Comp Vector thread

[XstreamVking]

Good eye Dave S I had not seen the differences.

[tnelsmn]

I think you can do it on the trailer. Lots of people here have done that. Thats my plan for the next build, however I would add extra supports to the trailer to hold the hull better. You could make a few extra bunks with some 2x6's and some U bolts. There's some money and time into building a cradle. Mine went pretty far overboard and could've been done with less plywood.

My advice would be to ensure the pad is supported, the running surface along either side of the pad is supported, and the chines are supported. Also ensure the bow isn't allowed to move around.

I would add core into the hull. Whether it came with it or not. Unless you're planning on nothing but strictly a potato chip race boat.

[Dave S]

Still a good starting point.......Wonder what it was copied from.....From what I think comp boats had a flat pad......Think/ drink...........I am not a stream guru ......just have 3......

[JoshP1]

Thanks for the replies guys! I bought 2 sheets of 3/4" treated plywood for a cradle. Cost me about $100. My plan is to build a cradle and take over my carport for the rebuild. I have no idea if it's a copy. The hull looks just like my old Viper, but I haven't had that boat for over 10 years. This is going to be a long-term project because my wife has me on a shoestring budget. I'll be able to get whatever type of materials I want, just gonna take a long time. I'm in law enforcement so the funds I had on the last boat resto are gone.

Unfortunately, I have no way to weigh it. What has me scratching my head right now is the HIN. It's a Hydrostream HIN as referencing the websites.

[Instigator]

Didn’t read your entire thread but if you want your Vector to fly true/straight, yes to the jig.

95% of people will tell you trailer is fine which is insane.
And 99% of them have never done it.
Ask them, and how fast they went w/finished product ��

Take the boat off it and move it around and watch it flex.
It may be straight on level ground but park it on a grade and watch it twist like a pretzel.
Bunks straight parallel, square?
Cuz you are getting a mirrored image of that.

And you want a jig, not a cradle.
That means straight, level, square and bolted to the floor.

When I put my pleasure Vector on my jig the aft, starboard corner set 1 1/2” above the cradle!
It was that way from the factory!

After I removed floor, stringers, core, I then tied it down, so it was straight then put it back together.

I converted it to Comp style w/no floor and bullet proofed stringers and a new core.

543 lbs once complete.

Ended up being a kick ass lil boat and went everywhere.

Ran an overweight OMC looper which the experts said would never work and loved it!

Good luck, be careful and have fun.
It will bite you if you don’t pay attention to what it wants.

[JoshP1]

I plan on having my wife and 2 kids in the boat at times. The lakes here are NOTORIUS for giant waves if you sneeze too hard, so I think I'm going to put in a core. I took a pic of the HIN. I also noticed the inside of the cockpit doesn't have the dropdowns like I thought I remember seeing on the Vectors, Vikings, Vkings. Not sure if that makes any difference. I do see where the inside of the gunnels up to the split line have biax instead of chop mat.

With it on the trailer and no stringers in it, the hull flexes just by moving the boat. It doesn't weigh much either, I'm thinking around 350-400 lbs. I have to wait to get more wood for the jig or cradle. I also will not be drilling into my carport as that is the only feasible place I have to work in it. I'm not planning to win any races, I just want something that runs about 70 mph and is fun to drive.

[tnelsmn]

Vectors never had the drop downs on the gunnels like the Vikings do.

Vector with a 2.5 will do a lot better than 70 depending on the set up.

[LakeFever]

Imo the cradle is the best way to approach this. I didnt bolt mine down it sat very steady and i got all my chines and pad blueprinted to very exacting tolerances. I could jack up the cradle and bolt on casters when i wanted to move it. I cant imagine trying to do half of what i did with the cap on or on the trailer

[Instigator]

I had a friend do one on its trailer.
Never ran right and they didn’t know why.

To the point that one of our mutual buddies crawled under the front deck while they ran it, to try and tame it.
It didn’t work and he was battered and bruised for wks!

Build your cradle, put a level on both ends and both sides.
Now lift it and put you casters on it and roll it around.

Now hit it again w/your level.

I learned to do this when building/racing kneel down hydros after doing it w/o.
Difference was drastic and it stuck w/me.

Couple yrs ago I built a 9’ dinghy for a cruiser we had and, I built it on a jig, bolted to the concrete floor of my shop.

Clearly the author of this thread won’t and that’s fine.
But, I do it w/one screw at each corner, that leaves a 1/4” hole that’s easy to fill when your done.

My Vector ran 72 w/it’s twisted hull before I straightened it so, roll the dice.

He picked one of THE most difficult vee bottoms on the planet to drive straight and w/his wife and two kids in it.

Just trying to help.

[LakeFever]

Your absolutely spot on there. You cant be too accurate and surely if a job of this size is taken on it should be done as well as possible

[Instigator]

I did get away w/cheating once.

Also, was not a race boat.

Square/level the bunks on your trailer, w/boat on it, then put the trailer on Jack stands.
Level them then tie the hull to the trailer.

[JoshP1]

Well, I just dumped another $100 on plywood for the cradle. I need to measure a lot to see if I can get away with using half sheets cut longways for the crossmembers of the cradle. I already have a lot of 2×4s from a demo job I did for my neighbor. Those will be the rest of the cradle. I have been thinking more about tying the cradle into my slab. That is a pretty good possibility at this point. I just need to clear out space around the perimeter to be able to move.

[Dave S]

Like the Wood............

[JoshP1]

So far I have 4 sheets of 3/4" 4'×8' treated plywood for the crossmembers. I have about 40 2"×4"×10' and about 12 2×4×8'. I've been thinking more about what type and how many anchors to use. Any suggestions? I was thinking 6 to bolt it to the slab.

[Instigator]

Very cool.

Dont worry what wood you use where on your cradle.
It is a sacrificial component of the build.

If you assemble it w/drywall screws, you can disassemble it when your project is complete and re-use 90% of the lumber.

Remember, all your doing is building a box that is flat, square and straight.

When you start second guessing yourself on whether something is straight/level on the boat during rebuild, knowing it’s on a straight jig makes that part easy.

BTW, most of my jigs are either 2x3 (cheaper than 2x4) or 2x4 framed, skinned with 1/4” ply.

Well, I just dumped another $100 on plywood for the cradle. I need to measure a lot to see if I can get away with using half sheets cut longways for the crossmembers of the cradle. I already have a lot of 2×4s from a demo job I did for my neighbor. Those will be the rest of the cradle. I have been thinking more about tying the cradle into my slab. That is a pretty good possibility at this point. I just need to clear out space around the perimeter to be able to move.