Building the Zip
Gathering the troops
Flipping the boat
She's flipped
Like many builders before me, I spent many hours trying to find a good way to turn the hull over. My shop's ceiling height did not allow for any sling type contraptions so I decided we would simply lift it and turn it. Planning ahead, I decided to have a backyard cookout for family and friends. The theme was " Flippin' the Zip". I added cross bracing and two 2X4 cross members to protect the sheer line when the boat was vertical and resting on the sheer. The boat was jacked up off the building jig and jack stands were placed under the ends of the 2x4 cross members. The jig was dismantled and removed. From the masses that showed up, I selected the strongest eight. They lifted the boat up, removed the jack stands, and turned it up right, lowering it onto a dolly. The photo shows the bracing and happy, non-straining, faces handling the hull.
After the temporary cross bracing was removed and after two of the younger members of the team checked out the upright hull, it was time to start planning top side details.
At this point, I had decided that I would build a double cockpit runabout. I also decided to use a 20 inch transom . The higher transom would allow more space for the motor to tilt forward without a deep motor well. This is another way of saying I was unsuccessful in finding a short shaft motor. With these decisions behind me, I installed the framing and battens for the deck.
