Boat Buoys

[silverbear]

For a year now Ron (Neat Times), Steve (Fasteddy) and I have been sharing ideas about converting a pontoon boat into a houseboat. Ron has actually done his and did a fine job of it, too!
http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=39198

I came into a possession of 20 foot long one my brother bought, not realizing that the motor needed work and the decking was in need of replacement. He has so little time here at the lake that he agreed to trade me for my fishing boat and motor. I've spent a lot of time staring at it, discussing possibilities with Steve while he has been here and also doing some research on the internet, especially regarding giving it a sail rig.

The plan is for it to have three alternate power sources. It already has a 40 hsp Mercury in need of a carburetor tune up. I'm hoping that running some Star-Tron through the fuel system will clear that up. I think it will. It started last summer, but only ran on choke, so I think the enzymes in the gas additive may well do the trick.

It will also get a sail rig, the mast of which will be affixed to a two foot extension at the bow. Sideboards will be made from aluminum plate. Eight feet of the 16 foot deck will be open to allow for the boom while sailing. Behind it will be an eight foot by eight foot cabin.

Mounted next to the 40 Merc will be a 173cc Harbor Freight Predator air cooled four stroke mated to the lower unit of a 10 hsp long shaft Evinrude outboard. Starting the Predator will be through a rear panel access at the rear of the cabin as it is pull start. Throttle will be forward at the front end of the cabin.

There will be two sets of controls. On the inside of the front wall of the cabin will be the steering wheel, throttle, electric start and gear shift for the Mercury engine. On the other (deck) side of that wall will be another steering wheel, throttle, kill switch and gear shift connected to the Predator. Since the engines will be tied together via a connecting rod linkage, both engines will turn regardless of which steering wheel is employed. That way I can steer from inside in foul weather or under speed and from outside when fishing and trolling with the Predator engine.

It may sound nutty, but it will work. I want for it to be very economical to operate, which the 40 horse two stroke is not. A 40 horse motor is no good for trolling either. So that's where the Predator comes in. I don't know yet how loud it will be. Sound carries on the water, so I may set up the exhaust so there is a diverter, like a two way valve so that when starting it up it can exhaust to the air normally for an air cooled engine, but once under power I may divert the exhaust flow to underwater with a copper exhaust pipe. (You can't start the engine with the exhaust under water or it can suck water up into the engine. Don't want that!) It may lose a bit of power that way, but should quiet it down a lot. Experience and tinkering will tell.

As for the cabin it will be pretty bare bones, with a couple of cots that can fold out for naps or an extended trip, a fold out table, sink for cleaning fish and counter for cooking on a propane camp stove. In one corner will be a wonderful small wood stove Dan gave me for this project. It had belonged to his grandmother and will be the best thing about the cabin. In rainy, blustery weather it will be a comfort to light a small fire to dry out and take off the chill.

So that's the plan. We've been calling each other the "boat buoys" in our dialogue about having fun on the water and never growing up, just old. I think of it as celebrating the Huck Finn in all of us. So welcome to my glorified raft. This thread won't get many posts until next spring, I imagine, when the new deck goes on and then the cabin gets built. Over the winter I expect to get the Predator/Evinrude together so that when Steve arrives for summer camp we can get the sail rig together and put it in the lake... woohoo!
SB

 

[silverbear]

This morning I removed the engine from the lower unit on the 10 horse two cylinder, two stroke Evinrude. I haven't run this engine for some years and it was always a hard pull and reluctant to start. It was made in the 1960's. I've been thinking about this conversion to four stroke for a year now and didn't realize it had already been done by someone else until I started searching on the internet.

Why make the switch? For the same reason I switched from 2 stroke China Girls to first a 4 stroke Hua Shung and later a 79cc Greyhound and then a 99cc Predator on my bikes. Easy to start, cleaner running and dependable. There is also the issue of not putting oily exhaust into my lake. The water is so clean in Eagles Nest Lake you can drink it. I'd like to keep it that way and see the shift in new outboard motors as a good thing. Unfortunately I can't afford a nice four stroke Honda outboard... big bucks. So this is the poor boy version.

I bought the 173cc Predator last summer for this conversion. It cost a hundred dollars. with a guarantee. Hard to beat that. In the photos I have the Predator just sitting there pretty much as it will go on the lower unit. An aluminum plate will be made to bolt to the lower unit with a hole where the driveshaft of the engine and lower units will magically be connected. Still have that to figure out in what kind of connector will work.

There will be bolts sticking up from the plate just described with spacers on each bolt so that the engine lower plate will match up. A space has to be left so there is access to the set screw on the connector. Don't know yet what I will do for a cowling to close off the gap, but will cross that bridge when I come to it. And of course I will document the wrong turns and right turns as I go. That's it for now.
SB

 

[tooljunkie]

cool.
always wanted a "toon"
my idea is just a good canvas top,wider than the floats,lazy boy recliners and a kickin sound system.
bbq and a potty.
the fishin barge.

my opinion for trolling,the 40 will actually troll fairly well,depending on the state of tune.
anythin smaller makes it difficult to maneuver in the breeze.
two electrics would be the ticket,solar charger for batteries,and when 40 is running could charge also.you will want battery power for cabin lighting and accessories anyway.
now that i see the trolling motor setup,it should work well.
the tough part is the shaft coupling,i would dismantle old motor for the bottom end of the crankshaft,make the coupling from that.
for the cowling filler,spray foam and fiberglass?carve foam out after,use saran wrap around engine to keep foam from sticking to it.

looking forward to the build thread.

 

[timboellner]

I found this goofy picture in my collection that might somehow remind me of the fun to be had out on the water with you Huck Finn guys.

 

[silverbear]

For sure a set of pontoons to support a deck of some kind leaves a lot of possibilities for what to put on it. I've seen pictures of a glass Scamp travel trailer, a pickup truck slide in camper and a number of home built cabins. Ron's is one of the nicest ones I've seen.

I'm still not clear on how I'll build mine. With two motors in back there will already be a good bit of weight aft and the cabin will go the the rear as well, so I suspect that weight distribution will be an issue. Plenty of time to think about that through the winter.

Here are a couple photos showing the underside of the predator engine and the rod the crankshaft will need to mate up with. Also pictured is the twin cylinder ten horse Evinrude Steve has laid claim to with the idea he can make a water cooled velo-car of some kind. More power to ya, Bud!. I'm not too clear on how that will work... something about a wringer washer water pump distributing the coolant. Just think, two hair brained projects out of one dead motor. Woohoo!
SB

 

[DTFuqua]

A lot of those pontoon boats have a low weight limit. One of my BIL's can't carry too many people or you have to start moving them around as ballast to keep the front from diving into the water. You might want to figure out how much dead weight you'll be adding with all the structure and motors and see in they might be too much for your pontoons.

 

[NEAT TIMES]

SILVER BEAR

Thanks for the email today, was not aware of this thread. a couple of pics for your 4 stroke Preditor Outboard conversion. The coupler nuts can screw onto the studs sticking out of your lower unit to bolt you motor adapter plate.

The clamp on shaft couplers are rock solid. You could drill and thread them for set screws to go into the shaft spline and motor key way, but doubt that would be necessary. Half of the shaft coupler has to be drilled or bored on a lathe to fit the drive shaft.

The other option is to drill the crankshaft of the 99cc to slide over the outboard motor driveshaft and also drill the 99cc engine for set screws.

To drill the cranshaft straight and true, if a drill press has a large enough hole in the table, turn your 99cc upside down and poke the crankshaft up thru the table and use a split collar clamped on it it should hang true. If you tell me the crankshaft dia, will post a listing for that size.

Glad to hear Steve will be down next year. Finished my DIY Chainsaw Lumbermill, except for some added touches, very pleased with it. It travels on a 20 ft angle iron track on the ground or on a trailer.

Was thinking of setting it up to run on "RR Tracks" to cut "Really Long Logs" !! LOL
It is very Heavy Duty and dissembles, could be hauled in the trunk of a car, except for the track.

Thought the Huricane "Isaac" was going to hit us, but looks like New Orleans is going to catch **** again!

Ron ...

 

[silverbear]

DTL,
Yes, I'll be checking weight limits. I expect that mostly I'll be using this on my lake, a relatively small one at a thousand acres. I'm looking forward to some day-sailing to get the hang of it and also looking forward to night fishing for Walleye. For big water you need a pretty big boat. On the other hand it would be nice to spend a couple weeks wandering around on the Rainy River bordering Canada. I'll have to see how it handles in rough weather and take it from there.

Ron,
Thanks for your ideas on the couplings. I'll be using the vertical shaft 173cc Predator engine meant to replace a lawn mower engine. I was figuring to make a plate to bolt down to the Evinrude lower unit using the four studs sticking up... drill out a hole for the crankshaft and making the plate big enough to match up to the bottom of the Predator engine. It has four holes for bolting onto a lawn mower base and I figured those holes could mate up with four holes drilled into the aforementioned plate made to bolt on to the Evinrude. There would be several inches of vertical space between the bottom of the Predator engine and the plate on the Evinrude base due to the Predator crankshaft. A coupling / fitting on that crankshaft could fit over the lower unit vertical rod and would be held fast by the four bolts holding the upper unit to the lower unit. Spacers would be needed on those long bolts. It will become clearer on what to do as I proceed.

Your chainsaw mill looks good! Makes me wish I still had my Alaskan chainsaw mill. I also had a Belsaw mill for a time, powered by long belt going to the power take off on a tractor. We're getting too old for sawmills, Ron. That's work for guys younger we are. Now it's time to play on our boats!
SB