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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Vancouver WA
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    1,111

    Default Trayson's DIY "Supra Surf System" (SSS) modeled after the NSS

    So, I've been wanting to do a "delayed convergence" system on my boat. I've seen a ton of writeups with various levels of home brew projects. When it came down to it, I found myself debating between doing a Surfgate type system (albeit manual) or a Nautique Surf System (NSS) inspired system.

    I found a great template on a forum that gave the exact dimensions of the 2014 Axis surfgate. But then I found a writeup where someone did a NSS inspired system on a Malibu.

    I've had the opportunity to ride both a Malibu with Surfgate and a couple of Nautiques (G23 and G25) with NSS. In the end, the less bulk of the NSS and suitability of my hull (flat) for the installation won me over. So, I'm doing a "Supra Surf System" (SSS) on my boat. I'll use HDPE as a baseplate and throughbolt that to my hull. Then I'll have a "blade" likewise made from 1/2" HDPE that will slide out and downward.

    I took my measurements for blade excursion from the writeup by H20 Junkie on the Malibu forums http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/...alibu-project/
    Basically he was able to get measurements from a bunch of Nautiques and was able to determine that the optimal sideways excursion is up to 3" and the optimal downward excursion is between 3/4" and 1". I went with 3" out and 3/4" down.

    Here is a really crude drawing that was the beginning of my vision (even before I read the other guy's writeup).


    The step on the stern of my boat from white to black is exactly 1/2". So the logical choice for material was 1/2" HDPE in white. I figured I'd have two baseplates, a lower "filler" baseplate that covered the white, and another baseplate on top of that that covered all of the lower filler plate as well as some of the black portion of my stern. Then I would have a blade that slid on posts that came up from the baseplates. And a simple knob to secure it in place when extended or retracted. Basically, unscrew knob, slide out the blade to the desired spot, then tighten the knob down. Very manual, but very quick and easy.

    To start I got out some cardboard and made a mockup:

    Retracted assembly:


    Blade fully deployed:


    Backside of assembly deployed:
    2008 Moomba Mobius XLV. Monster Cargo Bimini, and more mods to come...

    1992 Supra Sunsport. **SOLD** 2k pounds ballast, Surf System, Blue LED's everywhere, decent audio system.


    Tow Rig: 2013 F150 Ecoboost FX4 (wife's rig) Other money pits include:1998 BMW M3 Cabriolet, 2002 Audi S6 Avant, 2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Vancouver WA
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    Default

    Next, I taped my cardboard assemply onto my boat to see how it'd look. Of course it was dark out, but I had to press on...

    Extended


    Retracted from front (it looks like it sticks out but is parallel with the lines of the hull and only protrudes because of the rounded corners of the corner)


    Retracted


    Extended from front:


    Since my goal was to pull my gas tank to install this using through bolting, I made sure to drain my tank down (not hard when surfing on a few outings). I was glad I did that because last night when I tried to drain my tank, I couldn't get any of my fluid pumps working. So frustrating. In the end I muscled the gas tank out without draining it. Luckily there was only probably 6 or 7 gallons left in the tank.
    2008 Moomba Mobius XLV. Monster Cargo Bimini, and more mods to come...

    1992 Supra Sunsport. **SOLD** 2k pounds ballast, Surf System, Blue LED's everywhere, decent audio system.


    Tow Rig: 2013 F150 Ecoboost FX4 (wife's rig) Other money pits include:1998 BMW M3 Cabriolet, 2002 Audi S6 Avant, 2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Vancouver WA
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    Here's a pic of the inside of my trunk from when I re-did my rudder packing. The stern is at the bottom of this pic.


    So, I went to my local TAP plastics and bought 6 pieces of 13x17" HDPE in 1/2" thickness. Turns out that I could have gotten away with 1 piece less as I was able to make my bottom baseplate for both Port and Starboard out of a single piece. But it's better to have too much than not enough. All the HDPE was a total of $78. I played around with taping up a template on the HDPE the other night...



    Then I made a run to my local industrial bolt supply company. I chose to go with 1/4-20 bolts because it's such a common thread pattern. I mapped out where I'd have all my bolts and holes. My plan was to have the bolts for the posts going through all of the hull, baseplate(s), and blade. I would have a thin nut on top of the baseplates and then have the remainder of the bolt go through the blade with a nylock nut on top. That way the blade would actually be sliding on the bolts of the posts (or maybe washers) instead of having the whole of the blade sliding on the whole of the upper baseplate. I figure less friction and a small gap would work well.

    After my first run to the bolt store, I was into hardware $20. I made another run to a local ACE hardware store and got my wing knobs. ($5). I got some plastic handles that you'd use on a kitchen cabinet or drawer for $5 from Home Depot. I also got a tube of 3m 4200 fast cure from West marine ($15)


    Last night I made yet another cardboard template for the lower baseplate (that covered the white). I also drilled all of my holes for the starboard side (Regular wave is more important to me so it made sense to start with the blade that would affect goofy and learn from that to make any slight improvements to the Port side). I had my wife hold the smaller lower baseplate to the hull and I drilled the holes in the baseplate from the inside of the boat out using the holes in the hull as my pilot holes. Sadly, I knicked my wife's finger with the drillbit when I THOUGHT I was drilling out one hole and turned out to be drilling out another that her hand was covering! A little blood, but she wasn't hurt.

    So, by the end of last night I had all the holes drilled in both baseplates. I then took all my bolts and verified that I had my lengths right. Turns out that almost universally I needed longer bolts because I was going through thicker stuff on the hull than anticipated. So I got down all the actual bolt sizes I needed and went back to Vancouver Bolt and got more hardware. (another $15 in hardware for longer bolts, even more washers, and a few bolts I missed getting the first trip.)

    By this time is was getting really late and I'd imagine my neighbors already hate me for my late night boat projects involving drills and impact guns and the like that are outside their bedroom window. So that's where I am so far.

    Unfortunately tonight's forecast is for showers and I might be doing some of this in the wet. I'd like to get this buttoned up so I can get the 24 hours of fast cure with the 4200 and not miss any boating time this weekend. It's possible, we'll have to see!
    Last edited by trayson; 06-12-2014 at 05:11 PM.
    2008 Moomba Mobius XLV. Monster Cargo Bimini, and more mods to come...

    1992 Supra Sunsport. **SOLD** 2k pounds ballast, Surf System, Blue LED's everywhere, decent audio system.


    Tow Rig: 2013 F150 Ecoboost FX4 (wife's rig) Other money pits include:1998 BMW M3 Cabriolet, 2002 Audi S6 Avant, 2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Hudson, WI
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    2,651

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    Sweet project. I know exactly how I'd make this work. I'd use the outside bolts and washers as slide bearings, leave them just snug enough so that they slide but still tight enough that they don't rattle/move around that much. Then I'd add another slot in the center that was indexed at each end with a spring-loaded push-pull knob that locked into those indexes.

    I'm trying my best to describe it. I bet I'm failing so I'm also trying to find a picture and/or name of the type of assembly that I would use. Hold tight and I bet I'll come up with it!

    edit: Haven't found the exact part you need but it's something related to a clamping knob with indexing plunger. It's FOR SURE a plunger.... I'm just not finding the perfect part. this is close. http://www.jwwinco.com/products/sect...6.7/index.html
    Last edited by wotan2525; 06-12-2014 at 05:41 PM.
    Former owner of a 1987 Supra Saltare. Current owner of a Malibu 23LSV.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Vancouver WA
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wotan2525 View Post
    Sweet project. I know exactly how I'd make this work. I'd use the outside bolts and washers as slide bearings, leave them just snug enough so that they slide but still tight enough that they don't rattle/move around that much. Then I'd add another slot in the center that was indexed at each end with a spring-loaded push-pull knob that locked into those indexes.

    I'm trying my best to describe it. I bet I'm failing so I'm also trying to find a picture and/or name of the type of assembly that I would use. Hold tight and I bet I'll come up with it!

    edit: Haven't found the exact part you need but it's something related to a clamping knob with indexing plunger. It's FOR SURE a plunger.... I'm just not finding the perfect part. this is close. http://www.jwwinco.com/products/sect...6.7/index.html
    I get what you're saying. However, for v1.0, I won't know where the various "sweet spots" are, so I'm having infinite adjustment via the knob.

    However, the idea you're describing is quite similar to how the Moomba Flow uses a spring loaded pin to lock the flow into the 3 deployed position and the 1 stowed position...

    2008 Moomba Mobius XLV. Monster Cargo Bimini, and more mods to come...

    1992 Supra Sunsport. **SOLD** 2k pounds ballast, Surf System, Blue LED's everywhere, decent audio system.


    Tow Rig: 2013 F150 Ecoboost FX4 (wife's rig) Other money pits include:1998 BMW M3 Cabriolet, 2002 Audi S6 Avant, 2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Naples, NY
    Posts
    221

    Default Trayson's DIY "Supra Surf System" (SSS) modeled after the NSS

    Nicely done! I'm looking forward to your end result, thanks for taking the time to post for us.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Vancouver WA
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    Default

    So, as Washington tends to do in the spring, it rained tonight off and on. And there were times where it was coming down heavy so I had to figure out something to allow me to work on my boat. So I moved my offset patio umbrella and it worked PERFECT.



    Picking up where I left off last night, I took the blade that had the holes cut into it and made the lines for the channels. (the top actually needed another channel, but I fixed that later).


    So I mounted everything up and sealed it all with 3m 4200 fast cure. That stuff is sticky but after my experience with the 5200 on my transom lights, I learned to be careful with it. Here's a pic of the inside of my hull. I made 10 new holes. some of them have the bolts going from the outside in, and some of them are going from the inside out.
    2008 Moomba Mobius XLV. Monster Cargo Bimini, and more mods to come...

    1992 Supra Sunsport. **SOLD** 2k pounds ballast, Surf System, Blue LED's everywhere, decent audio system.


    Tow Rig: 2013 F150 Ecoboost FX4 (wife's rig) Other money pits include:1998 BMW M3 Cabriolet, 2002 Audi S6 Avant, 2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

  8. #8
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    Aug 2009
    Location
    Vancouver WA
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    So, I've got the Port side mostly done. I wanted to "learn" on that side since the goofy wake isn't that important to me. I have to trim down my hardware as they stick out about 1/2" past the nylock nuts. I guess better too long than too short. I used 1.5" fender washers on the bolts that form the posts for the channels of the blade. As you can see, I cut the top channel longer so it has more support.

    Here is a pic of the blade retracted.


    Retracted side view. I am not liking those bolts sticking out. But it's late and my neighbors would HATE me if I fired up the compressor and busted out the air grinder!!!


    Deployed. As you can see, the blade is sliding on the hardware, not directly on the baseplate. I'll add the knob later.


    Fully deployed from the front. Also, keep in mind that I designed it for 3" of full lateral excursion. I don't HAVE to use that much, it's fully adjustable. The excursion on the bottom is around 3/4".


    So, I moved on to the Starboard side. I have the lower baseplate cut out, and also the upper baseplate. I've got the back side of the blade cut out (where it goes around the swim platform bracket). I'll start drilling holes for the starboard side tomorrow...

    The question I keep getting again and again is "do you think your hull is strong enough".

    We'll find out. In a lot of ways, the baseplates are actually going to function to strengthen the hull. adding reinforcement in my opinion.
    The other guy that did it on his malibu is having it work just fine and he didn't even through bolt his...
    The guy on the Malibu forums is using 3/8" HDPE for his blades and it's working just fine. I'm using 1/2" so mine is thicker. At least 2 of my bolts are on the swim platform backing plate. 2 are where there's extra hull material for the swim platform and the rest are near the corners where things would naturally be stronger. Someone has to be the innovator and risk taker.


    Stay tuned...
    2008 Moomba Mobius XLV. Monster Cargo Bimini, and more mods to come...

    1992 Supra Sunsport. **SOLD** 2k pounds ballast, Surf System, Blue LED's everywhere, decent audio system.


    Tow Rig: 2013 F150 Ecoboost FX4 (wife's rig) Other money pits include:1998 BMW M3 Cabriolet, 2002 Audi S6 Avant, 2005 Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Paris, France
    Posts
    536

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    Man that's a cool project and different look than other's. Hope it will work properly, nice job anyway
    Stéphane
    -----------------------
    1989 Supra Saltare

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Farmington, CT
    Posts
    208

    Default

    great project, keep us posted. i was taking measurements to do this to my sunsport last week and hope to have a mockup soon.
    '88 Sunsport, 2250lbs ballast, automated surf system, home made surf exhaust, surf flap, ACME 913, Krypt 6.5 HLCD's, Perfect Pass Stargazer

    2007 Centurion Typhoon to be upgraded this winter!

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