Trojan Boat Forum

One more time. UGH

http://picasaweb.google.com/10066124255 ... q-OuouvbSQ#

nice!!!!

DAVIDLOFLAND wrote:One more time. UGH

http://picasaweb.google.com/10066124255 ... q-OuouvbSQ#

Ugh? Sorry you had to show it off .. maybe you didn't put as much time in it as I thought

We put close to 400 hours in it in 31 days. Two of us full time, plus a several hours help from a couple of friends. I didn't want to start the project and let it run indefinitely. It could take forever that way. We jumped on it, and knocked it out. It was an intense month.

I'm welding an aluminum radar arch, with integrated bimini top, this Winter, then will install with the flying bridge in the Spring.

Yep, I had to show it off.

Nice and you won't lose it in the snow

Just kidding you on the time - you did it right. My 26 spent 9 months on a hydraulic lift - deck off - all fasteners/wires/engine replaced. 2 coats of epoxy primer - 4 coats of Awlgrip.

Wish I had time to do my F32 that way - but not happening.

Why weld an aluminum radar arch - do it in stainless instead!

Thanks! Stainless would be cool, but several reasons for aluminum... less cost, easier to work with (for me anyway), and it's gonna be black.

Ahh - If you're going to paint or powder coat it black, you're good to go. We see a lot of "anodized" aluminum towers, arches & T-Tops, which are welded together, which blows off the anodizing and weakening the weld. After a few years, the welds corrode and eventually crack.

My anodized aluminum Has been doing fine But I am sure it matters who did the work as I have seen other fail . Prep is every thing .

Prep is indeed everything. Etch, alodine, high quality epoxy primer, then high quality polyurethane will last for years.

Regarding stainless, I fly to the Seattle Boat Show every couple of years, and several years ago saw some stainlees towers that were amazing. They are grinding and polishing the welds to the point you can't tell they're welds at all. It looks like the pipes are molded together. Really impressive.

We have a ton of aluminum boats up here, and most are not painted at all. They are just really good alloys, and they seem to last forever. Check out the Bristol Bay salmon fleet, or almost any Alaska river boat launch parking area and you'll see dozens of aluminum boats.

The "Instant Fun" is in Whittier, Alaska, and I'm in Anchorage, so it's about an hour commute each way, plus you have to pass through a 2 1/2 mile long toll tunnel. Putting together this bimini is taking a lot of back and forth trips fot trial fits and mods, so instead of hiring the work, I bought a Miller welder this Spring, and am learning how to use it (with the help of a welder friend) on this project. It's actually fun.

Now I'm tring to figure out what to cover it with, canvas with clear plastic, or a more rigid clear plastic. Don't want the rain, but do want the sun.

prowlersfish wrote:My anodized aluminum Has been doing fine But I am sure it matters who did the work as I have seen other fail . Prep is every thing .

Paul - Just remember - your weld's heat affected areas are no longer anodized - they're probably painted, so keep some paint on them to prevent corrosion.

David - Love Alaska - we fished the Kanektok River for 10 days years ago ... over 150 King Salmon averaging 35# each - largest was 65# (on my wall). Spent a day in Anchorage on the way in and 3 days on the way out - went up to Alyeska and took the boat out to see the glaciers calving. Love it!

Thanks Paul,

I love Alaska, too. Been here 29 1/2 years, and boated with my F32 for 20 years next Spring. If you saw the glaciers calving, you were right where I am. I have a slip in Whittier (just past Alyeska and through the tunnel). Whittier is in the NW corner of Prince William Sound. I live for boating out there, and the F32 is PERFECT.

I was thinking about starting a new topic about innovative things we've added to our Trojans. Do you know if that's been done before?

If you do a search for any particular thing, you'll probably find a thread on it. For example, search "radar arch" and you'll find some of us have been there done that. I, personally, have found stainless to be easier to work with than aluminum and I get all my parts from a canvas company cheap.....I too love Alaska. My wife and I take a ferry up from Bellingham every other spring just for the ride and the beauty. Haven't been to Anchorage yet but that is on our list. A young friend pastors a church in Kenai so we're looking forward to that trip also. Seattle Boat Show? You betcha,,,,every year. Boats Afloat Show too. It would be a kick to cross paths at the boat show.

DAVIDLOFLAND wrote:

Pretty neat - boating around bergs ... probably not too much for Sailfish there - but those Halibut will rip your arms off.

David, I see you have a fireplace on the boat with chimney slightly stbd of center. Where did you mount the heater? I have a Dickinson propane fireplace mounted on the wall of the head just aft of the V-berth, however, a friend that has an F-32 with an enclosed V-birth with a door is trying to find a place to mount a heater. We boat year round so this is a must.