Modernizing a Prout Elite 37ft

[atoll]

todays bodging!

finished both fwd cabin skeletons!

made templates for the rudder skeg reinforcement,cut in the morning.

bulkheads for aft cabin in progress!.,hALF THE JOB IS MARKING OUT AND MEASURING.....the rest is easy!

sanded most of the underwaterline.

[salticrak]

Mate how do you copy the curves of the hulls to get the shape of your bulkheads?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by salticrak

Mate how do you copy the curves of the hulls to get the shape of your bulkheads?

i use a scribe,or a marker in my fist/fingers ie 1 finger 15 mm---2 fingers and a knuckle 30mm.

clamp template or ply wood vertical to surface you want to copy,with the base at the same level as the lowest point.....scribe...hey presto you have an exact copy.

gets more difficlult if trying to copy both x an y axis at the same time!
so better to use cardboard and find the mid point so you are only copying either the horizontal axis or vertical,then add in the center section,or even better do the center section first.

[salticrak]

goodonya, i need to make a dolly for my hulls to move em soon.

[Octopussy]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

These boats can't handle the weight of twin diesels. Clearly you're not concerned with these type of realities so have at it!

Hi Atoll,

I've been lurking, and watching your progress! You know I have a soft spot for the Prout Snowgoose!

I found it funny to read Boatguy30's reference above about twin diesels... our 1984 Prout Snowgoose came from the factory with twin Yanmar 3HMFs. Granted there is a sacrifice of interior space to accommodate them, but they are just about centered in the hulls. And the thing turns on a dime! Love driving it! Basically, where you have ladders going down into the hulls aft of the galley and nav station, in our Snowgoose the salon floor continues at the same height and you then step fwd to the galley/nav station and aft into the cabins.

Also, just thought I'd mention that our fuel tanks are forward, in the locker aft of the anchor locker. It's a great place because it balances the load... too often catmaran have to much weight aft (engines, fuel, generators, dinghies, etc) so 60 gallons of fuel fwd helps tremendously!

I'm happy to send pics... better yet, I am sure there are some on my blog!

Cheers,
Octopussy

______________________________
Watch the Cast and Crew as we refit a Prout Snowgoose 37, move aboard, and get ready to go cruising.
The critics are saying, "We laughed; we cried; we nearly pissed our pants!"

Follow the adventure at S/V Octopussy

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Octopussy

Hi Atoll,

I've been lurking, and watching your progress! You know I have a soft spot for the Prout Snowgoose!

I found it funny to read Boatguy30's reference above about twin diesels... our 1984 Prout Snowgoose came from the factory with twin Yanmar 3HMFs. Granted there is a sacrifice of interior space to accommodate them, but they are just about centered in the hulls. And the thing turns on a dime! Love driving it! Basically, where you have ladders going down into the hulls aft of the galley and nav station, in our Snowgoose the salon floor continues at the same height and you then step fwd to the galley/nav station and aft into the cabins.

Also, just thought I'd mention that our fuel tanks are forward, in the locker aft of the anchor locker. It's a great place because it balances the load... too often catmaran have to much weight aft (engines, fuel, generators, dinghies, etc) so 60 gallons of fuel fwd helps tremendously!

I'm happy to send pics... better yet, I am sure there are some on my blog!

Cheers,
Octopussy

______________________________
Watch the Cast and Crew as we refit a Prout Snowgoose 37, move aboard, and get ready to go cruising.
The critics are saying, "We laughed; we cried; we nearly pissed our pants!"

Follow the adventure at S/V Octopussy

thanks! for the heads up will have a look

[limejucer]

Originally Posted by limejucer

Keep the engine in the designed place. If you got pooped never mind the rain you would get a wet engine. And hence rust. If it was in the well. Never mind the other slop. Some people fill the well with a fuel tank but I use only half leaving space for access to engine (promise to load photo) and store jerry can.

water pump hatch1.jpg Views: 724 Size: 172.6 KB ID: 62309" style="margin: 2px" />
The viewing angle is steep but the engine sits on the bearers and access to the flywheel/belts is through the addin hatch. the lose pipes are for heater out for repair.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by limejucer

Attachment 62309
The viewing angle is steep but the engine sits on the bearers and access to the flywheel/belts is through the addin hatch. the lose pipes are for heater out for repair.

thanks for posting,the photo,i may have to do something along those lines.

due to the direct drive shaft running from the center of the fly wheel to the gearbox on the sonic drive via a uv joint i will either have to lower the engine bearer's or fit an intermediate bearing and move the engine a bit further back.

not an ideal choice,but the new engine came with the boat,but missing the bellhousing and gearbox.

whilst looking for an outboard on ebay to stick on the back,i was lucky to find a sonic 100 with a 1:1.6 gearbox that i got for £100 so i have gone with that,and made up a bracket so as to be able to lower the leg further to the desired depth.

been busy on other stuff so havent had a chance yet to to measure up for this unit,but if i dont want to cut up the bearers then moving the engine further back might be the best option.but who knows it might fit as is with a bit of bodging and jiggery pokery!

[Talbot]

Just a few thoughts on the subject.

The snowgoose elite came in three cabin versions. in two of these there was a large bunk across the bridgedeck forward of the saloon, accessed from the Stbd forward hull. One version had a solid bulkhead from the saloon, the other ad a bulkhead up to bunk cushion height and then a curtain. The third version had an extended saloon and no forward bunk on the bridgedeck. Some of the later ones had one (sometimes 2) single bunks in the forward part of the starboard hull.

The pre 1996 elite (which is the hull version you have) used a conventional mast and spreader with the back shrouds secured to the cabin roof - this is a bad idea and led to some real horror stories. One of the major changes for the 1996 version was a diamond stayed mast, and back shrouds that were secured to massive chain plates on the hull deck join. This can be done with yours, but you will need to strengthen the hull in this area as it was not stressed for it.

There is a chap called BoatMike who used to post on www.ybw.com who owned a pre 1996 elite, and designed all these and other changes for his boat. They were taken up by Prout and incorporated in the 1996 version. Might be worth seeing if he is still about.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Talbot

Just a few thoughts on the subject.

The snowgoose elite came in three cabin versions. in two of these there was a large bunk across the bridgedeck forward of the saloon, accessed from the Stbd forward hull. One version had a solid bulkhead from the saloon, the other ad a bulkhead up to bunk cushion height and then a curtain. The third version had an extended saloon and no forward bunk on the bridgedeck. Some of the later ones had one (sometimes 2) single bunks in the forward part of the starboard hull.

The pre 1996 elite (which is the hull version you have) used a conventional mast and spreader with the back shrouds secured to the cabin roof - this is a bad idea and led to some real horror stories. One of the major changes for the 1996 version was a diamond stayed mast, and back shrouds that were secured to massive chain plates on the hull deck join. This can be done with yours, but you will need to strengthen the hull in this area as it was not stressed for it.

There is a chap called BoatMike who used to post on www.ybw.com who owned a pre 1996 elite, and designed all these and other changes for his boat. They were taken up by Prout and incorporated in the 1996 version. Might be worth seeing if he is still about.

yes i saw his website mikebriand dot com or somthing like that though does not seem to be active.

i will definitely use the later config with the hull mounted chain plates,so reinforcing the hulls in that area is not a problem at the moment

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by atoll

yes i saw his website mikebriand dot com or somthing like that though does not seem to be active.

i will definitely use the later config with the hull mounted chain plates,so reinforcing the hulls in that area is not a problem at the moment

Different person.

I have also seen one engine configuration where they had fitted a large centre engine and sillette drive, but also had a yanmar 1GM saildrive in one hull using an autoprop. They used the small engine for manoeuvre in harbour, and for motor sailing. Worked pretty well.

If you are fitting the sillette drive, then make sure that you include the lever to steer the drive - makes manoeuvring with a single engine a lot easier.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Talbot

Different person.

I have also seen one engine configuration where they had fitted a large centre engine and sillette drive, but also had a yanmar 1GM saildrive in one hull using an autoprop. They used the small engine for manoeuvre in harbour, and for motor sailing. Worked pretty well.

If you are fitting the sillette drive, then make sure that you include the lever to steer the drive - makes manoeuvring with a single engine a lot easier.

yes i have the morse control and cable to steer the leg,fortunately it was not stolen off the boat,unlike a lot of other stuff over the years in the yard!

[Boatguy30]

Wow, twin 35 hp diesels and 60 gallons of diesel in each hull in a Snowgoose?

who needs wind!

[Boatguy30]

One other thought of serious note, it looked like the rig you had is just a temp one?

I almost bought an older Snowgoose classic and would have moved the rig forward to give the rig a more reasonable size mainsail and more manageable headsails. I'm sure all else will say the prout sailplane is perfect, well managed, etc, etc. but friends in the south
Pacific on a Manta had real hassles managing enough sail area forward to keep here moving downwind. There top priority on a next boat was a better sail plan. I'm sure it a dream for beam reaching around the Solent as designed.

Make yourself a decent ply box beam to take the compression post around the aft end of the saloon table I'd say. I'd look to move the rig at least about a metre forward. Depending on heigh of mast etc, you won't be shifting the CE at all just balancing the size of the sails. Will actually be close to the "revolutionary" new Lagoon rig with that pro portioning.

[atoll]

[QUOTE=Boatguy30;1257696]One other thought of serious note, it looked like the rig you had is just a temp one?

I almost bought an older Snowgoose classic and would have moved the rig forward to give the rig a more reasonable size mainsail and more manageable headsails. I'm sure all else will say the prout sailplane is perfect, well managed, etc, etc. but friends in the south
Pacific on a Manta had real hassles managing enough sail area forward to keep here moving downwind. There top priority on a next boat was a better sail plan. I'm sure it a dream for beam reaching around the Solent as designed.

Make yourself a decent ply box beam to take the compression post around the aft end of the saloon table I'd say. I'd look to move the rig at least about a metre forward. Depending on heigh of mast etc, you won't be shifting the CE at all just balancing the size of the sails. Will actually be close to the "revolutionary" new Lagoon rig with that pro portioning.[/QUOT

the rig on at the moment is about 250 sqft,and tempory for moving it in the next few months.

i think if i move the mast it would be on top of the existing main bulkhead,moving it a meter fwd would put it in the middle of the main hatch molding.

generaly over the last 100,000 miles i have sailed the head sails are the prime power source,with twin forestays,and equal sized genoas,and cutter/baby sail.
using hanked on sails i would generally have #1 on on forestay,#2 on t'other,#3 on the baby stay with twin poles