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- Progress on Contender 31 FA 'Knockdown'!
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Penn Presents: |
Progress on Contender 31 FA 'Knockdown'! |
- By Greg Stotesbury
- Published 06/20/2008
- Latest Updates
- Unrated
Progress, at last!
"Knock Down" has been in the yard for a couple of weeks now since her arrival back at the first of the month. Tom Rogers at Saltwater Specialties is working his magic with the heliarc torch and a bunch of aluminum tubing, while Barry Talbot has started twisting wire and figuring out the Simrad package.
I've been down to Tom's yard in Costa Mesa a couple times a week to help with questions about layout of components, shape and design of the folding tower, materials selection, parts fitting, floor design...and a zillion other small details! I am gaining a greater appreciation for the amount of thought and detail Steve and Anthony must have had to put into the Bad Company boats with their super-complicated systems and design challenges! "Knock Down" is only half the size, but I have found myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking about what needs to be covered with Tom or Barry the next day...
Where is the 2-meter mike going to be located??
Do we need 3 tuna tubes or just 2??
Dont forget to ask Tom about the deck light locations...
Where are we going to put the new control actuators??
Dont forget the 12V outlets on both sides of the upper station for gyro-bino plug-ins...
Make sure to get the transducer adaptor for the Simrad connection...
Ask Tom about mast light and running lights on the upper station...
Last night we went over the design of the upper station dashboard, seating, electronics location, bolster locations and general ergonomics of the seating-dashboard-pipework design. This is all critical stuff which will make or break the functionality and form of this beautiful Contender fishing machine!
I've attached a few photos below showing the progress so far. I'll be in Florida all of next week and when I return Tom should just about have the pipework, fiberglass floor and all the rigging completed.
Basic tower framework...
Figuring out the upper station...
Side-entry ladder
Top cut off to add folding clevises...
Where are we going to put the padding...
Barry's Simrad dash layout...
Companion way entry with tower truss...
Stay tuned for more updates when I return from Key West...GS
I've been down to Tom's yard in Costa Mesa a couple times a week to help with questions about layout of components, shape and design of the folding tower, materials selection, parts fitting, floor design...and a zillion other small details! I am gaining a greater appreciation for the amount of thought and detail Steve and Anthony must have had to put into the Bad Company boats with their super-complicated systems and design challenges! "Knock Down" is only half the size, but I have found myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking about what needs to be covered with Tom or Barry the next day...
Where is the 2-meter mike going to be located??
Do we need 3 tuna tubes or just 2??
Dont forget to ask Tom about the deck light locations...
Where are we going to put the new control actuators??
Dont forget the 12V outlets on both sides of the upper station for gyro-bino plug-ins...
Make sure to get the transducer adaptor for the Simrad connection...
Ask Tom about mast light and running lights on the upper station...
Last night we went over the design of the upper station dashboard, seating, electronics location, bolster locations and general ergonomics of the seating-dashboard-pipework design. This is all critical stuff which will make or break the functionality and form of this beautiful Contender fishing machine!
I've attached a few photos below showing the progress so far. I'll be in Florida all of next week and when I return Tom should just about have the pipework, fiberglass floor and all the rigging completed.
Basic tower framework...
Figuring out the upper station...
Side-entry ladder
Top cut off to add folding clevises...
Where are we going to put the padding...
Barry's Simrad dash layout...
Companion way entry with tower truss...
Stay tuned for more updates when I return from Key West...GS
