Widening an Old Alaskan Fishing Boat

[jeverich]

Widening her from 21.5 feet out to 36.5…

Doubling fish hold capacity from 150k lbs to 300k lbs.

All new refrigeration system.

All new hydraulics / deck equipment.

New mast / rigging.

New aluminum top house.

All done in the great state of Oregon.

[MetalMan23]

That's quite an endeavor! Wow

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[duaneb55]

You do know that's not going to fit down the road on a trailer now, right?

Is this a quoted project or by the hour?

[farmersammm]

Man..........I dunno........ I know absolutely nothing about boats.

It looks unsafe. I'd wonder how it would react to heavy seas. I don't see how that can knife through large waves.

I'd also wonder if the powerplant can push it enough to make headway in heavy seas. Whoever designed it, turned it into what looks like a barge. Gotta be a huge amount of resistance created by that wide guppy hull.

And........I wonder about the leverage on the main hull from those "pontoons" y'all hung on there.

I know you didn't design it, you're just gluing it together, so I don't mean to put your work down.

I've seen pics of some of the Norwegian fishing boats, and they do have a stubby, stumpy, dumpy,, hull..........so maybe I'm all wrong.

I better stick to what I know

[SweetMK]

Gotta be a huge amount of resistance created by that wide guppy hull.

And........I wonder about the leverage on the main hull from those "pontoons" y'all hung on there.


I better stick to what I know

In the terms of a seafarer,, those are not pontoons,, those are "Dolly Pardon's"

[Country Metals]

I've never seen a boat widened like that, but seems simple and a hell of a lot cheaper.

Hope everything works out great for you.

[duaneb55]

I've never seen a boat widened like that, but seems simple and a hell of a lot cheaper.

Member beaver posted a similar project back in '18.

https://weldingweb.com/vbb/threads/7...fishing+vessel

[farmersammm]

Member beaver posted a similar project back in '18.

https://weldingweb.com/vbb/threads/7...fishing+vessel

Glad you put up that link. Now I feel like the true idiot I am Didn't realize it was a fairly common practice.

[jeverich]

Thanks all for the positive words.

Yes, it’s a relatively “common” practice, referred to as sponsoning.

The boat was laser scanned a few years back, and the design was created thorough my feedback to a naval architect. From there, the design went to a lofter - who created all of the cut files and weld procedure/assembly details.

We’ve got a couple more months to go, as a lot of the work will be in setting up all of the vessel’s new systems.

[Brand X]

Man..........I dunno........ I know absolutely nothing about boats.

Call Jimmie if you need to know something about boats. He does that stuff all the time..

[52 Ford]

Thanks all for the positive words.

Yes, it’s a relatively “common” practice, referred to as sponsoning.

The boat was laser scanned a few years back, and the design was created thorough my feedback to a naval architect. From there, the design went to a lofter - who created all of the cut files and weld procedure/assembly details.

We’ve got a couple more months to go, as a lot of the work will be in setting up all of the vessel’s new systems.

So, what's the extra room used for below deck? I'm assuming the ribs of the original hull have to stay in place.

[akpolaris]

So what is the cost savings on Sponsoning vs a new build or buying another boat? I realize that every time you adapt a boat it becomes more versatile, easier to work aboard or adapted to another fishery. But them boats do absorb $$ by the bucketful.

[52 Ford]

So what is the cost savings on Sponsoning vs a new build or buying another boat? I realize that every time you adapt a boat it becomes more versatile, easier to work aboard or adapted to another fishery. But them boats do absorb $$ by the bucketful.

"By the bucketful"... more precisely, by the boatload.

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[52 Ford]

In the terms of a seafarer,, those are not pontoons,, those are "Dolly Pardon's"

Is that really what they call them? Only time I've heard that term is referring to trailers... here's a picture of a Dolly Parton. LOL

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[Louie1961]

So what is the cost savings on Sponsoning vs a new build or buying another boat? I realize that every time you adapt a boat it becomes more versatile, easier to work aboard or adapted to another fishery. But them boats do absorb $$ by the bucketful.

Seriously...this is THE question in my mind. I can't comprehend how doing this is cheaper than building a new hull from scratch

[SweetMK]

Is that really what they call them? Only time I've heard that term is referring to trailers... here's a picture of a Dolly Parton. LOL

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I thought the first nautical use of the term was applied to some life preserver??
The boat just kinda looked like the thing got a life preserver installed,,,

Actually, I think the correct term is a "Mae West",, but, she lived so long ago, I updated to a newer woman,,, LOL!!

[jeverich]

It’s crazy…. But this project will represent about 1/3 or less the cost of building a comparable new boat.

We’re not modifying propulsion or shafting at all during this shipyard period, we’ll likely repower and reshaft in a few years.

Wait time on a new main engine and shafting with the current supply chain issues is about 1.5 years!

[Tarmstrong]

Following…very interesting project OP….

I always learn things on sites like this….

[akpolaris]

So I see the work is being done in Oregon, I just immediately assumed Kodiak, my bad. And after a 2nd look at the pictures have a better or different understanding of the job. Does the keel stay intact and the pontoons or Sponsons are glued on? That makes it easy to see the savings. Foolishly I imagined splitting the hull and widening it that way. Is the hull opened up at the sponsons or is it just hatchways allowing access into the new areas? I think that the hold would just open up. You say that the present propulsion and shafting will suffice for the present time? All the successful fisherman I know reinvest their gains on their boats if they have a good year, at least the smart guys do. Either power plant improvements, boom extensions, deck gear upgrades /improvements. It all goes to hopefully making next year more profitable. Pretty interesting project you have going on

[Country Metals]

How much more HP will you need to have the same output as you currently have.

It's hard to keep growing in business. This seems like a great way to grow instead of keep purchasing bigger and bigger.

[G-ManBart]

Seriously...this is THE question in my mind. I can't comprehend how doing this is cheaper than building a new hull from scratch

It does seem like it should cost more, but I don't think so in reality. Many of the Great Lakes freighters have been lengthened over the years, and it's a lot cheaper than building a new hull. They cut it in the middle and splice in X number of feet, weld it all back together and off she goes. I suspect a lot of it is that it's faster and dry dock time for something that big can't be cheap.

[G-ManBart]

General reply to the project......WOW!

[bakodiver]

It looks like it will pound badly in a head sea. That is a large flat plane to expose to wave action.

[52 Ford]

It looks like it will pound badly in a head sea. That is a large flat plane to expose to wave action.

I dunno. Guess it would depend on how the boat sits in the water. I'm sure that bulb is going to help a ton, too.

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[Freebirdwelds]

I'll bet they got a clue about what they're doing.