Glen-L.com

I am goining to build a St.Pierre Dory. I would like to mount an OB on an aft bracket on the transom, not in a well. Is this feasible and do I need to be concerned about swamping the OB in a following sea? I plan to go down the Ark. Nav. System, down the Miss. and across the Gulf to NW Florida. Any thoughts on potential problems are appreciated!

With double enders the stern does not really have enough bottom area to take deadweight like an outboard motor, IMO. But also I am not sure how you plan on mounting the engine structually without a fair amount of additional structure. By way what size of engine are you talking about?
By the way tell us a brief overview of your music. There are some serious music lovers and musicans here too.

My thoughts are to mount a 1/4" x 4" steel brkt. to the last two frames and transom on both port and stbd sides and let it project aft, whatever amt. of clearance is necessary for a 40-60- HP OB. (is this enough HP?) The transom will be modified with the bottom widened so that it is not a true dbl ender, but still retain the dory advantages. the two side brkts will be connected with the same steel material, plated with oak where the OB is mounted. The steel brkt on the frames will be covered w/ply planking and epoxied and glassed over as usual. They will be recessed flush in the frames by the 1/4" thickness of the steel brkt. and faired with all wood before planking
I am a symphony conductor, cellist and singer. I have had to retire from professional cello gigs because of shoulder injury, but I still conduct and sing professionally. I am a veteran of two Carnegie Hall appearances and have a third scheduled in 2012. I conduct guest appearances anywhere they will pay me and reside in Ar. where I conduct the Ozarks Philharmonic Youth Orchestras. You may read more at www.cmyronflippin.com and www.opyo.org. I also have a private studio with approx. 20 students of all levels. I am currently also studying an advanced vocal technique at Juilliard School in NYC. I communte one week per month. I have appeared in Branson at the Welk theater with notable singers, backed up the Letterman, Glenn Campbell, Vince Gill, Sandy Patty, Carrie Tillis, etc as a 'cellist.
I am experienced woodworker builder, but will build my first boat this summer, a 12' dory, so that I can learn about epoxy and glass. Then I will proceed to tackle the St.Pierre.
Thanks for this blog. I am sure I will need it in the future!! )

Welcome Myron from a fellow Sooner here! Hope you got to work with Dr. Ross and with Bill Wakefield with your time at OU. Can't locate my book right now so I don't know if you are a fellow Sinfonian but some of my best memories are from my time in the School of Music at OU.

By the way, we have a little boat gathering planned at Table Rock this May (look at the Spring Fling thread) it would be great to have you visit...even for just an afternoon. You'll get to meet other builders and see other home built boats.

There is lot's of knowledge about all things boat related here so ask away with any and all questions you have.

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Bill

I told my wife we needed a three-car garage for my projects...she told me to ask her for permission next time before I buy a house.
http://www.unitybuild.net

I was there when Dr. Ross was dept head and I studied conducting with Dr. Wakefield and Akira Endo. Very valuable training from both those men.

I was a sinfonian at K-State as an undergrad, but was not active in grad school, as I was a single parent with three kids!! That and school was all I could manage.

Wow, one of my favorite time passing entertainments is listening to Cello. i have one son thats a conductor on a much smaller scale and writes his own music. There are several seasoned guitar builders and real peglegged singers of the evening too here even though I can't imagine outdoing your experience. Maybe you can give some tips on singing a dollar a mile.

Glen-L's description for the Lucky Pierre recommends a 5-30 hp motor, and shows a top speed of 6-10 knots depending on motor, weight and prop. It's a flat-bottom displacement hull, so adding HP probably won't add much speed.

Since this boat was designed for a small inboard or an outboard mounted pretty far forward in a well, I would worry about the effect of hanging a significantly larger (40-60 hp) motor on an extended bracket off the transom. Just my opinion.

I am curioius - where and how do you plan to use the boat after the trip down the Mississippi?

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Tom
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Knot-So-Fast (A stretched Bo-Jest design)
Travel Log at www.tomstug.blogspot.com

"It's amazing what one can do when one doesn't know what one can't do." - Garfield

I have a son in Fla. and I will live aboard and fish the NW coast for a few months and then leave her there for winter use when I return to Arkansas where I live. This is a semi-retired situation. I still have gigs to do so I can't stay in Fla. permanently. But, I also live near a large lake, so who knows, I may sail her back upstream and put it on a lake! As a young man I worked as an assistant civil engineer on the Kerr-McClelland Nav. System and have been dreaming of going downriver for years. I worked on lock and dam #16 and 18. #18 is the last, Kaw Resevoir and is not navigable. Catoosa is as far upstream as one can go.
I was concerned about the balance also. The OB I am looking at is a 40 HP Honda. The specs say it weighs about 194#. I am going to use some solar collectors on the PH roof and mount the storage batteries batteries below a raised sole in the PH. I was hoping this would counter the weight aft of the transom. I will just have to do some more research. I am not looking for speed, 8-10 knots is fine. But I am concerned about having enough maneuver power in a rough sea in the gulf. Otherwise I could use a 10-15 HP motor that is lighter.

Sounds like a great trip. River cruising is a blast !

I don't have any experience with "dory" type boats, but this one is apparently designed to take a substantial payload, which should give you some options for moving tanks, batteries, etc. forward to counterbalance the engine weight. I would guess that you could add ballast in the bow if necessary, too.

Good luck with the build. Keep us up to date with pictures. Maybe I'll see you as you go past the Alabama Gulf Coast!

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Tom
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Knot-So-Fast (A stretched Bo-Jest design)
Travel Log at www.tomstug.blogspot.com

"It's amazing what one can do when one doesn't know what one can't do." - Garfield