Cockpit Mezzanine & Tuna Tube Winter Project

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

SuperHat

[rustybucket]

SuperHat

Hahaha, I don't know about that lol. It's definitely still a Hatt, maybe Hatteras Game Boat would be the most appropriate label.

[rustybucket]

Well, first shakedown trip went ok. Lost steering at 70 miles offshore and had to limp home. Ever since we purchased this boat the steering hydraulic cylinder would leak down over a couple weeks. Which was ok, but very annoying to have to top off and re-pressurize the hynautic steering system before each trip.

So when we hauled out I had the cylinder removed and rebuilt, thinking that would fix the issue... well it didn't. At 70 miles out we lost steering. Cylinder was leaking at the shaft seal. I had approx 1.5gals of steering fluid onboard. We turned around and started easing back in. When running or using auto pilot we were blowing out about a quart an hour. When moving at hull speed an manually steering we were gettting about 6 hours out of a reservoir full.

After all 1.5gal of the hynautic fluid was gone we switched to 15-40 delo (generator oil). We used 2 gals of it and were about to switch to straight 40wt when we got back to the dock.

So we just trolled our way back in. Kinda sucked but at least we got back in. Lost a sailfish after a short hookup so at least there was a little excitement lol.

She really is looking sharp, was very happy with how everything is turning out. Was great to get to see and use all the things we modified. This boat is really going to be dang near perfect for us.








The unfinished tackle center with temporary grill in a drawer.

[rustybucket]

The girls named the pineapple Mr. Wilson.

[rsmith]

Mezzanine really looks like it crowds the chair

[SKYCHENEY]

I had a similar problem with a steering cylinder. I repacked it and it still leaked. I found a used cylinder and put a kit in that one and its been okay. I didn't see anything wrong with the original cylinder when I had it apart but there must have been.

[rustybucket]

Mezzanine really looks like it crowds the chair

How much room do you feel is necessary between the mezzanine and the chair?

We were on the boat all weekend and it never felt crowded to me. Plenty of room to walk between them without turning sideways. I was actually kinda wishing we had made the rocket launcher a little bigger, I think we could have come out 4 more inches and added a rigging tray to it.

The cockpit felt HUGE compared to what I'm used to with coolers and baitwells on the deck. I feel like we picked up a lot of usable space with the mods.

[pdog]

Looks great. What kind of cruise speed and fuel burn are you getting loaded up for fishing?

[whoover]

The boat looks really good and glad to hear how happy you are with it. Just out of curiosity what was your budget for the paint and how close were you staying under or over it?

Thanks
Walt Hoover

[rustybucket]

Looks great. What kind of cruise speed and fuel burn are you getting loaded up for fishing?

Bay seatrial after splash, light on fuel and water.

2350rpm = 22.5 knts
2300rpm = 22 knts
2000rpm = 20 knts
1950rpm = 18 knts
1900rpm = 17 knts


Loaded heavy, full fuel, full water, full gear...etc for multi-day fishing trip, 3' head seas with a 10knt head wind.

1950rpm = 16 knts

Fuel burn at 1950 loaded heavy seems to be somewhere in the 45-50gph neighborhood.