30' FLOWER'S outboard 'ALASKADOR'

[mainely boats]

A new member Palawanbound asked me to post a few pictures of the boat he's been finishing

 

[mainely boats]

A few more

 

[mainely boats]

And a couple more

 

[Frank]

It will be interesting to see the performance numbers. Tell him to keep posting.

 

[novivin]

Gorgeous

Doing it right.

Nice build on the deck. Not a rot issue ever I suspect.

What is that sealant? 4200? 5200? or resin?

Were those panels secured with screws and glued?

Quite a big boat for an outbaord, first DE I have seen that big with an outboard.

How does that perform?

 

[greg]

An outboard? Sacrebleu.

Nice looking boat. I guess I can see the power choice from an economic standpoint. $20k for power is better than an inboard diesell with running gear, and if all you want to do is 15 knots anyway, it will probably push nicely (just a guess on cruise).

What does the keel look like?

 

[Tunascapes]

I'm wondering the same thing. Did you cut the keel?

 

[Palawanbound]

I had Ken cut the skeg & a portion of the keel off to start with,when I first got the boat home I started putting 3/4 plywood but it delaminated so I had to tear the platform completely out & start over & also the gas tank due to suction on the wrong end.We fabricated bulkheads out of the nida core & the same with the new platform,we added extra glass because we used 3/4 nidacore.I used 5200 & then we added cement blocks to make sure it got a good bond & I left it in place for 4 days before removing the weight,I bought some decking screws with the big flat heads so in the future if there is a problem which I really don't expect I can put a few screws in.The outboard is a CG surplus engine that I got for $7500,runs like a top,after sitting for a year as soon as the key was hit she fired right off.I have had big boats & dealt with diesels,leaking stuffing boxes,bad shafts & I could go on!I won't own anything but an outboard,they have come along way & people are realizing how economical they are to run.Time will tell how well the boat will go & if we made a mistake with the keel but missing the last 2 lobster seasons if she only goes 5 kts. I am going fishing!I am launching in April & I will let you know how the boat goes.

 

[MouseTrap]

...I have had big boats & dealt with diesels,leaking stuffing boxes,bad shafts & I could go on!I won't own anything but an outboard,they have come along way & people are realizing how economical they are to run.Time will tell how well the boat will go & if we made a mistake with the keel but missing the last 2 lobster seasons if she only goes 5 kts. I am going fishing!I am launching in April & I will let you know how the boat goes.

Palawanbound, I have been wondering how your project has been coming along. I saw this post on another forum a couple of years ago. Ken has mentioned it in a couple of threads here on DEBF.

I know there are traditionalists that cringe at the thought of an outboard DE, but I am in total agreement with the application of an outboard for the reasons you stated.

Please keep posting your progress. Lots of pictures . Good luck!

 

[Palawanbound]

It's been a hard couple of years,I had a high blood pressure spell & meds problem,then due to the earthquake & tsunami in Japan I couldn't get parts I needed,the CG in order to sell the motor as salvage they had taken parts off of the outboard,I saved about $12,000 but I lost time from fishing trying to get parts.No excuses this season!I found another pic that shows the keel a little better.

 

[JDTOOM]

I'm interested to get an update on this when she splashes.

 

[Palawanbound]

I am in hopes wthin in the next couple of weeks I should be ready to float,I'll post when I do.

 

[south shore]

did this boat ever get finished , if so how did it run.

 

[Blitzen]

The boat was up for sale not too long ago.

 

[BillD]

I talked with the owner way back when he finished and splashed it.
Boat ran good but I think he was battling with the tracking with whatever keel was left after Ken Flowers cut it off.
Ken would have info on this.

 

[Henry]

DE outboards

I agree with outboards on a DE. I have a Rosborough 246 that had a TAMD 31- noisy, smelly, expensive fuel and real expensive maintenance. I converted to a Suzuki 200 - quiet, smooth, easy to service, more cockpit space, faster, cheaper fuel and lower $ per hour to operate. A no brainer in any DE under 30' to 32'.

 

[HUNTHARD]

I can't argue with being quieter, cheaper and maybe less maintenance. But the seaworthiness of a diesel and a full keel has to be 10 times what it would be of an outboard hanging off the transom in any kinda shitty seas.

 

[Keelboater]

We know a Rosborough 24 handles well with either inboard or outboard power as they are available both ways from the factory. Even I/O power for that matter . For near shore use I can see the outboard having some merit, but the hull has to perform and handle "as planned" or you won't be a happy camper. A hull specifically designed for weight distribution and shaft location of an inboard does not necessarily make for a good outboard conversion in my opinion. You can play games with weight, keel size, and motor trim, but in the end it is what it is. I'm thinking a skeg boat is a much better candidate for an outboard conversion than a built down hull because there is a lot less going on below the waterline to complicate matters and tracking may not suffer nearly as much..... if at all. For that matter it might even improve somewhat

 

[El Mar]

For what its worth, I owned a Parker 2530 that was originally designed for I/O power. Mine had twin Outboards. While it was fast and looked great with the outboards on it I could never get it to run right in the slop and it always let me down in rough water, usually coming home.

That is ultimately why I sold the boat.

The Parker didn't have a keel, but I suspect the same kind of thing going on here.

 

[yanmar]

For what its worth, I owned a Parker 2530 that was originally designed for I/O power. Mine had twin Outboards. While it was fast and looked great with the outboards on it I could never get it to run right in the slop and it always let me down in rough water, usually coming home.

That is ultimately why I sold the boat.

The Parker didn't have a keel, but I suspect the same kind of thing going on here.

I've been on quite a few different size Parkers and can say they were all harsh in the slop but will also say that the captains were not smart enough to ease the throttle back either !