Dauntless Modernized
 

First, I really appreciate and respect the Official Dauntless crew but I had to be different. In fact, I have learned a lot about the vessel and the kit from the official thread. If there is any interest in this 'modernization' I will continue this thread......

My Dauntless is going to be modernized from the cabin structure to the twin jet drives. Have only sketched the cabin structure and roughed in the jets.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Very Interested! Keep posting and adding pictures.

I have a dumas dauntless I am keeping in storage. If I ever build it, it will be modernized. In the mean time Im building an American Enterprise which looks more modern.

Where did you get the jet drives? What size are they and what are you going to power your boat with?

Cheers,
Dave

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Interesting. Do tell more. What make of drives are you using?

Marty

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

LClark: You cannot tease us with these pictures and then just drop it! :D

BTW, my mother-in-law has lived in Gilroy for 32 years. Where do you run your boats?

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Thanks for the positive response all. I am making slow progress, will try to do updates weekly so it actually looks like I accomplished something. Tonight I ended up designing a stern swim ladder and roughing it in.

I will be running in Golden Gate Park although I am going to try Coyote or Lake Cunningham as well (I heard some sailboaters go there).

I am using the following Graupner drives:

Scale JET drive - copy of a full scale drive system
11-3/8" long x 2-1/4" wide x 2-3/4" high. This is a copy of a full scale jet boat drive system. The basic unit allows forward travel only and steering. The turbine and chambers are made of injection molded nylon. The design and quality of the system is in the tradition of Graupner’s famous high quality propellers for boat and aircraft use. Shafts and bearings are corrosion resistant. Boats fitted with the JET drive can run in very shallow water since there is no rudder, prop shaft, or propeller hanging down. Power each JET drive with a SPEED 700 motor GR3308.
GR2340 Basic JET Propulsion Boat Drive ..... $ 89.90
IN STOCK
Reverse Mechanism
Order this to add reverse to your JET drive. When the reverse mechanism is lowered, the water stream is deflected forwards and the boat runs in reverse. When you lower the reverse mechanism at about half throttle, and give a rudder command, the boat rotates on a dime!
GR2340/1 Reverse Mechanism for Basic JET Propulsion Boat Drive ..... $ 24.90
IN STOCK
This set contains an injection molded flange and an ABS reversing flap.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Gluing in the starboard jet drive housing......

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Put a lot of thought into this before bringing it up, but I'm afraid of where the waterline is going to be. It looks like the nozzle will be almost completely out of the water. I have some concerns, that the pumps wont prime. From other peoples dauntless models, It seems the waterline, is around a 1/4 of the height of the transom. The only way I see out of this situation is to cut the drives down and even then you'll have to weight the aft down a bit. By cutting down the drive, I mean cutting the intake horizontally, like a section. You could cut it down till the nozzle flange is right at the bottom of the boat. I'm not sure of any other way.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

I completly agree with quicksilver. In addition the transom is not flat but curved. Aft weight is good but for a 48inch that displaces a large amount of water weight is another problem. I could put 10 lbs in the back of my Dauntless and it might drop a inch.

This boat is in the 20lbs. range and is quite heavy.

Hope these pictures help you see how the boat sits in the water.

Marty

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

wow or ow...thanks for the input. I am eliminating the curved transom for the mounts but am now concerned about the priming. Will need to get the units 'glued' the moters etc and try this out......

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

HELP!.......Need some assistance with the priming problem.

1) What does the water level need to be with respect to the jet pump shaft centerline to ensure priming?

2) What is the static waterline of a stock Dauntless?

It looks like I can lower the units 3/8 of an inch by adding intake nacelles on the bottom and lowering everything. If I need to lower it further I will have issues with the gear reducer hardware.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

hmm, well, I hate to say it, but I dont know if this can work, from looking more and more at other peoples dauntless's, I feel this hull is unsuitable for water jets. I would say maybe it would work with mini jets, but no. It's just not suitable. The only way to pull this off in any way. is to cut down the drives, like I said before. You'd also need to seriously weigh down the hull. I would prefer the nozzles more than 70% submerged, no less.

I dont know man. It's just the hull.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Thanks for the input Quick....I will study it some more and see if I can make it work one way or another...chain saws, etc...

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

It looks like the plans call for the waterline to be 3 1/4" from the top of the transom.

Well, even if the jet drives are a no-go, you can still go ahead with your modernizing plans, right? Just patch up the jet cutouts and try again... Maybe put in dual flex shafts, stainless props and brushless motors? One great thing about the Dauntless is it can hold a lot of batteries and still sit shallow in the water.

BTW what are your plans for modernizing the cabin? I've thought about building a second cabin for mine using modern plans so that I can run it with a classic or modern look.... but never got around to it.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

First, thanks for all the input on the jet drives!

Although I am frustrated that they will not work, I am grateful to find out now. I did a float test tonight, the water line was barely 1/8" up the transom (with motors, no battery). To achieve 70% submergance I would need to have the jet shaft centerline at or below the bottom of the hull. Hardly possible.

The bad news is I designed the boat stand low because nothing extended below the hull....oh well....I will install a lift kit somehow......

The GREAT news is that I have minimal patching to do and I am at a good point in the construction to do it.

The next great news is that I have 2 jet drives available for my next crazy project, whatever it may be. I would like to keep it to a scale-ish vessel.......or.....I have been considering a recovery vessel. Basically a pontoon boat with deep pontoons to cradle the vessle being 'rescued'. Now being an expert on jet drives (NOT), I could put one in each pontoon. They would certainly be submerged enough. I saw a navy drydock ship that I was thinking about using as a concept start. I would need to leave the center hull section as a framework so it will sit lower, thought about flooding her to to raise and lower her.....thought I had a pic of her stern, basically open...... Any thoughts or comments?

Dauntless fan....I have some concepts sketched out on paper. Some of that will change now that I can go deeper with the rear deck (the jet drives were forcing it way up). Soon I will be starting the cabin structure, will keep posting pics of it. If I get a 'clean enough' sketch I will take a pic of it and post it.

Any suggestions on engines and props for her now?

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Well, I did it....cut the jets out....should be no problem patching the hull. I ordered a Mack hardware set and 2.25" 3 bladed props. Now I am wondering if I should go with their t motor or four motor set-up with gear reducers. Any advice?

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

The recovery vehicle idea is cool. It would have to be big, but it could be very trick. If powered and designed correctly it could move at planing speeds, stop sink, turn a pump on and go. My thought was to make the hull flood by itself, like a self righting boat. When the boat's moving the water evacuates the hull, as soon as you stop it floods. Start a bilge pump going and slowly increase throttle, you could recover boat pretty fast if it were setup right. By setup up right I mean, have enough power, the right displacement, hull shape big enough pump. Sounds hard but I dont think it would be too difficult.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Got the MACK hardware, very high quality............

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Got the hull repaired. The struts happen to be located at the patches so I needed to re-inforce them.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Crude sketch of where I think I am going with the cabin structure.

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Getting to the point of customization (after pugging up all the jet holes...lol). The cockpit area is covered with a hard deck. The front of the cabin structure will have a slight tpaered piece added. The rear deck hatch is built as well as all the framework. Will finishe the rear deck well in a few days and start the rest of the main cabin mods as well as the flying bridge. I did raise the main cabin floor so the 'scale' figures actually can see out the front windows when standing (thank you Dautless Captains).

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Wow, excellent job[8D]. Nice lines on the modernization design. Keep us posted with the pics, much appreciated!!!

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

LClark,

Your Dauntless is coming out great! Well done!

Also, it looks very good without the forward cockpit, it really streamlines the bow.

Best of luck!

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

At first sight I said what the ___ is he doing? It is going to be a mess. Now that I see the progress and the sketch it is going to be a SWEET looking boat. Keep us posted.

Great job!

Marty

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

Some updates....have been re-enforcing the decks....working on the rear dec and main cabin...still working on the flying bridge structure so it looks really bad here......

RE: Dauntless Modernized
 

so let's try the pics again...