Damen 804 Stan Launch

By Chum444 12 entries 14 Jun 2025 — 28 Jun 2025
102Likes
16Comments
Chapter 01 / 12

12 chapters · Page 1 of 2

Chum444 Opening post 1

Damen 804 Stan Launch

Here’s one I’ve messed around with off & on for awhile.

Photo 1:The real launch.
Photos 2 & 3:Starting the framework.
Quite a story behind the kit. One individual produced a well designed kit with all highly detailed parts included to complete the build. There was another individual advertising kits based on the plans he stole from the first fellow. His was poorly made with junk parts seemingly from his leftover parts bin. Many of them unusable as they had no relation to the 804 launch.
Well, I thought I had done the research to be sure I got the right kit. NOT! I ended up with the vastly inferior kit. It contained poorly fitting frames, a worthless motor, & had many parts either missing or completely out of scale or character for the launch.
So, the challenge began.
Liked by RodC and Mike Stoney and

As things progressed

After a lot of fabrication of missing parts and correction of those that didn’t fit.
Liked by RodC and Cashrc and

Onward

Knashing of teeth, bashing of kit.
Liked by RodC and Wolle and

Float test

It floats, looks like a boat.
No leaks! Actually that’s not a surprise given two coats of flowable epoxy on the hull’s interior & 0.5 oz. Fiberglass cloth & epoxy on hull’s exterior.
Liked by Wolle and DWBrinkman and

Continuing

A few updates.
Liked by RodC and Cashrc and

A pause & then resume some progress

The bulwarks were simply cut incorrectly so didn’t come close to fitting. Stern bulwark missing completely. GRRR! Back on the shelf for awhile.

After resuming work:
Photo 1 - Fabricated & installed proper
bulwarks.
Photo 2 - Original fit of push knee. This will be
easy to fix.
photo 3 - Foredeck under deck bracing for fwd
tow bit support. If a towing event
does pop up hope to tow light load.
Liked by Len1 and RodC and

Example of kit’s issues

Comparison of actual window shape in house & the frames supplied. Adding insult to injury, even though wrong there weren’t enough frames included for all house windows.

They made up for it though by incorrectly cutting the panels for the house. 😝
Liked by Len1 and EdW and

Onward toward completion

Approaching it.

Photo 1: Aft & midship clearing ports 1/4” above
deck level. Too high to function so
closed in as shown in Photo 2.
Photo 3: Added needed push knee extension.
Photo 5: Fwd tow bit filled with steel reinforced
epoxy & screwed to blocking under fwd
deck.
Liked by Len1 and RodC and
Chum444 #10 of 12 1

Motor

Thank you Cash & Jump for your kind comments.

Jump, lobster boat on the horizon? I might be able to source a Midwest. I know of a few. A couple partially built another complete kit; not
the 31” version but the 24”. I’m told the 24”” version is easily RC convertible. A 280 size motor & a mini servo would likely provide good performance.l

Cash, I’m running a motor from my spares box, the original motor used in the 31” MW lobster boat. It’s a click slow but runs well in the hull.

Don’t know that motor’s specs, but something in the 4-6000 RPM range would be about right if I decide to change it. Your thoughts?
Liked by Len1 and SouthportPat and

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