Have you ever thought of building an iceboat from scratch, including  the design? Well here it is, three years in the making and finally on the work bench. What started out to be a light weight one seat Nite, evolved into a new design, ultra light, C-Skeeter. Many thanks go out to Bob Gray for his countless hours of designing and meticulous planning, and to Skip Stauber ( ISA 2005 C-Skeeter Champion sailing the “Rush”) and Jack Jacobs ( designer and builder of the J boats) for there knowledge and input.

 

OUR GOALS: To design an economical, very light, and easy to build C-Skeeter.

                          Hull weight target: 55-60 pounds.

                          Total sailing weight excluding runners: 230-240 pounds.

                          Total cost target (not including runners): $2600 dollars.

 

RESULTS:

                          Hull: weight 65 pounds, materials cost  $190 +/-, construction time < 40 hr.

                          Springboard: weight 20 pounds, materials cost  $70 +/-,  construction time < 10 hr.

                          Plank: weight 56 pounds, materials cost $170 +/-,  construction time 22 hr.

                          Boom: weight      pounds, materials cost $30 +/-, construction time 2-1/2 hr.

                          Mast: weight 40 pounds, materials cost $222 +/-, construction time 40 hr.

                          *** Complete raw boat construction time: <115 hr.

                          Mast jig; construction time 11 hr.

                          Fuselage jig: construction time 4-1/2 hr.

                          Side Chocks: 13” aluminum, weight  7 lbs, cost $ (under construction)

                          Front Chock: 4” SS, weight   lbs, cost $ (under construction)

                          Finishing:

                          Rigging:

 

Notes:                 Hull construction time < 40 hours (does not include setup of jigs, BS time, or cookie breaks)

                          Tool costs: Bob will not allow me to include new tool purchases, i.e., 18 Ga. brad gun, etc.

 

 

 

Hopefully, everything will go as planned and the GX-1, to be known as “Skeeter Bitten”, will have its maiden voyage at the Western Challenge (MN), scheduled for Dec 3-4 2005, or locally if we have early ice in the Traverse City area.

 

We would like to have four C-Skeeters in the GTIYC fleet by the 07-08 sailing season, which is partially dependent

on the outcome of GX-1.

 

My deepest thanks to you Bob,

 

Corey, Nite 341 / ISA 341

 

Stayed tuned for construction updates and sailing reports

The GX-1, an economical and easy to build

lightweight C-Skeeter Iceboat for the 21st Century

Designed by Bob Gray; Construction by Bob Gray and Corey Hughes (owner)

Construction began 22 April 2005

Bill of Materials

 

                 Source                                                                                          Item and  Amount                                                           Cost

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

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“Skeeter Bitten” Sail GT 341, ISA class: C-Skeeter

This boat has not been tested or approved for sailing at this time and we are not recommending or suggesting that you try it at home! This report is strictly a documentary record of our prototype construction project.

LAST UPDATE MADE ON 21 January 2006

 

 

Basswood:              62 brd. feet of 4/4.

Ash:                          23 brd. ft of 6/4 & 6 brd. ft of 5/4

Redwood                14 brd. ft of 4/4

 

 

1/8” X 4’ X 8’ plywood (fuselage skins)          3

1/8” X 4’ X 10’ plywood (fuselage skins)       1

 

 

1/4” X 4’ X 8’ AC plywood (mast mold)         1

1” X 24” X 10’       (mast layout table)             1

 

 

WEST Epoxy & 206 Hardener                            2 gal.

WEST 207 hardener

Interlux PreKote Primer & thinner

Interlux Brightside Paint & thinner

Rollers and brushes

…………………….…………………………….……..

Fiber fillers (2) 406 and (2) 403

Black epoxy tint

 

 

Two 13” Aluminum rear chocks

 

 

 

Stainless Steel  steering chock & misc.

SS brackets

 

 

Sail         

 

 

 

Steering cables, stays and trip wires

Block Pulleys (Harken 6063 sheave)                11

Ratchet block                                                            1

Modify foot of sail

 

 

Fiberglass cloth                      8 yd x 50in wide 7-1/2 oz.  

Carbon fiber cloth                 20 yd x 12 in wide 9 oz.

 

 

 

Wax paper                                                                 6

Paper roll towels                                                      8

 

 

Fray Check (for sealing fiberglass and

Carbon cloth edges) “Swiped from wife’s

Sewing room”

 

 

SS bolts/washers/nuts/parts for rigging, blocks, boom.

1”x 8ft Aluminum square tube

1” x 8ft Aluminum round tube

Aluminum for block plates                                  2’ x 2’

Spray paint for sealing interior                            4 cans

……………………………..…………………………..

Wood filler                                                                1

Sand paper

Nail gun brads

Disposable latex gloves                                         3 box

Tite Bond 111                                                           3

………………………………………..………………..

 

Tite Bond 11                                                             2

Ace hardware primer

 

Renegade mast ball and track

 

 

 

 

30” Sarns standard DN

36” Insert Stainless Ste

36” 3/16” heavy plate runners

36” Insert heavy stiffener slush runners

 

 

 

 

DN hound, triangle

Stainless Steel D-shackles (7)

                                                  

Boom attachment track, slide and pivot foot

Stay tangs, shroud adjusters, used Staymaster

Meeders Lumber, Mancelona, MI.

Meeders Lumber, Mancelona, MI.

Redwood that I had in stock

 

 

Rare Earth Hardwoods

Traverse City, MI

 

 

Brown Lumber Co.

Traverse City, MI

 

 

 

West Marine, Traverse City, MI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dan Nevedal Enterprises, Cadillac, MI:

 

 

 

North Star Engineering                                         

Grayling, MI.

 

                

Used Boston sail, sailed one season 

 

 

 

Doyle Sailmakers (Bill Buchbinder)

Traverse City, MI

 

 

 

 

U.S. Composites        (internet)

Jamestown Distributors  (internet)

 

 

 

Grocery store

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardware store

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry Simon , Madison, WI

 

 

 

Existing stock of runners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rigging hardware local suppliers

 

 

S&R Marine, Pewaukee, WI

S&R Marine, Pewaukee, WI

                 $240.00

                 $190.00

                 $100.00

 

 

                 $ 78.00

        ——

 

 

                 $ 44.00

 

 

 

                 $220.00

 

 

 

 

………………………

 

                 $12.00

 

 

                 $150.00

 

 

 

Market value $300

 

 

 

                 $500.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

                 $ 54.00

                 $124.00

 

 

 

 

                 $ 4.00

 

 

    

That cost me

dinner out!

 

 

                

$165.00

                 $ 14.00

                 $ 14.00

                 $ 36.00

                 $  8.00

…………………

                 $ 10.00

                 $ 40.00

 

                 $ 33.00

 

…………………

 

 

 

 

 

                 $ 38.00

                 $ 55.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                

$ 33.00

$ 51.00