Two questions, for big gun especially. Should I put mesh in my ship? I know some people do it. Is it necessary? and what kind of string should I use for my recovery float?
Yes, shielding your internals is a wise choice. I would use para-cord or something similar/smaller for a recovery line.
Shielding is good to protect internalsas well as prevent through and throughs. Aka ball enters one side and exits the other side thus you have two holes in your ship
I used pet screen on my Lützow which can be found at local hardware store. I’ve seen plexiglass (I think) used. basically anything that is lightweight but strong enough to stop 1/4” ball bearing at point blank range. The pet screen has some give to it so it catches the ball. It also allows water to flow through it so you don’t have to worry violating free flow of water rules. There is always more then one way to do something so look around at what the other guys are doing
Here is pet screen from Home Depot. It is very easy to work with and there are many ways you can attach it.
It depends on if you want to remove it often or only during refit. My Lützow came to me with plexiglass (I think?). It slid onto little holders attached to ribs. I moved to pet screen glued to Velcro. Kind of a pain to install correctly the first time but after the glue set I was able to easily take it off when needed.
My ship uses a bolt sticking out from the rib, and a coupler nut. My internal armor is fiberglass, and will eventually be replaced with shower pan liner.
I use the fifty pound test version of this stuff for recovery line. Super small, super durable, and pretty much perfect for the task. I've brought up some nasty creatures with it. https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...0mYVZZQeZ-zRZlaMJPdF3K06MFnFf4xBoC4zUQAvD_BwE
If I remember correctly Joes pond is not deep at all from how he described it (I have not seen it in person). Ask him.
Around 8' at its deepest I would guess. It's full of sea monsters though... We spent a lot of time pulling water plants out, and they all came out with huge crawdads attached.
