Modernizing a Prout Elite 37ft

[atoll]

Originally Posted by weavis

I was not thinking on terms of a beautiful finish, more of it being "finished". Something about opening a locker or looking in the recesses and seeing the area painted that gives confidence. It doesnt have to be gorgeous, just painted.

I spray everything. From a teen on thats what I do...... it gives uniformity and something I am familiar with. Roller or brush is fine.......

all surfaces get some sort of coating before And after assembly,bulkheads are all on their 1st ,2nd or 3rd coat of varnish,before anything is even attached to them

[SaltyMonkey]

WHAO look at that! Every day is a bit of xmas!

[earthvisions]

I have 2 prouts, on Elite and one eairlier, an 84 and 88. The roof over the center of the boat is not stiff enough on the stock designs and the front windows will un seal and crack because of flex. So you are going to add maybe 400# to the boat to do it right. You can only walk down the center of the salon so just raise that portion, stiffen the front top, especially if you have a staysail attach point there. The navstation and galley are perfect where they are, and what would you do with that space anyhow? Since the beam is 15.5' you will probably flip boat if you put a modern mast and large main, it was made that way for a reason, the genoa is the motor, if you want to go to wind better add fold down dagger boards on the outside of the hulls, even better would be a daggerboard that is steerable on the front center of the hulls, the things dont steer worth a ****, huge turning radius, i would also sell the engine and put a smallerone in one hull and an electric one in the other, or add a kicker motor to the existing one for manuvering at marinas, and use the space for batteries. Even a central rudder behind the prop would be a huge help turning. Where are you going to steer from and how are you going to see when you raise the whole roof? And isnt the roof going to block the wind on the genoa? How many people are going to sleep on the boat, and where? You want a sailboat or a floating houseboat? You dont need a mould to build anything anymore, just form with foam and glass over it. You want to sail or tinker. I Purchased my prout elite 37 sight unseen in Panama, didnt know how to sail, but im a fix anything guy which may be 80% of sailing, and the folks at Shelter Bay marina taught me how to put my genoa on right side up, and in a couple of months i was in San Blas, then Bocas Del Toro, navigating with charts and my ipad. My boat came with everything to cruise the world at a bargain price. I am selling my 1984 for 40k, it is bare bones, but light and fast. I now really have grow to like my Prout, and by the way i get charged monohull prices at the marina because it fits in a regular slip. I just added a hefty trolling motor to the front for my bow thruster, now i can get out of the marina solo with no dingy pushing you around.

[Travelnik]

Wow! I guess he told you Atoll!

[downunder]

Originally Posted by weavis

I come from the school of everything is removable except for structure. I had leaned towards the South African school of thought of making the furniture part of the structure so as to eliminate flexing and thus creaking, but had never thought of glassing in water tanks. The reason for it is interesting.

Built in tanks are not uncommon. Also puts weight low and central lather than higher on the bridgedeck - an advantage.

Fuel tanks use special resin to seal the fibreglass.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by earthvisions

I have 2 prouts, on Elite and one eairlier, an 84 and 88. The roof over the center of the boat is not stiff enough on the stock designs and the front windows will un seal and crack because of flex. So you are going to add maybe 400# to the boat to do it right. You can only walk down the center of the salon so just raise that portion, stiffen the front top, especially if you have a staysail attach point there. The navstation and galley are perfect where they are, and what would you do with that space anyhow? Since the beam is 15.5' you will probably flip boat if you put a modern mast and large main, it was made that way for a reason, the genoa is the motor, if you want to go to wind better add fold down dagger boards on the outside of the hulls, even better would be a daggerboard that is steerable on the front center of the hulls, the things dont steer worth a ****, huge turning radius, i would also sell the engine and put a smallerone in one hull and an electric one in the other, or add a kicker motor to the existing one for manuvering at marinas, and use the space for batteries. Even a central rudder behind the prop would be a huge help turning. Where are you going to steer from and how are you going to see when you raise the whole roof? And isnt the roof going to block the wind on the genoa? How many people are going to sleep on the boat, and where? You want a sailboat or a floating houseboat? You dont need a mould to build anything anymore, just form with foam and glass over it. You want to sail or tinker. I Purchased my prout elite 37 sight unseen in Panama, didnt know how to sail, but im a fix anything guy which may be 80% of sailing, and the folks at Shelter Bay marina taught me how to put my genoa on right side up, and in a couple of months i was in San Blas, then Bocas Del Toro, navigating with charts and my ipad. My boat came with everything to cruise the world at a bargain price. I am selling my 1984 for 40k, it is bare bones, but light and fast. I now really have grow to like my Prout, and by the way i get charged monohull prices at the marina because it fits in a regular slip. I just added a hefty trolling motor to the front for my bow thruster, now i can get out of the marina solo with no dingy pushing you around.

thanks for the input,i guess you haven't read the whole thread,as moving the mast and building a raised bridge deck ideas were quickly put aside,in favour of the stock design,which I am following fairly closely.

interesting that you mention the the saloon roof as being weak,is your roof underside a balsa core sandwich as mine is?

the forward windows I had intended adding more stiffening,though probably not 400 lbs.......that would be the weight of 10 sheets of 1/2inch plywood!

do you have a steerable leg?
so far the leg I have is locked in the .central position which indeed makes manuevering in tidal current conditions as we have here difficult,but not impossible.

if I was to change it I would probably use twin 20hp outboards.

as for getting out there and doing it ,I manage 2-4 k in deliveries most years
and am about 7000miles into my third circumnavigation

cheers atoll

[atoll]

Originally Posted by downunder

Built in tanks are not uncommon. Also puts weight low and central lather than higher on the bridgedeck - an advantage.

Fuel tanks use special resin to seal the fibreglass.

for my first circumnavigation I built a 35 ft motorsailer,that had large integral plywood/GRP diesel tanks under the pilot house,about 500L each side,these I coated with white pigmented epoxy,which are still doing fine 30 years later according to the current owner

[SaltyMonkey]

<scratch scratch ding ding>

me wunder what meister atoll is sandin and glue'n today har har

*bump*

[atoll]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

<scratch scratch ding ding>

me wunder what meister atoll is sandin and glue'n today har har

*bump*

lots of bumping and grinding

got both inboard lockers in ,in both aft cabins.

manual bilge pumps go in under the little side table,and the weaco cr 80 litre fridge on stb side,and similar waeco freezer on port side.

[SaltyMonkey]

wow oowowowo. Holy ****. That's lookin' very very nice atoll, fillin' in nice and FAST. We see the end state! A/B woodie sheets too. Class act.

Got me Monday boat buildin' porn.

Big monkey smile and thanks for the update.

[weavis]

Whatever you do - Dont set it up for single handing...

[atoll]

Originally Posted by weavis

Whatever you do - Dont set it up for single handing...

I once met the ultimate single handed sailor in grenada......a guy that only had one arm and one leg from thalidamide.......he swam like a fish,and sailed like a pro solo

[weavis]

Originally Posted by atoll

I once met the ultimate single handed sailor in grenada......a guy that only had one arm and one leg from thalidamide.......he swam like a fish,and sailed like a pro solo

Ha!
It almost leaves the non single handers without a leg to stand on!

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by atoll

I once met the ultimate single handed sailor in grenada......a guy that only had one arm and one leg from thalidamide.......he swam like a fish,and sailed like a pro solo

I suppose, because of this loss of limb, he has the advantage that he can only go in circles making a circumnavigation very easy, which would mean he would not require burdensome and expensive navigation equipment.

[Trimax]

Hi Atoll,

Started following your post since, you commented on my Prout!!
Great job, almost wish I could keep mine, couple of really great ideas in yours that I could incorparte.

I'm not home at the moment, should be back next month. If you need any photo's of my layout or any additional "specs", please don't hesitate to contact me.

Keep up the excellent work and humours banter - really enjoing you guys "work".

Rgds
Trimax

robert.trautman@vodamail.co.za