Building a pirate ship!

[Chris Cross]

I have been asked to build a pirate ship. The plan is a 20' aluminum pantoon boat with a cedar pirate ship built on top. No real plan other than a playground wooden pirate ship pic off the net.

So far I found an old Peterboro 20' with everything wrong with it. Stripped everything off and throw in garbage trailor. Put on new cedar 5/4 decking. Looks great. I would love to put the old picnic table on her with a brelly, cooler and fishin' gear, If you know what I mean. I got an old 9.9 johnson sail motor with remote control e.start and all. I'm planning on rigging lights and horn and stuff. The nice dude paying for it, thinks a slide off the back and maybe diving plank somewhere. He wants it for a swim platform in front of his nice cottage on Glouster Pool. It will probly go for 2 or 3 spins a summer.

This is a petty sweet gig if you know what I mean, I want to do it right. Could lead into bigger and better sweet deals ( if you know what I mean).

I would like some thoughts if I'm missing something good to incorparate.

I've mulled over water canons, secret acces up under bow maybe. Sould be a mast with crows nest or something.

What would go good on this?

Thanks, CX

[Cudz]

A jolly roger flag

[GBW]

need a HUGE plank for sure!!!!

[Sinker]

I ran into this one out on Lake O one time. It was foggy as all get up, and when it cleared, this is what we saw. I though for sure we were all goners........LOL.

 

 

 

Sinker

[JohnF]

Can you brace a mast with a cross arm and swinging ropes out on the ends of the arm? Kids like those. What about a moon pool for getting back aboard? Kids get a kick out of swimming under things as long as they don't have to swim far. A rope ladder on the outside. Sounds like a fun project.

 

JF

[BillM]

Kinda off topic, but there is the wickedest pirate ship off Division Rd in Orillia. Guy has this massive pond and I swear when you see it you think it's from Pirates of the Caribbean

[Basspro]

The pirate ship dock that Smithville-fisher posted a picture of on Baptiste is really beautiful.

 

It's also a good smallie spot!

[fishing n autograph]

an angry pirate???

[Fang]

A good drum siphon pump makes a respectable water cannon and I'd put on a water balloon slingshot. Definitely go for stuff that the kids can terrorize the adults on shore with.

 

The one problem with lights is maintainging the 12V battery. You'll also need to make sure it's got enough reflective markers as it will be left in the water overnight.

 

The yard arm swing rope would be a blast, especially if the main deck was a few feet higher than the original pontoon deck. Although you'll have to watch it getting top heavy.

 

Slide, diving board and swim up platform a must have

[JohnF]

A good drum siphon pump makes a respectable water cannon and I'd put on a water balloon slingshot. Definitely go for stuff that the kids can terrorize the adults on shore with.

 

The one problem with lights is maintainging the 12V battery. You'll also need to make sure it's got enough reflective markers as it will be left in the water overnight.

 

The yard arm swing rope would be a blast, especially if the main deck was a few feet higher than the original pontoon deck. Although you'll have to watch it getting top heavy.

 

Slide, diving board and swim up platform a must have

 

 

Couldn't a solar charging system be implemented using a deep charge battery?

 

JF

[Uncle Buck]

I saw this one in Miami...

 

 

[Chris Cross]

Now we got some ideas coming. The water balloon launcher could very well happen. Yep to the solar lights.

Thanks, CX

[diggyj]

Take a look at this website if you need some inspiration.

 

http://fbcwoodworks.com/kidspirateship.php

[Radnine]

Boat house on Baptist lake,Bancroft

The kid who's family owns that is in my class at school.

Small world eh?

Jim

[Bernie]

Hey Chris...cool project.

I can see you are going to need a bigger boat!

[JohnF]

Hey Chris...cool project.

I can see you are going to need a bigger boat!

 

Nah! Stretch out the forecastle and the back deck thingy and you can add another 6 feet to the overall length.

 

JF

[POLLIWOGG]

Just a little down to earth thing .......You are custom building a boat for someone, there are regs on how boats are built and the last thing you want is some official person coming along and making you take it out of the water after time and money spent on it so do some homework to make sure its legal. Second ..do some math and figure out the displacement of your pontoons in lbs and figure how much weight you can to put on this, including persons the more you add the lower the boat will sit in the water and the less stable it will be and you have a capacity plate that limits the people and weight on board. I would suggest you keep it simple, build your pirate ship around seating and railings and accessibility, this is for kids so safety first....a couple life rings and throw lines and easy boarding from the water, front and sides.

 

Does a motor boat at anchor require one of the persons on board to have an operators card?

 

Good luck.....Oh yeah .. no balloons , they are environmentally disastrous in water and hard on motors when they get pulled into the water pumps.

[JohnF]

Now we got some ideas coming. The water balloon launcher could very well happen. Yep to the solar lights.

Thanks, CX

 

There's been a problem in the Florida Keys with turtles etc getting plastic garbage bags and other nondegradables caught in their digestive tracts and dying. Many of my diving friends in that area are very particular about us recovering all such litter during dives (including fishing line). Should the balloon remnants be a concern?

 

JF

[JohnF]

Just a little down to earth thing .......You are custom building a boat for someone, there are regs on how boats are built and the last thing you want is some official person coming along and making you take it out of the water after time and money spent on it so do some homework to make sure its legal. Second ..do some math and figure out the displacement of your pontoons in lbs and figure how much weight you can to put on this, including persons the more you add the lower the boat will sit in the water and the less stable it will be and you have a capacity plate that limits the people and weight on board. I would suggest you keep it simple, build your pirate ship around seating and railings and accessibility, this is for kids so safety first....a couple life rings and throw lines and easy boarding from the water, front and sides.

 

Does a motor boat at anchor require one of the persons on board to have an operators card?

 

Good luck.....Oh yeah .. no balloons , they are environmentally disastrous in water and hard on motors when they get pulled into the water pumps.

 

Sorry. Didn't see yer post until I'd posted mine about the balloons. As for the boat wouldn't it cease to be a boat at some point and become a deluxe swim raft?

 

JF

[POLLIWOGG]

With the motor on it it would have to conform to all the regs, I would think it would have to be permanently anchored with no means of moving it to be a swim raft.

 

The safe thing would be to call the office of boating safety.

[Chris Cross]

I have done some math. The weight added is about 1200 lbs. I'm adding two barrels under deck to help lift. The barrels at half sunk add 500lb lift each. The pantoons are rated 3300lbs each. The safty margin is huge. There realy is no need for the barrels. Since more weight is at back, the barrels should keep it fairly level.

As for the regs on this, it will be equipped as it was before as a pantoon boat.

Thanks for the input. I'll try to get some pics up as I can.

CX