74' Steel Boat Build, Front Yard, Tulsa ?!?

[GoneDiving]

The problem with custom builds is that Insurance companies have no way of determining risk and pricing, regardless of the owners skills or intentions. Their whole business model is built upon assessing multiple near identical units to statistically measure failure rates. A one off could be all or nothing so they will run a mile from anything remotely out of the ordinary or unfamiliar.

I must admit asking for a $3M line of credit is a bit laughable. Anyone with that amount of idle and disposable cash likely didn't get there from taking wild and unmeasured risks. As for those suggesting a big business conspiracy, they are welcome to call SV Seeker and put their house on the line any time they want.

Good luck to him. He's resourceful so will likely find a way. However, it's no surprise that it's no cake walk.

 

[localboy]

Every thing I ever learned about Tulsa, I learned in Larry Clarks’s book Tulsa, and Live PD used to back up my opinion in their weekly shows.

The show “The First 48” documents homicide investigations in US cities. Been on quite a while. Tulsa is one of the current jurisdictions where they film. Seems like the show has more than enough “content” there.

 

[localboy]

Well, he should have been arrested over his building. There are rules to follow including health and safety. Now it backfires. I have no sympathy for him.

“Arrested”? Wow. Seems people sure love diving into the pool of authoritarianism lately. What’s next? Maybe we should start “arresting” people for...

 

[BandB]

“Arrested”? Wow. Seems people sure love diving into the pool of authoritarianism lately. What’s next? Maybe we should start “arresting” people for...

Yes, I do. I put a very high standard on health and safety and every manufacturer needs to comply. This is nothing new. We've long had laws and regulations. Perhaps arrested was strong as cited and fined was probably more in line with what I was thinking. Wasn't thinking of hauling him off to jail. More likely, either comply or stop. This is nothing new and the regulations came about because of businesses that disregarded safety. Workplace injuries and deaths were once shockingly high.

 

[dannc]

“Arrested”? Wow. Seems people sure love diving into the pool of authoritarianism lately. What’s next? Maybe we should start “arresting” people for...

Arrest is too strong a word but in one of the early videos he was welding two heavy, steel plates together. He might have been wearing eye protection but that was about it for PPE. He was wearing shorts and he got a rather bad "sunburn" on his legs from the welding UV light. A toddler was running around while in the area while he was welding. That kid could have been burned by the welding itself, UV light "sunburn" and the UV could have messed up the kids eyes.

That was not responsible. At all. When professional welders tried to give him advice he poo pooed them.

I was once in the eye doctors office and was having to wait past my appointment time because the doctor was treating an emergency patient with eye damage. The patient was a welder who did not wear his eye protection and messed up his eyes. The doctor was doing a bit of butt chewing, as well he should, as he treated the idiot.

I saw plenty of safety issues on his videos before I stopped watching. We saw more care about workers and their safety, in a boat yard in China, than in those videos of a boat yard in Tulsa.

Later,
Dan

 

[Alaskaflyer]

Watched first three videos. He’s obviously one of the “special people” with which I’m all too familiar from my career. I’ll watch the launch if it ever happens.

Someone asked in one of video comments about what the vessel drafts. I’m guessing that will be dictated by the water depth.

 

[HTurner]

Well, If he can't float the thing, he could buy a piece of commercial land, place the boat on it and open a burger/Chop Suey joint.


He can join this list:


https://roadarch.com/eateries/ships3.html

 

[cardude01]

Well, If he can't float the thing, he could buy a piece of commercial land, place the boat on it and open a burger/Chop Suey joint.


He can join this list:


https://roadarch.com/eateries/ships3.html

Ha! Great idea!

 

[GoneDiving]

Watched first three videos. He’s obviously one of the “special people” with which I’m all too familiar from my career. I’ll watch the launch if it ever happens.

Reminds me of Elon Musk hosting SNL: " Im changing the world. Did you expect me to be some chill relaxed dude?" I'm paraphrasing but did people expect Chad the quiet guy from Accounting to build a 70 footer in his back yard?

 

[JWellington]

We know that house insurers and municipal building inspectores also dont like anything that is slightely por of the ordinary.

 

[JWellington]

I see many are worried about whether it will float, and be seaworthy, or if he even had considered those factors. My bet is that he did. Did anybody even bother to ask him, before mocking him?

 

[dannc]

Reminds me of Elon Musk hosting SNL: " Im changing the world. Did you expect me to be some chill relaxed dude?" I'm paraphrasing but did people expect Chad the quiet guy from Accounting to build a 70 footer in his back yard?

The boat building blogs I followed seemed to have relaxed boat builders. Well, as relaxed as one can be taking on the huge task of building a boat. A task that takes thousands of hours, a boat load of money, and requires quite a few different skill sets.

They bought boat plans from established designers and built their boats. Most of them without any outside help at all. Two builders hired welders to build the hull, since it would be faster and they were not a welders and did not have the time to learn the skill.

Later,
Dan

 

[JWellington]

The boat building blogs I followed seemed to have relaxed boat builders. Well, as relaxed as one can be taking on the huge task of building a boat. A task that takes thousands of hours, a boat load of money, and requires quite a few different skill sets.

They bought boat plans from established designers and built their boats. Most of them without any outside help at all. Two builders hired welders to build the hull, since it would be faster and they were not a welders and did not have the time to learn the skill.

Later,
Dan

Yes, there are many such boats out there. I knew one guy built a 22' plywood sailboat in his backyard. Sailed for years all over the Pacific, between CA and NZ, surviving 2 knockdowns.

 

[Art]

Wow - First I've seen/read inside this thread. IMO, too many people telling how they think things should be. This guy and "his" people are working hard to create.

Sure there are safety items not well adhered to and "license/bond" issues sidestepped as well as insurance problems galore. And yes... there are several turns and twists that could have better been handled. But, heck, that's what often happens when creative energies join forces to turn out creative results.

I look forward to hearing [maybe seeing on video] of the launch. Being a creative type myself I wish the guy best luck!

 

[Alaskaflyer]

What does creating have to do with exposing small grandchildren to dangerous UV light? Would he be less creative by living up to standards that many of us learned in middle/junior high school shop class? Would he be less able to create his art wearing jeans and proper shoes?

Would most of the advice he rejected made for a lesser project or a better one?

 

[BandB]

The boat building blogs I followed seemed to have relaxed boat builders. Well, as relaxed as one can be taking on the huge task of building a boat. A task that takes thousands of hours, a boat load of money, and requires quite a few different skill sets.

They bought boat plans from established designers and built their boats. Most of them without any outside help at all. Two builders hired welders to build the hull, since it would be faster and they were not a welders and did not have the time to learn the skill.

Later,
Dan

Absolutely and many are accounting folks and businessmen who have decided they want to build a boat.

 

[BandB]

What does creating have to do with exposing small grandchildren to dangerous UV light? Would he be less creative by living up to standards that many of us learned in middle/junior high school shop class? Would he be less able to create his art wearing jeans and proper shoes?

Would most of the advice he rejected made for a lesser project or a better one?

You can create safely. He didn't.

 

[OldDan1943]

Folks, I will back out of here.
Apparently folks criticize and hope it fails.
I hope he succeeds.
When he splashes the boat, please contact me

 

[ofer]

Folks, I will back out of here.
Apparently folks criticize and hope it fails.
I hope he succeeds.
When he splashes the boat, please contact me

same here

 

[localboy]

I’m totally digging the castings. That octopus around the helm...a work of art.

 

[twistedtree]

Wow - First I've seen/read inside this thread. IMO, too many people telling how they think things should be. This guy and "his" people are working hard to create.

Sure there are safety items not well adhered to and "license/bond" issues sidestepped as well as insurance problems galore. And yes... there are several turns and twists that could have better been handled. But, heck, that's what often happens when creative energies join forces to turn out creative results.

I look forward to hearing [maybe seeing on video] of the launch. Being a creative type myself I wish the guy best luck!

But isn't this exactly what we complain about the Chinese doing?

 

[dannc]

Folks, I will back out of here.
Apparently folks criticize and hope it fails.
I hope he succeeds.
When he splashes the boat, please contact me

I don't want him to fail.

This boat has cost him a good part of his life, lots of money, and his marriage. Failing would be awful.

I have watched and read many a home boat building blog/vblog. All but one were doing it correctly, with reasonable safeguards, preparation and a valid design. Even then, some just went quiet after years of hard work. This is unfortunately what happens to the majority of home boat builders. They fail. That is awful. Having spent all of the time and effort required to build a boat and not completing it is a nightmare.

I mentioned a home build up thread, that was launched, had problems and was pulled back out of the water. Fixing the problems in that boat was not likely. You just don't hack together a boat like that builder did. I am afraid, that eventually, that failed build was cut up into scrap. Most likely by the man's family after he and his dream had died. That is sad.

I wish him well. I hope he succeeds.

Later,
Dan

 

[BandB]

I don't know why it is assumed that those of use who decry his means and lack of safety precautions want him to fail. That's not the case with some of us.

What I'd suggest it he buys a large above ground kiddie's pool or something or with his construction skills, he constructs a test tank. Then put the boat in it as a next step to test floating and stability and then to actually finish building the boat.

 

[JWellington]

I don't want him to fail.

This boat has cost him a good part of his life, lots of money, and his marriage. Failing would be awful.

I have watched and read many a home boat building blog/vblog. All but one were doing it correctly, with reasonable safeguards, preparation and a valid design. Even then, some just went quiet after years of hard work. This is unfortunately what happens to the majority of home boat builders. They fail. That is awful. Having spent all of the time and effort required to build a boat and not completing it is a nightmare.

I mentioned a home build up thread, that was launched, had problems and was pulled back out of the water. Fixing the problems in that boat was not likely. You just don't hack together a boat like that builder did. I am afraid, that eventually, that failed build was cut up into scrap. Most likely by the man's family after he and his dream had died. That is sad.

I wish him well. I hope he succeeds.

Later,
Dan

Dan, you say most homebuilders fail. How could you even know that? I've tried to find stats on how many home builds there have been, and how many failures, but cant find any. Did you?

 

[JWellington]

I don't know why it is assumed that those of use who decry his means and lack of safety precautions want him to fail. That's not the case with some of us.

What I'd suggest it he buys a large above ground kiddie's pool or something or with his construction skills, he constructs a test tank. Then put the boat in it as a next step to test floating and stability and then to actually finish building the boat.

It doesnt make sense that he should have to build a test tank. Maybe he....calculated that it would float. Hey wait a minute, that's what boat yards do too! I'm making the bold and controversial claim that I could order a custom superyacht from that german yard that build yacht 'A', without them having to put it in a big pool.

 

[Benthic2]

"Yacht A" would have been designed by a competent naval architecht and probably did have a scale model put in a pool at some point during the design process.

 

[BandB]

It doesnt make sense that he should have to build a test tank. Maybe he....calculated that it would float. Hey wait a minute, that's what boat yards do too! I'm making the bold and controversial claim that I could order a custom superyacht from that german yard that build yacht 'A', without them having to put it in a big pool.

And they would use naval architects and they would be heavily insured (note that even the Northern fiasco was insured) and actually some of them do have test tanks. Please don't compare him to a legitimate boat builder. Did you not watch his complete disavowal of all reasonable safety practices. What convinces you he didn't take other shortcuts and knew what he was doing? I'm just suggesting a test tank might help him get it insured. I don't personally care if it ever makes it to the water, but that might be a way and he could likely build one fairly quickly. Might also help if he'd actually finish the boat before attempting to launch it.

 

[Benthic2]

It's too bad he's not closer to the Gulf of Mexico. He could just get it close to the ocean and Hurrican Ida's storm surge could take care of the rest.

 

[JWellington]

"Yacht A" would have been designed by a competent naval architecht and probably did have a scale model put in a pool at some point during the design process.

I'm glad you concede that the boat yards do it too. We dont know if this homebuilder built a little model nor if the german company did. We dont know if he did the very same as they did...calculate. Maybe he knows how to so that for this much smaller boat. Or, maybe he worked from a blueprint made by a naval architect. I see lots of people condemn him even though they dont know any of these question.

 

[JWellington]

And they would use naval architects and they would be heavily insured (note that even the Northern fiasco was insured) and actually some of them do have test tanks. Please don't compare him to a legitimate boat builder. Did you not watch his complete disavowal of all reasonable safety practices. What convinces you he didn't take other shortcuts and knew what he was doing? I'm just suggesting a test tank might help him get it insured. I don't personally care if it ever makes it to the water, but that might be a way and he could likely build one fairly quickly. Might also help if he'd actually finish the boat before attempting to launch it.

No I didnt see any videos by him, but I wont condemn him without knowing if he has the skills to calculate and build this boat.