Chris Cat Project
01-06-2018, 06:00 PM
#1
Registered
Platinum MemberThread Starter
Chris Cat Project
Hello all. I haven't written a thread before so please bare with me. Here's what I 'm doing. I purchased a 1985 Chris Cat with a trailer. it was actually in pretty good condition. I'm to take the deck off (which I have already done), cut it down the middle and make it a foot wider to a 9' 6" beam. I'm then adding 4ft to the length and 8 inches to the height. This is going to be a running plug to build a 35ft center console tournament fishing boat. I'll pull the hull mold from the plug. From this mold I can still build the original 30 and the eventually a 34ft sport cat. I'm going to run the 400R Mercs with jackplates. Many of you will think this is a huge project. I contract to build the fiberglass parts and assemble them on sportfishing boats ranging in size from 46 to 71. So for me this is small and easy to build. I specialize in Infusion so all the parts on the boats will be infused. the boats should run over a 100mph.
The ultimate goal is to build the 35 center console. But because its over 20 parts that have to be tooled and molds made, I'm going to build the 30 first.It only has 4 parts. The hull, deck, hatch and electronics console. I'll use the original deck and modify it for the outboards. It will have the classic look of the Chris Cat that I like, but a foot wider.
Currently i have cut the deck off. The hull and deck are screwed and nuted together and glassed together. So removing the deck was going to be a pain. After much consideration, I decided to cut the hull just below the deck joint. So glad I did. i took a cutter and cut right through. i then went inside and cut the bulkheads with a sawzaw.
Once the deck was up I could get to the fuel tanks. They are 110 gallons and foamed in. I've dug out most of the foam to get the tanks out. This took me 2 days, easy but slow. There was moisture in the foam. I probably wont be foaming new tanks in. In the forward cabin the deck was already removed. The putty on both sides as was the 2 3/4inch plywood glassed together for the center support. The putty was chiseled off and the plywood cut off. I then had to grind off everything. The tunnel down the center has been completely ground to remove all the grime and prep it to be cut in half and reglassed back together. The sides have been ground down about 9 inches to be able to glass it taller. its cored so I will be using balsa coring when I add the height. It took me about 40 hours to do all the grinding. Not fun.
This is where I'm at so far. My goal by the end of January is to have the sides glassed, a jig built, and cut it in half to place it in the jig. I will post photos as soon as I can figure out how. if anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated. I'll try to keep up with this every week so you can see the progress.
The ultimate goal is to build the 35 center console. But because its over 20 parts that have to be tooled and molds made, I'm going to build the 30 first.It only has 4 parts. The hull, deck, hatch and electronics console. I'll use the original deck and modify it for the outboards. It will have the classic look of the Chris Cat that I like, but a foot wider.
Currently i have cut the deck off. The hull and deck are screwed and nuted together and glassed together. So removing the deck was going to be a pain. After much consideration, I decided to cut the hull just below the deck joint. So glad I did. i took a cutter and cut right through. i then went inside and cut the bulkheads with a sawzaw.
Once the deck was up I could get to the fuel tanks. They are 110 gallons and foamed in. I've dug out most of the foam to get the tanks out. This took me 2 days, easy but slow. There was moisture in the foam. I probably wont be foaming new tanks in. In the forward cabin the deck was already removed. The putty on both sides as was the 2 3/4inch plywood glassed together for the center support. The putty was chiseled off and the plywood cut off. I then had to grind off everything. The tunnel down the center has been completely ground to remove all the grime and prep it to be cut in half and reglassed back together. The sides have been ground down about 9 inches to be able to glass it taller. its cored so I will be using balsa coring when I add the height. It took me about 40 hours to do all the grinding. Not fun.
This is where I'm at so far. My goal by the end of January is to have the sides glassed, a jig built, and cut it in half to place it in the jig. I will post photos as soon as I can figure out how. if anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated. I'll try to keep up with this every week so you can see the progress.
01-07-2018, 12:18 PM
#5
Registered
Platinum MemberThread Starter
Here are a few photos. The photo with the fan shows the fuel tanks. They are 110 gallons each. There was still a tag on the tanks .Over all the glass work was pretty good, with the exception of where they taped it together as you can see. The deck is balsa cored. The hull is cored also. Between the tunnels the core looks like its 3/8 plywood cut on edge and laminated in. You can see it through the glass. When I cut it in half I'll know for sure.
For those who are wondering how I can widen the hull this is my plan. I will build a jig out of sheets of plywood that will have the exact shape of the hull between the tunnels. But a foot wider. After I cut it down the middle, I'll pick up each side and set it in the jig. Keep in mind everything is shot with a laser so its exact. I've built jigs in the past and just finished a 71ft sport fish with a 22ft beam. So this one is pretty easy to build.
If anyone is coming to south Florida, I'm in Stuart. You're more than welcome to come by my shop and see the progress. That's what Jeff did.
For those who are wondering how I can widen the hull this is my plan. I will build a jig out of sheets of plywood that will have the exact shape of the hull between the tunnels. But a foot wider. After I cut it down the middle, I'll pick up each side and set it in the jig. Keep in mind everything is shot with a laser so its exact. I've built jigs in the past and just finished a 71ft sport fish with a 22ft beam. So this one is pretty easy to build.
If anyone is coming to south Florida, I'm in Stuart. You're more than welcome to come by my shop and see the progress. That's what Jeff did.
01-07-2018, 04:32 PM
#6
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: St-Hyacinthe, quebec, canada
Posts: 7,711
Received 365 Likes
on
244 Posts
Jim is a nice guy to speak with! Lots of knowledge and very patient, very passionnate about fiberglass dust ! Too bad he is not closer to me i would go there and be a spy! That would help me on my cat project! 
01-07-2018, 05:12 PM
#7
no affiliation with offshoreonly, just a member, that said, thanks for joining
if you find the time for updates, this will be a great build thread keep the pics coming
if you find the time for updates, this will be a great build thread keep the pics coming
01-08-2018, 08:57 AM
#9
Registered
.
I simply love the Christ Cat. Back in the APBA days with Freeze Frame video, these cats ran awesome with either I/O or outboards. With a widebody format, will be even better with 400R's.
Very cool project! With a 35 foot cat, you'll be in the market with the best of them.
FYI, DW builds fiberglass tanks impervious to ethanol. It's not a surface coating, the whole laminate schedule of the tanks use a special resin. Let me know if interested and I can post pics.
.
I simply love the Christ Cat. Back in the APBA days with Freeze Frame video, these cats ran awesome with either I/O or outboards. With a widebody format, will be even better with 400R's.
Very cool project! With a 35 foot cat, you'll be in the market with the best of them.
FYI, DW builds fiberglass tanks impervious to ethanol. It's not a surface coating, the whole laminate schedule of the tanks use a special resin. Let me know if interested and I can post pics.
.
Last edited by noli; 01-08-2018 at 09:01 AM.
01-08-2018, 11:48 AM
#10
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: St-Hyacinthe, quebec, canada
Posts: 7,711
Received 365 Likes
on
244 Posts
Hey Jim
instead of going private i figured i would ask you here for everybody to read the answer
what is, or what are , the main reasons why you would infuse the fiberglass instead of handlaid? What is your biggest advantage of doing it this way?
and how can multiple dry fiberglass layers stick to side of the hull before even being wetted by the infusion? They dont slip down or detach from the hull side while you install the peel layer and spiral tube so on and so forth?
instead of going private i figured i would ask you here for everybody to read the answer
what is, or what are , the main reasons why you would infuse the fiberglass instead of handlaid? What is your biggest advantage of doing it this way?
and how can multiple dry fiberglass layers stick to side of the hull before even being wetted by the infusion? They dont slip down or detach from the hull side while you install the peel layer and spiral tube so on and so forth?
