Sawford's Zip Build

[Roberta]

Look's Great!!! You'll have a great time!!

Roberta

[vupilot]

Thanks for sharing the video. The Johnson engine sounds pretty quite in the video. Looks like youll be having lots more fun this summer. How did your trailer work out?

[BarnacleMike]

Congratulations! What a BEAUTIFUL boat!

[sawford11]

Thanks Roberta and Mike!

Chris - yah, the motor isn't too loud. It sure sounds a lot better in the water (with the exhaust submerged) than it does in the driveway. In the driveway, it sounds like a chainsaw! The trailer worked great. Towing it with my F-150, you can't even feel the boat and trailer behind you. For the initial launch, I took a friend of mine. I was concerned with loading the boat with my wife and kids for the first time and risking some sort of mechanical (or structural) issue....but all went off without a hitch. Next time, family is invited!

Below are just a couple of pictures I took looking out of the boat while on the lake. I was on the Shenango River Lake, a little over an hour North of Pittsburgh.

[sawford11]

2nd time getting wet. This time with the family. Lots of fun.

[keithhills]

I am almost finished my Zip and have purchased a new Honda 50hp 4 stroke.
I see from your photos that you have also installed a 50hp. From the video it looks like it went well, what are your thoughts.
Keith Hills

[Roberta]

Very Nice!!!!!

Roberta

[travis24]

Excellent job!!!

Travis

[cusoak]

Great looking boat .Good Job.
Do you live in Pittsburg. I am about 1.5 hours from there, in Ohio. We are on Seneca lake. Just out side of Cambridge Ohio.
I am finishing up my Zip.
Jeff

[jeffh]

Congratulations, she turned out great!

[sawford11]

Thanks Everyone!

Keith - in regard to the 50hp, my setup is working pretty well. It will go 35+ mph, but depending upon weight distribution and water conditions, you will probably get some porpoising at that speed. In a small boat like the Zip, anything over 25 really seems like you are going fast...you are close to the water, sometimes feel some spray, sound of the water rushing by....it's pretty cool. The one thing that would concern me with a new 50 HP is the weight of the motor. Mine is a 2 cycle and only weighs 190 pounds. Older 2 cycles were even lighter. I considered a new 4 stroke (even recently) but decided against it. I compared a new honda, yamaha and evinrude and I'm pretty sure each of these were over 250 pounds. That is a big jump up from the original design and even from my 190 pound motor. My very first time in the water I had some porpoising around 26 mph (approx). I replaced the 60 pound battery with a 15 pounder (behind the rear seat) and moved the anchor to under the hood. That weight distribution plus some trimming helped a lot. My concern would be adding an extra 60 pounds to the very back of the boat. Maybe some others on this forum have done this without any issue, might want to check.

Jeff - sort of....I live in Findlay Township, home of the Pittsburgh Airport. I was on the Ohio River this past weekend. I went about 11 miles downstream, up the Beaver river a bit, then turned around. Pretty fun going such a distance. I was able to do that without using any of the locks on the river. Maybe when you finish, we can start another gathering, in the 'tri-state' area!

[sawford11]

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this....

My boat is stored in a heated garage. Ever since I fueled up the tank the first time, I've noticed gas fumes in the garage. I have recently placed a cover over the boat, and now, if I lift the cover, the smell of fumes is definitely more noticeable under the cover. I have a 12 gallon Moeller tank. It has a fill tube and vent that lead to the deck. The fuel line, primer bulb, fill tube, and air vent (to the gas tank) are all brand new, and all hose clamps appear tight. There is no fuel leaking out. Do you think the smell of fuel could simply be passing through the gas tank vent? Is there some type of internal 'flapper valve' that allows air in, but is suppposed to keep the smell of gas from escaping? Any and all thoughts are appreciated...

[Bill Edmundson]

Find the source of the fumes Extreme DANGER One ounce of gas fume is a stick of dynamite

Bill

[vupilot]

Mine does the same thing. My vent goes out the side of the boat just below the sheer and is not covered by the cover. Even with the cover off the mix of varnish and 2 stroke mix fuel is a notable smell. It is stronger with the cover on. I leave one corner of the cover off to allow the fumes to escape. It is interesting since the tank you and I use is one made for enclosed spaces.

[sawford11]

Ok...that is reassuring. I also just read something on Moellers website. It stated permeation of vapor through this type of tank is normal. It also stated the smell of the vapor does not necessarily mean there is a leak. In any case, i double checked all my connections and all seemed good.
Here is a link to the pamphlet from moeller.

http://www.moellermarine.com/sites/moel ... nk_afp.pdf

Thanks and happy boating ( or building)!