Light lay-up / how do u tell

[vdrivenman]

have zero knowledge of jet hulls, other than knwing the name brands.
how do u determine if a hull is a light lay up or other w/o actually weighing the hull ?
is there some indication in the vin/hin number or in the model number.
trying to determine if the SW 4 sale is light or lake

[Bense468]

knock on them. You can just tell, If they are really light you will know it.

[Cs19]

just look/feel how thick the glass is, its very easy to tell if its light or not. Can you walk on the deck? On my 400 or so lb. hull walking on the deck is hardly an option,only in certain spots. On our 700 lb southwind you can walk on it but you cant dance on it.:D Check the bottom as well. If you pound on the glass with your hand you kinda get a feel for whats thin and whats not.

[sidewound]

When I bought mine I checked the hull thickness with a luminator and a sonic bremahator. DON'T DO THIS! It doesn't work! My hull must weigh a 8,000 COSTometers. Bad choice.
Good luck!
Peace Man!:cool:
CESAR

[LakesOnly]

Originally posted by vdrivenman
how do u determine if a hull is a light lay up or other w/o actually weighing the hull ?
trying to determine if the SW 4 sale is light or lake
vdriveman,
If you are talking about the brown/white Southwind Tunnel Dragster in the ***boat classifieds section, it sold many moons ago. That was sangermike's boat.
I made the HUGE mistake of passing on that deal. Original gel, 100% complete less longblock, no obvious drag history (i.e. clean hull). Immaculate Southwind Tunnels are hard to come by...
Lighter lay-ups can be comprised of things such as fewer layers of fiberglas, a different weight weave of fiberglas and having the excess resin squegee'd off before final set.
I used to be unaware whether my Southwind 18 ft. "Formula I" T-Deck was a lighter lay-up than Southwind's 18 ft. "Original Jet" or not. Was it just styling cues (t-deck, parquette floor, etc.) or not? The full-length stringers should have tipped me off (Orignal Jets have only engine-length stringers). The guy I know who owns the Orignla jet is twice my wieght and can stand on his bow, whereas I can see the gel coat's styling pattern from the underside of my bow and I fear walking on my bow out of fear of falling though and all the crackling I hear/flimsiness I feel.
It helps to have personally inspected several examples of hull designs you are interested in; companies like Southwind often produce one-off boats to order; I once saw a tunnel dragster t-deck:eek: with pump pod and all...not sure if it was an 18 ft or 19 ft. The guy didn't know what the hell he had.....
I am soon in the market again for a tunnel dragster (keeping my present boat) and from California will be willing to cross the Rockies for just the right hull.
Hope this helps,
Paul

[LVjetboy]

Hmmm. I can walk on my deck and others've danced on it. Even had s*x on it. Must be heavy.
:)
jer

[vdrivenman]

i appreciate all the responses. after reading and thinking about it !
i beleive the hull to be a heavy lay up. i walked on the gunnels and they did not give. the stringes run the length of the boat and are heavily glassed over. the mat appears to be thick. i din't walk on the deck, but it appears very firm as does the floor, not much flex, so i guess it is a heavy lay up hull.
once again thanks guys.
this hull is for sale for 1500 that includes the pump & trailer. it would make a great project, provided it doesn't sit out through the winter.

[OkieDave]

It isn't hard to build a 400 lb. 18' boat that you can walk on the deck without the crackling sound. Just use the right stuff in the right places and no extra or waste. !/4" balsa with light mat and cloth cover will add a lot of strength without a lot of weight to the deck and gunnells. If the boat is floating, push the front sideways back and forth and feel how easy it is to move. there's a clue to the weight. knock on it with your knuckles. you can tell. nothing wrong with light as long as its in the right places.

[Moomawnster]

Originally posted by LVjetboy
Hmmm. I can walk on my deck and others've danced on it. Even had s*x on it. Must be heavy.
:)
jer
Man if ya can't have s*x on the deck , whats the use !:D
I think my Tahiti is fairly heavy , but with the motor out I can pick the back off the trailer , so it can't be THAT heavy.....