23' & 26' Hourston Project Commenced...

[Rain City]

Do you plan on selling this thing one day as a restored Hourston or sweet Frankenboat? You'll be heading into Popemobile territory if you're not careful

 

[Rayvon]

Ok,you clearly know more than someone that worked on boats all their lives as a shipwright as well as other long term boat owners on this forum,I won't try to advise you again.Even a passing boats wake will toss your wife and kids around,just sayin.

 

[Rain City]

Ok,you clearly know more than someone that worked on boats all their lives as a shipwright as well as other long term boat owners on this forum,I won't try to advise you again.Even a passing boats wake will toss your wife and kids around,just sayin.

I would tend to agree they're not all they're cracked up to be. Used so little they turn into a storage area that needs to be cleared when you want to use it. I've only ever enjoyed it while docked. Any kind of wake even on a flat calm day sends you flying around. Nice to drive from in perfect conditions if you're adequately strapped in. I call them docking helms for people with no skills or spacial awareness.

 

[ab1752]

Reminds me of the pit and the pendulum...does anyone even build a command bridge new any more under 40' and a 14' beam? I find my deep vee hourston can be wobbly especially when the yellow tug assholes go ripping by at 20 knots...

 

[profisher]

Ray is right...if you like getting tossed around, sea sick get yourself either up to the bow or higher up in a slop.

 

[profisher]

Also the boat will be less sellable when that day comes. The 23 is a popular hull with the fishing crowd, the flying bridge is not....it will take your boat out of that market. (for the majority)

 

[Rain City]

Poor Rob. Sorry buddy the realities of a public forum.

 

[MadJigga]

Ahh, let him have his fly bridge! With the quality of work going into his boat, I’m sure he won’t have trouble finding a buyer if he chooses to go that route.
They could always pay him to remove it and fix any cosmetic damage from the fly bridge?

 

[Eden Island]

Ahh, let him have his fly bridge! With the quality of work going into his boat, I’m sure he won’t have trouble finding a buyer if he chooses to go that route.
They could always pay him to remove it and fix any cosmetic damage from the fly bridge?

If the wide variety of opinions Rob's collected means anything at all, there's a wide variety of opinions about the best set-up: - short cabin or long, flybridge or not, diesel or pod. I think any well-built and maintained set-up would find a willing buyer.

As for the stability of the 26' Hourston with a flybridge, I'll relay the memory of being passed by one in 6' - 8' breaking, wind against tide crap in the mouth of Knight Inlet - not where I wanted to be with the family, even in my rebuilt 23'. Somehow that boat was managing about 30 knots, up on top of the crap, carving a straight line across the inlet. It was a Hourston testimonial. If I had room for 3 more feet on my parking pad, it would be that boat.

 

[EZZ70]

Thx guys, Im a big boy everyone has an opinion and entitled to it, no biggy, i knew what I was getting myself into when I went public and started this thread, all good!

FYI - if the next owner don't want or like the command bridge he/she can remove it but until them I am going to build this for my family's needs/wants... haha

 

[MadJigga]

Thx guys, Im a big boy everyone has an opinion and entitled to it, no biggy, i knew what I was getting myself into when I started this all good!

FYI - if the next owner don't want or like the command bridge he/she can remove it... haha

If my boat had a fly bridge, I’m sure that’s where my wife and her friends would hang out suntanning on a nice summer day while I was trolling.

 

[Aces]

If the wide variety of opinions Rob's collected means anything at all, there's a wide variety of opinions about the best set-up: - short cabin or long, flybridge or not, diesel or pod. I think any well-built and maintained set-up would find a willing buyer.

As for the stability of the 26' Hourston with a flybridge, I'll relay the memory of being passed by one in 6' - 8' breaking, wind against tide crap in the mouth of Knight Inlet - not where I wanted to be with the family, even in my rebuilt 23'. Somehow that boat was managing about 30 knots, up on top of the crap, carving a straight line across the inlet. It was a Hourston testimonial. If I had room for 3 more feet on my parking pad, it would be that boat.

Like what mine does

 

[EZZ70]

Ok ppl, without the daunting task of addressing each and every comment, I would like to say thank you to all for your opinions and comments to date, they have been very helpful and informative so please keep them coming but please do not take a personal offence if I do not do everything that is being recommended.

I am sharing this build to you on this forum as a means for interactive advise & input. Also, I do value and respect all participating members very much and thank you. I look forward to continuing comments, opinions, responses either constructive, neutral or otherwise.

You guys are awesome, even tough we can't ALWAYS agree... being devided sometimes is not all bad, it opens the door to new perspective and possibilities!

Background: I am not a new comer to the rec or commercial boating industry. I have had some sort of boat since I was 12 yrs and grew up on fishing boats long-lining of Cape Spare, NFLD. I spent some time working with DFO and have been placed at sea upwards to 60 days per deployment. I have been out in hurricanes and weather that many would only have seen on TV, I have been on trawlers during winter storms that built ice faster than it could be removed and metal wheelhouse windows blown out by the oncoming sea's, literally. As a kid I watched the old timers build wooden plank boats from dorry's to 50'ers. One of my best highlights was being part of a successful catch and landing a 1200lb Bluefin Tuna off Canso, NS, I think it took us 4-5hrs with all hands taking tuns on the reel, one guy pouring sea water for cooling the reel as he peeld off the line while the other reclaimed and reeled-in as hard a possible.

This, by my no means makes me an expert which is why I need you guys...

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

Good on Ya Buddy, Build what makes you happy! Forget the rest, its your boat and your money!

 

[EZZ70]

So I have been giving this some more thought...

My question is, after all the discussions regarding
-raising the roof/not raising the roof
-command bridge/no command bridge

When comparing both Hourston 26' models Sport vs Sedan, I notice the cabin is much higher on the Sport than the Sedan. I understand that this is due to the step down on the sedan vs a continuous flat deck on the Sport. Am I to assume the Sport is more active/lively on the water and less stable than the Sedan due to the increased height of cabin and deck elevation?

If the answer is, no, then I wonder how much higher the command bridge really adds to stability I would think marginal inches" and if, yes, then it could be assumed that the Sedan is a much better vessel in both daily use as well as inclimate weather... hummm

Shipwrights please chime-in...

 

[Wild Bill]

I'm sure most of the flybridge use will be when hanging around the sandbar on the Shuswap.

 

[MadJigga]

I can’t imagine there would be much difference in stability between the two. Only that you’ll be adding the weight of a couple people up high.

 

[EZZ70]

I can’t imagine there would be much difference in stability between the two. Only that you’ll be adding the weight of a couple people up high.

Exactly, thank you! That is my thought... anyone think differently?

 

[casper5280]

Agree the stability of both boats is the same. Believe they both the same weight and stability will only be compromised on the sedan when you had people up there. In any kind of weather no one is going to want to be up there anyway. The only time anyone is going to be up there is when the weather is nice, wives drinking wine and sun tanning, buddies on fishing trip and the driver sits up there and just drives, and sitting at the dock and drinking beer. That's about it. The rest of the time it's a waste of space and a pain in the butt. When I get rid of my wife I will take mine off. Lol

 

[EZZ70]

Agree the stability of both boats is the same. Believe they both the same weight and stability will only be compromised on the sedan when you had people up there. In any kind of weather no one is going to want to be up there anyway. The only time anyone is going to be up there is when the weather is nice, wives drinking wine and sun tanning, buddies on fishing trip and the driver sits up there and just drives, and sitting at the dock and drinking beer. That's about it. The rest of the time it's a waste of space and a pain in the butt. When I get rid of my wife I will take mine off. Lol

I totally agree, thank you casper5280 for your supporting comments... I hope it doesn't come off anytime soon...