# New flounder boat build



## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

Check out my Facebook page (link below) for a sneak peek at the new flounder boat I am building. I will post weekly updates and photos on Facebook until the project is complete.

The boat should be ready by the end of April, and accommodate groups of up to 6 adults. Rough final dimensions are 9 foot wide by 25 1/2 foot long.

We are doing all of the fabrication from scratch, with the goal of building the ultimate flounder boat, no expenses spared. A ton of time in design, engineering, and head scratching has already gone into this boat. After guiding gigging trips for the last 12 years in thin gauge production aluminum hulls, I felt like it was time to raise the bar, and build a boat that would last the rest of my life.

Visit my Facebook page

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging - Bay Fishing - Duck Hunting
361-727-0045
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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## NB (Jan 24, 2013)

Looking great so far! Keep up the good work and pics coming.


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## aggiefishinDr (Sep 1, 2005)

WOW looking good. That thing is going to be beast!! thanks for sharing


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

.125" hull? Very nice


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

9' at the rails? I don't think I've ever seen something bigger than an 80" bottom. Looks like it will be quite a beast.


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

Bottom is 3/16" 5086 alloy with 3"x2" t-bar stringers that are 1/4 thick. Sides will be .125 plate in 5086 also.


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

84" bottom, and 9' at the rails.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Redfish Rick said:


> 84" bottom, and 9' at the rails.


Holy cow. Can you even take that down the road without needing a wide load sign lol. Looking forward to seeing your progress on this. Definitely a tank.


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*taking shape*

Lots of tedious work over the last week. Tons of angles, measuring, and fitting. If these steps are not perfect, it throws the whole boat out of alignment. Spent 1 whole day doing stress relief on the boat structure and tacking it back to the jig. If you don't know, aluminum moves around a bunch when you weld it, and you have to be careful not to get too much heat in any one area. Stress relief process takes out any warp caused by welding, and we will probably have to do it one more time before the boat is complete.

The boat is now taking shape, and has some really nice lines that should only get better once the cap rail is added.

Capt. Rick Hammond


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## patwilson (Jan 13, 2006)

That is going to be a tank! Very cool build....


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## Lucky (Sep 1, 2005)

Very nice! Keep us updated and thanks for the detailed post.


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## Yellow Mouth Chaser (Jan 8, 2008)

Ok, you have my attention. This is going to be a sweet rig. I've been to bars that have smaller dance floors that what you're going to have on the front of that boat.


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Great work. Very nice rig you will have. Keep the pics flowing.


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

Finished fitting and tacking the hull sides on Friday. Also got to work making the back pontoon/step boxes. We got 1 box almost done, and most of the pieces cut for the other box on Friday. Gotta make a run to Houston early next week for more plate and extrusions, and then things should come together on the interior of the boat.

Capt. Rick Hammond


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## Slimshady (Jan 11, 2005)

Thats built like a tank with all the T-bars. Is that Pro-Weld in RP doing the work?


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

Yes, it is Pro-Weld (Steve Hadley) in Rockport. Steve and I are teaming up on the project. I am there pretty much every day doing the fitting and some of the welding. I designed the boat, and Steve is providing the practical know-how to make it all come together. He's also doing a good job teaching me how to weld aluminum (Mig and Tig), so I can build my own boat in the future. He said this is the last boat he will ever build, and the project is very special to him, kind of a legacy project.

Capt. Rick Hammond


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## Slimshady (Jan 11, 2005)

Very cool project. Steve and his son have helped me a few times after hours get back on the water. Good guys for sure. Haven't seen the door open in a long time is why I asked. Keep the pics and progress coming. Thanks


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*Sides done, floor and decks up next*

Finished off the sides of the new boat today. Cap rail and hat bar stiffener on the sides are installed. Lots of welding to do now, with the floor plate next to install. Front and back decks will be installed last, with Coastline trailer ready in 1 1/2 weeks to take the boat to get the outboard rigged.

Capt. Rick Hammond


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## Re-Rig (Jul 7, 2006)

Looking good, can't wait to go gigging with you.


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## Sharpest (Mar 31, 2014)

Which one of you gorillas got the aerosol can confused with a squeeze tube?


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*Decks going in*

The new flounder boat is getting the floor and decks in now. I also got the new trailer for it today. Things have been moving slow on the new boat project over the last 2 weeks, as I have been really busy with gigging trips. Things should really come together over the next 2 weeks, as we complete the decks, console, storage boxes, and railing.

Visit my Facebook page

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging - Duck Hunting
361-727-0045
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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## Quackerbox (Feb 6, 2006)

Good night that things a beast!


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## bsfish (Mar 24, 2015)

Looking great. That will be an awesome boat.


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*Still on track*

Things have been coming together on schedule with the boat, when I find time in between gigging and fishing trips. The back deck and motor splashwell is complete and we are moving to the front deck today. After the front deck and console is complete, we will lift the boat from the jig and finish the bottom work and get her on the trailer.  Still looking at an early May completion...

Visit my Facebook page

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging - Duck Hunting
361-727-0045
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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## Lucky (Sep 1, 2005)

How long are the sheets of aluminum you used for the sides and bottom, and where did you get them?


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## Knots (Jul 15, 2012)

you decided on power yet?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Lucky said:


> How long are the sheets of aluminum you used for the sides and bottom, and where did you get them?


Looks like 4x12 footers. You can get them from almost any supplier if you order them. Aluminum and Stainless out of Lafayette is where I bought all my material. My 48"x244" sheets of .125" were $190 each but prices change daily.


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## ACC (Apr 27, 2013)

All I can say is: WOW!

Looks like inverted C-channel on the bottom of the hull. Is that welded to the hull or just part of the fabrication platform? C channel seems like it would be great in protecting the hull from oyster gouges. I wonder how it effects handling while on plane. Any experience with this?


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

The 2 sheets for the bottom are 7'x20' and 7'x8' of 3/16" 5086 plate. The sides are cut from a 6'x20' and a 6'x8' of 1/8" 5086 plate. We had all this material laying around the shop for years, cant remember where we got it, but we buy most everything from Eastern Metal Supply in Houston. We got a few of the special extrusions from Louisiana. 

The C-channel you are seeing is the jig supporting the hull during construction. The bottom of the boat is completely flat/smooth, except for one "turning rib" that runs down roughly the front half of the boat in the middle.

Outboard power will be a 150hp Evinrude. Airmotor is a 40hp Subaru Industrial Engine.

Running the rough numbers with hull weight and rigging, it looks like it will draft approx 4", and about 6" with 5 people onboard.

Capt. Rick Hammond


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## scubaru (Mar 28, 2005)

Very nice!


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*Nearing completion - last steps take the longest*

The new boat project is still going strong, but we are a little behind schedule. In the last week, we finished all of the interior work on the boat, including the front and back decks, hatches, console, storage boxes, and console grab railings. Now that the interior work is complete, we will break the boat free from the supporting jig tomorrow, to begin final touch-up and welding on the bottom of the hull. It looks like I will have the boat out of the shop and on the trailer sometime next week. Once out of the shop, interior prep and painting will begin and the outboard will be hung and rigged. I will bring the boat back to the shop after the outboard rigging is complete to finish the front railing and back airmotor rack. Honestly looking like late May until everything is done, but should have her in the water for a test run (without front/back railing) in the next 2 weeks.

Visit my Facebook page

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging - Duck Hunting
361-727-0045
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*more pics*

pic


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*The hull is complete*

The new flounder boat hull is finished and out of the shop. I have spent the last 3 days sanding and acid etching the boat for paint prep on the inside. We will begin paint tomorrow, and hope to be done with paint by Saturday. We got the trailer adjusted to fit the boat today. The outboard will be hung and rigged on Monday-Tuesday next week, and then back to the shop to finish the railing and airmotor rack.

Capt. Rick Hammond


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## Graphite1050 (Apr 20, 2015)

Beautiful!


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## aggiefishinDr (Sep 1, 2005)

WOW!!!!! Man that is looking good!


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*Water test today*

After a week of paint and polishing, we finished rigging the outboard today and got to put her in the water for the first time. The outboard is a 150 E-tec. Numbers below will change a some once the final racks and rigging is done, but so far things are very impressive.

We took the boat out in open Aransas bay today with 25 mph winds. The boat absolutely ate up the chop, and ran very well at high speed in some big waves. Running at any angle, the ride was dry, but had to slow down a little when quartering or turning to keep the bow spray down. Honestly, the boat ran just as smooth as my 23' Shoalwater Cat in the big bay chop. Hole shot was incredible, popping up in less than 1 boat length.

Only cons so far are are related to wind drift load: hard to turn in high winds at low speed (docking), drifts extremely fast, wants to chine walk a bit when a big 25-30 mph gust hits when running fast. (at medium speed it handles great in the wind)

Preliminary numbers, with 3 people onboard, and 1/2 tank of gas:

Draft = 5"
Top speed at 5500 rpm = 52 mph
Planing speed = 8 mph (at 1500 rpm)
Cruising speed of 30 mph at 3200 rpm

Sorry, no on the water pics from today, but I will make sure to post some after tomorrow's second test run.

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging - Bay Fishing - Duck Hunting
361-727-0045
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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## dlbpjb (Oct 9, 2009)

Totally Awesome


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*On the water pictures*

A few pictures of the new boat on the water this evening. We were adjusting the trailer for a better fit, and went for a quick ride while we had it off the trailer. We start on the airmotor rack and front rails tomorrow.

Capt. Rick Hammond


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*Boat is done*

The new flounder boat is finally complete. There are still a few minor bugs to work out, but overall I am very impressed with the way it runs and handles. The boat is 26' long and 9' wide, drafts 4 1/2 inches with 2 people, and 6 inches with 4-6 people onboard., It runs 45mph on the top end with a full load of 7 people, full tank of gas, and gear.

The overall fuel economy is very impressive, with only 5 gallons burned on my 25 mile round trip last night (including the airmotor run off the same tank).

The 40hp Subaru airmotor seems to be a winner, pushing the boat at just the right speed at idle, and capable of getting the boat on plane up to 12mph at wide open throttle.

Maneuvering the boat while gigging is effortless with increased steering leverage, and forward turning keel design. The boat will spin 360's on its center, making it easy to get out of tight spots.

I will post up some more pictures in the coming days. I still have to add a few things to complete the boat. Most notably, the windsheild, cleats, and a removable 3rd row bench seat to accommodate seating for 6 passengers.

Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, Texas
Flounder Gigging - Bay Fishing - Duck Hunting
361-727-0045
www.nightstalkerguideservice.com


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*more pics*

more pictures


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## Dirt Daddy (Sep 11, 2004)

Wow....Thanks for sharing this build


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## chumy (Jul 13, 2012)

awesome build. I must say I kept looking at that winch thinking it was too high. Now I'm thinking I might raise mine up a little. I would think you have a little more advantage pulling up on the boat a little? Not sure.


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## Tankfxr (Dec 26, 2007)

That is one heck of a flounder barge/boat. Nice rig.


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## cruss (Aug 31, 2005)

*night fishing*

nice rig, please don't come in on us while we are night fishing like you have done in the past.


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

*and maybe*



chumy said:


> awesome build. I must say I kept looking at that winch thinking it was too high. Now I'm thinking I might raise mine up a little. I would think you have a little more advantage pulling up on the boat a little? Not sure.


 Have a turnbuckle setup to keep the bow pulled down in transport.:ac550:


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## snapperlicious (Aug 11, 2009)

Sweet rig! Seems like that fan motor has some juice behind it.


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## Redfish Rick (Aug 27, 2004)

*more pics*

more pictures...


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## cvas828 (Jan 29, 2013)

What kind of lights are you running on this beast?


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## Re-Rig (Jul 7, 2006)

Rick fabulous looking ride, looks like top notch job. Cant wait to go out in your new boat.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

I love a story with a happy ending. Awesome looking rig and workmanship.


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