DOG, You bet I'm going for and inboard and it'll have a pump hooked to that. Thinking somewhere between 250-300 hp with an American Turbine or a Hamilton. I sure would love to get my hands on a used 212. Thats one of the few trades offs in building your own. You don't need 40 grand right off the bat to do it. You work at your own speed when time and money permits. I have about $4,000 invested so far that includes the trailer and all the material for the hull, recessed self bailing bow, windsheild, and the semi hard top. I work at a place where I can get the aluminium really cheap compared to somebody walking in off the street and buying it.

B-Run, Believe me, I've been down and checked out most of the major makes of sleds. Duckworth, Weldcraft, CustomWeld, Alumaweld, NorthRiver, ThunderJet, Miller Marine, NorthWest, and even got the chance to check out a FishRite. I've spent gawd knows how many hours researching this project. Used to spend half my Sunday down at Bill's before he moved and fenced his sleds in. If I was going to out and out buy a sled it would be a NW. It was a WWA member on the Aluminium Jet Boat forum that convinced me to go with a 10 degree deadrise. I started with a 14 degree then changed it to 12. I cut the frames and now I'm going to recut them to 10. Figure if I'm going to do it I might as well make a really shallow draft. Like you I've wondered what this boat will look like once it complete. I've heard horror stories of guys not figuring the chine radius out and ending up with a stub nosed sled. Even thought Woolridge still makes a stub nosed that seems to be a decent sled. The hard part is going to be getting a 20' sled out of 6'x20' sheet. I'm going to have to scab a piece in the front which could be tricky to make it look right. I noticed NW did this when I was checking there sleds out at the boat show. When it comes to the motor/pump installation, I'm planing on having Bill and his crew help me with this. In the next month or so I should have the jig built and the frames and stringers welded together. Once this is done I'll swing by the monthly WWA meeting so you guy's can laugh at me .

ZoZo, I'm going to use both processes in building it. I spent 8 years in the USAF as a Metals Technologist (welder/machinist). I've been certified in just about every material. This includes thick(1/4) and Thin(.032) aluminium. I would prefer to tig the whole thing but even though you have maximum control it's a very slow process. Where as with MIG your control isn't as good but it's fast. As far the cost of this thing.... I estimate about $10,000 to 12000, not counting my time. Your right about how much my time is worth. If I was to figure that in I might as well get a payment book. I guess alot of it has to do with the fact I've always enjoyed working with metal. There's always those people that think the glass is half empty and say it can't be done. Depending on how this thing turns out the two top names for the sled are BITE ME and CAN DO.....


[ 05-28-2001: Message edited by: SnagMagnet ]