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Just finished fitting and fairing both fish/ice boxes..used a 3/4 "foam board with biaxle and peel n ply, faced it with frp panels from big box store, glassed the corners, will tab it to the hull and add 2" foam next..BH

Looks good Bob......you taking orders yet???

What is the detail on the forward outboard corners?

I gotta tell ya that Peel n Ply is wonderful stuff.......where in the heck were you a year and half ago......I'll never layup without it again

H

Harry, The ground out sections are for the deck drains that are glassed under the deck 1" PVC pipe, angled back to the rear...scribed both boxes upside down through the hatches....fabric makes your work look slick..BH

wow you even flatten every bit of the woven roven on the hull .thats alot of work bob. theboxes look great and belive me they are one hell of a convience.

Bob H...

Really neat work!

A question re the fiberglas panels you faced the interior of the boxes with... The only fiberglas panels I have seen in the big box stores have one side smooth and the other side with a sort of pebble texture finish.. if you used what I describe did you leave the smooth side out, or the rough side? If you found something else where did you buy it and what was it called?

Thanks

Bob, if you shipped a huge wave and the boxes fill with water have you a way of getting the empty in a hurry? I almost sank my old mako when we shipped a wave while loading a tuna into a fish box. The wave knocked over a pail of bait and it was enough to overwhelm the maserator and we had to cut the line to the lobster pot and circle, half on plain, at 3am in 3 to 5 footers in the 100 mile square to bail it out so we would not sink. I love your boxes, they look awsome. It was just a thought I had about them.

Bob Lico, I retabbed the entire boat, one layer 1708, one layer roven, another layer 1708, peel n ply over wet resin to remove air bubbles, next day peel off fabric and presto smooth glass work...right Harry..IR guy , that is the stuff, bubbles on one side smooth on the other, coat foam board unthickened epoxy, bubble side towards foam with a skim of thickened epoxy..Brewster... good point...IF..hatch is open the water is in the box...I am planning on a macerator for each box...these two boxes have medium sized openings...like to use them as chill boxes and ice storage..next box I am building is about 62" x 28" x 30"..locating that box forward of the engines, Ill post pics of that soon...IF I ship a wave up there im in BIG trouble...remember I made new bulkheads and spaced them a little different than on the Princess...same location as your clever box to store patron...wink..wink..BH

Did I miss something What's peel-n-ply?

glad you asked, i was starting to think i was the only one that didnt know!

Frank wrote:Did I miss something What's peel-n-ply?

Your gonna love it........I'll let Bob tell ya.....don't want to steal his thunder......but I want to be his first testimonial......GOOD STUFF

H

If the boxes fill with water its not that big of a deal like in the Mako.

We leave the dock with both deck boxes (50"s long) full of ice, boat full of fuel and the kill box in the transom full of ice and drinks. The water line is nowhere near the scupper level, even with 3 people in the stern.

Take into consideration that by the time you get to the destination you will be at least 60-80 gallons lighter on fuel and the issue seems to go away on its own.

Never has weight been a consideration with our boat as it relates to safety. Hope this helps.

i was thinkin the same thing. after a real monsoon rain a 28 on my dock had what was easily over afoot of water in her bilge. pumps didnt work and i lent him my 110 sump pump and a hose. i know its a different hull but just by eyeball.....it was sitting fine.....not even close to a real problem. of course sitting in calm water tied to the dock and rolling around in six foot seas are very different things but it just dosent look like enough volume to cause a real problem.

I didnt think it would make it sink or anything its just bad stuff happens to me al the time so I try to think ahead. Since it happens to me all the time even when I think ahead maybe I should try something else.

i run the same setup as jp with the kill boxes full of ice and 230 gallons of fuel (less the fuel used to go 85miles). the problem i see with taking a big wave over is retriving the wreck anchor in 7' waves like last week .the guy nomally throw the anchor from the starboard side of the cockpit .i have 25' of chain and 1500' of line with the waves at the bow i move the bow to the port stern (as to not tangle the line in the props).the line goes thru the front bow chock and back to side cleat .the problem is on retrival i have a problem with the retrival ball and the wreck anchor in heavy seas and the crewman don`t want to sit on the bow and retrive as i would in calm water so now you have the dangerous condition of retrival with the starboard side into head seas and 3 men on the same side pulling.we took one over and i had to back off not to let the second wave come over.i had 4 bilge pumps running thru 3 -11/2 " thru holes but like jp said there was a coftable distance from the suppers to the water at stern.i have to come up with a new safer game plan for pulling the anchor in big seas . incidently once anchor with the bow into the wind and waves the fishing was not at all uncoftable.

i should have mention there is a 1" hole on the stern very bottom of the fish boxes .if a wave fill the boxes the weight would not radically change anything but water intrusion from the center hatch would take on water. my main bulkhead is tabbed to bilge no water can go foward to cabin area and in case i put a hole in the bow there are two bilge pump on auto up foward. incidently since installing the composite windshield the cabin is bone dry,no mildew, really a pleasure to sit at table with children.

off the orginal topic, but since Bob brought it up...i too need a better plan for pulling anchor in deep water. We anchor along the 100 fathom line this time of year to chunk YFT, swords, etc. (with only 31feet of boat, drifting in the canyons with 3,4-5ft waves sucks). Pulling that anchor in the AM also sucks. I've used the anchor ball - but, when it gets blowing a bit, the whole process gets sporty...running up the line, keeping the waves from coming over the bow, while also keeping the anchor line out of the wheels. (my ultimate nitemare...big waves, stuck anchor AND anchor line caught in prop - uuuuggghhh)

I've always thought the simplest way to pull the anchor would be with a "gorilla" windlass...some sort of hydraulically fueled thing that could use a PTO off one engine to drive the hydraulics. I've looked at several windlasses...most are electric and require huge cables to run from the batt to the unit...have toyed with "creating" something myself...anyone of you nuts out there come up with something that would do the job? Even though i'm putting 1500 ft of line in the water, you're really only pulling the last 400-500 feet off the bottom - the rest is just a matter of idling up the line and pulling in with no real pressure. - somthing that could pull 500ft in 10 minutes or so would be great.

Joe

Joe,

Thnk electro-hydralic... Use an elecrtically operated pump, such as a 12v Haldex. Pump mounted in the engine compartment, hoses running to the winch. Various Haldex pumps on Northern Tool

Some guys I know use a pot hauler thats used for lobster pots. They come in 12v and pull line in fast and are easy to mount.

If you can get the first section of your anchor line from the bow to the cockpit's stern cleat quickly, you pretty much will be pulling the line from the top of the transom. This cuts down the risk of the line in the props as long as you keep tension on the line. One way to help speed this up to make up a separate line that is about 35 feet long with a large clip spliced on on end. When anchoring from the cockpit, clip this line onto the anchor line right after you clip on the ball (between the ball and the boat's bow). Once the anchor is set, tie the extra line off on your mid or stern cleat.
When you start to retrieve, at the beginning of your run-up, have your crew pull in that line (and the first part of the anchor line it's clipped to and riding on) to the cockpit and immediately cleat down the anchor line to your stern cleat. Now you can run up on the ball with no loose line at your transom. Once the ball and anchor is up, have your crew pull them in under tension. Do not allow yourself to fall back on the line. Keep a couple of fish baskets or milk cases to pile the line into. Neatness occurs back at the dock.
Obviously, a mechanical method is easier...until it breaks. Walter

A lotta guys down my way using the "ez anchor puller"... good units.

They're big, and kinda commercial looking on the bow. But I beleive they exert 300lbs of pull, and pull about 150' of line p/minute... not too shabby.

here's the website:
http://www.ezanchorpuller.com/

This is a timely post for me since I am just getting started building my fish boxes. I have a question for you guys installing a macerator pump. Where are you fitting the pump. I'm trying to make my boxes about 52" long, but the rudder arms are right where I would mount the macerator. I can't move the fish boxes forward because I have another hatch for access to my shaft logs and transmissions. I don't really want to make the fish boxes smaller. I can go with boxes without the macerators, but I think the macerator setup would be slick.

Capt Frank & Coolair...Peel n ply or release fabric is a thin cloth material you place on top of your wet epoxy or poly resin...let the epoxy and resin kick go back the next day and peel it off leaving a really smooth textured finish that needs minimal finishing..I use west system release fabric in large rolls, take care to get ALL the bubles out when you use it..I have been told that the amine blush sits on top of the epoxy and when you use the fabric it not only removes most of the blush but leaves a great surface to prime paint or leave as is..i still clean the surface prior to future surfacing...I think Harry has a few pics to show how the fabric works..it really flattens out the roving and cloth...try it out, you will never glass with out it again...BH

Vince, Same problems for my boxes, I pitched them forward, have bigger access hatches forward, plan on installing pumps at that end, will also make it easier to maintain the macerator pumps down the road. One question I have is strut access...been trying to locate watertight hatches, and put them in before I glass the boxes in for good. Id Rather think and cut now than later...JP and Bob L what did you guys do for that?BH

vince i not sure i understand the question? the rudder arms are much higher then the bottom" V " part of the kill box. you would use a quick disconnect water fitting to the intake of the pump and a Y fitting so the second (higher of the two) bilge pump and the mercerator both go out the same 11/2" thru hull.here is a old picture that shows the thru hulls for macerator/bilge pump of starboard fish box.

We have insulated stainless steel fish boxes that sit in guttered openings. These boxes are supported by the deck and don't go all the way to the hull. Our boxes run from the back edge of the fuel tank to over top of the packing glands.

Every macerator I've ever seen fails at one point or another (and normally when you need it most) so to avoid future failures no macerator was installed. The boxes have a drain hole aft for when the boat sits at rest (this allows rain water no to puddle inside them. When we use the boxes the hole is plugged. At the end of each use a simple hand held Bilge Bully pump is used to pump the gook overboard and then the boxes are removed and cleaned.

Less work and proven reliability, it was the only choice for us.

i guess jp and myself have been thru the same old sh-t thru the years thats why i have the quick disconnect connector out the back of the box, just squeeze connector with fingers and mercerator is seperated from box.
kill box can also be pulled out of cavity and really cleaned at the dock.

Thanks guys for the replies. Bob Lico it appears that if i were to install a macerator pump it would be right where the rudder arm is located. I'm not sure if it would fit. Bob H., i didn't like the idea so much of installing the macerator "upslope" especially when the boat is running. I like JP's idea of keeping it simple and may just eliminate the macerator. Thanks again and nice work Bob H.!

Bob H...

Thanks for the answer! I have been away from a computer for the past 2 weeks so I had no way to say thank you. Hopefully better late than ever. I will try the panels and technique you used!

BOB: have you got a pic of that release fitting?
Im having the same problems too.
Wayne

i don`t know what would make me go to the boat take out pump and photo for post then go back and install, must be one time brother in arms and now bertram brother!! well iron man here we go; the blue lever on the side of the pump pulls up to release o-ringed male counterpart .takes one second to release .pump also has male/female spades to remove pump and clean if nessary. this particular male has a inline filter connected to it but that is not needed for kill box mercerator.

Thanks Bob: That makes alot of sense.
I think Ive seen those on a wash down pump?
Wayne..

JP, do you have some photos of the stainless steel fish boxes in your boat. Love to see them to get an idea of if I can do it on Priceless

I don't believe I have any pics of the old boats fish boxes. At least none of them empty.

After building a few boxes on the new project I'd go fiberglass drop in. The stainless worked great but was fairly heavy.

Flashback....few years under the keel since then. BH