GV13 Build Progress

[Aripeka Angler]

Mighty nice looking boat Scott. I know you were happy to be on the water. Now all you need is a deck gun to take care of those pesky jet skis

Richard
XF-20 "Red Alert"

[ScottE]

Well I finally got to check performance with my GPS, top speed is 25.2 MPH, with 1 person aboard. This is with a Yamaha 20hp 4 stroke engine. At speed, there are no problems with hard turns or attitude. I did learn that offshore chop (San Diego) can really slow you down (after all, this is not a deep V hull!) All in all, this boat has performed flawlessly and I highly recommend it to new builders considering an all purpose, light to tow, versatile design.

[ScottE]

After finding that my boat struggled to haul more than 2 people, I'm trying a shallower pitch prop on my Yamaha 20hp motor. Factory prop is 12" pitch and I'm switching to a 10" pitch. Results to follow, anyone have any experience with this?

[ScottE]

Well the 10" pitch Solas, 3 blade aluminum propeller did the trick. I can easily bring the hull to plane with a full load, and I only sacrifice ~3mph on the top end, with 2 people aboard. The Yamaha 20hp 4 stroke motor loves this prop and feels a lot more powerful.

[gstanfield]

Cool, thanks for the report

[ScottE]

I thought I'd post a "5 years of Ownership" report for reference. This GV13 has served me well and looks to keep serving me well for a long time to come. I have no complaints or failures in 5 years of salt and fresh water fishing, lobster hoop netting, and general boating (goofing around.) The boat's structure and performance is as good as the first day she was launched. I've added some small bells and whistles (folding removable seat, pole holders, additional electrical sockets for accessories), and kept the boat covered and dry when not in use.

The Yamaha 20 hp motor has operated flawlessly, needing only one carb cleaning and regular oil changes. I keep a Harbor Freight solar trickle charger on it year round and I'm still on my original battery!

I do have some small cracks in the paint that I'm going to sand and re-paint (any advice on doing this is appreciated. )




I do need to adjust the motor trim manually when I have more than 2 people aboard (I wish I'd sprung for the power trim/tilt !), as the boat rides nose high if I'm not well trimmed. I can highly recommend this design for an easy to transport, incredibly useful and long lasting, FUN boat!

Thanks!
Scott

[gstanfield]

Thanks for the long term report! Good to hear that you have been happy with her

[tcason]

Can you provide a 10 year update?

Would you suggest a larger motor?

really nice build!

another GV 13 builder

[ScottE]

My boat is still performing perfectly. I may paint the hull and interior, just for cosmetics, as the finish and structure are still sound. If I were to build this craft again, I would consider a larger motor. The motor I used is perfect for 1 or 2 people but struggles if you carry 4 adults around the bay. Granted, this boat was not designed to be a ferry but the reality is that we build our boats for multipurpose use. Overall, I would not change anything in the assembly or finishing details, I'm impressed that the boat is still a kick in the pants!
Recommendations for a new builder:
Buy a galvanized trailer, it is worth the extra money!
Don't rush the build. Sand and finish with care.
Don't skimp on primer/paint and touch up spots and dings when they appear.
Keep your boat completely covered to reduce UV damage (this is really important!)
If you'd like to build your own boat, take the first step and DO IT, don't just think about it. Life is too short!