Hitchcraft 2 - Launch day!!

Hitch

Hitch

Well-known member
I’m about 99% done with the project, just a few things left to do besides grassing. Unfortunately it was a gloomy day so the photos are not to my liking, but consider this a sneak peak.

122906-01.jpg


122906-02.jpg


The motor fired right up, and runs very smooth and quiet.

122906-03.jpg


122906-04.jpg


The splash fly across the transom has an added benefit… blocking out motor noise. I was amazed how much quieter it is in the boat running full bore with the splash fly in place.

All systems worked well, and I’m very happy with the performance. The steering is a little stiff, probably because I bent the cable a little more than is suggested, but the feel is good. The motor isn’t broke in yet. Lamarr says once it’s broke in, it’ll do 24mph based on today’s run. At about 10 hours we’ll change the oil to synthetic. Also, we plan another test run with the new 12 inch prop. A little more weight and add hunters, decoys and dogs and the boat will hopefully still do 20mph.

122906-05.jpg


122906-06.jpg


I thought I heard some sloshing in the pod deck once the boat was back up on the trailer. We pressure tested it when we were done welding, so this surprised me. I pulled the plug when I got home and it was bone dry inside.

More later,

Hitch
 
Boat looks good Hitch. I thought I had missed the launching till Wis Boz asked about it a few weeks ago.

Can the drivers cover go all the way back?

Watch that tighter bend for excessive wear on your steering cable.

Love that whole setup.

Eric
 
"I don't know what it is, but I WANT IT!"

That has really turned out to be a trick machine John. You are going to have a lot of fun in that "HitchCraft".

Dave
 
I still think having a kitchen in the boat is the best idea I have ever seen.
Boat is very nice. Camo finish is nice touch. Did you apply it yourself? Hope you have many happy hunts out of that rig. I thought of you as I spent Christmas in Naples with my inlaws. Saw a few birds in the Everglades City area on an airboat ride with the kids. No hunting for dad, but did get a couple of nice sunrise walks in. My brother in law liked the pictures of your friend still hunting in his 80's. Gives us all something to shoot for.
Watch out for the gators
 
Hitch:
That is some piece of work!! Congratsl--you have to name her but git rid of that purple painter--okay?
Jim Bosanny (wis boz)
 
very nice, you could sell that baby, inlouisiana for 4k....is that rubber coated wire mesh on it, or rubber coated, m
 
Thanks guys,

Here's some more photos.

The first few photos were taken during launch day 2, before grassing. I went out again Sunday with the 12 inch prop and hit 24.5 mph. Here the rain hood is folded down in the run position. It also folds closed to cover the entire interior of the boat.

123106-01.jpg


And here's the rain hood deployed. The upper segment is supported with gas springs up behind the shooters heads, out of the way. The lower segment is supported with an over-center brake and linkage. This works very nice. It is infinitely adjustable for angle. It works like the little slide lock on your screen door.

123106-03.jpg


Here’s a close-up of the rain hood mechanisms.

123106-17.jpg


Here’s a shot with the cockpit hatch closed.

123106-03a.jpg

 
Last edited:
Hitch, that damned thing is gonna kill you...just cause I enjoy reading your posts, I'll take it off yer hands for...oh say a hundred bucks?
 
Wow, 4K and now .1k. Not for sale.

The splash fly across the transom has an added benefit… blocking out motor noise. I was amazed how much quieter it is in the boat running full bore with the splash fly in place.

123106-02.jpg


All systems worked well, and I’m very happy with the performance.

The hull is a 1756 Xpress modified to include a “Pod-deck” making it a 1956. The Pod-deck is seal and pressure tested. The motor is a factory 42 HP Mud Buddy HS with a steering kit custom fit to the boat

123106-16.jpg


Here’s a couple photo’s of the boat after a fresh grassing with CrackerGrass.

123106-11.jpg


123106-12.jpg


123106-13.jpg

 
Here’s about as much of the interior I can get in one photo. The entire blind frame is TIG welded Aluminum tubing. All tubing is thin wall round corner and square or rectangular 6061-T6. Everything in this boat was designed to be a compromise between light weight and strength. Most blind boats of this size are powered by a large outboard, but I’m getting old and I don’t like pushing the boat the last 200 yards, so it had to be a mud motor for me. I’m sure I’ll still have to dig myself out now and again, but that in a nutshell was my primary design intent. All of the blind walls are very thin (.016 inch) 6061-T6 sheet. A 4 ft x 12 ft sheet only weights 8 lbs. Other sections such as the floor and the benches are thicker 5058-H32. The entire interior is covered with CamoClad.

123106-08.jpg


The steering cockpit is small, but comfortable. All controls and gauges are in the cockpit including Key start, choke, tilt/trim, Tach and electric clutch. I have also wired in the GPS and a master power switch.

123106-09.jpg


123106-14.jpg


The switch panel includes master switches for all lights and the bilge which will run auto or manual. Also a volt meter for each battery.

123106-10.jpg


Here is the battery box. The batteries also make use of an onboard charger.

123106-07.jpg

 
The boat is 7 years old now and many of the items you see have been either replaced or restored. This includes all of the propane fired items such as the 3 burner stove you can see in a previous photo. Also the heaters were existing as well as the fire boxes built to hold them. The heaters are mounted on a Stainless steel ball slide so that you can pull them out to regulate the heating of the cabin. This boat has made numerous trips as far north as Lansing Wisconsin, so the heaters do get used.

One heater in the front and one in the back keeps the entire blind at shirt sleeve comfort even on skim ice days.

123106-05.jpg


123106-04.jpg


Over the front heater is a small oven I built which gets its heat from the heater below. This little oven will hold a big pot roast pan and a pie pan at the same time, and will still maintain over 400 deg F on even the coldest days. It also is well used and got a fresh coat of paint on the outside. It’s great for baking biscuits to go with breakfast.

123106-06.jpg


More later… time to get ready for tomorrow morning.

Hitch
 
Damn Hitch:

Does it get cold enough to need that heater?

Or

That a Hemi? SWEET!

At least your Choclate Drop dosn't have a neopren Jacket on....

Lovely simply Lovely
 
now ... that is an awesome, boat. only thing missing, is a kitchen sink. or is it hidden

very very nice boat there
 
WOW! Awsome, all the comforts of home. Very professional job, very good attention to detail and very well thought out! That boat should serve you well for many years to come!
 
What is that black and orange thing stuck to the side of the console? It shows up in the 5th picture just above your wristwatch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top