Talk Morgan Forums Community General Photo Gallery Boat build

Another experiment in photo posting, this photo was taken yesterday, if this works I will add earlier pictures of the build and bore you all.

Fantastic, it worked, now I can add earlier pictures if there's any appetite for them out in TM land. I might even do it there's not.😂

Showing a great bit of ingenuity there Gordan, which I guess is not entirely unexpected... Great use of teamwork too.. Thanks for posting.

Thanks George, like I said though the lifting plan was down to my son. My plan was to invite a dozen or so friends and buy in a few crates of beer as lubricant, carry the hull outside, turn on the grass and carry back in.

The original idea at this stage was to buy or build the trailer. The central floor of the shed was removable and the hull would be rotated and placed on the trailer within the well for completion. A fear developed that the completed boat and trailer would exceed 3½ tons and therefore couldn't be moved with a land rover. The decision was made to go for an annual berth and not a summer berth as originally planned.

Back in 2009 I told mum and dad of my plans to build a boat, unfortunately dad died early that year and never seen the build started. Towards the end of the same year mum was diagnosed with MDS but with no prognosis given, not a good year. Fast forward to April 2017 and mums condition worsened and she passed away in hospital. I managed to tell her the boat would be named after dad and her which gave her great joy so that's how the name "Charleen" came about, Charlie and Kathleen.

So, here's some build pictures from 2017.

The bed in the main cabin, it was the living quarters in the plans but these were moved upstairs to the cabin.


Foredeck batons being fitted.


Bed with shelves at sides formed, hinged and gas rams will be fitted. Storage and bow thruster below.


The floor of the toilet, The curved step you see is in the bedroom, one either side.


You can see them here along with the toilet partition going up and shower base being framed up.


Bedroom roof light/escape hatch.


This is the drive option I decided on, a Levi surface drive. Chosen because of its low maintenance, no frills sturdy construction, good choice? Time will tell. Built in Malaysia by a German company and sold ex works only, it was a complete nightmare to import but that's a whole thread on its own.


The deck hatch from outside, you can also see the cabin clamps fitted here.


Later that year I started removal of the engine from the doner vehicle for marinisation. A Ford 1.8 XLD.
Total build hours at the end of 2017 had reached 1627.

Nice gesture on the name. A great reminder for you of your parents every time you use the boat.

I'm impressed that you've even built the forehatch yourself (which looks lovely), rather than using a proprietary item. Getting a home made hatch to be properly watertight can be a challenge, but you clearly know what you're doing.

I'm interested in the choice of a surface drive. The high speed performance is obviously a priority for you. I've never driven a boat with a surface drive. The advantages do seem attractive; no cavitation, less draught, better fuel efficiency, certainly less maintenance worries than with a classic sterndrive. I understand that slow speed manoeuvring can be tricky for the uninitiated.

Hi Gordon. The work you have done has been first class but please seek advice before fitting the surface drive, it will lift the stern and you wont have much weight with such a small engine. Even with a thruster close quarter manouvering will be a bit of a mare. Give Mike Bellamy at Lancing marine a ring he also has marinizing kits for Fords. Your fit out interior looks very similar to the Beneteau 760 we once owned a nice airy helm. Good luck with the fit out....Em

Thanks for your advice and support, I've worked closely with Lancing, they were aware of the choice of drive and supplied the marinisation kit and gearbox for the build along with a lot of support and advice.

I'm aware of the manoeuvring issues that affect the stern drive, apparently propeller design has gone some way to helping with control, especially when moving astern. I realise it's not perfect but neither were the other options, it was chosen on balance. I'm assured at low speed when the drive is submerged it will act similar to a traditional shaft and rudder set up.

Photos of it installed will follow. On the off chance someone is fitting a Levi drive be aware the supplied fitting dimensions were incorrect, this only came to light when I queried this with Rudi, the company owner, I would hope he has now corrected the installation instructions he supplies with the drive.

That's good Gordon I've seen too many drives fitted slightly out over the years which as you know involves whole lot of re glassing. Is Rudy the great Soni levi's son by any chance spoke to him at length once at the Southampton boat show....Em

Thanks. As far as I'm aware Rudi is no relation the the creator of the drive, I assume he purchased the right to manufacture. Mike told me about the death of Sonny around the time I purchased the engine parts from him. I'm sure he said he's still friends with Sonny's family.

Internet research did turn up some legal disputes, not between Rudi and Sonny but Rudi and a previous manufacturer of the drive. Like I said, the whole purchase and importation of the drive was a nightmare and not something I would wish to repeat.

Fantastic build - looking forward to the next instalment.

On the subject of low speed manoeuvring, in the 70's my Dad bought a 16' cabin cruiser for canal use with a 6hp Evinrude. Low speed steering was impossible and with a 4mph speed limit, everything was low speed until the holiday that took us on the Thames. Dad's solution was to fit a fixed rudder to the outboard. It worked very well. Then common sense prevailed and the cabin cruiser sold in favour of a 40' narrow boat.

On retirement, Dad sold the 40' narrow boat and bought a 55' hull and superstructure which was fitted out as a luxury two berth. Parents used to set off in April and return some time on October every year until Dad decided that he couldn't cope with the maintenance and paint on his own.


Photo taken in 2009:

My daughter works for Force four in the Cardiff branch if you need a bit of help give Beth a ring their quite copetative on their pricing....Em

Just back from the chiropractor, no lasting damage done with the incident prior to Christmas so whilst I sit with an ice pack on my back I'll post the next batch of photos.
Actually sitting like this reminds me of the engineer I went to see early on in the build about engine choice, "so you want to own a boat, Why don't you just stand in a cold shower and tear up tenners instead ?"
It was he who advised me to fit the Ford XLD. Sufficient power for purpose, reliable, easy to maintain and plentiful supply of spares.
So I followed his advice and this is it.

The holes in the transom for the drive.


And the drive being test fitted, top hole is exhaust, it vents the propeller at low speed when it's submerged.



Engine cleaned, new cam belt fitted and some of the marinising parts fitted. No, the moggie isn't mine its one of my mechanic brothers large collection, he kept me right with the marinisation of the engine




Lifting in for the first time! A fuel leak appeared after it was fully installed, soaked the new cam belt. Result, engine out again, another new cam belt, refurbishment of fuel pump with additional oomph added so now around 61bhp, refurbished injectors, new glow plugs and refitted.


Engine stringers being glued and fixed. Note the use of PU glue, if it's good enough for Morgan rear arches it's good enough for me. Wood lovers will notice the stringers are a different species, Utile, stronger but a lot heavier than the Meranti used for the frames.


A couple of the engine and transmission.



And the drive ready for sealing with sikaflex and bolting in. Note the well in the floor, boat cradles were made to suit the dimensions given with the Levi drive, as reported earlier these were incorrect and meant I had to lower the drive and cut a hole to clear the rudder.


This takes us up to October, I'll post more to take us up to the end of 2018.