Building my Tahoe and having a blast!

[TomB]

Yup.

The plans call for three layers of 1/8" plywood planking on the bottom and two on the sides. Everything works good when the layers meet at an angle. At frame 10 the angle goes to zero so there would be a 1/8" step. It might be easier to figure it out now than to grind off the planking step later (my method) I wish I had rabbeted the chine, frame 10 and stem to account for the extra layer of bottom planking.

The bottom edge of the chine seemed like the natural chine line for my hull. I had to add to it to give the bottom planking something to land on. Consider moving the chine line up a little between frame 9 & 10 so you have plenty of meat on both sides to catch the planking as it goes down. I worried about exactly where the chine should end. In hindsight, up or down an 1" is invisible on the finished hull.

Can you get a hitch for that beautiful Cobra to pull the boat? They'll look great together.

Tom

[Bluesman]

Wow, good tips! This is what I need.. I didn't think too much yet about how the different layers will meet up, I guess I was thinking it would get faired off to mate up. I'll have to mull the rabbet idea over..

Really there's no frame on the back of that car, literally there's some 3/4" square tubing and nothing else but fiberglass shell. Others have proposed the same boat / Cobra combination.

I think it would look really cool behind a woody wagon or a mid-50's pickup, maybe a Cameo. Something period correct for the right wow factor.

[Brad Tucker]

Thanks man, and I hope you may have found some useful information! I'd currently advise to pay attention to how things want to lay between frames 8-10. That, along with that bottom to side transition in the same area can be a real head scratcher. I lapped it like they showed in the "Boat Building with Plywood" book. Had to do some feathering of the wood with a belt sander too. But to my eye, you may need to take more time to lay an eye on those battens up front between the chine and keel. You might even consider laying in battens like I described. I imagine the test fit of your first layer will show what I mean.

[Bluesman]

Is there a rule of thumb for locating the exhaust ports? The outlines as shown are about 1 inch below the set up level, does that look OK or would you suggest something different?

[Bill Edmundson]

Ted

Looks good. The set-up line is the approx. waterline. I don't know which engine you plan to use. An inch above the waterline should be good. If you are planning to have single exhaust, I would still cut the hole in both sides of the false transom. If it is ever repowered with duel that part is done.

Bill

[TomB]

Ted,

What Bill wrote, plus cut the false transom holes oversized so you can get in there to tighten something someday, inspection, limbers, etc.

Tom