Last iceboat season I made an iceboat called a Mini Skeeter. The first one worked very well and others were keen on getting one for themselves after I let them sail mine. I decided to draw up some plans and sell the plans. In the last 10 months I've issued 21 hull and sail numbers in the US, Canada and in Europe. I've been busy helping a bunch of guys make their Mini Skeeter Iceboats too where I live. We are making 6 of them at the shop. One is done all but the runners.
The problem is that most everyone wants their iceboats to be dual sport. Iceboat to dirt boat conversion. That's fine but I'm having a heck of a time trying to figure out what type of a front end to make. Naturally the front end would have to project out in front of the boat. I think I have to go to front end like Clems

( see post 409) www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Land-Yacht-Sailing/Construction/Class-Five-Design/

or the like but I want to stay with the 4x8 tire/wheel set up. The issue is I don't want to cut a big hole in the fuselage for the push bar to work right. Would removing the push bar and going to cables be better? Unfortunately I would have to cut another hole in the fuselage.
I've done a building tutorial on You tube for the Mini Skeeter. This video covers the existing steering system -
So far I've done 7 building videos. here is number one -
Any advice would be appreciated.

from memory your mini skeeter ended up abit longer than a 5.6mini?
you could probably have a set up with cabkes for both ,but changr over the steering head each seson.
could you put up a photo of the front end for Ice

These are truley fantastic looking boats!!

would something like i sketched below be any good? i see that the existing stearing is haning on a screwed in bearing plate. maybe you could make this removable and buld a replacement component that screws in its place? the loads on the 4 screws would be much more than loading it verticaly as you currently are but maybe you could increase the number of screws from 4 to 12?

All the best

Dave

Here is the front end -
get.google.com/albumarchive/pwa/106339823226446068560/MiniSkeeter
picasaweb.google.com/106339823226446068560/MiniSkeeter#6091009015226289634
picasaweb.google.com/106339823226446068560/MiniSkeeter#6091008966807821170
Its a single horn. I thought about what you said. To do it that way I will have to switch to a double horn for the ice set up. I would have to figure out some way of connecting the cables elevation wise. I had to add a spacer with the push rod method because I didn't want to cut into the bottom chine rail and compromise it's strength. It's a viable option.

Westward, thanks for the illustration. I can use the existing 3/8'' ice steering kingpin for the lions share for a connection point. I may be able to drill and tap the 1/4'' aluminum plate in various places to complete the attachment. The plate is screwed and epoxied on the bottom of the fuselage. This is provided that I don't extend the wheel steering too far forward creating excessive leverage. If so I might be able to connect it on something further aft on the fuselage. What I can't figure out is how high and low the connection horn on the steering will raise or lower as it is turned. This all affects the size of the hole for the push rod or cables. All that is connected to the kingpin angle as well. It's the same issue whether I go with a push rod or cables. Any ideas how to figure that out? The existing horn connection point on the ice set up is 4 1/4'' off center or the kingpin hole.
Here is an example of what I'm talking about-
See about 4 minutes in -

I figured out the vertical movement at different king pin angles with the horn off center at 4.25''. Can the steering bar have 2 flexible joints in it? One would be at the end of the existing steering bar. The other where it connects to the horn. Would the hydraulic hose work?

your top set up will be best. If its a single sided steering rod the the rod does swing in an arcwhere it come out of the wooden body, UNLESS it come out through a tube that it slides through then has a flexi joint on the ouside. I would use 1/2" wire reinforced hose for the joint

About got it ready to sail now.

We haven't had a long season this winter. Here are a few trips we made -

They are some very fine examples of craftmanship, and good looking boats to boot! May they go as well on land as they do the water.

Select to expand quote

US772 said..
About got it ready to sail now.

could you get some closeups of that steering set up, Im fascinated by what youve done

just watched the vids, ahve you been able to get a performance comparison with a DN?