Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Well it's been a while since I posted anything. I've been able to make 2 trips out since my last postings. Once by myself to Mosquito Lagoon and then the other to meet up with VT_Jeff out at Yankeetown. The boat has performed flawlessly so far, the only thing lacking is my ability to find fish!

I did decide to switch up depth finders from the Raymarine Element unit to a Lowrance Elite Ti2. This was driven by the desire to get the Florida Marine Tracks map card to help with navigating the shallows. I'll say this is money well spent so far. Especially since I am new to this game and don't know my way around very well. I will definitely make sure any boat I have hereon has a Lowrance or Simrad unit so I can run those maps.

Aside from the charts, I am quite pleased with how everything is performing. I can't really think of anything else that I would change. Maybe make it bigger, but more on that later...

My console seat cushion attachments have failed me. They popped loose on the trip with my dad and I guess it messed up the "velcro" type attachment. Instead of hook and loop sides they're both mushroom tips that interlock. Well some got smashed down in the process so it doesnt secure anymore. I think longer strips vs the 1" dia dots to give it more holding power will be the key there.

Don't have a lot of new photos except what Jeff took of me when I met him at Yankeetown.





Here's a video I took on the way back to the ramp. Tried panning back to show Jeff in trail.

I have the Florida Marine Tracks on the bay boat - one of the best Invesments I ever made.

Mojosmantra wrote: ↑Sun May 08, 2022 9:40 pm I have the Florida Marine Tracks on the bay boat - one of the best Invesments I ever made.

Yeah no doubt! I first started looking to see what map cards I could get with the Raymarine that had satellite images and just use that, but then I found their youtube channel and they walked around the entire state showing the differences between their charts and Navionics and I think C-Maps. That sold me in an instant! The differences in satellite image resolution and even nav marker placements were astounding.

When I was out with Jeff I made one weird zig zag track and he pulled up beside me after we got in a big open space and asked me if we ran over an island. Nope we took a cut that ran through one. At high tide it didn't matter much, but you could tell how tight it was at low tide. Jeff's chart just showed it as just one island (more like a sandbar).

Well I was finally able to take the boat out since meeting up with VT_Jeff.

I took some time off work this week so I made a short trip out to Mosquito Lagoon and was able to get some slime on the boat! Landed my first redfish from the FS14LS! Made the near 100degree temps totally worth it!



I saw and spooked a handful more. I definitely have some work to do on casting accuracy.

Congrats!! More fish will follow!! Jeff

Nice fish. Take some targets like jugs out in the back yard and cast to them with a weight of the lure you use, you'll soon improve. I have had to do that for every rod & reel change I have made. Tom

Well I decided to embark on a new project. Little smaller scale.

I've been interested in the carbon fiber casting platforms, but the $800-$1000 price tag has been less interesting. Most standard sizes I've seen have been a bit big unless I place it further back on the deck and not right up front.

So I came up with the size that would work for me. It's 24" wide for the aft 6" then the forward 12" tapers to 16" wide in the front. Placing the front legs on the fore hatch gets me where I want and still clears the trolling motor. I made a mockup out of some cardboard, but that's not very exciting.

I decided I was gonna to whole hog with this and make a plug, then a mold, and then make parts. If the first couple platforms turn out well I may start marketing them

Started with 2 pieces of 1" thick insulation project panels (24" square) and glued them together with some 3M 77 spray adhesive, then cut out the rough shape.





From there I rounded the corners by hand and then used a 3/4" router bit to round the top edge down. After that, a little hand sanding to smooth everything out and she was ready for glass.



Having some epoxy and 6oz woven glass left over from the boat project, I covered the top of the foam.





Up next is to trim the edges and then give it a once over sanding. From there I'll fair it out, couple coats of primer, more sanding, and then it should be ready to become a mold.

Ooh this looks fun, can't wait to see how it goes. Good luck with it

Got my dad a small Mosquito Lagoon Red while my parents visited over Labor Day weekend. We found plenty of grass but it was later in the day. Gonna have to go back to those areas once it cools off.