Crazy Story that I just wanted to share!

[Brad Taylor (NC)]

So many of you probably saw my previous post that included the boat I finished for a customer as well as the boat I just built for myself.


Well, the boat I built for my last customer wasn't your normal customer! I've known this for awhile but wanted to wait until I had color photos to share. Imagine my surprise when I came home to find a certified letter notice in my mail box from the Department of Homeland Security. Had me a little worried the next day at work until I could pick it up for sure!Turns out my latest "customer" was actually one of the 35 or so boats bought by the USCG this year for testing! I met with my normal CG guy the other day for my normal check in and he told me they were testing a number of "duck" boats this year.


I have never taken a boat in for the voluntary testing for several reasons, not because I was afraid or wasn't interested. The problem was, I only build a couple per year. If I were take a customer's boat in I was afraid that with being submerged for 24 hours that water would seep into every little crack and saturate areas of wood that would never dry and lead to an early demise. Secondly, I run all of my electrical with the sides off, so in order to not destroy the electronics, it would all have to run after the boat had gone through testing and sides were on. So my only other option would be to build one to spec that would basically be sacrificial, which on a teacher's salary was out of the question. So in turn, I did my calculations carefully and always erred on the side of caution and rated it down in persons/gear capacity from what I came up with.


Regardless, I am proud to say she passed all hp rating, person's rating, capacity rating and stability/floatation tests.

I got dinged for four minor non compliance issues. Two of them were on the capacity label, the manufacture's name Toller Boatworks wasn't an 1/8 of inch tall and an oversight on my part where I forgot to include the word motor on the XXX lbs of persons, motor, gear. The other two were with lights. The bow light must be marked USCG 2 NM, I use the Seasense LED bow light which can be purchased in stainless, black and white. For whatever reason, I could not find the black for a reasonable price this year so I bought the stainless...and neglected to tape over the USCG 2NM stamping when I painted it black. Lastly the stern all around light must be 1 meter above the bow light. I use the Max It Out LED stern light which comes in at 40". I've mounted it higher before but without thinking mounted on the hunt deck thus putting me under a meter above the bow light. Easy enough fix, although I'm working with the owner of Max It Out to produce a 48" version as I really want to keep using them but don't like placing them on the coaming beside the running seat as it puts the light in your side view while running.


Here she is with 6500 lbs of weight and 3" of freeboard remaining to test maximum capacity.

Filled with water and simulated motor, battery and fuel weight.

Port Stability Listing test...

And finally starboard stability listing test...

If anyone is in the market for a new wooden boat with a little testing on her, from my understanding she will soon be up for sale to the public through the contracting agency the USCG uses []


Brad

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, Brad~

Congratulations! A very interesting and informative post all around. (I've never submerged my boats for the same reasons.)

I was especially struck by your thoughts on the stern light. If the helm is anywhere aft - as on any tiller vessel - that white light blinds me and makes seeing the bay waters and possible obstructions all but impossible. On my old gaff sloop, I would put a bucket over the stern light when sailing at night - quickly removed if needed - for either safety or compliance.

All the best,

SJS

 

[Brad Taylor (NC)]

Good morning, Brad~

Congratulations! A very interesting and informative post all around. (I've never submerged my boats for the same reasons.)

I was especially struck by your thoughts on the stern light. If the helm is anywhere aft - as on any tiller vessel - that white light blinds me and makes seeing the bay waters and possible obstructions all but impossible. On my old gaff sloop, I would put a bucket over the stern light when sailing at night - quickly removed if needed - for either safety or compliance.

All the best,

SJS

Thanks Steve. Glad to know someone else is in the same boat [w00t]

Brad

 

[Phil Nowack]

Awesome. Congrats!

 

[Brad Taylor (NC)]

Awesome. Congrats!

Thanks Phil!

 

[Brandon Collins]

Congratulations, Brad! Man, that was indeed a crazy story.

 

[RLLigman]

Congratulations on your USCG approvals! You build a very nice hull, employing ample forethought and craftsmanship in the build. The only thing that I have ever noticed that gave me pause was the sharp 90 degree bend on the wiring into the fuse box. The hole orifices are not lined where the wires pass through to protect them from abrasion and they are bent at a steep angle prior entering the receptacle stressing the wire where it will be pounded via vibrations when the hull is underway.

On my old TDB-14' Classic, as well as my current TEB-17' Classic, I had/have the same issue with the stern light placement. On my 14', I simply purchased a Perko mast that was sufficiently long enough to place the light well above my head and central plane of vision when looking back over the stern; When I wired the boat, I mounted the stern mast light's receptacle in the starboard cockpit coaming immediately to the right of the helm station, putting my seat on the aft coaming literally butting-up against the mast and receptacle, substantially diminishing the glare via placement of the bulb and lens over my head. On the 17', I had already reworked the mast with a camouflage coating prior realizing I was facing the same situation, so I ended-up adhering a small piece of opaque camo. tape in a vertical "stripe" over the quadrant of the lens that faces me directly. Since I am planted at the helm station and physically blocking that section of the stern light's emission field with my head and body for any boat approaching bow-on-bow. I can see behind me and the stern light is still fully functional all the time when underway at night.

 

[Brad Taylor (NC)]

Congratulations, Brad! Man, that was indeed a crazy story.

Thank you Brandon. I was a little floored to say the least!

Congratulations on your USCG approvals! You build a very nice hull, employing ample forethought and craftsmanship in the build. The only thing that I have ever noticed that gave me pause was the sharp 90 degree bend on the wiring into the fuse box. The hole orifices are not lined where the wires pass through to protect them from abrasion and they are bent at a steep angle prior entering the receptacle stressing the wire where it will be pounded via vibrations when the hull is underway.

On my old TDB-14' Classic, as well as my current TEB-17' Classic, I had/have the same issue with the stern light placement. On my 14', I simply purchased a Perko mast that was sufficiently long enough to place the light well above my head and central plane of vision when looking back over the stern; When I wired the boat, I mounted the stern mast light's receptacle in the starboard cockpit coaming immediately to the right of the helm station, putting my seat on the aft coaming literally butting-up against the mast and receptacle, substantially diminishing the glare via placement of the bulb and lens over my head. On the 17', I had already reworked the mast with a camouflage coating prior realizing I was facing the same situation, so I ended-up adhering a small piece of opaque camo. tape in a vertical "stripe" over the quadrant of the lens that faces me directly. Since I am planted at the helm station and physically blocking that section of the stern light's emission field with my head and body for any boat approaching bow-on-bow. I can see behind me and the stern light is still fully functional all the time when underway at night.

Thank you Mr. Ligman. I actually had someone else bring up the wires at a 90 degree angle off of my Toller Boatworks facebook page. I'm always up for constructive criticism and really do appreciate it. Aside from the use of some power tools, I'm pretty much self taught and most of my wiring skills go back to a 9th grade industrial arts class! My fault lies in that I wanted the fuse panel easily accessible but with a clean look. I've already planned how I can do it differently and alleviate the wire strain but still get a clean look. As for the light, I'm in the works with the owner of Max It Out to build some longer lights. If for some reason that falls through, I can go back to using a base and plug in style extending stern light that goes from 36" to 60". I just hate to go that route because the bases corrode and us duck hunters go through several a season catching limbs, etc.

Brad

 

[RLLigman]

You have some partial offsets "built-in" since you used Ancor wire, which has more strands per gauge rating and is tinned, too. Steve could probably suggest a supplier for protective bulkhead grommets that guard against wire chafing from the pounding a hull takes over its life on the water. Your attention to fit and finish underscores both your craftsmanship skills and your focus on building hulls that are ashtetically pleasing AND fully functional, with the likely concurrent longevity that results from that "marriage"!