Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

My first build post is not about actually building a boat. It is more about the background, the future and the plan.

The true beginnings of this build:
http://houseboatbuilder.blogspot.com/20 ... nning.html
http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7639

The hull started to take shape in Iowa. The previous Skipper (Iowa Boy Greg) and his Gilligan (OzzyC) started the build and over came many obstacles from moving to ex-wife boat blocking to just plain life. With the unexpected passing of a loving husband and a best friend, OzzyC was asked, with a heavy heart, to sell the hull to make room in the garage. I imagine this was a hard step for everyone involved. OzzyC was hoping that someone would continue on. This is where we start my part in this build:

I've been on the water most of my life. My father was highly into fishing and always had a boat to pull us on skis or to cast a line in the water. He even owned a couple of fishing lure companies. My stepdad had a Hobie-Cat that we used on Lake Jackson or down at St. George Island. Life seemed to get in the way and the boats slid out of the picture for both men. That led me to an NJROTC unit in high school that had a fleet of vessels. They still have a US Navy sailboat along with 30 or 40 other boats.

As life went on, my desire to own a boat increased. The Marine Corps, marriage, kids, divorce, rebuilding myself, college and finally another marriage seemed to always keep the dream out of range but burning brighter with every turn. I had seen an article about a man (I assume stickystuff) that built an XF20 in Florida. The article mentioned a strange company called Bateau. I ordered some samples of a material called Nidacore and I have been hooked for a couple of years on the idea of building my own boat. Luckily, the best wife in the world (just in case she ever reads this) promised me it would become a reality. That's right, a wife that encourages this crazy line of thinking!

I have been really amazed with the variety of boats Jacques has designed. I've flipped between several designs over the years with the FS18, SC16 and now the FS13 holding my interest since I have been enjoying fly fishing the last few years. I've also kicked around the idea of one of PC22/24 but was not satisfied that it could take on some of the waters around the panhandle of Florida. When OzzyC posted the GT23 for sale originally, I knew it was too high after we just bought a house so I didn't mention it too the wife. After a few months of it sitting there the price was lowered and I had to call to ensure it wasn't a mistake. OzzyC assured me that it was correct and I told him I wanted it but had to talk with the accountant (wife). We prayed about it over night and she came back and said she was okay with it. And so it begins.

The one draw back to this purchase is that I am in Florida and the boat is in Iowa. So to start off my part of this build, I now post my first picture, the trip planning stage!


I have a few ideas for completing the build but I want to get it back and measure things out before I post my ideas. One idea I will share is my proposed name of the boat, Midstream. My wife doesn't know this so it is subject to change....

Very cool, all the way

I'll be following this thread for sure, it's a very good thing.

Dougster

Great story and it will only get better.

Cool and good luck finishing her.

Great to read a happy ending story in the making! Good luck with your build.

Congrats, and best wishes for an uneventful "bringin' 'er home" trip.

I asked my Dad and brother along for the ride and they asked to have a planning party. "Sit back and enjoy the ride was my ride" was my response. In all fairness, I don't usually make plans but figured for a long trip that will encounter varied weather with a trailer that had not moved in a while, I might want to make some plans... I am looking forward to the adventure as well as the road trip. The three of us have not ever taken a road trip like this before.

Anyone hear the joke about the IT guy, a micro-manger retiree and an accountant that took a road trip together?

Anyone hear the joke about the IT guy, a micro-manger retiree and an accountant that took a road trip together?

No, please share

Give more 6 days to see what the punch line turns out to be.

I've got to say a special thanks to Dave for all the help he gave us through the day in packing her up for the long ride home. He made comparisons to me and Greg through out the day. Hopefully I can put as much thought into finishing this build as the one who started it. I think Greg's wife threw a party when we left with the boat, literally!

We started out by looking at the tires and deciding that new ones would be needed. No sense in even starting that long of a trip on tires with flat spots. Here's a shot of my dad putting the new tires on the trailer. I'd swear that trailer had not seen 100 miles on the road prior to the return trip.



After we had sent my brother for the new tires, Dave and I set to work wrapping the beast. I think it was a mistake to attempt a shrink wrap job without the right shrink guns. I tried getting Dave to fire up the huge heater he had sitting on the shelf but he wouldn't bite. I think that getting the thicker wrap was a bad idea with the heat guns we were using. Here's a shot of me taking forever to try shrink wrap.



After we left, we had to stop and get a light bulb. I couldn't believe the bulb was bad but when it came out, it was. Did I tell you we were changing the bulb in the rain? I've always heard of Menards but we didn't have them in the south. WHAT AN AWESOME STORE!



There were several repairs that were needed as we went down the road. This stop was about half way home and none of us could reach the hole we needed to repair. Luggage, tools and a spare tire become my ladder.



Got the boat home!



Monday morning was time to unload the boat. Since I was by myself, I had to use some redneck engineering to remove things from the boat and the truck. My wife would have rolled her eyes if she had been there watching the engine come out of her truck! She was not happy that I used an old comforter to cushion the engine. I told her I was trying to protect her truck...





Can you see the come-along and rachet strap coming down from the roof of the truck?



Lesson from my "joke": Don't let those around you make life a race. You lose the good times that could have been and now will never be. Life is not about the numbers or speed at which we do something. It should be about the people that you have in your life at that moment. You never know when they will be gone.

Well said

Glad you got 'er home safe. Sorry that shrink wrap didn't work out so well, I had figured you'd probably use the weed burner torch with the thicker wrap.

I can imagine the look you got from your wife. I've seen that same "I can't believe you are such a redneck" look plenty of times.

Good story. Thank you.
I'll email you a back up copy of the plans as we discussed yesterday.

Thanks for the email. I already have a few questions. I'll put those together after I get a larger print out of the plans. It's hard to read the small print and I have good eyesight according to the VA.

Sorry but we have not formatted those for letter size. However, with any PDF reader, you can zoom in and print the details you need.

Somehow I see something special coming out of this one. Good on all involved.

Fred in Wisc wrote:Glad you got 'er home safe. Sorry that shrink wrap didn't work out so well, I had figured you'd probably use the weed burner torch with the thicker wrap.

I can imagine the look you got from your wife. I've seen that same "I can't believe you are such a redneck" look plenty of times.

You scared me away from using the torch with the fire comments. I figured that slow and easy was better than torching my "new" boat. That's a long trip for a big bonfire! I should have just bought a pontoon boat cover. Hopefully someone can learn from my inexperience!

My wife "loved" it when I took an old daybed frame and hung it from 4 pieces of rope in a couple of trees as a swing for the kids. It was almost like she was embarrassed.

So with this "Deal of a Lifetime", I received a motor mount/bracket. It is definitely used and I am trying to determine if/how to repair it. The bracket was made by Gil Marine which is now defunct. Is it even worth rebuilding?

Bump

What we see there looks like putty, no problem. The problem may be with the bracket itself. I worked for a major US boat manufacturer that, for a while, installed Gil brackets. They were made of fiberglass. They failed in great numbers. We literally had a pile of maybe 50 Gil brackets in a field behind the factory. Gil went under due to the warranty cases. For a short while, they tried an Al version. If you have an aluminum one, it may be better but the fiberglass ones were bad.

It's Al. What do you seal the bracket to the transom with? I am guessing some sort of putty based on your post. Will that material seal the corroded areas such as in the second picture?

I wonder why it is corroded. I hope there wasn't electrolysis.
Make certain that it is grounded and that Al is prepped for the sealant:
- etched and chromate primer. See the specs at the link below.
I like this sealant/adhesive better than 5200:
http://boatbuildercentral.com/proddetai ... _Cartridge

BTW, all that prep is mostly for a better bond. You use it as a sealant but the prep will limit or reduce possible electrolysis.

That's what I was hoping you would say. I would rather have a different motor mount but at the price I got this, I'm going to use it.

So the wife and I spent the morning taking inventory of remaining plywood. Everything is here except the top parts of the cabin, which we don't need. I took the time to do some measurements and I think they built this as a planing hull. Keep in mind this was from 15 years ago. Were the planning hull dimensions included with the original plans? Keep in mind this was a kit boat order.



My wife even stated she might be helping me with this boat. She is intrigued after helping me sort the parts. I think she is starting to see why I really wanted this boat.

I've seen it stated before that you can cut a door in the transom if you do it above the level of the motor mount bolts. What about on the sides? What sort of bracing is needed to build a dock door into the sides? My wife was having problems getting in and out today and I can only imagine my young boys.

Must be enjoyable making sense of what has gone before, and finding your way forward.

BB Sig are you going to finish the boat to plan spec's or do you have something special planed ?

To answer the question about the hull shape, I have to go to the bank, get my old backups out of the safe and find the old set set of plans BUT, if the pencil figures are the stringers dimensions, then it is the planing hull.
You should have no problem with that heavy engine on a bracket. get all your weights closer to the stern than on the plans.

Thanks Jacques but no need to dig anything out. The pencil marks are my measurements of what is there. With the differences and what had been told to me by Dave, I agree that it has to be a planning hull. Since it is a kit, there is not much to change and I'll build what I have.

I've decided this will be a deck/party/fishing boat with some camping mixed in. I've got three young boys that love to have adventures and this is the perfect boat to beach for camping trips. I'm thinking of installing a freshwater tank along with the obligatory fuel tank.

I'm in between whether to buy furniture or make it. I priced having cushions made and that is out of sight! I am leaning more towards buying furniture at this point and having a couple of cushions made for the bow couch area (used to be the front deck). I have a long time before getting to that point but I'll have to draw pictures later.

I am not interested in a show boat finish, especially on the interior. I need to be function over form but still easy to clean and maintain while being functional and comfortable. The tougher the inside, the better chances of it being used more. I want to be proud of it but I want to use it.

Any ideas on bracing for passageways through the side/transom? The transom need not be a full passage way. That's part of the holdup of the drawings. I am unsure of where/how to put them.

How about this kind of layout:
http://bateau.com/studyplans/GP21_D_stu ... rod=GP21_D

I think that they are really close in measurement. Definitely something to keep in mind. I really want to be able to place a full size air mattress for a night if the place we are does not allow overnight camping. What thickness of plywood is used for the seats? My guess would be 6 or 9mm with 6 oz cloth.

Since the side walls on the GT23 are taller, is there a way to frame a passageway opening in the side? The little ones can scamper over the sides but the grandparents may not be able to...

Use 9 mm for all the accommodations (furniture), no need for fiberglass.
Use the same seams techniques than for a console: cleats inside, light tape outside.
If you need a door, you have to brace it. I can not design it, sorry, I am late with the drafting of two plans.
It is very simple: small vertical frames made from the same 9 mm plywood, minimum 3" wide. If possible use the existing framing. If you have to bolt hinges on it, double thickness where ever the hardware goes.

Easy enough. I figured you would say 3" framing. That seems to be the standard for everything. I'll keep the door as small as possible. It's not an equipment door, just a passageway. The framing thickness is more what I needed. I'll mock up my idea and get some feedback.

As far as you designing my door, I'd rather see what else you have coming out anyways. I always feel like a kid waiting for the newest catalog to come out before Christmas when Jacques says he's got new plans.

So based on the 3" rule, I over engineered the door opening on the side. Looking at the cost of furniture versus the intended purpose of the boat, I decided to build the furniture based on cost, use and framing needs. By placing seat framing next to the door, I've got a lot more strength built in. I will double the side for at least 3" around the door opening in addition to the extra framing. I can always add cushions as my wife sees fit in the budget. Most likely after the first ride.

Here's a rough sketch just for layout purposes. Let me know if you see something that needs to be changed or have a better idea, fire away.

That looks good and the scantlings are what I would use.
For the door, the side panel of the benches on each side should be one piece, tied to the hull sides.
All the furniture should be part of the structure, all transversal parts tied to the sides and sole.
That will produce an egg crate type structure, light and strong.

Oh yeah, I like that

Is that a drain hole at the level of the top of the seats?
It should be lower.

No, that's the cleats on the gunwales. I have been looking at Peter's drains and will probably copy his. They will go under the seats to the sides. I have had to take apart too many drains to get bottle tops out so the drains could function. Straight drains with large opening seem to work best. Why not use (copy) what works...

Seats will be tied into the sole and sides. I will put the framing for the seats on top of the framing under the sole to minimize deflection of the sole. May be over kill but I don't want any issues later.
_______________________________________________________

Edited to add:

Jacques,

I think I see what you are talking about now. I am not sure. That was from the plans. I didn't modify that part of the picture. I think that is for the front deck that is raised above the floor of the cabin. I will not be putting one in on the front deck. I will put in one on each side under the seat right behind the front deck.

That was the drain for the bow cockpit. You don't need it.

check out this website for material to make cushions etc..............

http://www.sailrite.com/

LOL! Only a DIY boat building site would you find a DIY Boat Cushion site!

My wife would kill me if I looked into that. And she would know! I'll keep that in mind though.
Not sure it's my choice of hobbies but I am always learning new things so I won't rule it out.

i did an interior for a small boat... no experience, just youtube and patience... its a great winter project... and saves a bunch of money
http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47468

Just got around to looking at your progress. It's been a busy summer. You're correct that it's the planing hull, and I like the idea of the hatch on the side of the boat. Open plan throughout? Interesting, I hadn't thought to do that. I love the function over form mantra... I think Greg's focus on the details is what burned him out. Have you done any work on the boat yet?

Dave

Dave,

No progress yet. I made a deal with the wife about the boat just to get it. She gave me a list of things I have to do prior to working on it and I had to promise not to touch it until after I am done with the list and opening a new VA clinic. Needless to say the clinic keeps getting delayed but the list is getting shorter. I'll be working 16 hour days for a couple of months. The overtime will pay for some of the materials that I need and hopefully I can sneak in a FS13. I want to use the GT23 as a mothership for kayak fishing and the wives to lounge on while we fish.

I think I am going to go for a nicer work boat finish. I want a boat I can fish off of but have the wife and her friends wanting to use it. No sense in having this boat on land any longer than need be. I think it will see a decade in the making before it gets splashed.

Got done with some of the wife's to do list and someone gave me a lot of PT plywood. My wife would rather have plywood on the pole barn/boat shed so she "encouraged" me to work on it. Saved up my pennies and bought some lumber to attach the plywood to. I will have to add a few 4x4's to prop the bottom up a little more. Here's pictures of where I started and where I am now.

You can see the wood pile on the left that I had to relocate. I'm building the boys a large fort in the part of the back part of the woods. The original idea for the fort was to use underneath as fire wood storage. It wasn't quite ready but it is setup temporarily.



Attaching some of the joists to use for attaching the plywood. I need more bracing but it will do for now.



4X8 x3/4" plywood is HEAVY by myself. It was starting to get dark so I needed to stop for the evening and clean up. The last two spots in the middle will have to be custom cut. The 6x6's were not plumb. Go figure...



I am also having to add lighting and electricity. The previous owner had run some shoddy electricity to the barn using indoor 12/2 buried 4 - 5" underground. They hooked up a 30 amp breaker and plug and then added a couple of lights and an electrical outlet.





All this to have a place to work on the boat. I hope to have the boat shed operational after Christmas. I hear Santa is getting me some LED shop lights to light the shed up!

So I got my lights and finished the siding (enough). I still have to finish some minor electrical issues but I have lights and electricity. I have also added tarps to the ends to keep the rain out. Officially the boat shed is ready to work in. I took the shrink wrap off tonight after finishing the tarps. There were a couple of leaks but nothing major.



Small pile of plywood for the sole and frames.



I still need to get the tires off the trailer and level out the boat before I start mixing epoxy but I am looking forward to finally restarting this build!

Nice shed man! I'd have offered to come help with the siding but you have it looking good. Give me a holler if you need any help on the boat.

Steve,

I'd love to have you help anytime. I will be working on Monday and Thursday evenings as well as most Saturdays. That's the best I could work out with the wife.

I've got your number and will give you a call sometime soon. I still want to get over and see the FS18.

Took the wheels off the trailer so they didn't get flat spots prior to even getting in the water. Much easier to get in the boat now that it's 8 inches lower.

Wife had a minor procedure so I was home most of the day. I am doing her chores so no boat work. I had to take a break and started looking at what to do first on the boat. Saw a questionable piece of fiberglass...





Guess this is the first thing I need to do. Moving in reverse! It appears that the stringer was not sanded prior to adding the fiberglass. It had no chance of getting a good bond. I checked all that I could get too easily and found 3 more laminations to redo. I think these were the last ones that Gregg did.

I guess my next tool purchase will be an oscillating tool. Any recommendations? Looking for a tool-less blade change.

I love my sonic crafter. The newer models are all tool-less blade change and that is the way to go. I keep looking at the new models but what I have is working just fine so I can not justify upgrading. Get the top of the line, F50 I think , as you will find a ton of uses for it.

The Fein is excellent but expensive. It's the original, they have made em for a long time.

I haven't used a Rockwell but lots of guys here have and like them.

I had the Fein tool many years ago, but traded it in at a pawn shop for a compressor because the blades were rediculousley expensive. At that time they may have been the only multi tool available, but I refused to pay 20-40 dollars for a single blade. Since that time it seems most tool companies have some iteration of a multi tool, but the only one that my friends and I use, for commercial home re-modeling, costs between $14.00 and $25.00 at Harbour Freight. I purchased 2 of these inexpensive tools over 5 years ago, 1 as a back up, and still have 1 new in the box. This cheap toll is used more in 1 month than most guys will use it in a lifetime, and it runs as strong as the day I bought them. The most useful blade I've found is the blades that's straight, and about 1 1/4" wide, and sells for about $7.99. Cheaper if you find a sale, or use a coupon. It doesn't have tooless blade change, but most of us are capable enough to use the Allen wrench included. One of the most useful tools I've ever owned, and I've been in the trades for 40 years. Don't leave home without it. Mike

To echo what Mike said, I bought one from Harbor Freight quite a few years ago: I had a job specific use for it and figured it would at least last long enough for me to complete the task, and I would never use it again. Welp, like others here, Ive found it to be one of the most useful tools I own---I use it regularly---and amazingly that HF is still running ( and trust me, Im no fan of much of the crap they sell.)

FWIW, you can buy 20 blades on Amazon for $28.00--good deal.

https://www.amazon.com/Oscillating-Mult ... ool+blades

Got this Bosch oscillating tool after I saw everyone here saying how great that type of tool was. I had always assumed they were an ok took for lots of things when you didn't have the right tool, but I was wrong they are just great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ER7J976

I think the bosch is great and I've been buying a lot of bosch tools lately, all of which I'm happy with, but I wouldn't try to convince you it's worth so much more than the cheap harbor freight one.

Just a few minutes ago I was telling my brother how useful the variable speed oscillating multitool was. Like others, I got mine at harbor freight for about $15 with a coupon. It has quickly become a go to tool for me. I have considered buying another because they are so cheap and just have one set up for sanding and the other with some kind of blade. That way I'd have a backup too. Very handy tool. My favorite new shop purchase in the last year.

While I wouldn't call myself a tool snob, I do appreciate a well built tool. I bought the Fein years ago and it is a good tool, but when I wanted a second oscillating tool for a second home, I bought the Rockwell because it's so much cheaper- surprise, it's just as good as the Fein!
The Fein blades are very expensive, but in comparison they are actually much better. Worth the price? I don't know about that, but the quality is high; the sawblade's steel is thin and springy and cuts well. For general remodeling I found that accidentally hitting stucco or a patch of concrete with your $20 blade and it's trash in seconds . . .
Cordless or corded? I choose corded for not having yet another battery to maintain and replace, but I can envision situations a cordless might be nice.

Thanks for the suggestions. I just bought the Rockwell F80 for $99 on Amazon. It should arrive on Saturday afternoon.

I couldn't get a lot done this weekend with the kids around. I had seen someone else's post about getting the kids involved so I did the same while I was working on shed improvements.




Here are a couple of shed improvements. The trash can is my dust separator to keep the shop vac filter from getting clogged. The boom allows my hose to go around the boat without dragging through any other work.





I've also added a remote control to the shop vac to eliminate the up and down to turn it on and off.

Last night I broke out 3 great tools (RO Sander, Rockwell Oscillating Multi-tool, and WMD) and went to town grinding and cutting out the loose fiberglass and misshaped fillets. Then spent some time sanding and prepping for laying fillets, epoxy and fiberglass on Thursday. Labeled the fiberglass ala Cracker Larry and marked the frames and stringers.





My wife kept asking me why I was smiling so much.

If you broke out the WMD and were still smiling you are a better man than me.
It is always nice to make some progress.

WMD has a lot of power and maked quick work of a few mistakes. There were a few fillets that were convex. Sanding would have taken forever.

I was happy to finally be able to work on the boat. Lots of things were in the way but are now clearing up.

SWMBO is happy with a nice exterior and a work boat interior. She wants a boat that is in the water and not in the shed.

I use the same vac but with a Dust Deputy and i use the vac bags from home depot inside to keep the fine dust out of
the washable Hepa filter , works real well and filter stays real clean.

topwater wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:36 am I use the same vac but with a Dust Deputy and i use the vac bags from home depot inside to keep the fine dust out of
the washable Hepa filter , works real well and filter stays real clean.

Thanks for the tips. I will try that!

Didn't get to work on the boat yesterday but laid the first fiberglass and epoxy today. I used medium hardener and think I should have used slow. After a few minutes I could feel it kicking off so I poured it out and kept using it. Turned out good. There were 6 pieces in the first area and then I laid another six pieces in the next area over.




The bottom corner has 6 pieces of biax meeting up. It absorbed more epoxy than I thought it would!



Let me know if you see anything I need to do different. I'd rather learn early in this and not have to tear apart more than a couple of joints!

BB, how warm was it up there today? I would have thought the medium should have been good for your area this time of year! Jeff

It was 85* in the boat shed. The wife likes the brown side of the tarp outwards to blend in better than the silver side. I can't blame it on the choice of hardeners. It was my first time mixing the epoxy. It could have easily been me going too slow or mixing it slightly wrong! The first batch went well but the second batch was where I was feeling the heat. I have to remember to dump it out of the mixing pot.

Happy to see some progress, man.

Any progress?

LOL. No progress. I few health issues and then I started something more immediate. I'm building an FS13 for immediate fishing access. My oldest middle asked me on vacation when I was getting the big boat done. He's my serious fisherman...

I am waiting until I get done with the FS13 so I can make room in the garage for sole and frames. Since only one layer of glass was done on the outside, I need to put another layer on the inside between the stringers and up the sides. We are talking a lot of sanding!!! I'm not looking forward to it! You are welcome to come down and lend a hand anytime you want.

Here is my first decoration in my boat barn. I was prompted to pull out my vinyl cutter because the boys wanted their names on their bicycles. It made me happy because I had done the conversion to the format I needed a while ago. It took me a few hours last month to get the curves somewhat right. Let me know what you guys think.



Brown wasn't my first color choice but it is what worked for their bikes!

Looks Great! OORAH!!

Yep, nice.

Hey man,

Sorry to hear about your health issues. Hope all is well now. I also hope that you're safe from the crappy weather.

Believe me, I understand that life gets in the way. Just hope that one day this boat is finished. It's been 12 years since the project started. Sigh.

So two houses later and 3 boat moves, I still haven't touched it again. Been busy at our new place putting up fence. I've got a 1/4 mile of fencing put up and still have more to go...

[]

The new place has a 24 x 30 polebarn. No power! I'm going to rent a trencher and run power to a lot of places all at once. The polebarn is 250' from my breaker box. I'm going to run 60 amps for the camper that my wife eventually wants out there and some power for boat work.

I'm guessing it will be another year until I can start back on this old but not forgotten build!

Looks like those dogs have plenty of room to stretch their legs!

Welcome back BB!!!! Jeff

I think I found it! I have been trying to figure out what happened to this build.

Best of luck Barry.

Set small goals every week.

BB Sig wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:54 pm Didn't get to work on the boat yesterday but laid the first fiberglass and epoxy today. I used medium hardener and think I should have used slow. After a few minutes I could feel it kicking off so I poured it out and kept using it. Turned out good. There were 6 pieces in the first area and then I laid another six pieces in the next area over.




The bottom corner has 6 pieces of biax meeting up. It absorbed more epoxy than I thought it would!



Let me know if you see anything I need to do different. I'd rather learn early in this and not have to tear apart more than a couple of joints!

I realize I am replying to a very old post. But the tapes in the picture are supposed to overlap; not meet. The reason this is important is the bottom tapes must go all the way along the chine or you can edge crack where no tape is and the boat will develop a leak there.

Not trying to bust anyone's balls on a 3 year old picture. Jist trying to help. Dan

No ball busting... They do overlap. The sides overlap the bottom. The bottom overlaps the other sides. I cut the middle where the side meets the bottom so that they then fold onto each other. Makes for 6 or so layers at the same spot.

I'm not the best laminater ( is that a word?) but I know what to do for the most part and follow the plans instructions very closely. The times I want to vary, I've asked before proceeding!

Just need electricity and time to start working on it again!

Edited to add I see which one you are talking about. That was a second layer over what was already there. It's actually got an old layer or two from the previous builder. I provided a little extra due to only one layer of fiberglass on the bottom and to give it some extra stiffness. Jacques commented on that in another thread.

I am mostly hoping to see some action on the build. I sort of like the GT23.

I have this dream of trailering a boat to Lake of the Woods or Nipigon and sleeping and fishing on it.