Making a new mould (from an old one)

[C.Ricko]

Hello All,

We have another interesting project on the go which I thought some of you may be interested in...

Last year we bought a set of moulds for a 36 foot offshore hull with 4 superstructures (2 fishing boats and a flybridge which also converts to a sedan.) the superstructures are fairly new and these will be available as mouldings for self build or built to order but we plan on altering the hull mould as she is a little old fashioned and other builders have used this hull and we know what faults she has.

I have a limited knowledge of the history of the hull but she was designed bu John A Bennett originally for Atlantic boats in Holland. she has since been through the hands of Sunquest, Shetland and Blackwater Motor Yachts (and probably more)

The reason we want a new mould is that there are a couple of knuckles in the hull sides which we want to round one out and carry the other down to the chine. This gives us the opportunity to carry out work which we would otherwise have to live with such as star crazes all over the hull bottom, a badly repaired split in the bows, the flange has been cut off (probably to fit under lifting gear) poor finish on the hull sides and the spray rails are too short (they are out of the water at speed), The other point is that the mould is badly supported on the cradle with large overhangs and nothing supporting the bilges.

[C.Ricko]

more pics

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Clive, Is this going to be another development thread like Broadsman, as it won`t be long before the summers gone and we`ll be needing something to follow on those dark winter evenings. Are these all going to be for offshore only, or is there going to be an inland/estuary version, possibly in the hirefleet?. Regards ................. Neil.

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

I forgot to say, it looks like you`ve got some cleaning to do Clive

[Dan]

Interesting stuff, look forward to seeing it progress.

Will sedan and/or dual steer versions of this mould be available for us hireboaters to wedge under any bridges do you think?

Dan

[Guest]

sounds interesting im liking the sound of the sedan version

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

Hi,

we will be putting a tunnel plant in the hull mould to allow a single screw version of the hull.

There is going to be a flybridge model based at Acle named 'Far Horizon' (you heard it here first folks!) and then later on in the year a new sedan version will be made for the fleet at Stalham, this will be the original front with a new wheelhouse and aft well.

[goodall_m1]

Last year we bought a set of moulds for a 36 foot offshore hull ....

the spray rails are too short (they are out of the water at speed) ...

There is going to be a flybridge model based at Acle named 'Far Horizon' (you heard it here first folks!)

So are you going to allow hirers to turn left at Yarmouth and take off towards the far horizon?

Or is it that the 'Far Horizon' is intended to carry the Richo's flag into the furthest flung section of the Broads, and actually go down South,

where a higher viewpoint is so much better than looking at endless reeds going past the windows.

Based at Acle as she won't get through Ludham?

What is that bit in the description of 'Prisma', "will pass under Acle bridge at low water." I seem to remember....

Spray rails out of the water at speed.., at what speed, 4 mph going up the Ant

So do you cast a hull from the existing mould as a plug, modify it to improve it and then cast a "revised" hull mould from it.

(I seem to remember that this is a technique that Richo's have used before, 'Clear Horizon' gaining a few more feet in the centre section comes to mind, but I may have the boat class wrong..

And I believe that the cut & shut version of the hull that you used as the "plug" was then fitted out and is still in service!

Looking forward to seeing how this thread develops...

Martin

[C.Ricko]

Hi Martin,

NO! she is not to turn left! she will be based at Acle as she will not pass Ludham and will only have a 'normal' broads engine. the hull mods (other than cosmetics) are being made for all other versions.

The top knuckle is being taken out of the original mould and the other bits will be done on the moulding then removed when the final mould is made so that the first moulding will not be the 'finished article' but too good to cut up...

I will post some photos of the start of the process soon.

[Guest]

Clive i only ask for

a propper helms seat that fits all

propper boggs with no pump handle things

nice wide lush sounding exhauste

PWEASE

Jonyy

[goodall_m1]

Hi Martin,

NO! she is not to turn left!

Ah but will she actually be able to get down south, those Yarmouth bridges are a bit low you know!

(I am still waiting for photos of garden furniture being swept off some of the tall boats that some yards are hiring!)

[MY littleboat]

Ah.. I'm reading between the lines here.. but Im thinking you've already ordered a pair of Volvo IPS drives for another version??? A real boat, with proper engines.. - forget the proper size helm seat, you want a nice snug one to hold you in tight as you rack it into a planing turn!

[NeilB]

Ah.. I'm reading between the lines here.. but Im thinking you've already ordered a pair of Volvo IPS drives for another version???

If he does, i'll be the first to know!!

[Guest]

i cant wait to see thats these builds are going to be like

if its going to be nice & airy like broadsmen there on to a winner yet again

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

]The first bits we are doing is to form a new flange and create the new profile in the upper knuckle.

the flange is fairly easy as we will just screw a bit if formica covered plywood to the original flange, this will leave it slightly higher but can be sorted by trimming the mouldings slightly lower!

the knuckle will be basically filled, we screwed a bit of wood into the corner to start with for a few reasons, basically to save filler but also to give the filler something to stick to and to help with the volume of filler shrinking as it will have to be filled more than once. The filler is screeded in with a profile we made to keep the curve consistant.

[MBA Marine]

Im glad your making a new mould, I had the mis-fortune of trying to rework one of Wroxam Marines after years of abuse, im sure it would have been more cost effective and given a better result if they had taken a plug from the old mould, faired out all imperfections and made a new mould.

Typical of a boat yard better to bodge for a week than bite the bullit!

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Clive, seeing as you are making new boats out of an old set of moulds, i see the mould tools for the Mooraker 36 are currently up for sale on Boatshead Norfolk for £2,000. Any interrest in building a new range of classic express cruisers, or classic styled broads sports cruisers? . Now they WOULD be a nice sight to see cruising the Broads. Regards .................. Neil.

[Guest]

Hi Clive, seeing as you are making new boats out of an old set of moulds, i see the mould tools for the Mooraker 36 are currently up for sale on Boatshead Norfolk for £2,000. Any interrest in building a new range of classic express cruisers, or classic styled broads sports cruisers? . Now they WOULD be a nice sight to see cruising the Broads. Regards .................. Neil.

noticed that lol i think that mould is at the kingfisher yard not far from postwhick viaduct im shure ive see on there

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

Hi Neil,

the moonraker moulds have been for sale for a couple of years now, the were £14k whe I saw them first, I have also seen a set of mouldings for £750 with osmosis but i dont know if they are now sold. I will leave that one for someone elce for now......

we have been getting on with our mould but as we are just about on the 3rd layer of filling and sanding there is not too much to photograph or post! we have had a couple of changes to the plan but nothing major, the spray rails are not being extended but not as far back as originally thought and the chine is being angled to deflect the spray downward, the lower knucle is now going to be radiused out instead of being removed as we decided there was no real point i doing this!

I will get some more photos up soon.

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Clive, in your original title post, you say the mould has been used by other manufacturers etc. Can you post up some pictures of what boats they built so we can get a reasonable idea of what you`re going to build?. Also, seeing as you`re going to put some in the fleet, do you have any layout plans or any ideas as to how the layout will be?. I think this thread is going to make very interresting reading. Regards ............... Neil.

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Clive, i found these on google, are these the 3 versions you mentioned?

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Notice to mods, if these pictures above are breaching any copyright, please feel free to remove them. I got them from google.

[C.Ricko]

Neil,

thats three of the models, the fishing boats are called the 'Seaflyte' and 'Seastorm'

I think those photos are fine to use as I know the bloke who owns the website, there are

http://www.findafishingboat.com/photo_v ... =19381&i=5

http://www.findafishingboat.com/photo_v ... =11191&i=1

there are photos of a sedan in these pics but it is not the version we will be boilding...

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Clive, is there any market for a large aft cockpit cruiser style for the Broads?. There are hundreds of fwd dv and ctr ckpt models in all sizes from very small to very large, and lots of small aft cockpit models, but there are very few larger aft ckpt cruisers built these days. Is it financially viable for yourselves to invest in making this type of boat (or even a shortened version of the RC36) into a large aft ckpt with a 4 berth and luxury 2 berth layout?.There are only a handful of larger aft ckpt cruisers available to hire, those that come to mind are your Ocean 30s (San Luis and Pedro), Maffett cruisers Aquafibre 32 (Jay) and Sandersons Ocean 30 (Sandmartin) and their Aquafibre 32s (Sandstorm and Sandswift). Other than that, there does`nt seem to be anything else except some sedan styles which won`t go under the bridges. What do you think?. Regards .................. Neil.

[Guest]

the sedan & flybridge look stunning if your going to build the arch/wing on the flybridge version how about an auto lower thing like brinks have on there sonarter class... just to give it a little ease in getting under yarmouth if it will go...

Jonny