ZZZip Kit lands in my shop

[Sam's ZIP]

The rush of the wind.....the throaty roar of the mighty Suzie 25....the adoring gazes of the envious multitudes....yes.....yes.....

[Sam's ZIP]

[Cue very sad music track]


Every once in awhile, a sad, lonesome ZIP building form is left to be neglected, abused.......forgotten. Only you can help. These building forms suffer alone.....waiting for someone to help. Please say you will be the answer for a Zip building form that is suffering, who needs your help right now.

Please pick up your phone right now and dial 1-800-SAVE-A-ZIP and be a hero for helpless Zip building forms like this one. Only fifty cents a day will give these neglected building forms a new life. Call within the next ten seconds and you will receive a photo of a liberated ZIP, and you will know that you have done your part to save neglected ZIP building forms. This is your chance to say 'I won't sit by while a building form suffers'.

(No building forms were killed or injured during the production of this commercial......but this one's days are numbered.....)

[Roberta]

Awesome.

Roberta

[Steve B.]

LOL that's funny! Your build looks GREAT! You will enjoy it soon!
--Steve

[vupilot]

Totally expected to check in today and see a finished boat! Oh, well. Maybe next week.

[Sam's ZIP]

Totally expected to check in today and see a finished boat! Oh, well. Maybe next week.

Yep, I've fallen behind schedule.........

I'm rapidly approaching the 75% done, 75% to go stage.

[Sam's ZIP]

The interior of the boat is encapsulated so now it's time to plan and fab floors and seats.

But I have a question for those with considerable exposure to various boats. I've seen photos of a couple of boats that have very attractive wood seats with no padding, looks very vintage. The esthetics of wood seats appeals to me but are they practical from a comfort perspective? I suppose wood seats could be installed then converted to conventional upholstery if too many complaints from the paying customers.

Any thoughts?

Thx!

[hoodman]

These are my seats. You definitely want padding for your butt. I went for a year or so without it. It's so much better now.

[PWDULA]

Faster then my build! Mark makes a seat and floor kit, which is removable for inspection of bilge, it works well for me.
Peter

[Sam's ZIP]

Thanks for the feedback, y'all are confirming the local advise I've gotten. Haven't decided yet whether to pop for Mark's seat/floor kit or roll my own.

[Sam's ZIP]

But before we can have seats, we need a floor (sole?). I decided to fabricate my own floor system instead of buying the ZipKit floor kit. First step was to install clear yellow pine floor "joists" on the keel and battens which should also stiffen the battens. This substructure was encapsulated with two coats of epoxy.

I found some 3/8" beaded birch plywood at my local lumberyard and decided it might have a sufficiently nautical look. There is no way to get full-size panels in the boat so the panels join at the center joist on the keel. The 4' panels are large enough to fill the spaces between frames when the bead runs athwartship. I cut trim pieces from the paneling to finish out the center joints. The outside edges of the panels rest on the chines.

The backside and edges of the panels were coated with epoxy and there is now two coats of epoxy on the stained upper surface. They'll get one more coat, then sanded and varnished.

[Sam's ZIP]

The availability of new 25-30hp motors seems to be nil at this point in time and I'm being told new orders won't be filled for up to 12-18 months. I've been looking at Suzuki's 25 and 30 (same motor, just different rpm redline) but the only thing I've found in stock is a short-shaft 25. I'm fine with the 25 but had been planning on a long-shaft to retain the full dimension of the transom.

My question for the group; Is there a compelling reason not to use a short-shaft on the ZIP? My transom would need to be trimmed for a short shaft but I don't mind doing that if needed.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Roberta]

The original plans called for a cutout in the transom for the short shaft motors and a bump up for long shaft motors. Looking at your transom, it appears a bump up is not present and the transom appears to just curve straight across with no cutout for short shaft motors. Ideally, you want the cavitation plate on the motor to be in plane with the bottom of the boat at the keel regardless of shaft length. Consequently, you need to consult your motor manufacturer's recommended transom height to determine engine mounting height and adjust the transom accordingly. Configuring your boat for a short shaft motor is not an issue unless you think you may decide to use a larger motor that does not have a short shaft option.

Roberta

[Sam's ZIP]

Thank you, Roberta. The photos of the transom may be misleading, it has a slight top arch and is 20" from top to bottom. I have the rigging manual for the Suzuki motors and the short 25 is 16.6" from the cavitation plate to the top of the transom clamp. So the transom should be easily modified for the short motor. I'm thinking I'll go this route since I may be motorless next summer if I don't get something lined up now. The supply line problems are really an aggravation right now.

I'm also assuming (again) that performance difference between the 25 and 30 will be very slight if even noticeable since they appear to be identical motors with the 30 just having a 300rpm higher redline.

The original plans called for a cutout in the transom for the short shaft motors and a bump up for long shaft motors. Looking at your transom, it appears a bump up is not present and the transom appears to just curve straight across with no cutout for short shaft motors. Ideally, you want the cavitation plate on the motor to be in plane with the bottom of the boat at the keel regardless of shaft length. Consequently, you need to consult your motor manufacturer's recommended transom height to determine engine mounting height and adjust the transom accordingly. Configuring your boat for a short shaft motor is not an issue unless you think you may decide to use a larger motor that does not have a short shaft option.

Roberta

[Sam's ZIP]

Done, ready for seat frames. The floor is very solid but still lightweight (trying to keep this boat light).....and didn't cost much. I'll probably add some drain/vent holes under the seats.