My boat has (finally) got its new home!!

Hi all

When I bought the Trailblazer 2 years ago, I knew it wouldn't fit under the carport. With that in mind, I started thinking about options for housing it and finally decided that the best option was to build a boat shed next to my existing shed....and make it big enough for both boats, the trailer and the Drover. I also wanted it high enough so I could back it in without having to lower the rocket launchers or take the canopy off...that would be a real pain.

The planning was going along quite well until mrs gates got wind of how big it was going to be....anyway, after some reassurance from me, including the obligatory stakes in the ground to mark out it's size, I finally got her nod of approval to construct the boat shed. Final dimensions are 7.5m wide, 9.3m deep and 3.5m to the underside of the roof truss.

I had to clear the area at the end of the existing shed because it had become a bit of a 'storage area' for anything and everything that was too good to throw away. Work started in ernest in April this year with an expected completion date of July....well, even the best laid plans can go astray and this build was no different. Last night was the first night the Trailblazer slept in its new home...albeit a little bit unfinished.

Here's the specs of the build:

The uprights are 90 x 90 x 2mm galv RHS, buried 1m in the ground and the trusses are constructed of 40 x 40 x 3mm angle...the bottom rail is boxed angle. The sheeting was salvaged from the roof of our house when we carried out extensions a few years ago..which included a whole new roof....I kept saying that the old colourbond 'would come in handy one day'!

Each upright has a plate welded to it and it's matching counterpart bolted in place...when the truss was craned into position, it was welded to the other plate so if we ever wanted/needed to dismantle it, we could unbolt the trusses from the uprights. Top hat was screwed across the uprights and 76 x 38mm patio tube was used for purlins, which we screwed the sheets to.

I fabricated the trusses in the carport and the uprights in the shed, just because I had more room in the carport.

The build was a team effort with all members contributing in different ways....from digging the footings, mixing the concrete, helping with squaring the posts, screwing on the tophat, craning the trusses into place, etc. etc. Thanks to all the members of team gates 

The finishing touches will include guttering, some more flashing, adding a door in the side for access into and out of the shed for the Drover, a concrete floor, lights and power points and some shelves and benches will complete the build. 

Here's a selection of photos that show the build from where the boat used to live, up to how it looks in its new home....actually looks a bit lonely in there all by itself (maybe a bigger boat would look better in there...sometime in the future).

regards
rusty...

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Vinesh87's picture

Posts: 2751

Date Joined: 02/04/11

Looks good mate!! I am about

Mon, 2012-11-12 20:36

Looks good mate!!

 

I am about to go through the same process seeing as the last carport got taken to with the angle grinder just to fit the trophy haha

Posts: 9358

Date Joined: 21/02/08

Nice! Good to have a bit of

Mon, 2012-11-12 20:43

Nice! Good to have a bit of space huh?

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Posts: 5807

Date Joined: 18/01/12

bloody hell if Id known you

Mon, 2012-11-12 20:54

bloody hell if Id known you were doin that Id have taken you up on your offer

And left it there for a while!

 

Very nice!

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r.gates's picture

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Date Joined: 15/11/10

Offer

Mon, 2012-11-12 21:01

Thanks guys.

Hey Rob, the offer still stands if you need a place for your boat. As you can see, 5 acres has its advantages!!

regards
rusty... 

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If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!

Posts: 5807

Date Joined: 18/01/12

thanks Rusty-its found a

Mon, 2012-11-12 21:11

thanks Rusty-its found a temporary home til I get down next weekend!

____________________________________________________________________________

 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Posts: 539

Date Joined: 29/03/10

 Very nice, wishin I had one

Mon, 2012-11-12 21:06

 Very nice, wishin I had one for mine :)

 

sea-kem's picture

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Date Joined: 30/11/09

Looking good Rusty. Are you

Mon, 2012-11-12 21:11

Looking good Rusty. Are you going to concrete? And maybe one day enclose? Just thinking it could be a good escape room ;)

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r.gates's picture

Posts: 573

Date Joined: 15/11/10

Concrete

Mon, 2012-11-12 21:18

There's room for yours in here too, Chris.

I'll concrete the floor soon, Andy. Have allowed for enclosing the front, too. It would make a great 'boys only room'....far enough away from the house so I can't hear mrs gates shouting at me!!

Needed to get the boat under cover as I've mounted the canopy frame and didn't want to leave it out in the weather.

regards
rusty...

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If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!

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Date Joined: 17/06/10

i like the picture of the dogs

Mon, 2012-11-12 22:52

nah not really nice dogs though shed looks a real ripper

kane's picture

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Date Joined: 07/12/08

looks good

Tue, 2012-11-13 11:24

 one thing to consider = birds nesting above your boat shitting all over it, have had similar issues with that kind of set up in the past. might still want to put a tarp or canopy over the top???

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southcity104's picture

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Date Joined: 27/01/09

looks great.

Tue, 2012-11-13 13:28

 inspires me to get cracking. so over the canvas cover now.

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catchalittle's picture

Posts: 1875

Date Joined: 04/09/08

great job mate thats what I

Tue, 2012-11-13 14:40

great job mate thats what I need for the Coralline

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Nathan

fisho-ron's picture

Posts: 2539

Date Joined: 26/09/09

nice work mate, wish mine was

Tue, 2012-11-13 16:24

nice work mate, wish mine was in something like that!!

Paul G's picture

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Date Joined: 12/12/07

Very nice job .I wish I could

Tue, 2012-11-13 18:55

Very nice job .I wish I could put something on the side of my house for the boat..That will keep the boat out off the weather

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r.gates's picture

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Date Joined: 15/11/10

Thanks guys

Tue, 2012-11-13 19:41

Don't know what I'd do if I lived in town....they don't size blocks of land with boat/caravan owners in mind.

Sure is nice to be able to get it out of the weather. 

As for birds nesting in the rafters, so far so good.....but I'll be chasing them out if they start nesting or squatting anywhere near my boat!

regards
rusty...

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If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!

bayliner's picture

Posts: 90

Date Joined: 14/08/12

bloody impressive!! nice

Tue, 2012-11-13 20:38

bloody impressive!! nice work, and well made too............

catchalittle's picture

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Date Joined: 04/09/08

When we sell the current

Tue, 2012-11-13 21:15

When we sell the current block going to do something very similar but it will be a drive in drive out shed

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Nathan