tanks, large splashwell area and open berth in the design. Couple that with Les' use of space, and we have a very comfortable boat.

Regarding the boat shown in this thread, it is very beautiful with the square windows, and the arch looks fantastic. It's owner is going to be very happy.

Also, the reason why the door looked a different color in the photo is the way that the light hit it, as Seawolf explained.


Rich
 
OK Rich, you answered my first question about the bulkhead being removable. Now the second question . Is it hard to take off and put back on? I guess that was three questions.
 
Spike":3c62mhsd said:
OK Rich, you answered my first question about the bulkhead being removable. Now the second question . Is it hard to take off and put back on? I guess that was three questions.
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Chuck, I can't honestly tell you, since I never did it. That is a question for Les Lampman. There are not that many screws holding it in place, but I would think you would need a second person's help. Interestingly, Les told us that if he had the boat, he would not use the rear bulkhead, but would still have a full canvasback so that it would maximize interior space. ironically, the way we use our boat, we always have the full canvasback in place while underway. This prevents spray from getting into the cockpit in windy conditions, and in the event of a very large following wave, it should keep water from entering the cockpit. However, the splash well is quite deep, and we have never encountered a situation where water has even come close to entering the cockpit, because the splashwell seems to be very effective.

If you want to see what our boat looks like without the bulkhead in place, Les Lampman has posted some very nice pictures on the Marinaut Boats website:

http://www.marinautboats.com/Marinaut_photos_int.html
 
Thanks Rich. That is an option that I do like. Be nice for sunny day cruising. Maybe get an optional curtain made up. Can see where a hard core fisherman would like to have a removable bulkhead.
 
Spike":31mpo1mz said:
Thanks Rich. That is an option that I do like. Be nice for sunny day cruising. Maybe get an optional curtain made up. Can see where a hard core fisherman would like to have a removable bulkhead.
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A curtain like I had on my sold C-Dory 16 would work well, I think ( see picture. It was the factory option curtain.). One other thing to mention is that from a security standpoint, it is nice to have the bulkhead in place. Sure -- it does not theives who are determined to gain access to one's cabin, but it does provide deter the casual thief.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_ ... _photo.php
 
The Marinaut bulkead door -- I examined it yesterday. It is a cored door, but it has some sort of veneer that looks and feels (it is a dull surface) like the same material as our galley countertop. It is white, and blends well with the bulhead, but because its' surface is dull, it does not reflect light to the degree of the surounding bulkhead surface, which is fiberglass with a shiny, gelcoat coating. Whatever it is made of, the door is light in weight and can be easily removed from its hinges. Use of closed cell foam coring is great, too, because it will not warp in a moist environment. We are very happy with the materials from which it had been constructed.

Rich
 
That makes sense... thanks for the update Rich. I do love the fact that they are using "safer" materials in the core compared to Balsa. That is a huge selling point in their favor in my opinion. Isn't the hull all Nidacore?
 
haakebecks":2tssg87q said:
That makes sense... thanks for the update Rich. I do love the fact that they are using "safer" materials in the core compared to Balsa. That is a huge selling point in their favor in my opinion. Isn't the hull all Nidacore?
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No, I think it is Soric closed cell foam. Incidentally, I had private discussions with Dr. Bob, and he convinced me, as others have stated on the site, that what may be more important than the coring material used is the quality and method of construction. MBC uses a Washington area, high end yacht build company, Townsend Bay Marine, for construction of the hulls. MBC over drills holes in the hull, as Les told me, fills them in with epoxy, and re-drills to the right diameter. This prevents the crushing of coring around the holes, and provides a good seal against moisture.

Each material, foam and wood, has its positives and negatives. For example, end grain balsa is resilient to crushing force and can bounce back to its original form, where with foam, once it is crushed, it stays crushed. I am very happy with my Marinaut for many reasons, but honestly, I'm not convinced that the closed cell foam makes her safer. It certainly makes her light, yet very strong, which is one reason why we enjoy good fuel economy. I also feel that the floor sole makes a sort of double bottom that to a certain degree, makes her more likely to stay afloat (but not necessarily) when her primary hull is compromised by an impact. As I stated above, I'm very happy with the quality of construction. Also, since the entire boat is cored, even a person of my 250 pound weight can step just about anywhere on her -- even the roof, and it will support my weight.

Rich
 
When we were in Greenport, NY's Mitchell Park Marina in August 22, 2013, we found ourselves knee-deep into a Ranger Tugs gathering. Our Marinaut 215, by an untrained eye, often gets mistaken for a Ranger Tug. I think that part of the reason is the color scheme we chose. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, because Ranger Tugs are beautiful boats. However, the iconic round window helps better differentiate our brand of boat from Ranger Tugs. Following are photos of the gathering.

Incidentally, Ranger Tugs have become much more popular in Long Island, and we have been seeing more of them over the last two years.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
 
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