Paycheck Shantys
The Pay Check Shanty is designed for the builder who wants a boat that can be built and assembled over a period of time on a pay as you go basis. The end result is a very livable 20 ft shanty that can be towed easily with a small van or car. The boat can also be used as a camper for long distance travel to far off places, and then parked in your yard or carport instead of a marina or storage yard.
The assembly is done using an incremental plan that gives you the boat almost immediately in a usable form, and then refined and expanded as money becomes available.
$1,500 gives you the kit for the trailer which is used as a base on which the boat is assembled. The trailer base kit includes the pre-welded aluminum frame assembly, plus twin Torflex axels. Torflex axels use a torsion bar construction that does not require leaf springs. The trailer frames are bolted together using hand held power tools, and requires only average tool handling skills.
Time to assemble the trailer should be around 14-16 hours. Wheels and tires for the trailer can be purchased from your local used auto parts yard.. Wood for the runners on the trailer can also be purchased from your home supply store, The aluminum trailer kit weighs 450 lbs ready to receive the boat.
The trailer base assembly can be blocked up without the tires and wheels giving you a stable platform on which to assemble the basic boat unit. If the boat will need to be moved around during assembly, you can put the wheels and tires onto the trailer.
$3,000 gives you the basic Boat Kit Platform. The kit includes the hulls, center motor pan, long side enclosure panels, and corner enclosure frames, all pre- welded and ready to be bolted together. If you want to include the optional spud anchor assemblies, add $400. To assemble the boat, the hulls are placed on the trailer frame base, and plywood floor panels are attached, giving you the boat assembly starter unit. If a remote motor control is planned, steering and motor control cables can be located and installed. Wood is then used to top off the enclosure panels and corners. These wood caps will become part of the house assembly which will be added in the next step.
Once the plywood floors are installed, the side enclosure panels and corner deck frames can be added. This gives you a pontoon boating platform for immediate use. The motor you have chosen can then be installed with the controls for a remote system.,. Motor size can be from 9.9 – 25 hp depending on the currents and winds in your area. The hull for the Shanty is a displacement hull that should give great economy to operate.
The sun shade system shown can be made using pvc tubing for the frames with a sanpan cover arrangement. Fabric for the top can be poly tarp or purchased boat canvas.
Time to assemble the pre-welded basic boat platform should be about 30-40 hours.
$3,000 gives you the added components necessary to assemble the shanty’s house. These aluminum components include: the 4 front and back end frames, the 2 sliding door frames, panels for the roof assembly, and the side window spacers, plus flat panels for the lower front, back, and door frames. All components are pre-welded and ready to be bolted to your existing basic pontoon unit. The lower components for the house have previously been installed as part of the pontoon base. The roof cross frames are 2 x 6 wood purchased from your local home store.
If you wish to fully enclose the house for weather or insect protection, canvas with clear vynal windows can be fabricated and installed. However, you may want to install the sliding glass windows at this stage. If so, these items can be purchased from your home store. The enclosed head and shower use a basic porta pot unit with a plywood and fiberglass basin for shower water collection.
Time to assemble the shanty’s house should be around 30-40 hours.
The Final Assembly for your Shanty is the installation of the permanent windows, and fabrication of the interior. This can be as simple or elaborate as you want. The interior arrangement shown, has sleeping and eating space for a family of 4. . If your needs do not fit this layout, we can re-draw the interior to meet your needs.
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Time to install the windows and do the interior finish should be 40-50 hours for an owner with basic wood working skills. However, it can take 2-3 times as long if you keep stepping back to admire your work, or have friends or neighbors coming by to see how you are doing.