Scout SEV Hovercraft - Part 3

San Felipe Sunrise - March 2007

You will know more things the more you spend time researching the net and asking questions. For example, I am using a different engine from what Sevtec used so they are not familiar with my engine.

The deck of the Scout can be modified to be an open foredeck. That opens up different possibilities because when you open the foredeck the craft will have a wider interior.

That means side by side seating is possible also. My Scout could be the first side by side Scout with an open foredeck. I could have a width of 55.1" - that's 4.59' wide. with a length of 6.35'.

With 18" seats that will be 36" wide with 19" center space - that's enough space for access.

The deck can be supported and integrated with the hull for strength using triangle foam supports like in Bandit's Scout web page. Enclosing the space and boxing it provides additional strength as well extra weight to the structure - but it's for a good cause!

The plans does not have anything on wiring because the one on the plan did not have electric start. I did not see any pull cord on my 25 hp Tecumseh engine. It does not come with one, it was designed for riding lawn mowers that have electric start.

That means it needs a battery. I don't have the specs. I would suppose the built-in 16 amp alternator is will sufficient to charge a typical riding mower battery. Can this battery support the demands of a high powered stereo system? Probably not. Can the 16 amp alternator charge bigger battery like from a small car? I need to order the shop manual from a Tecumseh dealer.

I also have to find out which style muffler to use that will work with my setup. The engine can be lifted about an inch if necessary if the muffler is too close to the deck. The right side cylinder is lower than the left and that can be a problem with clearances.

I also have to take in consideration the mounting points for the prop guard and prop tower supports. The one on the plans is for a smaller engine. I am using a bigger engine that have a bigger dimension than the original Scout on the plans. Therefore the supports needs to be modified to work with the chosen engine.

There are no electrical or wiring diagrams and no information on batteries. I would assume that a watercraft need some instrumentation of some sort like in boats and rpm gauge, fuel gage, battery voltage or current, etc. And music stereo, marine radio, nav lights, depth finder and fish finders and other cool stuff.

The engine did not come with any diagrams, not even the choke and gas linkages. So lots of stuff to learn and investigate.

When I start living in Baja California in San Felipe I want to be able to cruise on this hovercraft and be able to take the craft on the beach. The Sea of Cortes in San Felipe has what is called a tidal bore and during low tide the water receeds way out.

That is a big challenge when boating because the water level during low tide and high tide is significantly different and that can be a problem for boats and jet skis. I started looking for a solution and I found the hovercraft.

I researched other amphibious vehicles and the Sevtec Scout became my choice as my first hovercraft. SEV - Surface Effect Vehicles. It is also known as a hovercraft type of vehicles. There are different hovercraft designs and sizes and different purpose and different shapes. The inventor of the Sevtec Scout is Barry Palmer and call his vehicles SEV's. In essense when you are flying a Scout or a SEV you flying a surface skimming vehicle.

Scout SEV Hovercraft - Part 2

Just before sunrise - San Felipe, Baja Caifornia-Mexico

There are quite a lot of things that determines the choice of craft. For me the Scout is the perfect hovercraft for now.

The more I researched the Scout the more I find it a very simple hovercraft to build and there are a lot of advantages to a Scout. The Scout is not a toy. It's a serious SEV and the one that I am building is a high-performance version with a 25 hp engine.

It will be 12 feet x 5.5 feet with a 20" lift fan and a 48" propeller and it will do around 45-50 mph. This craft will weigh about 250 lbs. when completed. With 500 lbs. on board the total weight is 750 lbs.

I used to have a 17.5' Bayliner boat that had a 3.0 liter Mercruiser engine with 135 hp - it takes 135 hp to take that 1500 lbs. fiberglass boat 47 mph.

Most people I talked to are excited about my hovercraft plan project and my brother even volunteered to help build it! My co-worker is interested in building one. My nephew wants to build one also. I'm sure once the word gets around, more people will build them.

There is always a commotion when people have hovercrafts around. They are curious how it does what it does, it is simply amazing. And you cannot just buy a Scout SEV, they don't sell them! You have to build it yourself, have someone build it for you or find a used one.

San Felipe sunrise - Baja California, Mexico

It will probably cost me around $3,500 for the SEV and the custom built trailer. You can buy a Vanguard or a Fan-Tastic SEV for around $17k and of that is only the base price, the options, shipping and taxes are not yet included and if you want the salt-water model expect to pay much more. These models also uses 25 hp engines B&S Vanguard engines. These SEV's are 14 footer and 15 footers and 7' wide. The Scout is a small 12' x 5.5' and uses a 25 hp engine also and faster.

I already ordered and received the fiberglass cloth and mat and resin and various stuff. I have the skirt material and the 25 hp engine arrive yesterday. I ordered from Sevtec the foam and the propeller, fan and drive kit. I am waiting for the foam to arrive. - I received everything else except my order from Sevtec.

The parts and supplies can be ordered online. The skirt materials arrived quickly. The extra foam from another supplier arrived next. Then the polyester resin and fiberglass supplies came next, then the engine and now I am just waiting on the foam, propeller, fan and drive pulleys from Sevtec. Barry from Sevtec said 45 days, I hope he is just exagerrating and will get my order to me sooner than 45 days.

So, if you are planning on building one - all the other stuff does not take long to arrive once ordered. Allow plenty of time when ordering from Sevtec.

I will mention the website that I ordered from and I will comment on their service, product and my customer experience with these companies and suppliers. At least you know what to expect when buying from these online vendors. They will get free advertising and comment on this blog and tell it like it is and it may be good or bad.

Well - You need to order the plans and the video from Sevtec first to find out how to build it. Not everything is shown on the video. So you're gonna have to find answers to some of your questions. The vehicle is easily customized and if you start using different stuff, you're gonna have to figure things out yourself.

Scout SEV Hovercraft - Part 1

San Felipe tidal bore - Baja California, Mexico

Well, that's what's new with me lately.

I decided to build a hovercraft. Why a hovercraft? Why not a hovercraft?

Hovercrafts are very cool! Hovercrafts are unique amphibious vehicles. Hovercrafts can be used on various surfaces like water, ice, ground, grass, dirt, mud, snow, sand, beach etc. It even flies 10 to 15 feet above when wings are added! And you don't even need a piliot's license.

Imagine flying a hovercraft 10-15 feet above the water as you travel along the coastline. What a fantastic view! You can see the water, the beach the people and the animals and they see you too flying 10-15 feet above the water - awesome!

Back to the hovercraft, anyway, I found out that the hovercrafts can be homemade from plans provided by Universal Hovercraft and Sevtec. I liked the UH18SPW WIG and I also like the Sevtec hovercrafts.

Since I am new to hovercrafting I might as well start with something easy that can be completed in a short amount of time. That eliminates the UH18SPW because I do not have the time to build an 18 feet hovercraft that becomes 24 feet when the tail section is added. I do not have a shed or garage space to storage it. It will take more time & resources to tackle a project like that. That would be and interesting project someday - hovercrafting at 15 feet in the air!

The requirements that I wanted in a hovercraft are as follows:

• can be used for fishing
• can be used for boating and cruising
• small and easy to tow and storage
• simple design and construction
• affordable construction materials and common tools
• customizable
• fast and not underpowered

The Scout is perfect for what I need and here is why. It's small and light and nimble. It is capable of 45-50 mph and it only uses a 25 hp engine that is very inexpensive for a 25 hp engine. It is easy enough to maintain and it can carry at least 3 people.

This Tecumsech 25 hp riding mower engines are 2 cylinders and air-cooled! There is no radiator, so that is simple. It is reliable, riding mower engines are very reliable and I have heard of thousands of hours of usage before rebuilding. Well, they are not that expensive so I would probably just run her until she get tired.

Of course, proper break-in and warm ups, oil changes and filter changes, clean fuel, clean carbs and synthetic oil after break-in. These engines will last for years and I think it will last for at least 10 years.

So, instead of getting a jet ski or a jet boat - the Scout SEV will be a better choice for me. When I was in San Felipe, Baja Mexico I was trying to figure out what would be a cool craft for a huge body of water called Sea of Cortes that experiences a phenomena called tidal bore. Basically it means that during low tide the water receeds much more than normal and exposes more beach area. The topography appears to be a very gradual slope to the sea. That means the beach water is shallow, you need to go way out to deeper waters. That is the reason why the water is warm in the summer - the beach is barely covered with water.

That means it will be difficult for boats and jet skis to be on the beach during low tide. Their activities is limited because shallow beach is catasthropic for boat propellers and jets skis need water to keep them afloat. Imagine a jet ski that you launched at high tide on the beach, you ride around for hours and hours and when you decide to go back to the beach where you started. Now that the water receeded you are 1/2 mile from the beach - how can you bring your jet ski back if there is no water - you drive your tow vehicle out to the water and pick up your craft!

If your tow vehicle get stuck it the sand - now you have 2 problems!

I don't need that crap - that is why I am building a hovercraft. I can launch on the beach at high tide and arrive at low tide - and a hovercraft can go on the beach and the sand without damaging anything - it was made to go over water, sand and debris! Just don't get the skirt snagged!

I've had my share of experiences hitting sandbars on the delta and avoiding large timber floating on the water and huge masses of seaweeds just a few feet below the water easily stops my 135 hp boat propeller.

A hovercraft does not have those issues - it will hover on water and sand and gravel and a lot of other surfaces. It is simply an awesome vehicle that is eco friendly as well. I'm hooked on hovercrafts. Dangerous waterways are now a piece of cake, I laugh at sandbars all day long, the seaweeds or anything underwater does not affect my hovercraft, I can go over most debris without any ill effects.

It's no wonder it is rare to see boats and jet skis on when I cross the bridges here in the Bay Area - it's too dangerous and not worth it.

Hovercraft can go where other crafts can't and that means with fish finder I can fish just about anywhere, and that is a cool thing.