Texas Flats Boat

[TomW1]

Today it is warmer in Kenai Alaska than it is in Tyler Texas. I have good friends who moved to the Tyler area. I called them to ask if they needed to come home and warm up

You have a mean bone in your laugh apparatus.

Tom

[wwsmith]

Now that's funny! Not enough sunshine up yalls way. Spent some time there fishing on a couple occasions and we had one sunny day. The folks we were with said they get about 5 days a year of clear skies! No shortage of fresh fish though

Terrible picture, but for us southern boaters, we got a kick out of watching them launch using tractors in saltwater. Never seen such a rusted out machine that still ran!

Lots of good trips, but the float plane was pretty memorable.

[wwsmith]

Flipped boat (quite a chore), sanded bottom, and put on gator base. Will wait three days then put on gator glide. Won't know about long term durability of this product for quite a while, but the first experience has been very good. Extremely easy to work with and is very slick!

[TomW1]

ww, It is looking good, but looking at your transom you may have set your self up for possible failure at the corners of the cut outs that you have made in it. Normally you want to have a radius at any cut out not a 90 degree cut. Especially where you are going to have weight and vibration. Others have developed such cracks in other parts of there boats having done what you have there.

Just a heads up and something for you to think about at this early part of your build.

I like that bottom coating, put plenty of coats on. I have about 6 coats of graphite on my OD18.

Tom

[wwsmith]

Thanks, Tom. The transom is not yet complete, but once complete, I still hadn’t planned on rounded corners. They will have more like filets that will be glassed over. These transoms are beefy, but your point is a good one. Will have to think on it. I’d much rather get it right the first time and all advice is helpful. Please keep it coming.

[Jeff]

Nice progress WW!!! Hope you guys made it through the freeze without problems!!!! Jeff

[Fuzz]

Not sure how I missed your Alaska pictures The beach picture is from just down the road from me. The launching normally ok but getting back on the trailer if it is blowing can be pretty sporting at times. Looks like the fishing was decent for you. How did you like that plane? That is a great tool for this part of the world.

[wwsmith]

Fuzz - yes it was a great trip. We caught tons of reds, silvers, kings, halibut, etc. My favorite unexpected fish to catch were the huge rainbows. That was the most exciting to me, but everyone else around there acted like they were annoying by-catch. I never knew a rainbow could get so big.

Yes, when they were loading the boats, the tractor was already in reverse and backing up before the boat ever hit the trailer. They were coming in hot. It seemed very dependent on the skill/judgement of the operators. Not much room for error!

The float plane was a bucket list experience. I swear we landed on a creek that was only 25' wide. The plane could barely be turned around to take off again.

[wwsmith]

Does anyone know anything about the bob's low water pick-up nose cones and if they void the motor warranty? I've been hearing lead times on motors are getting long so I started calling around to see. Was leaning towards the new Suzuki 115 or 140, but I'm hearing they're not even available at all. The only estimate I received so far said maybe they'll be in by September. So that changed my search to the Mercury 115. Found one but the dealer said if I put the bobs nose cone on it, that will void the warranty. Does anyone else know anything different? The Mercury 150 comes with a low water pickup already on the nose, but I really didn't want to go that big. Any advice is much appreciated.

[cape man]

You should be fine without a low water pick up. The whole idea of the tunnel is to create a plume of water that comes up below the bottom of the planing hull where your prop and water pick up is working.