New build project..aluminum boat with the heart of a GTS!! Frankenfisher!!!

[dougamclean]

Well, I've decided to embark on a jet-boat project...

During the long winter up here in the great white north, I've been watched a few seadoo/aluminum boat Frankenstein build videos on Youtube..I've decided, what fun, I can do that!!

Drawing on inspiration and design ideas from several builds, I've got a blueprint drawn...if only in my mind!! I love winging it..I do my best work this way.

So I bought a 16ft beat up, ugly old aluminum boat on marketplace and begun stripping it..the benches are out for good, floor lifted to remove the water saturated floatation foam(over 300lbs worth). I'll divide the hull into three main sections and have built bulkhead framing in preparation:

1/ the engine bay..motor, jet drive, fuel and oil tanks, battery and other mechanical bits back there.
2/ the central fishing area: a control console, seating, storage and flat floor and other fishing misc...
3/ front platform: with battery storage, and mounting area for a bow-mount trolling motor.

Next I've decided my Seadoo GTS 717 with reverse is the best candidate. I bought it for cheap in the fall and cleaned it up to be a really good runner..too bad she has to DIE for this project to come to life!!!

Some here may consider this an act of a sacrilege to the group..well to those guys I deeply apologize and hope they'll forgive once the final project is complete!!

She'll be one of the quickest little fishing tinnies in my region..that's for sure!!!

Anyway, in the coming weeks I'll begin the actual construction which will included the destruction of one the GTS to be the heart donor for the newly rebuilt hull..

Here's as far as I've gotten so far, I'll post more pics as I go for everyone to follow along with the progress.

Lots to do, so stay tuned!! Cheers...

 

[etemplet]

LOVE IT !! I have a rebuilt 951 sitting in a box and you're giving me ideas. LOL Keep us informed.

 

[dougamclean]

LOVE IT !! I have a rebuilt 951 sitting in a box and you're giving me ideas. LOL Keep us informed.

Sure will... I'm not much for video creation. I understand from the guys that create Youtube content that video create/editing is a huge time demand.

So it'll be a mainly photo build with the odd video post for the big moments.

Cheers..

 

[dougamclean]

Progress from the last few days..

Old bent rails removed and new wood rails have straighten the boats lines and given it a bit more backbone. The boat interior will be wood framed for added strength.

I know I'll be sacrificing speed for extra weight..but I live on big water so I'll accept that loss. Should still be a 35+ MPH so that's respectable for a fishing boat!!

Still waiting for the expanding foam kit to get the floor fixed back in.

Then the build can get rolling a bit..

 

[shamrock246]

Do you have to use a lower pitch impeller to compensate for the increased wetted area of the hull?

 

[dougamclean]

Do you have to use a lower pitch impeller to compensate for the increased wetted area of the hull?

It's hard to know how it will perform really.

Now if my math is correct the build will be within a couple hundred pounds dry weight of the stock Seadoo; but with a lot more surface area this boat will sit 'lighter' in the water.

It may not need as much torque to lift onto plane as the short, heavier glass hull. But perhaps a bit more drag at high speed due to that increased surface area.

I have several used impellers from left over projects and figure I'll have to play around a bit in water testing.

Some test runs to chart out of the hole acceleration and top speed with RPM numbers then swap for another and do it again. I'll likely have the jet pump on and off a few times to dial it in. I was intending to do this with the stock Seadoo before it's destruction for baseline numbers.

I've played the prop swap game on outboards before so I'm familiar with the process.

I'm also considering the use of trim tabs. Some of the build videos I've watched show guys water testing maniacal little tinnies that porpoise like hell due to shitty weight distribution. Though my finish build will have a trolling motor and deep cycle battery to get some weight on the nose..

I chose the reverse gate GTS Seadoo over the VTS equipped XP as my donor..you can't have both unfortunately. If I'm incorrect about that I'd love someone to explain how...(without breaking the bank I mean).

It's all just a big experiment and I'm figuring things out as I go!!!

I'll report of course when I get there..

 

[lagojaguarasp]

If im not wrong the RX (the one that had the 947 and 947 DI engines and looked like a strenched GSX), had both vts and reverse.

 

[dougamclean]

If im not wrong the RX (the one that had the 947 and 947 DI engines and looked like a strenched GSX), had both vts and reverse.

I'll look into it..I guess it'll come down to how similar are the jet housing and nozzles.

Plus, how much $$ and effort to locate a donor system..

Trim tabs might still be the simplest option!

Thanks for the suggestion..