New member, 47' Dixon

[Helen L]

New here. Names Tim from the Vineyard. I have a 1987 47' Dixon powered by a 671 Detroit, rebuilt 4 years ago with an aftermarket turbo putting out around 260 HP. Engine runs like a top; I made a 300 mile trip from Cape May, NJ to the Vineyard for the maiden voyage without a single problem. The hull was constructed using no wood. Solid glass with foam cored ribs and stringers. Bulkheads, deck, rails, and house were obviously glass over wood. I'm currently rebuilding the boat from the deck up....new deck, new rails, new larger house, new tower and pulpit, new gelcoat, wiring, and electronics. My deadline is end of spring in time for the season. The boat was used as a purse seiner down in NJ. Before that it was a lobster boat in Gloucester. It was originally 40' and lengthened on the stern (not a back porch style, the actual hull itself. Her beam is 15'6" and she draws about 5'. 2 1/2" shaft, 2.5:1 gear ratio. So far I took the 25' steel mast off (weighed 2000lbs!), removed all the stainless steel plating over the rails that was used as chaff gear for the purse seine, put in 3 more fuels tanks for a total of 600 gallons, redeck over the tanks, cut out the rotted rails and spliced in new ones, and currently finishing up the coaming part of the rail. Next will be replacing 4 more feet of deck before building the new split wheelhouse. The new house will be 9" higher to delete the engine cover that's raised, and come back about 5'. I have a 24' aluminum tower and 22' pulpit I'll be putting on her after. She will primarily be a lobster/conch boat as well as a tuna boat. I'll do a little rebuild thread and post pics along the way. Her home port is Menemsha and she'll be renamed the Helen L when I regelcoat her in the spring (out of the water so I'm safe from superstitions!)

Here she is out of the water when I bought her.

Trip up from NJ

 

[unclefish]

welcome aboard happy new year

 

[Helen L]

thanks. some more pics

at home port in Menemsha
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the tower and pulpit that will go on

removing the mast with the help of a friend's knuckle crane

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[Helen L]

opening the deck for the three additional fuel tanks.

first tank I put in

and the other 2 finally in

 

[Helen L]

ran the fuel line, vent, fills, and rewired the bilge pumps while I had the deck open. I'm going to peel the fiberglass off the rest of the deck and check for any rot, then put another sheet of 3/4" over it and glass over. Freeman hatches will be installed

Cut out the rotted part of the starboard rail and spliced a new one in. Gotta love the Nova Scotia carpentry methods. 2x4s sandwiched together and plywood over the top.

 

[sailboatssuck]

Great winter project.
Do you have a swordfish handgear permit? You might see a few next summer.
Good luck with her. See you on Georges next fall.

 

[F/V First Team]

...why are we using potable water line as a vent line?

Aside from that, looks good

 

[MDI45]

Helen L,nice boat....is that the boat Osmond Beal designed?

 

[Helen L]

Had 30' of it so I used it for the vents. Done it before with no problems. Hopefully it'll be fine. Money is tight so it'll do for the time being. I have good access to each tank so I can always change it out if I have to down the line.

She is a Dixon from Nova Scotia.

 

[richardh]

the one osmond did is the new 42 dixon