*THE HULL TRUTH is the world's largest FREE network for the discussion of Boating & Fishing. Whether you're researching a new boat, or are a seasoned Captain, you'll find The Hull Truth Boating & Fishing Message Forum contains a wealth of information from Boaters and Sportfishermen around the world.
Welcome to the updated THT!
If you are having trouble signing in, please email feedback@thehulltruth.com with your username and we will help you. We thank you for your patience as we help you access the new site!
Random Quote: My wife doesn't trust me. She thinks I want to screw her.
I love this boat. I have the baby to it with the Mako 285 DC. Love the dual consoles and forward bench/bed seating. Makes having people on board a lot of fun. and of course, the 300's. Nice job, would love to see a few hundred detailed photos of it !
The owner of this boat used to have a Mako 285 and he understands that this layout is the best for what he does. We made the bench seats over 6 feet long so you can comfortably sleep on deck in the islands. He also added 12 volt AC to the cabin for those muggy nights. The picture of your Mako looks great. Nice job!!
You have a great eye. That is the old Pearson mold. It was sold to Catalina and they made a bunch of Islander 34's out of her. I changed the sheer line at the stern a little to soften her up.
We ran her again today with 520 gallons of fuel in her and the Isen galss up and she ran a little bit slower. i saw 29 knots @ 4200 with a fuel burn of 32 GPH. Not bad for such a large footprint.
Finally got the chance to run on the new 34 Tortuga and it didnt dissappoint. I managed just shy of 41 knots full of fuel with the eisenglass down. The stability of the boat is amazing, put three guys on the gunnel and the boat doesnt move. Hopefully I can get some pictures to post of the boat running. Robert did a fantastic job on this one its a winner.
Here are some pics of the boat running and sitting at rest. The boat has made some island trips already . So far everything works great. Livewell holds a zillion pilchards.
The boat is designed to be powered with either a single diesel , twin diesel , I/O Jackshaft Diesel or outboards. The stringer and bulkhead layout allows me to do it any way I want. There is so much room that I can still have large fishboxes, livewell, and storage.
Your questions about the Tortuga34 construction are important.
We try to use the best materials properly throughout the build.
Starting with lamination we use Cooks Gel Coat and Vinyl ester skin coats. Followed up with a vinyl ester blend resin and multiple layers of non-woven biaxial glass. The hull bottom is solid glass and plenty thick. The hull sides are cored with 5/8 inch Core Cell. We start the core about 3 inches above the chine so we can add spray rails if the customer wants. Plus I think it makes the hull stronger and less likely to be damaged when being hauled and transported.
All bulkheads and stringers are 24 pound density foam core. We make them in the shop , grind them and them install them in the hull with triple tapes of 2408 biaxial. We use 3 main bulheads and 4 full length longitudinal stringers. The stringers and bulkheads are full height to the deck. needless to say the deck does not move under your feet at all.
The outboard model gets a ceramic poured transom that is about 3 inches thick including glass. It does not move at all period!
Basically all components are glassed and bonded together to make one homogenous structure. The boat is rock solid and you can tell that when you board her. She barley moves when you step on the gunnel because of the beam.
We encase our aluminum fuel tanks fully in four pound foam and then glass them in place. They are their for a lifetime.
All electrical is done by hand. We have opted not to use pre-made harnesses because of the custom nature of our product. We also do not use deutsch connectors for the same reason. We want our customers to be able to replace lights and pumps easily and troubleshooting is much easier.
Plumbing is pretty straight forward. we use premium hose , 316 ABA clamps and plenty of straps to keep everything in place. We also use vented loops and check valves in many applications to reduce the chance of sinking. Nothing worse than a boat getting stuck under a dock and sinking due to plimbing issues near the waterline.
As far as warranty goes , I back up what I build. If something breaks within the first year it is replaced period! The structural warranty is five years on the hull and superstructure . Hull number one has been on the water for 2 months with several bahamas trips. The only problem has been a breaker that needed to be larger for the underwater lights. Other than that it is perfect.
I had Canvas West do the Curtians to my specs. They do a good job. They used a product called Regalite for the material. I think it is as good as the other brand name out there. None of them like to be rolled up wet for too long.
They are also the EZ2CY franchise for the area. Luckily Sarasota has a great number of vendors to choose from because of the amount of boats that have historically been built in the area. Unfortunately the economy is starting to thin them out.
Nice write up in Sport Fishing Magazine on the 34 Tortuga. I would like to see one built with diesels as well. The boat is so stable you could easily put a three to five step tower on it and not really compromise much stability.
Nice write up in Sport Fishing Magazine on the 34 Tortuga. I would like to see one built with diesels as well. The boat is so stable you could easily put a three to five step tower on it and not really compromise much stability.
Here is the link to the above referenced write up. Hope this is not against any rule!
