# Building a small skiff



## prarie dog

My son and I are building a small skiff for his first boat. I think it will be a good experience for a 13 yr. old to learn how to build one and it may make him a little more careful with it once it's finished. This hull is a Bateau design that we're going to modify some. We are putting sponsons on the back of the transom, a small tunnel in it and a remote steered outboard prop or jet. Haven't figured the motor out yet we're still looking for one, small used remote steer outboards are hard to come by. Here's some pics of the process. These hulls use plywood as a core material, the hull is totally encapsulated in 12oz biax and epoxy. After cutting the panels out there are some splices to be made, the hull sides and bottom.









Laminating the transom








And a rough assembled hull with frames, transoms and sides, ready to be flipped for the installation of the bottom.


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## CoastalObession

Looks like a great project. Cant wait to see the results. How big Is it?. Maybe a 15hp tohatsu.
http://www.tohatsu.com/outboards/15_4st.html


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## patwilson

Kuddos to you working with your son and teaching him a valuable lesson at the same time. Quality time spent with kids is needed badly in this day and age. Looks like it is going to be a cool project. Can't wait to see the end results. Good luck....


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## prarie dog

CoastalObession said:


> Looks like a great project. Cant wait to see the results. How big Is it?. Maybe a 15hp tohatsu.
> http://www.tohatsu.com/outboards/15_4st.html


Coastalobsession, thanks for the link, I have a Tohatsu on another boat and really like those motors although it's only a year old. The boat is originally a 12 footer but with the addition of the sponsons it should finish at 13' 6", it's 55" wide at it's widest point. Was hoping to find a 25 hp 2 stroke Yamaha for it.

Pat, I'm with you on spending time with our kids, we only have them for a few short years then they're gone. It's not much time to share what we know, or even teach them what they need to know.


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## texas32

Not sure where you are located and just in case you haven't come across this thought I would pass it on

http://2coolfishing.net/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=371036


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## prarie dog

Thanks for the link texas32, called the guy, still looking. Need to find one for about $2500.


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## prarie dog

Got a little more done this weekend. Last night we glued the transom's in the hull. Here's a pic.









This morning we flipped the boat and stitched the bottom on the sides.









We then tacked the bottom to the side panels and transoms with a mixture of woodflour and epoxy, mixed real stiff..


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## prarie dog

An Antelope hunt and Hockey games got in the way of the skiff build but we got some done this weekend. Built the tunnel Saturday and installed it today. Here's a pic of the tunnel on a trial fit.









Another pic of fitting the glass inside the hull.









A pic of the wet out glass and the tunnel tabbed and glassed in place.


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## goodwood

pretty cool


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## Mini-x Fan

Keep up the good work.

Tight Lines


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## ShawnQ

Prairie dog,

Looks good! Where did you get your supplies?


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## prarie dog

Thanks for the compliments guys. 

ShawnQ, we bought the glass, woodflour, fillable caulk tubes, and epoxy from Boat Builder Central, It's an online store that has good prices. Their Marine Epoxy is a great value, they also sell System Three Products. I like the System Three Silvertip epoxy the best but it's pricey. The Ply was bought in Denver, don't know of a place in San Antonio but Houston Hardwoods in Houston sells Meranti BS1088 and I believe they also sell Okume BS1088.


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## prarie dog

Made a little progress on the skiff this weekend. Saturday morning we glued the stringers down..








This morning we tabbed the stringers down and notched and fitted the frames.








We then glued the frames in place. Will tab them next weekend.








A shot of the transom, tunnel and first frame. Believe it's real stong in this area.


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## FISHROADIE

Thats a cool project.


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## patwilson

Keep up the great work!


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## prarie dog

Really appreciate the compliments guys!

Got in a few more licks this weekend, that'll be it for about three weeks due to an Elk hunt and a Thanksgiving trip, etc. etc.
Tabbed in the frames Saturday morning and cut them out this morning. we then cut the sole and trimmed the front and rear deck. Here's a pic of T standing on the sole with a box for a CC mockup. 









We then took it off the build table and stood it on it's nose to weigh it. It weighs 140 lbs as viewed.









This last pic is of the tunnel and the sponsons. One thing we're struggling with is how big does the cutout between the sponsons need to be to clear the prop on a 20 to 25hp outboard? If someone out there has a small skiff with sponsons on it and could measure their cutout and let me know the dimension we would appreciate it. Plan on running a jackplate with appx. 5"s of setback.


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## devil1824

Really cool! It should run on damp grass.


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## Mini-x Fan

I just got a boat, but would also LOVE a boat like that! I'm jealous. Keep it up guys!

Tight Lines


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## Krelb

Show more pics as work progresses


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## rodwade

Did the same thing with two of my math classes. We built two Bateau boats in class. Here's some Pictures.
http://www.texasspearfishing.com/boat2.htm
http://www.texasspearfishing.com/boat.htm


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## prarie dog

rodwade said:


> Did the same thing with two of my math classes. We built two Bateau boats in class. Here's some Pictures.
> http://www.texasspearfishing.com/boat2.htm
> http://www.texasspearfishing.com/boat.htm


Cool, which boats did you build and how did they turn out?


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## southbay

I'm impressed. Nice looking craftsmanship. I too recommend the Tohatsu. Best motor you can get. Good luck with your project!


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## Chunkn' Charlie

I just ordered all of the materials for the FS18. I am prety excited about this project.


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## prarie dog

Thanks for the compliments and intrest!!!



Charlies Custom Rods said:


> I just ordered all of the materials for the FS18. I am prety excited about this project.


Charlie, is your handle on the other forum At The Brink?
Happy to hear of boat builders in my part time stomping ground. I have a GF18 that lives on the creek at Sargent that does a great job. Think you'll like their designs. If you need some help there's a guy that lives near you that could lend a hand, if needed. If you get a chance drop me a PM, it's about the ply.


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## prarie dog

We were in Phoenix this weekend for a Hockey tournament and went over to Cabelas to kill some time. As amazing as it sounds they had three of these 20 hp Yamaha F20ESR's in their Bargain Cave. They're brand new and have 6yrs of warranty on them. It's not often that you would say we went to Phoenix and bought an outboard. Looks like it belongs on the boat!


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## BigBay420

2cool


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## Chunkn' Charlie

Prarie Dog I'm Pro Wader on the bateau forum. I put in at sergeant all of the time. I'll definitely keep in touch. I'm still working on the strongback


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## jrb007

very nice !!! I am wanting to build tunnel for a lil 14' skiff i have now for reds and duck hunting but just working on different designs at drawing board now......awesome project should run very skinny


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## prarie dog

JRB007, the tunnel on this hull was copied from a design developed by a guy in East Texas that goes by timoub007 on both this forum and on the bateau forum. His boat is a GF16, which is a 16' flatbottomed hull. I think he ultimately built three different versions of tunnels on that hull and finally settled on the one on this boat, he said the funny thing is that the G3 hull tunnel is pretty much identical to his, but independently developed. I'm not a tunnel designer but do like skinny water boats and like the places they'll take you.


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## jrb007

thx prarie dog, I love being able to go skinny without the noise of the prop on my brothers airboat ! whether its to duck blind or poling for reds... I have been sketching up tunnel designs similar to the ones on rfls, cat skiffs, and cathedral hulls...but they are alot different than that setup, no cavitation problems ? I have 18 hp for it now but when I get the hull the way I want it along with jackplate, I plan on picking up new 40-50 hp. Does it run as shallow as it looks ????


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## prarie dog

I have 18 hp for it now but when I get the hull the way I want it along with jackplate, I plan on picking up new 40-50 hp. Does it run as shallow as it looks ????[/QUOTE]

JRB007, don't know about putting a 40 horse on such a small boat. The lightest 40's and 50's that I know of weigh a little over 200lbs the 18's and 20's are about 110 to 120. On rigs like this weight is the main enemy. This particular hull has a ppi at dwl of 185 lbs, we are adding sponsons to get it up to close to 200, we are shooting at a finished, ready to fish weight of 450lbs, with one guy in the boat that should give it a draft of 3" give or take, we'll see how skinny it runs, it's an experiment. Timoub007's GF16 will run to plane off of a muddy bottom when the hull is bumping the bottom with one guy and lightly loaded, he says that with more weight in it he has to spin it up and get the weight forward for it to plane, probably like 4".


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## jrb007

that is very impressive ! but realistically Im gonna try not to get it that shallow ! lol... the hull I have is rated max hp of 50 currently 14' & 4' bottom and does fairly well with light load and 18 but if I can build the tunnel to where I want it the 18 will be perfect to fish out of but doesnt like stretching down 8-10 miles of river with 4 guys, dog, guns, and decoys in it. Where I fish it does get very shallow but dont intend on ever trying to jump up in 3" of water solo without an airboat. More like 7"-9" with 2 guys and fishing gear just pole to that depth. I cant wait to get the info on how well that boat rides in that shallow...congrats again on the many hrs yall put in it


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## Tombo

*Boat build*



Charlies Custom Rods said:


> I just ordered all of the materials for the FS18. I am prety excited about this project.


I have not ordered my plans yet, got to build the shop first. Would you let me know if you are posting the build some where so I can follow the build?
Tombo


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## Chunkn' Charlie

Tombo said:


> I have not ordered my plans yet, got to build the shop first. Would you let me know if you are posting the build some where so I can follow the build?
> Tombo


I just finished my strong backs this weekend. It's was EXTREMELY frustrating trying to make bowed and warped lumber level and square...LOL Suck it up here and pull it down there.

This weekend we are cutting the plywood.

I'll post pics as soon as I start stitching and gluing.

Prarie Dog, I'll definately stay in touch with you.


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## Jerry-rigged

Charlie - 

I am down the road in Alvin. If you need a hand for mixing epoxy on the big glass job, or for the flip, let me know. I've only built a canoe so far (Bateau's Chenoa 14) but I am eyeing bigger boats...


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## prarie dog

Charlie, you could probably get the guy driving my GF18 to help also. He stayed up here in Colorado for about 2 months and helped me build the boat in the pic. He's very familiar with the material and has fallen in love with boat building, as a matter of fact, we're in the dog house for building the skiff on this thread without him being here. He'll be flying up here in a few weeks for Christmas but should be back in early January.


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## Tombo

Sorry for have put this thread on another course. Should have sent a PM. 
You and your son remind me of some of the stuff my father did with me. He will never forget.


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## prarie dog

Tombo, no worries man. This boat building thing is a family affliction passed down by my dad to my brother and I. Until building one I didn't have a clue about how much fun it would be, the good people we'd meet or how rewarding it is.


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## prarie dog

Got in a few good licks today. With the motor here we were able to determine how to cut the sponsons to get adequate clearance. Here are a few pics of the cut down sponsons and the sides and rear piece being glued in place.


















We then glued on the rubrail.


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## patwilson

That is going to be a cool sled!


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## prarie dog

patwilson said:


> That is going to be a cool sled!


Thanks Pat, some folks think we're going overkill but we're having fun with it.


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## Gumby

You fellas are doing a great job. I have built a couple of smaller boats from Bateau's plans and really enjoyed the experience. My Dad helped restore some old junkers for us when we were kids running up and down Dickinson Bayou. Fun days, and good hands on training for your young man. Keep us updated. Overkill is a good thing sometimes.


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## prarie dog

Thanks for the compliments guys!! We got some work done today, built the console and set it in the boat. A couple of the folks here say it looks big in the boat, some others say it looks just fine. It passes the bucket test, (a five gallon bucket will go all the way around the console). When viewing the pics keep in mind the console is sitting up about an inch and a half above the sole and the cooler is just a small one we had in the shop, the cooler we'll use is taller and a bit wider with a cushion top on it. Would appreciate any and all helpful comments.


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## prarie dog

We finally caught a gap in the schedule and got in a good day today. We moved the skiff to the big shop next door and rounded the chines and corners so we could tape and glass the bottom. We also cut a hole through the ply but not through the inner layer of glass so we could mount our transducer inside the hull. This is the first time we got a good look at the bottom after installing the tunnel and cutting the sponsons, we were pleased with how it looks.










A pic of T fitting fiberglass discs in the transducer hole. We then glassed 8 of these in the hole with, hopefully, no air pockets.









We then moved it back to the small (heated) shop and cut tape to glass the chines and corners and fit the glass to cover the bottom. It's 12 oz biax. We then taped the chines and corners. Tomorrow we'll glass the outside of the hull.


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## patwilson

Man that looks good! Keep up the great work....


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## prarie dog

Thanks, Pat

We glassed the outside of the hull today. I couldn't come up with a good way to glass the transom due to the sponsons and tunnel, so we did the best we could, keeping in mind, structural concerns and will glass the transom with one piece after we put the tops on the sponsons and glass them down.










A shot of the shoot thru the hull transducer location. SWMBO took the pic laying on the floor while T held a flashlight over the area. Looks like an old fashioned headlight.


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## OffshoreChris

Any updates???


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## prarie dog

Chris, we have made a little headway. After that last post we discovered that we had several bubbles on the chines and some on the transom where the biax and the core didn't bond. Turns out I made an error in thinking that I had the resin and hardner warm enough. It had been real cold that week and the Epoxy is kept on the floor in our washroom. When we were mixing to do the wet out it was thick. What happened is the film strength of the epoxy was too strong and wouldn't let the air out while it was curing. We spent Saturday and part of Sunday fixing that, looks fine now, but cost us about 10 hrs of extra work. We do have the sponsons finished now and the transom glassed. Next step is the worst part of a building a boat like this. FAIRING


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## OffshoreChris

How big are those sponsons? Ive been on a few tunnel boats that drive like **** because the (aftermarket/modified) sponsons were too big and the prop wash was just hitting the side of the sponson... Threfore making it extremly hard to turn and or dock.


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## prarie dog

OffshoreChris said:


> How big are those sponsons? Ive been on a few tunnel boats that drive like **** because the (aftermarket/modified) sponsons were too big and the prop wash was just hitting the side of the sponson... Threfore making it extremly hard to turn and or dock.


Chris, they're not very big, frankly that pic is a little misleading, it makes them look bigger than they really are. Having said that, we don't look for it to have very good manners around a dock. I have a lot of friends that have tunnel boats and they never brag on their slow speed handling. I'm not really sure if it's the tunnel, the sponsons or if it isn't just the cup in the prop that's required to get enough bite in aereated water. We'll take some video when it's finished and show it's performance characteristics. The program with this boat was to have it run and get up as shallow as possible and if stuck, be light enough and small enough to manhandle around or over an obstacle. I've been debating the merits of strakes or no strakes since adding them deepens the draft. Think we'll put them on so it will track a little bit.


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## OffshoreChris

I think that would help out a little bit. I just know that we once had a Shallow Sport 18 Classic here at our shop, that was modified to a 21 and had huge sponsons on it, and it seriously wouldnt turn. (It wouldnt even slide) The prop wash would just go right over top of the sponson. Even while on plan it wouldnt turn well. Then again there was almost no bow movment and therefore it got up extremly shallow and would stay on plane at very low speeds. Hope the build works out well for yall and it looks great!


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## prarie dog

Hit a few licks on the small skiff today. We squared the chine on the back 8' of the hull and have done some fairing on the bottom. None of this stuff is picture worthy unless someone is interested in the process. It's like a giant bondo job only the bondo is two part epoxy filler that doesn't work nearly as friendly as bondo. We were waiting for the shop to warm up this morning and decided to work on the console a little bit. We cut the hole for the binnacle and made some discs to mock up the tach, water pressure and fuel gauges. The racquet is approximately the size of a 13" wheel. What do ya'll think about this layout for the gauges. I don't like gauges in front of the wheel, it seems like a spoke or the wheel is in the way of what you're trying to look at. These are to the right of the wheel in the opening between the wheel and the control box.










We then rounded the corners on the console with a rollover bit, sanded a bit and fit the glass to cover the top of the console. The bottom will be covered in a seperate step.


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## daddyhoney

Thanks for sharing this build with us. Please give us some more photos of the finished project and a ride report.
I will bee ordering the Bateau FS17 plans soon for my own build and yours has kept my interest. Good on ya, GG


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## hooter

That thing is going to be a bear to drive with that racket handle poping you in the junk all the time. might consider a mod from the original design!

j/k :rotfl: looking good! Makes me wanna do another boat.

hOOter


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## Chunkn' Charlie

Look'n good Paul.

hOOter if you want to build another you can come to Angleton when I cut my shear down like yours. LOL


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## prarie dog

Thanks for the comments guys they are appreciated. We haven't worked on the boat much in recent weeks, had a death in the family and my son has been playing lots of hockey on the weekends.

Hooter, should have looked you up Sunday, David and I were in Kerrville and didn't think about it. Thinking T is stooped over in the pic like he is cause he already clanked his junk.


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## George in Pearland

cant wait to see it when its done


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## prarie dog

We rolled the skiff outside today and did some sanding prior to another round of fairing. Looking at it outside I thought it presented a good chance to take some pics that put things in an accurate perspective so you guys could see what the proportions of the hull are. All the pics taken in the shop make it look goofy, think these will help.


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## Shortmag71

Yall are doing a great job! I really enjoy watching the progress, keep up the good work and the young man helping is learning some valueable lessons. Great Job.


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## prarie dog

Thanks Shortmag, we're having a lot of fun with this project and enjoy sharing it with folks that are interested. T got a hippointer playing hockey so he was off last weekend but think he'll be good to go this weekend.


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## prarie dog

We've squared the chine on the skiff and done quite a bit of fairing and sanding. It's getting real close to primer time and a finish sanding then paint. T's been thinking he wants to paint it the new Mopar color "Sublime Green", don't know what I think about that.


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## prarie dog

Crossed a few hurdles on the skiff in the last few days. Last week we picked up our trailer from a dealer in Denver. This trailer came in under a boat that was ordered for the Colorado DOW. It was a flatbottomed boat of some sort they're using to check duckhunters on shallow lakes out east. This nice alluminum trailer didn't fit the specs the state had written on the rig so the dealer had to provide a painted steel trailer. Got a real good deal on this ugly old alluminum trailer.










Sunday evening we glued the strakes on the hull, tried to talk myself out of this but decided having this boat track a bit would be a good thing.










And finally, the dealer I got the trailer from managed to get in the fuel tank for this big old boat. It's a one foot cube that holds 7 gallons. Finding small permanent tanks is kinda hard to do but we found one.


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## prarie dog

Don't understand what happened with the pics I linked to the earlier posts, I'll try again.


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## prarie dog

Made a little headway last weekend on the skiff. We initially notched the first frame in front of the transom and then decided to build a flush rear deck. On of the beautys of this method is you can undo stuff you don't like. In this case we cut a filler peice, then mixed some epoxy and woodflour and glued it in there. When it's taped on the back and glassed on the front it will be stronger than the ply was originally.










Earlier in the day we had the hull outside doing some sanding and decided to try it on the trailer. After putting it on there and checking the fit we decided to shorten and lower the bunks. Here's a pic of the trial fit.










Tonight we did some trial fitting on the interior layout. I bought a cooler seat and cushion and we tried it in there and it's too big so we decided to order a small leaning post that we can put a small cooler under. We are also ordering a small windsheild, grab bar, and poling platform.


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## patwilson

Very cool! Keep up the good work....


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## Tail Chaser

prarie dog said:


> We've squared the chine on the skiff and done quite a bit of fairing and sanding. It's getting real close to primer time and a finish sanding then paint. T's been thinking he wants to paint it the new Mopar color "Sublime Green", don't know what I think about that.


For the record, I think Sublime Green would make a fantastic color for the boat.


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## prarie dog

Thanks guys, appreciate the compliments.

Tailchaser, what do you, and anybody else, think about the Sublime Green, a Bannana stripe, White topsides, and polar white hatches? I'm clueless about colors and need help with this. Thanks for any and all constructive comments.


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## prarie dog

Got in a few more licks this weekend. We installed the cleats for the sole, built a partition in the front compatment for an anchor locker. We also did some trimming on the sole and front and rear decks and cut and fit chase tubes.










We also set the motor on the transom to do some measuring for a jackplate. We're going to instal a manual jackplate in an attempt to keep the weight down on the boat and up on my wallet. LOL A few pics of the motor, transom and tunnel.


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## devil1824

Upside down, but looking good!


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## saltwatersensations

Make me want to make a boat. Looks great.


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## prarie dog

devil1824 said:


> Upside down, but looking good!


Are the pics upside down Devil?

Thanks for the compliments guys. Had a little time this weekend and glued in some more cleats, installed the chase tubes and foamed the bottom. Here's a shot of my, now 14 yr old, pouring in two part foam. It's pretty cool stuff to work with.


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## devil1824

They were that day? looking good!


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## prarie dog

Made a little progress this weekend, we got the sole trimmed to fit over the chase tubes and got the cleats glued in for the front and rear deck. We also cut out the rear deck and did a trial fit to see what it all looked like. Think it's going to work out okay.


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## bobfishbw

I've built a couple scooters a couple of years ago. Not as easy as it looks. I didn't have a blueprint, just made it up. THe little one was 11' with a 25 hp. It ran great, but I sold it. The bigger one had a 50 hp on it originally but now has a 70 hp on it. It is still with the same owner and he still loves it...


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## Arlon

I built an 18ft skiff (HERE) from Glen-l plans and added a similar short tunnel and ended up filling the tunnel. The tunnel just cost more performance that it was worth. I hope your tunnel works better than mine did. Looks like a fun build! I'll be watching the thread to see how it goes..


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## prarie dog

bobfishbw said:


> I've built a couple scooters a couple of years ago. Not as easy as it looks. I didn't have a blueprint, just made it up. THe little one was 11' with a 25 hp. It ran great, but I sold it. The bigger one had a 50 hp on it originally but now has a 70 hp on it. It is still with the same owner and he still loves it...
> 
> Nice looking scooters Bob. What method did you use to build them and do you know what they weighed?
> 
> Arlon, that's a sweet looking Dory, looks very strong and seaworthy.


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## prarie dog

Made a little headway on the skiff in the past couple of weeks. It seems that a bunch of guys in Lousiana that use these tunnels think they work best with the motor close to the transom, in other words, set at the right height without a jackplate and with a hydrofoil on the planer fin. So we raised the transom and have made a template for the foil. Think I know a guy that has some thick alluminum sheet and a break to turn it down on the outer edges. The template has about a half inch clearence between it and the transom.



















We also got the sole installed and the lines pulled for the baitwell, located in the front of the console.


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## rvd

Cool project, thanks for sharing.


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## Shortmag71

Great job, keep up the good work. I can't wait to see the finished product.


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## On The Hook

Looks good. I'm curious if you think the prop seems to be sitting a little too far below the bottom of the hull. I've always run them higher up. If they are too low, there is no reason for a tunnel. 

I'm not trying to be critical, just trying to point out what I see so that maybe it can be helpful to you. I would think in a boat of this nature, that it would be possible to keep the prop within the tunnel or even slightly above.


The water should rise as it flows out of the tunnel allowing the motor to be mounted higher, maybe as much as 4"-6" higher could be possible. The size of the tunnel is a factor, so you may need to play around with the height to see what works best.

That is a great project and is one that your son should cherish the rest of his life. Nothing like a good father son project to help build the family bond.


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## prarie dog

RVD and Shortmag, thanks a bunch for the compliments!!!

[QUOTE=On The Hook;4057276)

I'm not trying to be critical, just trying to point out what I see so that maybe it can be helpful to you. I would think in a boat of this nature, that it would be possible to keep the prop within the tunnel or even slightly above.


The water should rise as it flows out of the tunnel allowing the motor to be mounted higher, maybe as much as 4"-6" higher could be possible. The size of the tunnel is a factor, so you may need to play around with the height to see what works best.

Hook, we intended for the propshaft to wind up at or slightly above the bottom of the boat. It is appx a quarter inch low. I don't really know how high we can run this thing but think where it is, is a good starting point, we have to run the motor through break in and shake her down.

As far as being critical is concerned--no worries. One thing we get in return for doing a build thread is input from a bunch of guys that have a lot of experience with boats. In other words, it's a mutually benefical deal. All posts that are intended to be helpful or expository are welcomed.

Thanks!!!!


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## bobfishbw

prarie dog said:


> bobfishbw said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've built a couple scooters a couple of years ago. Not as easy as it looks. I didn't have a blueprint, just made it up. THe little one was 11' with a 25 hp. It ran great, but I sold it. The bigger one had a 50 hp on it originally but now has a 70 hp on it. It is still with the same owner and he still loves it...
> 
> Nice looking scooters Bob. What method did you use to build them and do you know what they weighed?
> 
> Arlon, that's a sweet looking Dory, looks very strong and seaworthy.
> 
> 
> 
> I made mine out of AC fur plywood and glassed them in. I think the little one was about 350 lbs and the 14' boat was about 600lbs.
Click to expand...


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## Whipray

On The Hook said:


> Looks good. I'm curious if you think the prop seems to be sitting a little too far below the bottom of the hull. I've always run them higher up. If they are too low, there is no reason for a tunnel.
> 
> I'm not trying to be critical, just trying to point out what I see so that maybe it can be helpful to you. I would think in a boat of this nature, that it would be possible to keep the prop within the tunnel or even slightly above.
> 
> The water should rise as it flows out of the tunnel allowing the motor to be mounted higher, maybe as much as 4"-6" higher could be possible. The size of the tunnel is a factor, so you may need to play around with the height to see what works best.
> 
> That is a great project and is one that your son should cherish the rest of his life. Nothing like a good father son project to help build the family bond.


I thought the same thing. I run mine with the tip of the "bullet" on the top edge of the tunnel. That puts the skeg pretty much even with the bottom of the boat.


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## prarie dog

bobfishbw said:


> prarie dog said:
> 
> 
> 
> I made mine out of AC fur plywood and glassed them in. I think the little one was about 350 lbs and the 14' boat was about 600lbs.
> 
> 
> 
> How is the AC plywood holding up, and did you use polyester resin or epoxy?
Click to expand...


----------



## prarie dog

Whipray said:


> I thought the same thing. I run mine with the tip of the "bullet" on the top edge of the tunnel. That puts the skeg pretty much even with the bottom of the boat.


Thanks for the tip, after we get it run in we fully intend to raise it as far is it'll work. Don't know how heavy it'll finish out but we think at rest the tunnel will be a little over half full. Insert several caveats, like trim etc.

Would appreciate some input on what kind of prop to run on this little boat. I have a Powertech semiweedless prop with a bunch of cup on another boat. Goes forward like a raped ape but will not hardly back up. Looking for a prop for this rig that goes well but will still back up.


----------



## flatsmaster14

A flat bottom boat with a tunnel sucks at backing up so don't buy a prop that you will lose hole shot or top speed for reverse, cause in my experience with flatsmaster scooters, redfish lines,and tran cats they all lack in reverse


----------



## Whipray

flatsmaster14 said:


> A flat bottom boat with a tunnel sucks at backing up so don't buy a prop that you will lose hole shot or top speed for reverse, cause in my experience with flatsmaster scooters, redfish lines,and tran cats they all lack in reverse


^^^
What he said. I've found trimming my motor up slightly helps in reverse. It at least keeps it from swamping the transom.


----------



## bobfishbw

prarie dog said:


> bobfishbw said:
> 
> 
> 
> How is the AC plywood holding up, and did you use polyester resin or epoxy?
> 
> 
> 
> Both boats are still on the water. I built them in 06. I used epoxy.
Click to expand...


----------



## Lucky

Awesome. I love projects, and this just makes me want to build one! Glad you can do it with your son.


----------



## prarie dog

flatsmaster14 said:


> A flat bottom boat with a tunnel sucks at backing up so don't buy a prop that you will lose hole shot or top speed for reverse, cause in my experience with flatsmaster scooters, redfish lines,and tran cats they all lack in reverse





Whipray said:


> ^^^
> What he said. I've found trimming my motor up slightly helps in reverse. It at least keeps it from swamping the transom.


Thanks guys, this kind of information is very useful. I already suspect that we'll need a prop with a good deal of cup to get this thing to work well.


----------



## prarie dog

bobfishbw said:


> prarie dog said:
> 
> 
> 
> Both boats are still on the water. I built them in 06. I used epoxy.
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like they're holding up good, we like epoxy a lot, not uv resistant but very strong.
> 
> 
> 
> Lucky said:
> 
> 
> 
> Awesome. I love projects, and this just makes me want to build one! Glad you can do it with your son.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Lucky, if you want to build one check out this site.http://bateau.com/
> They have a lot of designs and first rate support.
Click to expand...


----------



## flatsmaster14

prarie dog said:


> Thanks guys, this kind of information is very useful. I already suspect that we'll need a prop with a good deal of cup to get this thing to work well.


I would say a nice 4 blade will do the trick, and if the boat will handle the weight get a jack plate, that think will be a beast! Bobs makes mini jack plates


----------



## prarie dog

flatsmaster14 said:


> I would say a nice 4 blade will do the trick, and if the boat will handle the weight get a jack plate, that think will be a beast! Bobs makes mini jack plates


I'll call the guys at Powertech and see what they think it should have.

We flipped her and had a sanding party Saturday, did some filling then taped off the bottom and applied epoxy and graphite. This stuff is real good at limiting bottom damage from Oysters etc..


----------



## Chunkn' Charlie

Looking good guys. I still have a lot of faring to do


----------



## prarie dog

Hang in there Charlie, you'll get there.


----------



## flatsmaster14

Starts too look like a boat with the paint! Y'all are doin a great job!!


----------



## prarie dog

Flatsmaster, the black stuff that looks like paint is two part epoxy with graphite powder mixed in it. It is so hard that it's very difficult to sand and usually laughs at oysters and barnacles


----------



## prarie dog

Got in several good licks this weekend. We finished coating the lockers with tinted epoxy, tabbed in the sole, glued down the front deck, installed the rear piece on the transom and put on a couple coats of primer. It's taking shape.


----------



## prarie dog

We got in our steering and cable and control cables and decided to go ahead and mount the steering and check the cable for length and fit. It all fits, the wheel is a little big and we'll order a smaller wheel, other than that it all looks good. We've also been doing a bunch of fairing, priming and sanding. BTW, right over the throttle control/shifter you can see a 50 cal. bullet hole in my barn door, don't know about my neighbors sometimes. :spineyes:










A little kid stuff to lighten up the boat building gig.


----------



## goldwingtiny

Prarie Dog, You Rock when it comes to being a dad!


----------



## prarie dog

Thanks Goldwingtiny. Don't know how accurate it is but working on it.


----------



## patwilson

Yes sir! Now about the bullet hole.....WTH?????



goldwingtiny said:


> Prarie Dog, You Rock when it comes to being a dad!


----------



## prarie dog

Thanks, Pat. I live out in the country in Colorado and people are shooting around here all the time, us included. When first spotted we got a step ladder and climbed up there to look it over. Measured the hole with a dial caliper .500", tried to sight through it to get an idea where it came from, the only thing that way is the Florence Addmax Prison. WTH is the right thing to say.:headknock

On a brighter note we hit a few licks on the skiff today. First we fitted the rub rail.



















We then fitted the inwales.










When we had the rubrail on the hull we countersank the holes and used the centerbit to predrill the holes for the scews. On wood core boats you have to eliminate places that water can get to the wood. In this case the holes are overdrilled to 3/8" and filled with woodflour and epoxy mixed. The mix was put in a fillable caulk tube then pumped in the holes, it was messy but real fast. Took longer to clean up than it took to fill all the holes. Here's a pic of a filled hole before tape was slapped on it.


----------



## prarie dog

Had a pretty good weekend, the hatches came in last week so we cutout the front and rear openings, added a stiffener to the front deck and overdrilled and filled all the holes. I have a pic of the front deck, didn't get a good one of the rear deck.










We also cutout the gunwale tops and fitted them in place.










We also got a final sanding in on our baitwell, glued in cleats for the cover and cut the hole for the access cover to get to that plumbing and drilled and filled those holes. It's kind of a PITA to do all this overdrilling and filling but on wood core boats it's a nescessity to keep rot out.


----------



## Jerry-rigged

Looking good prairie dog... y'all gonna get it wet this summer?


----------



## prarie dog

Jerry-rigged said:


> Looking good prairie dog... y'all gonna get it wet this summer?


We're going to give it a shot. T is determined to play Baseball on as many teams as possible, sub for as many as possible and play three kinds of Hockey this summer. It's kind of messing up the boat building schedule. We're still making good progress cause his mom is hauling him on the weekends and Dick is helping out.


----------



## prarie dog

We got in a pretty good day today working mostly on the console. We've been accumulating switches and controls, hatches and the tackle center. It's really surprising how much stuff you can cram into a small console. We put the final coating of blue tinted epoxy on the baitwell which will allow us to glue the top on and finish glassing the bottom of the unit.


----------



## Chunkn' Charlie

Looking good Paul
Where did you get your hatches?
I got my outside hull finished and started glassing the inside.
I'll post some pics up soon.


----------



## prarie dog

Thanks Charley
Do a build thread on here man, not everyone's interested but a lot of folks would be. I bought the hatches from Cabela's they sell pretty much the same one's that Basspro sell, they're not all that good but should work fine for this little boat.


----------



## Fishdaze

prarie dog said:


> Thanks Charley
> Do a build thread on here man, not everyone's interested but a lot of folks would be. I bought the hatches from Cabela's they sell pretty much the same one's that Basspro sell, they're not all that good but should work fine for this little boat.


Coming along nicely PD!

CC, as PD said, show some pics of your build. There are a lot of us that really would like to see your progress.


----------



## Uncle_D

Hey Paul, don't get over here often. Good to see ya'll here. What elec. panel are you using, Blue Sea?? Don


----------



## prarie dog

Fishdaze said:


> Coming along nicely PD!


Thanks Fishdaze, we gotta get Charley to post up some build pics, seen one the other day where he was suited up in a Tyvek suit, with a mask and sander. Looked real serious to me, hot too!!

Uncle D

I'll look tonight and see what switch panel that is, bought it several months ago and don't remember the brand.


----------



## prarie dog

Uncle D

That panel is made by Seasense, don't know how good it is, looks fine.


----------



## prarie dog

Made some good progress this weekend. We tinted the baitwell last weekend so Saturday we glued down the top, this morning we rounded over the corners and glassed her down. Here's a pic of the rounded corners prior to glassing.










We then glued the gunwale tops on after we glued the inwale's in place Saturday morning. Next weekend we'll trim the edges with a router and roll them over and glass them down.


----------



## prarie dog

We hit a few good licks this weekend on the skiff. Saturday morning we hit the gunwales with a trim bit on the router and then used a rollover bit to give us a nice radius on both the inside and outside.










We thin sanded and filled where we had some gaps with thickened epoxy then glassed the front and rear decks and the gunwales.



















This morning we trimmed and sanded then put the first coat of fairing compound. Temps have been well over a hundred here and the compound started to kick on us about the time it was spread out. Didn't have enough time to do a really good job, but some sanding and another pass should take care of it. A mild norther would help.










The front deck.


----------



## prarie dog

Made some good progress this weekend. Saturday morning we had a sanding party then tabbed down the console. This morning we did a bunch of drilling and filling then mounted our shoot thru the hull transducer. This is a method a friend of mine told me about a few years ago that's worked well on several boats.

The tub and transducer.










The butter tub taped in place on the hull. We cut the wood out of this area prior to glassing the outside of the hull and filled it with glass discs and epoxy.










The transducer bedded in 4 ounces of epoxy and woodflour mixed pretty thin to avoid air pockets. In the pic a few surface bubbles are visible but now that it's cured none are there.










A shot of the boat with the console glassed and tabbed in place. This evening we sprayed a guide coat on the outside of the hull and blocked it out real slick, a few coats of primer and a final sanding and it's ready to paint. Still quite a bit of fairing and sanding on the inside of the boat but making good progress.


----------



## prarie dog

Had a good weekend working on the skiff. We've been fairing on the inside and are getting fairly close to primer on that part of the boat. This afternoon we put the final three coats of primer on the outside of the hull and pulled the tape at the chine. Have to do a little work on the edge before final paint and have to mask with better tape than the blue to keep bleed through from happening on the finish coat. We've also built a bunch of blocks to mount the battery switch and circuit breaker, fire extinguisher, etc. etc..


----------



## TOM WEBER

That is REALLY looking first class...great experience for the young man. Boat bonding with my dad are some of my best memories. Congrats on the progress. Don't put a Yetti in it. Then it will trluy be a custom build and someone will steal it. TW


----------



## Chunkn' Charlie

Looking good Paul
I'm right behind you


----------



## prarie dog

TOM WEBER said:


> That is REALLY looking first class...great experience for the young man. Boat bonding with my dad are some of my best memories. Congrats on the progress. Don't put a Yetti in it. Then it will trluy be a custom build and someone will steal it. TW


Thanks Tom, don't know if we're doing more bonding or arguing but we're moving forward and making progress. I'm trying to not ask to much and he's trying to learn how not to be the boss. LOL The good old teenaged thing!!

Thanks Charlie, could you please post some pics of your build so we can see where you are. I was awed at the pic of you in the Tyvek suit, anybody that can wear one of those in your country in the summer is a tougher man than I.


----------



## cva34

*Home Made*

You guys look like your ready to be real boat builders..Always wanted to try and always said when I get my Garage cleaned out ( not dirty just overflowing with projects)I was going to give it a try..It still ain't in sight..Great job Guys and blow by blow has been great...cva34


----------



## Trouthunter

Man I've enjoyed this thread. Starting with some wood on the floor to where you are now with your skiff has been a really fun journey.

You both have done a great job....and good job Dad. 

Keep on updating us!

TH


----------



## prarie dog

cva34 said:


> You guys look like your ready to be real boat builders..Always wanted to try and always said when I get my Garage cleaned out ( not dirty just overflowing with projects)I was going to give it a try..It still ain't in sight..Great job Guys and blow by blow has been great...cva34


Thanks CVA, real flattering comments. This is our second and we're progressing but it's a slow process, having said that, this is a lot of fun and very rewarding.


----------



## prarie dog

Trouthunter said:


> Man I've enjoyed this thread. Starting with some wood on the floor to where you are now with your skiff has been a really fun journey.
> 
> You both have done a great job....and good job Dad.
> 
> Keep on updating us!
> 
> TH


Thanks for the compliments Trouthunter, we really hope everyone that's followed the build has enjoyed the process. Looking back on my childhood, I think of my dad building custom rifles for me, and helping me build nice cars and remember that it isn't about the project but the idea that if you do, you can. Probably the most valuable lesson a man can teach his kid.


----------



## prarie dog

Got in some good work this weekend. We plumbed the bait tank, installed the bait pump and a few thru hulls. We also got far enough along on fairing the cockpit to prime it. After three coats of primer and some spot putty and a little fairing compound it's close to paint.

The bait tank, sorry about the pic, couldn't get the light right.


----------



## patwilson

Looking good! Do you have a ETA to get her wet?


----------



## prarie dog

patwilson said:


> Looking good! Do you have a ETA to get her wet?


Pat, don't have a hard one but hoping to have her wet by the end of the month, or perhaps Labor day weekend.


----------



## prarie dog

Got in a few good licks this weekend on the skiff. Saturday morning we finish sanded the outside of the hull and applied the first coat of paint. It's some high end paint made by Sterling that is tricky to use. We had some trouble with roller stipple but have some ideas to try with the second coat. We also did a little plumbing on the bait tank, glued in some cleats for the circuit breaker, battery switch, fire extinguisher, ground buss and all that stuff you need to make the lights work.










No leaks on the bait tank, had to take a pic of it taking it's first whizz.


----------



## Shortmag71

This boat is starting to look reel good. Y'all are doing an awesome job.


----------



## prarie dog

Shortmag71 said:


> This boat is starting to look reel good. Y'all are doing an awesome job.


Thanks, Shortmag


----------



## prarie dog

Had another sanding party and removed most of the first coat of paint. We were following an online tutorial on the mix ratios and induction time and it was wrong. After sanding it off and going to the manufacturers website we figured out how to use this paint. It'll do what they say, it can be rolled and tipped and look very close to a properly painted spray application. It's Sterling paint.










The stern.


----------



## Nicademas

Sterling paint...expensive and tough to swallow grinding that off I'm sure. Luckily it isn't a larger rig. 

Looking good.


----------



## prarie dog

Nicademas said:


> Sterling paint...expensive and tough to swallow grinding that off I'm sure.


You're right, the stuff is spendy and hard to sand. Two Quarts of paint, two quarts of brushing reducer and a quart of thinner was almost six bills. The good thing is we have four coats on the hull and we've use two thirds of a quart of the paint. Plenty left for touchups later.


----------



## RAMROD1

This is an awesome build! Can't wait to see the finished, floating results. Seriously considering doing this very same project with my 10 year old son.


----------



## prarie dog

RAMROD1 said:


> This is an awesome build! Can't wait to see the finished, floating results. Seriously considering doing this very same project with my 10 year old son.


Ramrod, thanks, hope you do a build and have a good time with it. We try to plan some time every weekend to work on it. My son would tell you he hasn't learned that much but he has. Most of all I hope he's learning how to finish, the end and tying up all the details is the hardest part.


----------



## prarie dog

We've been waiting a while on a Grabbar and Windsheild to come in from Georgia. Finally showed up Friday so we mounted the stuff and installed the fuel fill and fuel tank vent. My son is getting pretty excited, a little bling sure improves the looks. The boat is small enough that the stuff looks tall but looking at the frontal pic think it's going to be about right.



















The BB dawg.


----------



## panhandle_slim

Awesome!!


----------



## prarie dog

panhandle_slim said:


> Awesome!!


Thanks, Slim

We got the second coat on the inside of the hull this afternoon. It's looking like it's going to take 4 coats to get good coverage. I'm told that light colors and gray primer usually work out like this. What do ya'll think of the color combo?


----------



## 2013Shoalcat

Very nice work, you and your son are doing great things together, I helped my father try to build a homemade scooter in early 80s, got it ready for glass and never finished it, cant wait to see the finished project. Thanks for sharing this build with us.


----------



## Smackdaddy53

I have read the entire thread, very cool project! I think the colors are nice and clean looking. 


-mac-


----------



## prarie dog

2013Shoalcat said:


> Very nice work, you and your son are doing great things together, I helped my father try to build a homemade scooter in early 80s, got it ready for glass and never finished it, cant wait to see the finished project. Thanks for sharing this build with us.[/)
> 
> Thanks Shoalcat, we appreciate the compliments and can't wait to put this boat in the water and run it. We have a selfish motive for doing a build thread on here. We've recieved a lot of good tips along the way and value the comments and pointers from the widely experienced boaters on this site.


----------



## prarie dog

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I have read the entire thread, very cool project! I think the colors are nice and clean looking.
> 
> Thanks Smackdaddy, appreciate the compliments and your comment on the colors.


----------



## prarie dog

Got in a good weekend. We managed to get the skiff on the trailer, mount the engine and do a bunch of rigging. Been kind of a PITA doing the rigging, multiple trips to town etc.. Fortunatly SWMBO is as excited as we are and she made several trips for us but still wound up short on some terminals and connectors. We're going to try to splash her this weekend, still have to get an appointment to get a HIN assigned and have some wiring and plumbing to finish up. Will post some splash pics asap.


----------



## andrax

That is looking nice. You're doing a great thing with your boy.


----------



## patwilson

Very nice job!


----------



## TXXpress

andrax said:


> That is looking nice. You're doing a great thing with your boy.


X 2! I've been following since the start. It's a great build and a lot of work. This is a memory both of you will carry the rest of your lives! Congratulations to both of you.


----------



## prarie dog

andrax said:


> That is looking nice. You're doing a great thing with your boy.


Thanks Andrax, he's getting very excited. We get the hull inspected tomorrow.:smile:

Thanks Pat and Txxpress, we really appreciate the interest and compliments.


----------



## saltwatersensations

Looks fantastic, I love the color scheme. The entire thing looks very professional. One lucky kid.


----------



## That Robbie Guy

You're definitely doing so many things right!


----------



## Kitchen Pass

Love to see several pictures once completed all around the boat. That thing looks looks great for home made.

That paint finish looks fantastic the way it wets out. If you guys took any short cuts they sure don't show. Good attention to detail.


----------



## C.Hern5972

Read the entire thread and this is goign to be a great finish product. Very neat and man thats a lifetime of memories. Cant wait to see the finished product. Very Nice


----------



## rattler

What an awesome turnout.

If you took that thing to Ft. Collins, Eugene or Waco you could name your price.

>E


----------



## prarie dog

Guys, really appreciate all the interest and compliments. We managed to get the Hull inspection done today and weighed it. The boat and trailer grossed 1220lbs. Don't know what the trailer weighs since I couldn't get the boat off of it in the time available. But will do the other half of the equation asap.

Rattler, I had two Oregon ducky alumns standing around it at the ice hall tonight, they were acting a little trashed because the yellow isn't quite the right shade. LOL


----------



## ntezbnchz

this is an awesome build thread. i have to say what everyone has been saying: thats a great thing you are doing with your boy.


----------



## Fishertoo

Read the whole thread. Absolutely great job! You and your son are no doubt very proud.


----------



## prarie dog

Thanks for the compliments guys, we appreciate them. Splashed the skiff today, looks like it drafts 3 to 4 inches with nobody in it. It's going to gain an inch for every two hundred pounder that gets in it. The long ans short of it is it's a two person boat, in a pinch a third but we anticipated that. We have too much prop on the boat, after running around an hour at 2000 rpm we tried to run it to plane and it would only turn 3600 rpm at full throttle, it's a 12 pitch that came with the motor, another problem we thought we'd have to deal with. We did take several pictures and will post them here












































.


----------



## devil1824

That is really Awesome!! I think I would have tears in my eyes when I finally splashed her. Great job!


----------



## KEMPOC

That is beautiful! And he thinks you are just building a boat! Congratulations on *ALL* that you accomplished with this project!


----------



## patwilson

KEMPOC said:


> That is beautiful! And he thinks you are just building a boat! Congratulations on *ALL* that you accomplished with this project!


X2..... Congrats!


----------



## TOM WEBER

Super nice!


----------



## Arlon

When I built a 17 ft skiff with a tunnel I had the same issues getting up on plane and tried a few props. I finally had to fill the tunnel. It just created way too much drag for the 70hp I had. With the tunnel filled it popped right up on plane with the factory prop. Wouldn't come close with the tunnel. Another thing that bothers me is the pontoons angled outward. There is a lot more water volume it the back of those pontoons than the front. Until it's totally on plane, that volume of water at the back of the pontoons has to come from someplace. I would think that would cause even more suction than the tunnel. It wouldn't surprise me if that hull never planes with any prop. Not dissing your project just commenting 100% from experience doing almost exactly what you did on a slightly larger hull. I found the drag from a small tunnel is pretty remarkable. I'd make a small "bath tub" model of your hull with the pontoons like that and then with them straight and see if behaves differently.


I started with just a tunnel, it wouldn't get up on plane, just plowed through the water. More power I gave it the harder it plowed. I added pontoons which allowed it to almost make it on plane, not nearly as bad. Another 50 hp I might have been ok. Went to a small custom 4 blade prop with a lot of cup and litttle pitch. Made little difference. Filled the tunnel, added a manual jackplate so I could lower the motor and it got on plane. With a little fiddling with the jackplate I got it running really well.


----------



## prarie dog

Thanks for all the compliments guys, really appreciat them and all the green. We did accomplish a lot besides building a boat, think he appreciates what he has, it was really cool to watch him use the depth sounder and get a feel for the lake we were in. He has a fair understanding of the shoreline where we ran it and knows where two good looking bumps are.

Arlon, you may be right with what you say about the tunnel, until we run a few props and experiments we won't know, I do know there's a process for figuring this out. I'd be concerned if this same tunnel hadn't been used to good results on another very similar boat. He has a compression plate and custom prop on his, it works very well.


----------



## panhandle_slim

Any updates? I saw your antelope post on the hunting board and realized we haven't had a skiff update in a while


----------



## mustangeric

wow I just read all 17 pages and i am very impressed. any idea of a ball park on what a project like this runs?


----------



## prarie dog

panhandle_slim said:


> Any updates? I saw your antelope post on the hunting board and realized we haven't had a skiff update in a while


Slim, Got in the prop the day we left to go on the Antelope hunt, hockey tournament next weekend and an elk hunt the weekend after kind of shoots the skiff project down for a while. We're hoping to get the compression plate built and the whole thing tested before it freezes up here. Will keep posted with what's going on.


----------



## prarie dog

mustangeric said:


> wow I just read all 17 pages and i am very impressed. any idea of a ball park on what a project like this runs?


 Thanks Eric, think we have $9500 in this project including the trailer. I don't try to keep records on these projects because anyone with a brain would just go buy one.

The reason we like doing these deals is there isn't much a guy can do at 55 that gives you the feeling you had when you built your first hot rod, shot your first deer, etc. etc.. When we get one working we usually wear a permagrin for a week or two, wave at fat chicks and have a good old time. Sharing that feeling with my son is really special. Sounds nuts but there it is.

I suppose professional boat builders feel like that when they introduce a new model that really works.


----------



## TOM WEBER

prarie dog said:


> Thanks Eric, think we have $9500 in this project including the trailer. I don't try to keep records on these projects because anyone with a brain would just go buy one.
> 
> The reason we like doing these deals is there isn't much a guy can do at 55 that gives you the feeling you had when you built your first hot rod, shot your first deer, etc. etc.. When we get one working we usually wear a permagrin for a week or two, wave at fat chicks and have a good old time. Sharing that feeling with my son is really special. Sounds nuts but there it is.
> 
> I suppose professional boat builders feel like that when they introduce a new model that really works.


 I love the second paragraph!!!!! Especially the fat chicks comment. A boat I used to admire when I was young in the Galveston Yacht Basin had a sticker on the window of a fat chick in a bikini with a circle around it and a line thru it...this made me smile big time. Thanks


----------



## ak

Wow when I sall the first pictures I laughed then I sall it finished... crazy! good job.


----------



## George in Pearland

Awesome Prarie Dog y'all did a good job!!!


----------



## prarie dog

*Thanks!!*

Tom, AK, and George, really want to thank you guys for the positive comments and wanted to thank everyone that made helpful suggestions. The guys that made comments and suggestions on the motor height are in total agreement with Jack at Crossroads Props. Jack has sent me a really nice looking prop, offered suggstions on what kind of compression plate to build, and what height the motor should be mounted.

All the help and suggestions are the gift a guy recieves doing a thread like this, we really appreciate ALL the help and suggestions. I can't think of even one negative or discouraging comment on the whole thread.

Thanks, we really appreciate it!!
Paul, T, and Dick


----------



## prarie dog

Been kinda busy between Hockey Tournaments and Hunting trips but we're still making progress on the skiff. We recieved the prop a couple of weeks ago before our Antelope hunt and the next week got the alluminum in for the compression plate. Tuesday night our leaning post showed up from Georgia. This is a totaly custom piece made by Raymond Martin of Martin Marine Concepts. He's been very busy and we had to wait to get it but are completely amazed at the quality of his work. It has four rod holders and underseat storage weighs appx 35 lbs. He does the upholstery and the metal work in his shop.


----------



## texasislandboy

That seat set up is great!


----------



## atcfisherman

That is totally awesome. Y'all did a fantastic job!!!


----------



## monkeyman1

awesome build!


----------



## That Robbie Guy

Bump - recent interest. 

prarie dog, any updates? 
How's it run? Anything you would change?


----------



## prarie dog

Robbie, 

Thanks for the interest, we've been waiting for it to warm up to go run it again. Up here this time of year is whacky-- supposed to snow tonight--had it hooked on the truck a few weekends ago and the wind got up to 30 by the time we could get to the lake. As soon as we know anything we'll post it up.


----------



## bjmillet

That is awesome. I love stitch & glue boats. You're son will remember this all his life.


----------



## funewgy

One of the coolest threads on 2cool! What a great job and you get my vote for father of the year.


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## prarie dog

Thanks guys, appreciate the compliments, don't know about father of the year. This project wasn't a big sacrifice for me because I like building boats, in particular, skinny water one's. We did a bunch of plain and fancy arguing during this project and had, not a few, shouting matches. He did a bunch of work on it and mounted all the hatches by himself. He learned a lot about how to use tools and other things teenage boys need to know to become handy-men. I'm proud of his effort on the project.


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## Law Dog

Awesome looking boat, thanks for sharing the experience. Congrats!


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## prarie dog

Thanks Guys for the compliments. The weather finally eased up here and we had a chance to do a little testing and discovered that it blows out right before going on plane. Couldn't find a Cav plate for a small motor like this so we decided to build one. We're trying to copy the plates that Boatright sells and are pretty close, we think!! Does anyone know how much of a lip their plates have on the downturned edge? We could really use that info. The plate in the pic is bigger than it needs to be, we were seeing how much room we had and that's about max. A few pics.


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## Safe2breathe

That is amazing. Thank you for sharing


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## Safe2breathe

What are using on that cav?


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## atcfisherman

I've posted before, but y'all have done a fantastic job!!!! Totally AWESOME!!!!!


In Christ Alone I Place My Trust


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## prarie dog

Safe2breathe said:


> What are using on that cav?


The plate is made of 6061-T6 aluminum that is .125 thick.

Appreciate the compliments guys!!


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## prarie dog

Been a while since we've posted on this thread. Had some business issues, and life got in the way. Testing of this rig revealed that the 20hp Yamaha wasn't enough motor so we looked and looked and looked some more for a Yamaha 30 2 stroke because the rigging would be easy, we struck out. So we bit the bullet and bought an Etec 30. Unfortunately the only way we could buy one that was a remote with electric start was to buy one with a 20" shaft. I had a manual Jackplate built for the motor but it doesn't have enough range to get this motor nearly high enough. I sometimes wonder if a 15" shaft on a Yamaha isn't 10" shorter than a 30 Etec, be that as it may I will have to have a taller Jackplate built. We went ahead and ran the boat with motor appx 4 or 5" deeper than it should be rigged and it worked okay but I wonder how well it'll work once it's rigged right. A project for this winter. Here's a link to some video.


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## TOM WEBER

nice video..glad to see it on water


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## prarie dog

TOM WEBER said:


> nice video..glad to see it on water


 Thanks Tom, don't like to drag projects out like this but it's been a little crazy.


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