Having watched all three parts, I salute your indomitable skill and patience. Having gone the extra few miles, with the use of the epoxy as well as other touches here and there that I noticed, you've created a family heirloom that will no doubt be cherished for generations. Good on you.
This is quite an undertaking. I have a set of Glen-l Monaco plans and they still remain on my bucket list. I'll get there one day. This is one of those videos that I wish I had of been there to voice my Congratulations to you Captain Jim
Thanks for your comment. We can share this: We had the boat out on the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia today. We traveled about 60 kms (40 miles) round trip and put 2 more hours on the engine. GPS speed at 4000 RPM was 60 Km/hr (40 mph). Consumed about 50 litres (about 13 US gallons). Everything seemed to work well :) Jim.
Thank you, Len. Have had it out three times now for about an hour each time. Everything working well. Got an answer from MerCruiser about the hot right manifold...normal at idle and actually the left side heats up more at high power. All normal they say.
Thank you, Ed. Glad you found the series interesting. Yes, launch day was exciting. Two of my favourite memories of that day include seeing the stern rise up off the trailer during launch and the lively response of that engine. By the way, the scratch on the hull that occurred that day...all fixed. Jim.
Beautiful build. Great vlog, thanks for taking the valuable time to vlog, edit, and share with us. Nothing more satisfying like the gurgle of that exhaust in the water, does a soul good. Great to have friends like this!
Another nice run today. A friend who lives on Shubenacadie-Grand Lake, near the Halifax Airport, gave us a guided tour of the Lake and pointed out some of the shoal and rock hazards. Put another 1.5 hours on the MerCruiser Scorpion engine. No apparent issues with any of the boat systems so far. Tows well behind the Tacoma truck but, as recommended, we have been stopping about ten minutes after driving off and checking for tightness of tie-downs, hot wheel bearings, etc. We had to tighten straps a couple of times so this seems like very good advice. Cheers, Jim.
Cheers! Glad you think that I did a decent job of it. I have really enjoyed my first season of cruising on our lakes, rivers and harbours (hey, that's 'harbours' - we're Canadian eh?) with Fly Boy. The boat performed flawlessly. :) Jim.
Thank you William. The building of the boat and the first two seasons cruising with it have been good experiences for me and my family. The boat and its systems have been working well. Already looking forward to the 2019 boating season in our area. Cheers, Jim.
Thank you, Peter. So far so good on our 'sea trials'. We are taking the boat for another cruise, this time to Halifax Harbour for a couple of hours sometime this week. Sadly, the boating season is almost over for this type of boat here in Nova Scotia. Jim.
Beautiful build Jim and very nice launch. Am also a Nova Scotian and built the Audeen in 2011. Enjoy it every summer here on the Rideau River in Ottawa. Called it the "Bay Boy". You'll know the significance of that. Cheers Al Neill
Thanks, Al, for your positive comments and for making me aware of 'Bad Boy'. That is another beautiful looking boat and the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers would be great areas to run about. Many a time I hiked along the Rideau River during my working life and admired the boats on display there. Not so many Audeens or Barrelbacks in Nova Scotia as you know although I am aware of three other similar boats either finished or nearly so here. Cheers back at you! Jim.
Thank you Charles and Jaben (last month). This is the 5th boating season with Fly Boy. It continues to perform well. The only thing I have changed out are the exhaust hoses between the engine and the mufflers. I went to the 250F degree heat rating due to the raw water system that I use and some warmer surface water temperatures that I have encountered on some lakes. The pipe from the right manifold, especially, was getting too hot in those conditions at some lower RPMs. It was formerly exhaust piping rated at 200F.
Last Sunday (July 30th) we trailered the boat to Porter's Lake (east of Halifax city) and cruised the northern half of the lake with our daughter and her husband. They know the lake well and pointed out significant features. Beautiful day with nice breeze from the north. Now have about 8.5 hours on the engine. I have inspected the boat thoroughly after each use and, so far, have not found any faults. We did find a faulty LED tail light on the trailer which is now replaced and also have adjusted the forward trailer v-bunks because of scratches showing up in the hull paint as the boat is winched back onto the trailer at recovery.
What an absolutely beautiful boat. Your video inspired me and I ordered some study material and plans for a Barrelback. I really like the idea of having a center cushion that can fold or be removed to open up the space to move from the first to the second row. Any tips for someone about to embark in building a Barrelback? I will be building it in Canada too and planing to build a 20' version.
Hello F. St.-Jean, Thanks for your positive remarks and your request for tips in building a Barrelback. I would just advise that you practice patience and planning ahead in the building of the boat. Of course the 20 foot version of the Barrelback allows you to go to higher power for your engine per the plan notes. I must say that my 19 foot 4 inch version does 45 mph (about 72 kph) at wide open throttle. 40 mph (60 kph) is the maximum recommended speed for this hull. I don't spend much time at wide open throttle, so my MerCruiser Scorpion V-8 is quite suitable for my own boat. At the beginning of this season I replaced several things (after 6 years and 100 hours of cruising) that you might want to keep accessible in your build. For instance, can you access the engine water impeller to change it out? Another example is the water-separating fuel filter and the inline fuel filter...can you access them? Can you readily access the oil dip stick for checking engine oil and the oil filler cap too? Recently my fuel indication began to fail. I suspect the fuel sending unit at the tank. Can you access that unit when it comes time to change it? One other thing comes to mind and that is access to the rudder/steering arm near the transom...accessible? I built mine in a heated workshop that was only just large enough for this purpose. The more space the better and the more clamps and tools, the better. I hope you enjoy the experience. It is a good one! Jim
An update on fuel consumption: After that 40 mile (60 km) run on the river of a few days ago I reported that the boat burned about 50 litres (13 US gallons). I have just refueled the boat and measured the amount of fuel more accurately. Apparently it burned 45 litres (10 Imp. or 12 US gallons) during that 2 hour cruise. Also, no faults found after a thorough inspection of boat systems. I will have to adjust the forward trailer v-bunks because the current setting is leaving some scratches and taking some paint from the hull as the boat is winched forward when re-loading. Jim.
Hello@@marklenz7065 As I mentioned in another response, which is somewhere within the comments of one of the three videos, the cost to you will vary according to how good a scrounger you are, whether you go new or used for the parts and pieces and what sort of equipment you install. In my case I went for new everything, including the expensive items of the V8 marine motor and the aluminum trailer. My motor complete with Hurth transmission was $16,500 Canadian dollars including taxes. My trailer was $6500 CA including taxes. I spent about $6000 for wood and about $3000 on epoxy materials. I also bought several new tools (small ones) during the build, the costs of which are also included in the total. Total for my build was $65,000 CA. You might be able to get the cost down if you scrounge. For example, a friend of mine found an older version of my engine without transmission for only $3000. The transmission cost him about another $3000. Did I mention that I had to purchase a pickup truck in order to tow my new boat? The cost of the truck is not included in my build numbers. Hope this information is useful to you. Jim.
10/10 Excellent work. Was just worried about the 6 inches of legroom you lost with the engine placement? Perfect mix of stills and video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Simon. The forward cockpit is exactly the dimensions from the plan but it made the rear cockpit smaller. I usually find that I can easily have my knees straight ahead under the dash panel with ankles crossed in front of the seat although the first-launch video shows my knee to be clear of the dash. Additionally, to fully stretch your legs out straight it is necessary to open the forward storage doors because I did not move that bulkhead further forward. I have found that I have wanted to do that only a couple of times so far. The forward storage compartment is about right in size for things like spare lifejackets, boarding ladder and anchor gear. Cheers, Jim.
I have taken the boat for a couple of little cruises since my last message here, including Halifax Harbour and the Annapolis River. I did the river trip again so as to take the boat out of the fresh water at Bridgetown since our boating season is winding down here in Nova Scotia. Now that the boat and trailer are nicely flushed with fresh water I will prepare to store them for winter and that will include oil and filter changes for engine and transmission and adding anti-freeze. Total time on the engine is 17 hours. There have been only a couple of minor issues with boat and trailer but the main systems have been running well. I have had plenty of enjoyment from this boat during this first summer on the water. Jim.
Great build Jim and great looking boat…awesome performance. Could you by any chance share the exact motor and drive specifications with me, as I would like to follow your configuration. It turned out really nice and I love the sound of the 350 cu V8. Have fun in the years to come with this beauty.
Thanks for the kind words, Ivan. As you say it has a 350 cubic inch V8 which MerCruiser has named the Scorpion engine. This one is their 2015 model which I chose because it is 2 inches less in height than previous models. Connected to the engine is a Hurth 45A 8-degree down-angle transmission followed by a one inch shaft that is 48" long. Obviously the length of your shaft may be different depending upon how far forward you mount your engine. The shaft goes through a 16 degree prop shaft strut before arriving at the end with a 12 x 16 LH bronze prop (LH because this engine is Left Hand turning). This allows a little over 2" between the tip of the prop and the bottom of the hull...which is the minimum recommended space between the two. I inserted a cardboard mock-up of the engine and took many measurements of these components to be sure everything would be suitable. I got all of my drive fittings, for example; shaft with flange, stuffing box, prop strut, propeller, rudder, rudder stuffing box, rudder support, etc. from Glen-L Marine. I did have a stainless plate fabricated to go on the top of the keel over the prop strut and which bolts through it for extra rigidity and strength. Also, I offset the rudder slightly so that the prop shaft can be pulled out if that is ever needed. Finally, I installed a streamlined sacrificial zinc anode on the shaft between the hull bottom and the shaft strut. I recommend you read as much as you can on direct drive setups while considering your own installation. Such reading helped me a good deal. My results: with throttle wide open at 5300 RPM I am getting 42 MPH (68 KM/HR) and that fits well with the maximum recommended speed for this hull which is 40 MPH (60 KM/HR). Hope all of this helps. Cheers, Jim.
Hi James, Beautiful job! Very inspiring. I am very fascinated by these type of American runabouts and I am currently saving up money so I can start building one myself in a few years. What is a realistic budget for a project like this? -and thanks for the great videos
Hello Karl-Emil, If you are a better scrounger of pieces and parts for your own boat and depending upon what features you select for it the cost will vary considerably. In my case I bought a brand new large motor and all new fittings throughout. In Canadian dollars I spent a total of about $65,000 including the trailer. Hope that helps in your planning for your own project. Wishing you lots of building enjoyment. Jim.
Awesome build sir, seems to run well and looks great when you honk her a tad bit, we built one very similar to yours about thirty years ago, son of gun would surely move across the water when tapped !?
Thanks. This boat moves plenty fast for me. Max recommended hull speed of 40 mph and I got GPS speed of 42 mph with throttle wide open the few times that I did that this past summer. Jim
On August 29th: trailered the boat to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, boat launch at the park along the south side of the LaHavre River. This is another good spot for launching. Was with my friend who brought his own 1970 Wellcraft runabout. We cruised in loose formation down the river to about a mile beyond Fort Point and back with a stop for lunch at the LaHavre Bakery. They have a good float for customers who want to stop for refreshments. Total distance at least 40 kms (25 miles) but there was some additional general running around each other along the way. Fuel burned approximately 42 litres (about 9 IMP. or 11 US gallons). Various speeds from idle to full power. Engine performing very well. Only issue was the loss of one of the exhaust-port flapper doors at the transom. Will have to see if that can be replaced and how often this might occur. I believe I heard the little door depart the exhaust port when slowing right down with a following sea at the time. Total engine time now around 12 hours. Jim.
hello, beautiful boat,and congrats on making such a high quality craft. what was the total build time and how many people were involved with building it thanks in advance
Thank you for those comments, Anne. Except for the two events of rolling the hull upright and running the engine it was only me that built the boat. Planning ahead, having the right tools and taking my time was so important when doing everything myself. I did not keep a log of the time involved but a conservative estimate would be in excess of 3000 hours over a 3 year period. That would not include the reading of associated books (research) or talking to experienced boat people along the way. I am just about to start my third season on the water with the boat and, so far, it has been performing very well. I have logged about 60 hours on the engine to date. I installed a bluetooth music system over the winter. Jim.
Thanks. I don't believe that the printed material I received from Glen-L Marine actually specifies the 'deadrise' but I can tell you it is zero degrees at the aft end of the transom (this boat is not designed for rougher waters) and, of course, gradually increases as you go forward. You might contact Glen-L in California with that question. Cheers. J.
Hi again Randy, This boat is okay in a one foot chop although you would need to keep the bow up by keeping some power on to avoid getting wet with spray over the bow. We encountered this kind of chop during one outing this summer. Fly Boy is quite stable and maybe even rocks less than a deep V hull when passengers move about but it is the ride that would be better with deep V hulls when in rougher conditions. Fly Boy is a 19 foot model which can be extended to 20 feet when building. In fact they suggest going to 20 feet if a V8 is installed. Too much power can cause handling problems over 40 mph which is why I limit the speed to around that. I have had no handling problems at all. Another caution about the very flat bottom in the aft end of a Barrelback is your choice of power. I considered using a jet drive so that I would not have to worry about hitting the unprotected propeller on anything. Unfortunately the flat surface means there is more likelihood of the jet drive intake 'cavitating' which is a significant concern. J.
On August 9th: trailered the boat to the new Annapolis Royal boat launch and wharf at the north end of the Tidal Power causeway. This is a nice installation and welcome addition to enable cruising the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia. I now have just over 10 hours on the MerCruiser Scorpion engine so opened the throttle completely for a few seconds a couple of times. Maximum GPS speed observed: 67 km/hr (42 mph). Maximum RPM observed: 5500. The recommended Wide Open Throttle (WOT) maximum RPM for this engine is 4800-5200. To get the RPM at WOT down a bit I suppose I could fit a propeller with a slightly higher pitch but, since 60 km/hr (40 mph) is the maximum recommended speed for this hull design, I will not be doing that. The current propeller is 12 inch dia. with a 16 inch pitch.
The motor is a 2015 MerCruiser Scorpion which is 350 cubic inch producing 330 HP. The plan called for a maximum of 265 cubic inch which would likely be a V6 but all the experienced boaters that I talked to said that I really must have a V8 because they sound so good and because the engine wouldn't work as hard to push the boat. The 2015 version of this engine was 2 inches less in height than previous models and, therefore, would fit in the space available. I am really pleased with this engine so far. Jim.
Hello Daniel, Thanks for your comment. The legroom is adequate for my six foot frame but not luxurious. I don't know why I didn't tuck my right leg under the dash on launch day but maybe it was first-launch anxiety. However I notice the video does emphasize that right leg being held clear of the dash. No, my legs will not fit under the dash with feet flat on the floor but do quite nicely if crossed under me at the ankles. Alternatively, I can open one or both teak doors and stretch both legs out fully if desired. You can do anything you like with your own build but I chose to create a forward storage compartment with teak louvre-type doors both for appearance and for security. I have had several fellows my size or taller in the right seat and they have had no issues with the setup that I have. I also considered lowering the seats and/or the floor level somewhat to allow my knees to fit under the dash with feet flat on the floor but that seemed to create conflicts with the three hull frames involved. Another idea was to make the dashboard less in height but then my desired steering wheel and gauges would not fit easily. These are all things a person has to consider and measure for during the build. Cheers, Jim.
Hello Adam, Nobody that I talked to about a tonneau-style cover for the boat were very keen on using snaps to fasten it down. They all thought it detract from the look of the classic lines to put snaps all along the deck or hull. So, what I did was purchase a stock boat cover of good quality and had a sailmaker modify it to be a dual-purpose cover. I had them make it so that straps fasten under the boat at about 6 places along the hull. There is a draw-strap along the bottom of this cover that you can pull tight in addition to tightening the 'belly' straps. That all works well at highway speeds. For overnights at a dock somewhere I had them make it so that the same cover can be rolled up to the top of the gunwale and fastened to the fender hangar hardware with short bungees or fasteners of some sort. I installed two more fender hangars on each side of the boat toward the aft end to accommodate this idea. I am very pleased with the results. Sorry, I don't yet have a good photo of this arrangement but hope my explanation is clear enough for your purpose. Please advise if you have more questions. Jim.
James Peerless wow that's great, good engineering there. Someday I'm going to build one. I get 24 days off a year. Think if I took all 24 off in a row I could build one that fast?
Adam, I really cannot imagine how a person could build one is such a short time. I did not keep a daily log of time spent on the build but using a conservative number of hours per day (I am retired and worked on it most days from just one hour to as many as 8 hours) I believe that it took me over 3000 hours of work to complete up to the launch day. The speed of the build also depends upon waiting the correct amount of time for the epoxy to properly dry and cure and paint or varnish to dry as well as waiting for or shopping for necessary parts during the build. It was a great project and very satisfying for me. I hope you get to build one some day but you should be prepared to commit considerable time (and money) for such a project if you want a good outcome. Good luck with yours. Jim.
James Peerless whew, I figured it would be alot of hours....guess I'll have to plan in out in years. I have my own knee mill so I kind of wanted to mill some of my own hardware too for fun. Someday...someday.
Hello Hannes, I am probably not the right person to ask. A marine engine specialist might be your best source. I believe that just about any vehicle engine can be converted to marine specs but I have little knowledge on the process or if all engines are suitable. One obvious issue is whether or not your choice of engine will fit within the confines of the boat you are building. I only purchased my Scorpion engine when the new model in 2015 was shown as 2 inches (about 50 mm) less in height than previous year models. In my opinion, the older models would not have fit in my Barrelback 19. Of course the entire engine, as well as the exhaust, would require water cooling either via a closed cooling system or with sea water intake. Another concern is that the engine must have spark-arrestor intakes to avoid any chance of explosion from fumes in the engine compartment. One other issue that I can think of is the connection possibilities between the Lexus engine and your marine transmission of choice i.e. can it be done? Also, you would be wise to consider where the engine oil filter is located once installed in the boat as it must be readily accessible. In the case of my engine I got a kit installed that moved the oil filter to the top front section of the engine for easy filter replacement. Hope these comments help you at least a little. Jim.
Awesome build, very nice. I was wondering how the seating is working. It looks like you have your knee jammed up against the dash and you have no tilt in the seat back. The steering wheel is also practically in your crotch, and no room to stretch your legs. That looks very uncomfortable. Is the ride not kinda hard?
Thanks for your comment on the build. As to the space in the forward cockpit, the dimensions are per the boat plan. The rear cockpit, however, is smaller because I managed to mount the engine 6 inches further forward than plan. The plans recommend that you try to do that. What you see in the video is the first sea trial and I wasn't too worried about the placement of my legs or what the cameraman was filming. The floor plywood is laid on top of the frame members and would be awkward to modify so that it is lower down in the hull I think. I have found that you can either cross your legs slightly so they are completely under the dash or else open the forward storage doors and stretch them out into that area. Doesn't seem to be a problem for the 1 to 3 hour cruises that I have done. As for the steering wheel it is in the perfect spot for handling the boat and I have no issues with that. Hope this information is useful to you. Jim.
Beautiful lines, you should be very proud of this boat and of yourself. Ya did everything right in my ole eyes. What is your cruising knots and top end ? thanks, and Merry Christmas from New Jersey USA :)
Thank you for your kind comments. The maximum recommended speed for this hull is 40 MPH. At full throttle (5300 RPM) I am getting 43 MPH. I usually cruise at an RPM of from 3000 to 4000 and that gives speeds from 20 to 30 MPH. Hope that answers your questions. Season's Greetings to you too. Jim.
@@triplesevenist , I know it's cold where your are and maybe even a lil snow but did you get all the bugs out of her before putting to bed for the winter ? thanks, ya done a beautiful job.
@@MegaBait1616 Happy New Year. After two full seasons of cruising in Fly Boy I can say the boat has performed very well. It is bedded down for the winter in my workshop but ready to go in the new season (that's in May for us here). The only glitch in 2018 was the ignition switch assembly which came apart (probably from vibration) and was easy to fix with a little thread lock applied to the retaining nut. Had an issue with trailer wheels hitting a huge pothole which put the wheels out of alignment and damaged the brake caliper. Long story to that but ended up replacing caliper, caliper bolts and wheel bearing on the curb side of the trailer. As to electronics, I didn't want to clutter up the dash or windshield area with them but I have set up a mini iPad with GPS and a chart program which mounts with velcro on the dash when I want to use it. I did build in a 12 volt power outlet for such things and it includes two USB ports. Radar is not something I would consider for the same reason but also since I only choose good weather days to cruise and never far from shore. I do have a depth sounder installed. Thanks for your interest and positive words about Fly Boy. Jim.
Question: "Snake Mountain Boat Works" on YT says ya can't use stainless steel screws, hardware, ect. on wood boats ??" I'm going over material list for my 26" sea skiff build.... Ever watch his videos saying this about stainless steel ?? btw, Beautiful Boat..........thank you n be well.
Yes, I saw videos and articles saying that stainless fasteners are not the way to go. Silicon-bronze fasteners are recommended. I have had no deterioration of any of my fasteners except where I did use stainless screws around the deck-top to hold on the rub rails. I must replace them every couple of years because they do start to show rust. Thanks for your kind comments. Jim
@@triplesevenist , Im building a 26' skiff.. Now a days with the current administration "Wood". Is crazy high prices as is Brass.. Damn everything is Expensive.. When you said you used S.S. screws thought I could save some money 💰.. thank you for getting back to me..
Hi James I like the build my dream to build the same boat I would be honoured if I could maybe email you get some information or tips like wood used dimensions of boat engine etc great build sir
Having watched all three parts, I salute your indomitable skill and patience. Having gone the extra few miles, with the use of the epoxy as well as other touches here and there that I noticed, you've created a family heirloom that will no doubt be cherished for generations. Good on you.
This is quite an undertaking. I have a set of Glen-l Monaco plans and they still remain on my bucket list. I'll get there one day.
This is one of those videos that I wish I had of been there to voice my Congratulations to you Captain Jim
Thanks for your comment. We can share this: We had the boat out on the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia today. We traveled about 60 kms (40 miles) round trip and put 2 more hours on the engine. GPS speed at 4000 RPM was 60 Km/hr (40 mph). Consumed about 50 litres (about 13 US gallons). Everything seemed to work well :) Jim.
Congratulations! On your boat project, well done. Thanks! For
sharing the build, enjoy your first summer on the water with your Boat! Cheers!
Len
Thank you, Len. Have had it out three times now for about an hour each time. Everything working well. Got an answer from MerCruiser about the hot right manifold...normal at idle and actually the left side heats up more at high power. All normal they say.
Great! Jim, Happy to hear all normal. Thanks for the update. Cheers! Len
Love the result of your labour! Thanks for sharing and enjoy those trips.
Thanks very much. Jim.
Congratulations Jim! That's an amazing accomplishment. Hope you get to enjoy it for a long, long time.
Thanks, folks. Jim.
Wow! Beautiful workmanship. Thanks for sharing.
Amedeo, thank you for your kind comment. I am glad that many people find the videos interesting or educational. Jim
Watched the entire series, excellent in every way, filming, editing, narrative, all first class! Although I was a little nervous at launch😁😁😁
Thank you, Ed. Glad you found the series interesting. Yes, launch day was exciting. Two of my favourite memories of that day include seeing the stern rise up off the trailer during launch and the lively response of that engine. By the way, the scratch on the hull that occurred that day...all fixed. Jim.
Inspiring videos of patience and focused on detail....Thank you for sharing and congratulations on a beautiful work of art!
Thank you, David H. I am glad that you found the video of interest. Jim.
Beautiful build. Great vlog, thanks for taking the valuable time to vlog, edit, and share with us. Nothing more satisfying like the gurgle of that exhaust in the water, does a soul good. Great to have friends like this!
Thank you, Henauder. I do love the sound of that engine at the exhaust ports. Jim.
Another nice run today. A friend who lives on Shubenacadie-Grand Lake, near the Halifax Airport, gave us a guided tour of the Lake and pointed out some of the shoal and rock hazards. Put another 1.5 hours on the MerCruiser Scorpion engine. No apparent issues with any of the boat systems so far. Tows well behind the Tacoma truck but, as recommended, we have been stopping about ten minutes after driving off and checking for tightness of tie-downs, hot wheel bearings, etc. We had to tighten straps a couple of times so this seems like very good advice. Cheers, Jim.
I really enjoyed your series and commend your work and details into building this runabout. Thanks for sharing. Great job James Russell.
Thank you, Chris. Your comments are appreciated. Pleased that you found the series to be interesting. Jim
Another wonderful video of your beautiful boat, Jim! So proud of you...
Cheers! Glad you think that I did a decent job of it. I have really enjoyed my first season of cruising on our lakes, rivers and harbours (hey, that's 'harbours' - we're Canadian eh?) with Fly Boy. The boat performed flawlessly. :) Jim.
This became stunning. Love it 👍
Thank you, Tom. J.
It,s like the sportscar of the sea looks great good job.
Thank you, Christy. It handles like a sports car too. Jim
Just an INCREDIBLE amount of
Tenacity, heartbreakingly Beautiful. Yeah flyboy 😎
Thank you William. The building of the boat and the first two seasons cruising with it have been good experiences for me and my family. The boat and its systems have been working well. Already looking forward to the 2019 boating season in our area. Cheers, Jim.
Wonderful job Sir!, She handles the chop very well
Thank you, Peter. So far so good on our 'sea trials'. We are taking the boat for another cruise, this time to Halifax Harbour for a couple of hours sometime this week. Sadly, the boating season is almost over for this type of boat here in Nova Scotia. Jim.
Beautiful boat. Beautiful build. Sits dead level at rest. She would never have seen salt water had she been mine.
What a wonderful project!! I plan on building one myself but I can’t decide on the model. Zip/Malahini/barrelback
nice job james happy cruising , from s wales uk
Thank you. J.
Only the starboard exhaust smokes for some reason. You could plainly see when fist launched and when underway at the 12:38 mark.
Very nice !
Thank you, Magnus. The boat continued to perform well this past season.
Beautiful build Jim and very nice launch. Am also a Nova Scotian and built the Audeen in 2011. Enjoy it every summer here
on the Rideau River in Ottawa. Called it the "Bay Boy". You'll know the significance of that. Cheers Al Neill
Thanks, Al, for your positive comments and for making me aware of 'Bad Boy'. That is another beautiful looking boat and the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers would be great areas to run about. Many a time I hiked along the Rideau River during my working life and admired the boats on display there. Not so many Audeens or Barrelbacks in Nova Scotia as you know although I am aware of three other similar boats either finished or nearly so here. Cheers back at you! Jim.
Work of art.
Thank you Charles and Jaben (last month). This is the 5th boating season with Fly Boy. It continues to perform well. The only thing I have changed out are the exhaust hoses between the engine and the mufflers. I went to the 250F degree heat rating due to the raw water system that I use and some warmer surface water temperatures that I have encountered on some lakes. The pipe from the right manifold, especially, was getting too hot in those conditions at some lower RPMs. It was formerly exhaust piping rated at 200F.
Flat gets it on , good job!
Last Sunday (July 30th) we trailered the boat to Porter's Lake (east of Halifax city) and cruised the northern half of the lake with our daughter and her husband. They know the lake well and pointed out significant features. Beautiful day with nice breeze from the north. Now have about 8.5 hours on the engine. I have inspected the boat thoroughly after each use and, so far, have not found any faults. We did find a faulty LED tail light on the trailer which is now replaced and also have adjusted the forward trailer v-bunks because of scratches showing up in the hull paint as the boat is winched back onto the trailer at recovery.
Very inspiring
What an absolutely beautiful boat. Your video inspired me and I ordered some study material and plans for a Barrelback. I really like the idea of having a center cushion that can fold or be removed to open up the space to move from the first to the second row.
Any tips for someone about to embark in building a Barrelback? I will be building it in Canada too and planing to build a 20' version.
Hello F. St.-Jean, Thanks for your positive remarks and your request for tips in building a Barrelback. I would just advise that you practice patience and planning ahead in the building of the boat. Of course the 20 foot version of the Barrelback allows you to go to higher power for your engine per the plan notes. I must say that my 19 foot 4 inch version does 45 mph (about 72 kph) at wide open throttle. 40 mph (60 kph) is the maximum recommended speed for this hull. I don't spend much time at wide open throttle, so my MerCruiser Scorpion V-8 is quite suitable for my own boat. At the beginning of this season I replaced several things (after 6 years and 100 hours of cruising) that you might want to keep accessible in your build. For instance, can you access the engine water impeller to change it out? Another example is the water-separating fuel filter and the inline fuel filter...can you access them? Can you readily access the oil dip stick for checking engine oil and the oil filler cap too? Recently my fuel indication began to fail. I suspect the fuel sending unit at the tank. Can you access that unit when it comes time to change it? One other thing comes to mind and that is access to the rudder/steering arm near the transom...accessible? I built mine in a heated workshop that was only just large enough for this purpose. The more space the better and the more clamps and tools, the better. I hope you enjoy the experience. It is a good one! Jim
Great build
Thanks, 'Peerless'. Jim.
An update on fuel consumption: After that 40 mile (60 km) run on the river of a few days ago I reported that the boat burned about 50 litres (13 US gallons). I have just refueled the boat and measured the amount of fuel more accurately. Apparently it burned 45 litres (10 Imp. or 12 US gallons) during that 2 hour cruise. Also, no faults found after a thorough inspection of boat systems. I will have to adjust the forward trailer v-bunks because the current setting is leaving some scratches and taking some paint from the hull as the boat is winched forward when re-loading. Jim.
Beautiful
Thank you Mark. The boat has been performing nicely for the past 3 seasons.
@@triplesevenist It's always been my dream to build a classic wooden speedboat. So happy for you. Do you mind me asking how much the build cost.
Hello@@marklenz7065 As I mentioned in another response, which is somewhere within the comments of one of the three videos, the cost to you will vary according to how good a scrounger you are, whether you go new or used for the parts and pieces and what sort of equipment you install. In my case I went for new everything, including the expensive items of the V8 marine motor and the aluminum trailer. My motor complete with Hurth transmission was $16,500 Canadian dollars including taxes. My trailer was $6500 CA including taxes. I spent about $6000 for wood and about $3000 on epoxy materials. I also bought several new tools (small ones) during the build, the costs of which are also included in the total. Total for my build was $65,000 CA. You might be able to get the cost down if you scrounge. For example, a friend of mine found an older version of my engine without transmission for only $3000. The transmission cost him about another $3000. Did I mention that I had to purchase a pickup truck in order to tow my new boat? The cost of the truck is not included in my build numbers. Hope this information is useful to you. Jim.
@@triplesevenist Thanks Jim, I'm afraid this is about triple of what I can spend right now, but maybe in a couple of years.
10/10 Excellent work. Was just worried about the 6 inches of legroom you lost with the engine placement? Perfect mix of stills and video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Simon. The forward cockpit is exactly the dimensions from the plan but it made the rear cockpit smaller. I usually find that I can easily have my knees straight ahead under the dash panel with ankles crossed in front of the seat although the first-launch video shows my knee to be clear of the dash. Additionally, to fully stretch your legs out straight it is necessary to open the forward storage doors because I did not move that bulkhead further forward. I have found that I have wanted to do that only a couple of times so far. The forward storage compartment is about right in size for things like spare lifejackets, boarding ladder and anchor gear. Cheers, Jim.
I have taken the boat for a couple of little cruises since my last message here, including Halifax Harbour and the Annapolis River. I did the river trip again so as to take the boat out of the fresh water at Bridgetown since our boating season is winding down here in Nova Scotia. Now that the boat and trailer are nicely flushed with fresh water I will prepare to store them for winter and that will include oil and filter changes for engine and transmission and adding anti-freeze. Total time on the engine is 17 hours. There have been only a couple of minor issues with boat and trailer but the main systems have been running well. I have had plenty of enjoyment from this boat during this first summer on the water. Jim.
Great build Jim and great looking boat…awesome performance. Could you by any chance share
the exact motor and drive specifications with me, as I would like to follow your configuration. It turned out really nice and I love the sound of the 350 cu V8. Have fun in the years to come with this beauty.
Thanks for the kind words, Ivan. As you say it has a 350 cubic inch V8 which MerCruiser has named the Scorpion engine. This one is their 2015 model which I chose because it is 2 inches less in height than previous models. Connected to the engine is a Hurth 45A 8-degree down-angle transmission followed by a one inch shaft that is 48" long. Obviously the length of your shaft may be different depending upon how far forward you mount your engine. The shaft goes through a 16 degree prop shaft strut before arriving at the end with a 12 x 16 LH bronze prop (LH because this engine is Left Hand turning). This allows a little over 2" between the tip of the prop and the bottom of the hull...which is the minimum recommended space between the two. I inserted a cardboard mock-up of the engine and took many measurements of these components to be sure everything would be suitable. I got all of my drive fittings, for example; shaft with flange, stuffing box, prop strut, propeller, rudder, rudder stuffing box, rudder support, etc. from Glen-L Marine. I did have a stainless plate fabricated to go on the top of the keel over the prop strut and which bolts through it for extra rigidity and strength. Also, I offset the rudder slightly so that the prop shaft can be pulled out if that is ever needed. Finally, I installed a streamlined sacrificial zinc anode on the shaft between the hull bottom and the shaft strut. I recommend you read as much as you can on direct drive setups while considering your own installation. Such reading helped me a good deal. My results: with throttle wide open at 5300 RPM I am getting 42 MPH (68 KM/HR) and that fits well with the maximum recommended speed for this hull which is 40 MPH (60 KM/HR). Hope all of this helps. Cheers, Jim.
Thank you so much Jim. I appreciate you toke time to send this description so swiftly and detailed.
Hi James, Beautiful job! Very inspiring. I am very fascinated by these type of American runabouts and I am currently saving up money so I can start building one myself in a few years. What is a realistic budget for a project like this? -and thanks for the great videos
Hello Karl-Emil, If you are a better scrounger of pieces and parts for your own boat and depending upon what features you select for it the cost will vary considerably. In my case I bought a brand new large motor and all new fittings throughout. In Canadian dollars I spent a total of about $65,000 including the trailer. Hope that helps in your planning for your own project. Wishing you lots of building enjoyment. Jim.
Thanks alot!
Soo cool man
Awesome build sir, seems to run well and looks great when you honk her a tad bit, we built one very similar to yours about thirty years ago, son of gun would surely move across the water when tapped !?
Thanks. This boat moves plenty fast for me. Max recommended hull speed of 40 mph and I got GPS speed of 42 mph with throttle wide open the few times that I did that this past summer. Jim
On August 29th: trailered the boat to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, boat launch at the park along the south side of the LaHavre River. This is another good spot for launching. Was with my friend who brought his own 1970 Wellcraft runabout. We cruised in loose formation down the river to about a mile beyond Fort Point and back with a stop for lunch at the LaHavre Bakery. They have a good float for customers who want to stop for refreshments. Total distance at least 40 kms (25 miles) but there was some additional general running around each other along the way. Fuel burned approximately 42 litres (about 9 IMP. or 11 US gallons). Various speeds from idle to full power. Engine performing very well. Only issue was the loss of one of the exhaust-port flapper doors at the transom. Will have to see if that can be replaced and how often this might occur. I believe I heard the little door depart the exhaust port when slowing right down with a following sea at the time. Total engine time now around 12 hours. Jim.
hello, beautiful boat,and congrats on making such a high quality craft. what was the total build time and how many people were involved with building it
thanks in advance
Thank you for those comments, Anne. Except for the two events of rolling the hull upright and running the engine it was only me that built the boat. Planning ahead, having the right tools and taking my time was so important when doing everything myself. I did not keep a log of the time involved but a conservative estimate would be in excess of 3000 hours over a 3 year period. That would not include the reading of associated books (research) or talking to experienced boat people along the way. I am just about to start my third season on the water with the boat and, so far, it has been performing very well. I have logged about 60 hours on the engine to date. I installed a bluetooth music system over the winter. Jim.
Magnifique
Nice job!!! What is the dead rise of the hull? Detroit Mi
Thanks. I don't believe that the printed material I received from Glen-L Marine actually specifies the 'deadrise' but I can tell you it is zero degrees at the aft end of the transom (this boat is not designed for rougher waters) and, of course, gradually increases as you go forward. You might contact Glen-L in California with that question. Cheers. J.
A 1 FOOT CHOP IS NORMAL AROUND HERE, YOU WOULD THINK A 22 FT BOAT WOULD BE STABLE IN THAT
Hi again Randy, This boat is okay in a one foot chop although you would need to keep the bow up by keeping some power on to avoid getting wet with spray over the bow. We encountered this kind of chop during one outing this summer. Fly Boy is quite stable and maybe even rocks less than a deep V hull when passengers move about but it is the ride that would be better with deep V hulls when in rougher conditions. Fly Boy is a 19 foot model which can be extended to 20 feet when building. In fact they suggest going to 20 feet if a V8 is installed. Too much power can cause handling problems over 40 mph which is why I limit the speed to around that. I have had no handling problems at all. Another caution about the very flat bottom in the aft end of a Barrelback is your choice of power. I considered using a jet drive so that I would not have to worry about hitting the unprotected propeller on anything. Unfortunately the flat surface means there is more likelihood of the jet drive intake 'cavitating' which is a significant concern. J.
James Peerless j
On August 9th: trailered the boat to the new Annapolis Royal boat launch and wharf at the north end of the Tidal Power causeway. This is a nice installation and welcome addition to enable cruising the Annapolis River in Nova Scotia. I now have just over 10 hours on the MerCruiser Scorpion engine so opened the throttle completely for a few seconds a couple of times. Maximum GPS speed observed: 67 km/hr (42 mph). Maximum RPM observed: 5500. The recommended Wide Open Throttle (WOT) maximum RPM for this engine is 4800-5200. To get the RPM at WOT down a bit I suppose I could fit a propeller with a slightly higher pitch but, since 60 km/hr (40 mph) is the maximum recommended speed for this hull design, I will not be doing that. The current propeller is 12 inch dia. with a 16 inch pitch.
That's a very nice boat you built, only one thing missing..cup holder for my beer..😂😂😂
Thank you, Alf. That beer is cooling a the bottom of the lake in front of the cottage...somewhere. J.
James Russell What size motor in boat?
The motor is a 2015 MerCruiser Scorpion which is 350 cubic inch producing 330 HP. The plan called for a maximum of 265 cubic inch which would likely be a V6 but all the experienced boaters that I talked to said that I really must have a V8 because they sound so good and because the engine wouldn't work as hard to push the boat. The 2015 version of this engine was 2 inches less in height than previous models and, therefore, would fit in the space available. I am really pleased with this engine so far. Jim.
Beautiful boat but it looks like no leg room tight fit for folks.
Hello Daniel, Thanks for your comment. The legroom is adequate for my six foot frame but not luxurious. I don't know why I didn't tuck my right leg under the dash on launch day but maybe it was first-launch anxiety. However I notice the video does emphasize that right leg being held clear of the dash. No, my legs will not fit under the dash with feet flat on the floor but do quite nicely if crossed under me at the ankles. Alternatively, I can open one or both teak doors and stretch both legs out fully if desired. You can do anything you like with your own build but I chose to create a forward storage compartment with teak louvre-type doors both for appearance and for security. I have had several fellows my size or taller in the right seat and they have had no issues with the setup that I have. I also considered lowering the seats and/or the floor level somewhat to allow my knees to fit under the dash with feet flat on the floor but that seemed to create conflicts with the three hull frames involved. Another idea was to make the dashboard less in height but then my desired steering wheel and gauges would not fit easily. These are all things a person has to consider and measure for during the build. Cheers, Jim.
Even still that is one beautiful boat you should be proud @@triplesevenist
Did u eventually intalls snaps and make a custom canvas cover for whole seating area when not in use?
Hello Adam, Nobody that I talked to about a tonneau-style cover for the boat were very keen on using snaps to fasten it down. They all thought it detract from the look of the classic lines to put snaps all along the deck or hull. So, what I did was purchase a stock boat cover of good quality and had a sailmaker modify it to be a dual-purpose cover. I had them make it so that straps fasten under the boat at about 6 places along the hull. There is a draw-strap along the bottom of this cover that you can pull tight in addition to tightening the 'belly' straps. That all works well at highway speeds. For overnights at a dock somewhere I had them make it so that the same cover can be rolled up to the top of the gunwale and fastened to the fender hangar hardware with short bungees or fasteners of some sort. I installed two more fender hangars on each side of the boat toward the aft end to accommodate this idea. I am very pleased with the results. Sorry, I don't yet have a good photo of this arrangement but hope my explanation is clear enough for your purpose. Please advise if you have more questions. Jim.
James Peerless thats what i figured it wouldnt look period correct. Very true...just hate to get caught in the rain and soak it in there.
James Peerless wow that's great, good engineering there. Someday I'm going to build one. I get 24 days off a year. Think if I took all 24 off in a row I could build one that fast?
Adam, I really cannot imagine how a person could build one is such a short time. I did not keep a daily log of time spent on the build but using a conservative number of hours per day (I am retired and worked on it most days from just one hour to as many as 8 hours) I believe that it took me over 3000 hours of work to complete up to the launch day. The speed of the build also depends upon waiting the correct amount of time for the epoxy to properly dry and cure and paint or varnish to dry as well as waiting for or shopping for necessary parts during the build. It was a great project and very satisfying for me. I hope you get to build one some day but you should be prepared to commit considerable time (and money) for such a project if you want a good outcome. Good luck with yours. Jim.
James Peerless whew, I figured it would be alot of hours....guess I'll have to plan in out in years. I have my own knee mill so I kind of wanted to mill some of my own hardware too for fun. Someday...someday.
This may be a silly question but can you use a Lexus V8 car engine with water cooled exhausts?
Hello Hannes, I am probably not the right person to ask. A marine engine specialist might be your best source. I believe that just about any vehicle engine can be converted to marine specs but I have little knowledge on the process or if all engines are suitable. One obvious issue is whether or not your choice of engine will fit within the confines of the boat you are building. I only purchased my Scorpion engine when the new model in 2015 was shown as 2 inches (about 50 mm) less in height than previous year models. In my opinion, the older models would not have fit in my Barrelback 19. Of course the entire engine, as well as the exhaust, would require water cooling either via a closed cooling system or with sea water intake. Another concern is that the engine must have spark-arrestor intakes to avoid any chance of explosion from fumes in the engine compartment. One other issue that I can think of is the connection possibilities between the Lexus engine and your marine transmission of choice i.e. can it be done? Also, you would be wise to consider where the engine oil filter is located once installed in the boat as it must be readily accessible. In the case of my engine I got a kit installed that moved the oil filter to the top front section of the engine for easy filter replacement. Hope these comments help you at least a little. Jim.
I know jet boats use the lexus v8.
Change from a radiator to a heat exchanger.
Lexus makes a powerful smooth engine. It may have a higher rpm for a direct drive. Consider a V drive with a gear reduction of 25-50%.
Awesome build, very nice. I was wondering how the seating is working. It looks like you have your knee jammed up against the dash and you have no tilt in the seat back. The steering wheel is also practically in your crotch, and no room to stretch your legs. That looks very uncomfortable. Is the ride not kinda hard?
Thanks for your comment on the build. As to the space in the forward cockpit, the dimensions are per the boat plan. The rear cockpit, however, is smaller because I managed to mount the engine 6 inches further forward than plan. The plans recommend that you try to do that. What you see in the video is the first sea trial and I wasn't too worried about the placement of my legs or what the cameraman was filming. The floor plywood is laid on top of the frame members and would be awkward to modify so that it is lower down in the hull I think. I have found that you can either cross your legs slightly so they are completely under the dash or else open the forward storage doors and stretch them out into that area. Doesn't seem to be a problem for the 1 to 3 hour cruises that I have done. As for the steering wheel it is in the perfect spot for handling the boat and I have no issues with that. Hope this information is useful to you. Jim.
Beautiful lines, you should be very proud of this boat and of yourself. Ya did everything right in my ole eyes. What is your cruising knots and top end ? thanks, and Merry Christmas from New Jersey USA :)
Thank you for your kind comments. The maximum recommended speed for this hull is 40 MPH. At full throttle (5300 RPM) I am getting 43 MPH. I usually cruise at an RPM of from 3000 to 4000 and that gives speeds from 20 to 30 MPH. Hope that answers your questions. Season's Greetings to you too. Jim.
@@triplesevenist , :)
@@triplesevenist , I know it's cold where your are and maybe even a lil snow but did you get all the bugs out of her before putting to bed for the winter ? thanks, ya done a beautiful job.
btw, are you going to put on any electronics on her ? lil radar, plotter and sounder ?
@@MegaBait1616 Happy New Year. After two full seasons of cruising in Fly Boy I can say the boat has performed very well. It is bedded down for the winter in my workshop but ready to go in the new season (that's in May for us here). The only glitch in 2018 was the ignition switch assembly which came apart (probably from vibration) and was easy to fix with a little thread lock applied to the retaining nut. Had an issue with trailer wheels hitting a huge pothole which put the wheels out of alignment and damaged the brake caliper. Long story to that but ended up replacing caliper, caliper bolts and wheel bearing on the curb side of the trailer. As to electronics, I didn't want to clutter up the dash or windshield area with them but I have set up a mini iPad with GPS and a chart program which mounts with velcro on the dash when I want to use it. I did build in a 12 volt power outlet for such things and it includes two USB ports. Radar is not something I would consider for the same reason but also since I only choose good weather days to cruise and never far from shore. I do have a depth sounder installed. Thanks for your interest and positive words about Fly Boy. Jim.
Question: "Snake Mountain Boat Works" on YT says ya can't use stainless steel screws, hardware, ect. on wood boats ??" I'm going over material list for my 26" sea skiff build.... Ever watch his videos saying this about stainless steel ?? btw, Beautiful Boat..........thank you n be well.
the guy's shop is from Vermont in the US...
Yes, I saw videos and articles saying that stainless fasteners are not the way to go. Silicon-bronze fasteners are recommended. I have had no deterioration of any of my fasteners except where I did use stainless screws around the deck-top to hold on the rub rails. I must replace them every couple of years because they do start to show rust. Thanks for your kind comments. Jim
@@triplesevenist , T.Y.
@@triplesevenist , Im building a 26' skiff.. Now a days with the current administration "Wood". Is crazy high prices as is Brass.. Damn everything is Expensive.. When you said you used S.S. screws thought I could save some money 💰.. thank you for getting back to me..
Hi James I like the build my dream to build the same boat I would be honoured if I could maybe email you get some information or tips like wood used dimensions of boat engine etc great build sir
Hello Shane. You can initially email me via this address: ss-bluenose@cps-ecp.org. I may be able to help you out with some things. Jim