Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Posted: **Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:59 pm**

Hi fellow boat builders.

It's the end of Easter weekend and I've startedwith my PH18 build. So far so good, jig finished last weekend and now all bulkheads and stringers are finished.

However I still need to get all epoxy and fibreglass products so going to need to wait till I recieve those before I can butt join the stringer.

I'm doing the transom from two laminated 12mm ply pieces so also need to wait before I can continue with those.

The boat was inspired by BassMunn's boat and I hope to get somewhere near his immaculate build. Also planning a bass boat layup to be used for fresh water river fishing, mostly on the Zambezi and Kavango rivers.

As I'm in Namibia, products and materials are hard to come by so most will have to be imported or sourced in one way or another and hoping This forum would help ally some alternative solutions if I get stuck.

Will post some pics shortly.

Regards
Wouter

Posted: **Tue Apr 22, 2014 4:05 am**

Posted: **Tue Apr 22, 2014 7:53 am**

Wouter wrote:

Welcome, good luck and have fun!

If you didn't already, don't forget to put some diagonal cross members in your strong back

Posted: **Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:01 am**

Hi Peter-curacao, Thank you.

The 'jig' has got cross members and angle iron to keep it straight, with caster's so i can push it around. It does twist a little as my floor is not perfectly straight. But I have jigs inside to sort out the twisting issue.

This pic should be better.

Posted: **Tue Apr 22, 2014 8:08 am**

I see but I was talking diagonal supports, probably some ply triangles on/in the corners is enough, this should take out the twist completely, keep in mind the heavier it gets the more it wiggle, especially when pushing it around, you want to keep that strong back as straight as possible

The rest is looking good you are on to a great start

Posted: **Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:38 am**

Point taken, diagonal supports makes sense, I'll add some and do something on the corners too.

Thanks!

Posted: **Mon May 05, 2014 10:46 am**

Hi Wouter,
Where in Namibia are you?

Good luck with the build.

Antonie

Posted: **Tue May 06, 2014 5:31 pm**

Hi Antonie

I'm in Oshakati.

Thanx, looking forward to receiving the fibreglass products soon so I can continue

Posted: **Wed May 07, 2014 2:34 pm**

Hi Wouter, that's far north. I wanted to make a turn, but I go as far as Swakop. We're running a site at Husab. The last time I was in Oshakati was with national service back in 1987. Where are you buying resin from - Windhoek?

Posted: **Wed May 07, 2014 3:41 pm**

Hi Antonie,

Yes, Oshakati is a bit in the middle of nowhere and materials are a bit of a problem. I imported the marine ply from CT, took three weeks to get here, so I'm foreseeing delays in obtaining materials.

So far I've been dealing with AMT Composites in regards to resins and fiberglass products, haven't placed any orders yet but it seems as if they are able to export and deliver to me which is a great help. I also know Brian from my earlier sailing days so trust the advice and input he has already given me tremendously.

I've sneak peak at your build and it seems like it is coming along nicely! As you are a long way ahead of me I'm sure I'll be able to get some advice from you too!

I've just returned from a weeks fishing in Rundu at the annual Crockango Bonanza with a borrowed boat, which left me on the side for most of the event, so it reinforced the motivation to get to it with my own boat

If you are ever up north in Nam, let me now, you are more then welcome to visit!

Regards.

Posted: **Wed May 07, 2014 4:43 pm**

BassMunn built in South Africa. His build thread is here:

http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=17806

Maybe some of the suppliers could also help you out? I noticed you mentioned you are still checking out glass/resin suppliers.

I hope this helps!

Posted: **Thu May 08, 2014 12:53 pm**

Hi Wouter, CT, goodness that's far to order. The chaps from AMT are starts. I buy my resins and cloth from them as well. I build experimental drones as another part time and these guys are extremely knowledgeable. I've had multiple conversations with Brian and he was helpful, indeed.
I use SP106 for the bulk of the build so far and stumbled onto a special in their shop today and took another 20kg.
Build on bud, I hope to be able to visit you when we get a job in Angola with the new oil expansions.
When you're ever down this side, youre welcome to visit and swop out. I'm 10 minutes from the airport.
Antonie

Posted: **Tue May 13, 2014 3:13 pm**

Hi Antonie,

Yes, it's a bit of a mission to get stuff here. But I'll persevere.

I do have a question for you on the fairing compound you used, was it AMT's Fair 600..? I'm about to place my order and have no idea of how much I'll need. Would you be able to help with any sort of estimate..?

Regards

Posted: **Wed May 14, 2014 1:40 am**

Hi,
Yip, I use the S-FAIR 600. I bought 5l part A and 5l part B. My pots are around 75% used on the outside of the boat. I'll have to get another 2l of each to finish fairing the inside bits. I would think the (5l A+5l B) pots would be enough for the PH18. A great help is using peel ply. It is a fabric that is similar to the olden days pants pocket material - a nylon/silky cloth. There are many benefits in using this. If your not working wet on wet, this will help ensure a good secondary bond since you peel the blush off with the peel ply. If you use it on a final layer it reduces the need for fairing a lot and preps the surface for fairing/paint ect. Some of the guys use sheets of plastic as peel ply on final surfaces - they call it poor man's peel ply - It does not get rid of the blush, though.
You can reduce the need for fairing quite a bit by using some form of peel ply. If your hull is fair before your layup(Jacques mentions this in his building notes - get it as smooth and true to shape as possible) and your layup is neat and you use some sort of peel ply, your need for fairing will be hugely reduced.
Something else to watch for is blush - it is the waxy residue that forms on the epoxy when it is curing. This is one of the components of the hardener. You need to get this off before you put another layer down. You wipe it with acetone and sand the surface as a key prep.

Have a look at how the other guys fair. Some use resin with micro balloons - its a red compound that is painted on. I like this since it seem to give a better secondary bond.
I hope this helps,
Antonie

Posted: **Wed May 14, 2014 3:50 am**

Hi Wouter, my apologies if I'm covering ground that have already been discussed. I was just doing a small layup and thought that I should share with you the little guys that makes a huge difference - seeing youre about to order, keep these in mind. AMT stocks these.
1. They sell a little nylon roller with a wire handle - it has thread on it like a screw. This is not to apply the epoxy. Once your placed the cloth and wet it out you roll it with this little guy. It squeezes the epoxy trapped under the cloth out and helps to secure a good contact between the cloth and wood/bottom layer. They are a must and dirt cheap. You get very fancy ones, but I find that these ones work great and clean well.
2. AMT has a selection of squeegees. They sell a little orange one that is the size of a bank card. Also dirt cheap. You use this to spread epoxy and to collect excess after rolling. I seldom use a brush to apply epoxy. Between my squeegee and roller all is good.
3. You'll see many of the guys have dispensing pumps on their epoxy bottles. Two squeezes resin and one squeeze hardener....or something like that. I could not find and since every epoxy has its own mix ratio, I use a scale. Get a decent electronic scale. AMT sells a good scale for around ZAR900. If you screw up you mix ratio's it will lead to the epoxy not curing as expected and can you trust that portion to be structurally sound? Put it in a plastic bag before starting to use.
4. The stuff you'll mix with the epoxy is called cotton flocks. That is our version of the wood flour the other guys use to make the glue and fillers. It is a white flocky substance(powder) and works very well for fillets, glues and fillers. I'm on my second 1kg bag.
5. Neoprene gloves. AMT sells boxes of these(like a tissue box). I think 50 sets per box. Also well prices. This is essential.
6. The last one I can think of now is the cleaner. Many guys use acetone, witch is great for cleaning off splats and blush, BUT Evan from AMT introduced me to a water soluble cleaner after buying acetone from him for a year. I is a blue liquid that I use to clean all my equipment. IT IS BRILLIANT. I surpasses acetone by far for this purpose. The code is G220.
Hope this helps.
Antonie

Posted: **Wed May 14, 2014 4:31 am**

Hi Antonie,

Thanx a million for all the tips! That's why these forums are so great!

Think I'll spend the next few days getting a decent list of materials together before I place the order.

On the cotton Flock, what is the mix ratio to resin for the fillets? I'm also getting fumed silica, and as I understand the cotton Flocks and silica go 2:1 but i'm not sure to what factor of resin? Suppose it will be determined by the consistency or thickness of the fillet required. How much cotton flock/silica would you recommend I order? Was thinking around the 3and1 1/5 kg range. Not sure if it's too much..? With transport and import cost I'd like to rather get two much then to little. Not keen on importing small amounts later.

I'm definately planning on using peel ply as well, seems like it is well worth the extra expenditure.

All your help is much appreciated!

Posted: **Wed May 14, 2014 6:28 am**

Hi Wouter,

I've never used the fumed silica, to be honest. I would estimate that 3kg of cotton flocks would be ample. I'll have to check it out.
Have a look at the technical help tab on the Bateau website. There are a whole lot of tutorials and videos on what need to be done and how to do it. The glue mix(for your transom for example) is different than the fillet mix as peanut butter from tomato sauce.....I had a whole lecture from some of old hands on the consistency of the various glue mixes. I'm sure some of them will add some wisdom here as well.
At the end of the day the fillet needs to fill the corner and give enough shape to the outside to lay your tape on without leaving voids. You will be amazed how strong the fillets become.
The glue mix is exactly that - the epoxy is too runny on its own, and it should be thickened up enough to be applied as a glue. The same consistency as 'cold wood glue'.
I would suggest you glue some scraps and get a feel for the stuff before you glue the transom and clamping board.
With your temperatures up there, be wary of large batches - once the mix heats up it will exotherm. This is when the chemical reaction speeds up, releases heat generated and solidifies the pot of epoxy. SP106 have been good to me, but I've had fillet mix going smokey after trying to do a long fillet.
Check out the tutorials - there are good info there. - http://bateau2.com/
Cheers, Antonie

Posted: **Tue May 20, 2014 4:44 pm**

Hi Guys,

I'm having difficulties in getting any form of adequate wood for the transom clamp. So I've come up with an idea to do the transom from 12mm laminated marine ply.

I thought of doing two layers across the whole transom, giving me a thickness of 24mm all the way across. And making slits for the outer stringers to fit into the inside board/panel. Then fitting an extra 12mm piece in between the inner stringers giving me a thickness of 36mm in the OB compartment, with the inside stringers fitting alongside the 3rd piece of 12mm ply.

Any comments, feedback on the design aspect..?

Then, when laminating the boards together, are there any advantages/disadvantages of adding fiberglass in between the layers?

I hope this drawing makes it a bit clearer.
[img]
http://gallery.bateau2.com/albums/userp ... nation.JPG [/img]

Regards,

Posted: **Tue May 20, 2014 7:16 pm**

Then, when laminating the boards together, are there any advantages/disadvantages of adding fiberglass in between the layers?

None, no need for that. Just glue them up.

Posted: **Wed May 21, 2014 9:05 am**

Plywood is a fine substitute.

Posted: **Wed May 21, 2014 3:43 pm**

Thanks Jacques,

Got a long weekend coming up, looking forward to gettingsome work done!

Posted: **Thu May 22, 2014 9:15 am**

Yip, same here - pay weekend for the construction industry - Friday and Monday off.

Posted: **Fri May 23, 2014 5:31 am**

Hi Wouter,
A quick heads up. I've just visited AMT's shop in Jo'burg. They are discontinuing SP106. Apparently the supplier is putting up the price by 10Euro's/kilo. I took the last 20kg in 5kg containers they had. I would suggest to look at an alternative like the Ampreg 21. I used this before on some drone wings with vacuum bagging - not on the biax fabric. Evan gave me another kilo as a demo to try and give feedback. I'll be taping stringers this weekend somewhere - I'll give him feedback then. The biggest difference that comes to mind now is that SP106's viscosity is lower and the wetting out happens faster. SP106 needs less cleaning after curing for secondary bond than 21. I'll dig up the data sheets and compare from a structural side as well.
Maybe have a chat with Brian the Lion with help for an alternative. I will dearly miss SP106 - from production and financial perspective.
Oh

the gloves are not neoprene. They are called NeoGloves.

Posted: **Tue May 27, 2014 7:10 am**

Hi all,

Been a productive long weekend and I got a lot done! Transom panels are cut out and ready for lamination, also did the bottom and side panels. So pretty much all the wood work is now done for now and everything is ready to be put together.

Thanx Antonie for the heads up on the SP106 resin, I've contacted AMT to find out what alternative they would suggest. But have done some digging and found Harvey's Composites, they carry the WEST Systems products, I'm awaiting the price list (thinking it would probably be pretty expensive). Also found Ivory again, they now fall under Flowcrete and also carry various epoxy products. I've used their products before and was satisfied with the qaulity etc, they are also fairly competitively priced, similar to AMT's. But, they are not sure if they can export to me yet, so need to sort that out with them.

Either way, i need to sort this out and get some products here, I'm itching to start putting things together!

Here's a quick pic of the Transom mock up.

Posted: **Sun Jun 22, 2014 5:35 pm**

Hi All,

Update time! Got a big parcel delivered on my B-day! A big batch of epoxy and Fiberglass!! Nice pressie, even if it was self bought

As I hadn't worked with the particular epoxy before I spent a few days testing it out to get a feel for the sticky stuff again. I made a test block for the fillets (I know I'm getting ahead of myself but couldn't resist) at first I struggled a bit to get it right but tweeking the mix got me on track and it came out pretty nice, also now have a nice self made tool for doing the fillets, should be much easier now.

Spent some time on the transom, got it laminated, drilled the holes for the through hull fittings and filled them with epoxy. Thought it would be easier to do lying flat on the work bench, came out nice!

Had to get a little creative when laminating the transom cause I ran out of clamps, came up with this idea. Did the job! I'm almost certian i'll use them again at some point during this build

Stringers also got butt joined and a final sanding, they now fit nicely in the bulkheads and I have hot glued them in place. Now there's a nice solid and true base for the bottom and side panels to go on

One bottom Panel is butt joined and looks good, now got to finish the other one and the sides in the week and hopefully I can get started at fitting the bottom and side panels next weekend!

Building on!

Posted: **Sun Jun 22, 2014 7:18 pm**

Your off to a great start. I love the PH 18

Posted: **Mon Jun 23, 2014 10:47 am**

Jaaaaa, chom - dis nou mos pap en vleis

Looks brilliant, bud. Off to a great start. So did you go with AMT?

Posted: **Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:02 am**

Thanx Walkers Run!

Hi Antonie, dankie! Jips, went with AMT. Using their Ampreg 21 as epoxy, works very well! I got the slow hardener and with the cold of the last few weeks it's taking a while to kick and cure, but it gives a long working period that I like. Think it will be nice when doing the big fiberglass pieces! I will order some fast hardener for some other applications.

Also been using the cotton flock and sillica, I just love the silica! Makes it very easy to get the batch to the consistency I want for a application. Very happy with the Ampreg.

Posted: **Sat Jun 28, 2014 7:32 am**

Dry fitted the bottom panels this morning, fits pretty good!

Posted: **Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:30 pm**

I am looking forward to watching your build.

Casey

Posted: **Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:18 am**

Thanx Casey!

Looking forward to sharing, and getting feedback and inserts from all you experts!

It's almost weekend time, next on the list is squaring up the transom and then getting on the stitches.

Posted: **Sun Jul 06, 2014 4:23 pm**

Great weekend, some awesome sport on the telle, popped in to check up on scores in between boat building sessions

Gongrats to all the Novak fans, would personally have liked if Roger got another one!

Got the transom all squared up on the building jig and 'stitched' the sides and bottom together. Took many many hours of tweaking and adjusting, but got it done and it looks great! I'm amazed at how good it all fits together and it's testament to Jacques fab design work! Very pleased with how it turned out!

Posted: **Mon Jul 07, 2014 12:53 am**

Nice work!

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:02 am**

Thanx Casey,

Been slow going lately, got a bit caught up at work and traveled a bit so not a lot of hours at home to spend on the boat. Did do a few little things when possible.

I wasn't happy with the transom, was about 1/2 mm off center, so took it out fixed it and re glued it, now I'm 100% happy

The time spend will be worth it on my consciouns.

The side panels were intentionally cut 2cm longer, I'll trim them square with the transom next.

Cables ties have been cut and the 1st round of sanding is done.

Bow came out nice and symmetrical! I have filled the gaps and the holes, and it's ready for the second round of sanding. Hopefully get that done over the next few evenings. Then on to the fg taping, possible this weekend. (work dependent

)

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:04 am**

You are doing a fine job, sir! This part of the build was my favorite.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:29 am**

Wouter, looking good.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:17 pm**

very clean, like it!

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:45 am**

Did a few designs for the paint scheme just to keep me motivated

What do you think..?

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:09 am**

2nd from the top gets my vote!

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:40 am**

I like the top one. Nice designs

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:42 am**

I like the last one

To each their own.

Will

Posted: **Sun Aug 10, 2014 4:18 pm**

Seems like the paint scheme designs are on the money if everyone likes different ones

Still have lots of time to ponder on it

Put some good hours in this weekend and made some progress.

Glassed the transom in with biaxial, two layers. And finished the keel and chines today! Looking good I think. Used peel ply all around as I had to cut the 'tape' from a standard roll of biaxial and had issues getting the edges nice, peel ply sorted that out.

Close up of the fg on the starboard transom side.

Peel ply still on.

Now time for a well deserved BEER!

Posted: **Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:08 am**

Hi Wouter, looks neat.
Big glass next?
Antonie

Posted: **Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:16 am**

Thanx,

Jips, big pieces next. But on a work trip for the next two weeks and then off to the Zambezi for ten days fishing! So will have to wait till next month

Might be home this Saturday and Sunday, if I am, I'll see if I'm up to the challenge.

Posted: **Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:08 pm**

Back from my fishing trip on the Zambezi, was a tough week for fishing with a cold front hitting us the day of arrival.

Been at the boat building again. The biaxial taped corners came out nice, but I had a few dips in it. The areas were the cloth wasn't perfectly aligned gave some shallow spots. Btw, I did not have biaxial tape and had to cut the pieces from a full roll. The shallow spots worried me a little so I filled it with a epoxy filler and sanded it smooth, much happier now to put a new layer of FG over it. They grey in the taped areas is the epoxy filler. I figured it would be better to fill it then have air bubbles on the next layer. (will still try and upload detailed pics of this)

I put down a layer of neat epoxy tonight, going to tackle the big pieces in the morning! Gonna be a marathon of a day on my own!

Dry fitting the cloth

Posted: **Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:10 pm**

Posted: **Sat Sep 06, 2014 2:41 am**

Hi Wouter, welcome back. Looks good.

Posted: **Sat Sep 06, 2014 6:08 am**

Sorry I haven't noticed your thread before. Love the fine work you have completed so far. Looks real good. Taking your time will help you enjoy the process and final results much more. I like the 2nd paint scheme. John

Posted: **Sat Sep 06, 2014 10:46 am**

Very clean work there. I'm seriously jealous of your shop though.

Posted: **Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:30 am**

Thanx guys!

What a weekend! Got the 1st layer of biaxial on! Looking good I think!

Taken a tip from CL and had all the Resin and Hardener pre-measured, ready to mix.

Beeing on my own I layed down the cloth 1st. However it wasn't easy as I primed the hull with a layer of epoxy the previous evening and it was still tacky (using super slow hardener) so stuck to the cloth easily and took me a while to get it all layed up. I only realised later that I made a mistake with my overlap of the second piece, it should have had another few cm of overlap. Struggling to get it layed up, I used a touch to much cloth at the transom and came up a little short on the bow. Don't think it will be a problem.

It was only at this point when I realized my overlap wasn't correct!

Slowly made my way forward.

About 8hrs later I was done!

I do have a question for all the experts! I want to put down another layer of FG over the top. however, the current layer does have some imperfections between the weaves. See pic hereunder. Can I glass straight over onto the current layer or would it be better to first fill these imperfections with an epoxy filler, sand it down and then lay down the next layer..? (as I did on the keel and chine) My concern is that if I do it straight over the current layer I might have some air bubbles that I won't be able to get out...?

Have a great week everyone!!

Posted: **Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:35 am**

Sorry about the thumbnail last three pics, here are the full size pics

Posted: **Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:41 pm**

Really nice glass work!

Posted: **Mon Sep 08, 2014 2:17 pm**

Mooi werk, boet - very nice indeed.

Posted: **Mon Oct 06, 2014 5:33 pm**

Thanks for the compliments guys!!!

Made some progress over the last few weeks. Did the 2nd and last layer of FG, used 410gram woven for this. Came out really nice!! Although I had no helper this time around, so did it on my own and knocked it out in around 6hrs or so in 38deg!! The heat made the Epoxy flow like water so was a pleasure to work with! Here's a few snaps from my phone, excuse the qaulity.

Preparing and cutting the cloth:

Almost there:

Done:

The transom and first 60cm of the bow has been faired but no pics yet. Reverse chines and strakes next before I start fairing the rest of the boat. Going to use Meranti for these, if I can get them cut good enough with the tools I have otherwise I'll come up with an alternative method.

Meanwhile my dad is building a small scale model of the boat to keep him busy

Not sure that it will end up looking exactly like that, but think it's pretty cool

Posted: **Fri Oct 17, 2014 9:19 am**

Getting on with the reverse chine and strakes.

Lots of filling and sanding to do before the two layers of FG goes on.

Posted: **Mon Oct 20, 2014 8:29 am**

great model!! Boat is looking great too!

Posted: **Fri Nov 07, 2014 6:18 am**

Thanx Jorge,

Been making steady progress over the last few weeks. Still have a lot of filling and sanding rounds to go, but I feel like its getting closer to that 1st primer coat. Getting a bit difficult to eyeball things with so many layers and different colours. I'm sure a primer coat will help show me better where work still needs to be done.

Here's a few pics.

Made a jig to ensure the strakes are // to each other.

Strakes glassed on.

Boat getting it's first taste of water: getting washed.

Chines are 95% smooth to the sides, needs a little more tlc.

Strakes inside edge getting filled as well as the transom edge made square with epoxy mix.

Getting there,slowly but surely.

Taking a break and going down to Cape Town: Primarily for the Volvo boats and the in-port race next Saturday!

Looking forward to seeing those machines in action!

Posted: **Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:08 pm**

Nice sharp edges. Great to see another PH18 out there

Posted: **Thu Jan 08, 2015 3:28 am**

Hi All.

Not much to report on the boat building side of things, been on a well deserved holiday.

I did get my seats made and they are enroute to me!

Also received the bow and Stern eyes, they will be fitted next so that I can flip the boat and start inside, should happen in the next few weeks.

Here's a few pics from my holiday, awesome destination: Camp Kwando, Caprivi Namibia

Nice size Three Spot

Thunderstorm in the back ground

Amazing sunset

Another Three Spot

A good size Redbreast

All the best for the builders for 2015!!

Posted: **Thu Jan 08, 2015 8:48 am**

Great pictures! Beautiful place

Nice fish too.

Posted: **Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:18 am**

Wooouuuter, dit is moerse kurpers - well done!! Nice fish, uuuugly angler

.
How was your trip to CT.
The boat looks good as well

.Where do you get time to build with all these breaks??
Build on.
Cheers

Posted: **Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:31 am**

Thanx CL!

Haha Antonie, CT was awesome! Those Volvo boats are some serious machines! Got a chance to go out on the water for the in-port race! What an experience!

Boat building gets done in between all the trips

explains the slow progress. But no trips planned for the next three months so should get some good work done, at least that's the plan.

I noticed between bulkheads c and d I have a slight sag. So going to flip first and do the stringers and bulkheads first, then flip it back and finish the bottom. I'm hoping this will sort the problem out.

Posted: **Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:41 am**

Hi,
I was wondering, is the Caprivi strip part of the delta from Botswana side. I've been wanting to head out there for some time, but the lodges out on the delta would not allow kids under 13 fro the fear of predator pick offs - leopards and lion. A colleague had a pride of lion walk through his camp site (between his camp and ablution) with very few other campers noticing. I want to head to the delta soon....how soon, I don't know, but as soon as the $$$ and oil allows.
Antonie

Posted: **Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:55 am**

Antonie,

Not so much part of the Botswana Delta. That's where the Okavango river leaves Namibia and enters Botswana to form the delta. It is also where the caprivi strip starts,at Divundu. From there the strip is that small finger like area stretching all the way to Katima Mulilo. On the southern side it does border with Botswana.

I stayed and fished on the Kwando river, which runs from Angola through Namibia and then on to Botswana to join the Chobe river eventually. As for the lodges, I know the Botswana delta lodges are very safety aware, but the lodges on the Namibian side are much more relaxed. It is still a very untouched piece of land and we had elephants walk through the camp, I've also spotted Lions on the banks of the river before. And don't forget the hippo's they are ever present on that small river! So caution does need to be taken when visiting those areas.

Having said that, it's also the reason that I frequently visit the Kwando river! It's truly an amazing piece of land!

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:22 am**

Boat looks great! Awesome fishing pictures. What an amazing fishery you have in your backyard. Do you have tiger fish there and how do they fight? They look like a boat load of fun to catch.

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:50 am**

Thanx for the compliments Jim!

Yeah, the Caprivi is a very special place! Although not quite on my doorstep, still need to drive 1100km from where I live, but I make the drive without a sweat any day!

As to the Tigerfish, I fish for them often, but more on the Okavango and Zambezi rivers. They do exist in the Kwando river but are very seldom caught, although there has been reports of some 7-8kg fish been taken there. (one day I wish to be one of those lucky guys to get one on the Kwando) On the two other river systems they are relatively common and big fish come out yearly, but they are also seasonal fish and very dependent on the water levels within the systems. They are ferocious fish to catch and give a supreme fight, especially if fished for by spinning. It is said that they can hit your lure at 60km/h!!! Being fast flowing river fish, they are extremely fit so give a great pound for pound fight!

I'll post a pic of a nice tiger my boat partners daughter caught last year during a comp on the Zambezi.

Regards,

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:57 am**

As promised, I pic of a nice Tigerfish caught on the Zambezi, weighed 5.4kg

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:59 am**

Great fish for that youngster. Nothing beats those smiles. I have let everyone else catch all the toads off my boat last year, I find it even more gratifying than catching them myself. I have to agree wholeheartedly that river fish have big shoulders fighting the current everyday. The river stripers I chase fight twice as hard as the ocean variety. Most times they hit it and check the hell out, ocean stripers are like reeling in a log.

The fishing is only part of the adventure, the scenery is the other, you certainly have both!

Posted: **Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:44 am**

I got a little bit done this week.

Filled and squared the chines and strakes to the transom. Got some nice sharp edges. Will have to sand them a little bit before painting.

Posted: **Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:14 pm**

Dang, that looks great

And that fish has got a fine set of teeth

Posted: **Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:16 pm**

Looks like a cracked up Striped Bass on steroids!

Posted: **Fri Jan 16, 2015 5:34 pm**

Wouter wrote:I got a little bit done this week.

Wow

that looks amazing ! great job

Posted: **Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:24 pm**

Wouter, nice job there, and nice sharp edges too. Just fyi when I got to that stage I called System Three and asked what edge radius their primer needed, and was told 1/8". I bet any primer would want that sort of radius. I drilled a 1/4" hole in a small block of wood, cut out about a quarter of the circumference and laid sandpaper into the groove. The small piece of wood was maneuverable and using a little jig like that gave me a consistent edge. Maybe I made the job harder than necessary. Freehanding it would probably work just as well.

Posted: **Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:33 am**

Thanks for the compliments guys!

Will, thanx for that info. Much appreciated. I'll look into making a small jig too, see how it goes.

Posted: **Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:46 pm**

Hi Guys,

Been a while since a report. But have had some medical issues: ended up in the ER a few weeks ago with heart attack symptoms, but it eventually turned out (after plenty of bucks and tests) to be a severe Esophageal spasm. So luckily all systems are still 100% and the Dr, advised I spend more time om my hobbies, that was however before he knew my hobby was building a boat. He was entriqued and actually came to visit me at home to have a look at the project. A few hours and a whiskey or two maybe three - who's counting - later he gave me an all clear to continue work. With moderation in mind though.

I got the console and seats from Tribal Bass Boats SA

I've alse been working on the Bow EYE fitting and getting it mounted properly, Still needs a bit of touch up but will do for now to do the flip.

I have also started with the support structure for the bottom of the hull once I flip her.

Build on everyone!!

Posted: **Tue Feb 17, 2015 9:40 pm**

Glad to hear you are doing OK, that console looks wicked !

Posted: **Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:08 pm**

I got some primer on her!!

I started this build over Easter weekend last year, so this weekend will be the 1st anniversary

Happy Easter to all!! And for those working on their boats, enjoy!!

Posted: **Fri Apr 03, 2015 11:21 am**

And flipped it! Now to put the guts together on the inside!

Rigged up a "block and tackle" system with some old Harken blocks I had from my sailing days.

Slowly Lifted it evenly.

High Enough to get the Jig out.

Pulled the Jig Out.

Replaced the Bulkheads with the cradle.

Just chillin in the air!

Got two hands from the street, took 30 secs to flip! Cost = 2 x ice cold cold drinks!!

Sitting Pretty on the Cradle

She's a wide one!

Stringers/bulkheads fitting good! Will need to strap it together but it fits well.

Now I need a new order of Epoxy!!!

Posted: **Fri Apr 03, 2015 1:52 pm**

Congratulations on the flip! The bulkheads are fitting nicely.

Posted: **Fri Apr 10, 2015 8:46 pm**

Way to go, those fish are incredible too!

Posted: **Fri Apr 10, 2015 9:28 pm**

Wouter wrote: I got the console Tribal Bass Boats SA

Are they making adult toys also? if so they might have misplaced your console mold LOL

sorry couldn't help myself

Posted: **Mon Apr 20, 2015 1:06 pm**

Nicely done on the flip!

Posted: **Mon Apr 20, 2015 1:47 pm**

Nice hull Wouter

and your glass work as well ! The flip is one huge relief.

Marc

Posted: **Mon Apr 20, 2015 2:45 pm**

Thanks gents!!

Peter, that is why boats are female

Posted: **Sun May 17, 2015 2:35 pm**

Got the inside glassed today. Pretty happy with how it came out. Took me 10 hrs non stop, all wet on wet.

Corners done!

Added a full piece on the sides, extra strength for the chine corners

Done

Posted: **Sun May 17, 2015 4:13 pm**

Really fine glass work. Like your shop. John

Posted: **Sun May 17, 2015 4:23 pm**

Thanx John.

The workshop is nice and spacious

plenty of room for everything. Just gets a bit hot in there! But have a camping freezer hooked up to keep the drinks cold and close by!

Posted: **Mon May 18, 2015 9:48 am**

Wouter - what he said - nice clean work. If I may, i would like to pass on what others have demonstrated on this forum and what I learned the hard way - neat, clean work pays off huge. I am not a patient man and when I have rushed and not taken the extra time to slow down and produce neat tidy work, it has cost me in material, re-work effort, etc. Nothing worse then grinding and sanding sh*&^t when you dont have to....

Cheers, Happy Birthday Queen Victoria!

Posted: **Mon May 18, 2015 9:56 am**

What they said, very clean and good work. A little extra time spent working clean saves hours of grinding and sanding later.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2015 2:20 pm**

Thanx Mark and CL,

Yeah, agreed! It's worth spending the extra time to prepare properly. I had all the fg pieces pre cut and to the correct size. Laid them down on a table in order of use. Also pre measured the resin/hardener in cups ala CL style. (that's been a great tip I picked up from his forum) Also stocked up on enough rollers so I wouldn't run out!

Although it was a long day, it was a very pleasurable one too! Just love seeing a plan come together!

Away on a work trip for the next two weeks, then on to the stringers.

Posted: **Tue May 19, 2015 4:16 pm**

Very nice glass work

Posted: **Sat May 23, 2015 7:02 am**

Hey, we will be sailing up the coast of Namibia from S. Africa sometime around Jan/Feb of 2016. Probably will stop at Luderitz and Walvis Bay. Any suggestions for touring around those area from a semi-local?

Thanks

Posted: **Sat May 23, 2015 8:27 am**

Hi Evan,

That sounds like a very nice trip.

Lüderitz in itself is a very pretty little town filled with architectural history. Kolmanskop is worth a visit, it's an old deserted mining town, turned ghost town, ingulfed in sand dunes which makes for good photography options. There's also some wild horses further inland, I'm sure there are tour aperators that offer trips!

Walvisbay/Swakopmund offers a lot for tourists, Dune 7 is pretty cool, one of the tallest sand dunes! There's a few outfits offering quad bike trips through the dunes that's pretty nice to do! Spitzkoppe is also worth a visit!
I have a few contacts in Swakopmund, so let me know I'll gladly help set you up.

Regards

Posted: **Sat May 23, 2015 9:57 am**

Evan,
What are you doing down there? What's your itinerary?

Posted: **Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:23 am**

Been a slow couple of weeks with a lot of head scratching, tinkering and experimenting to come up with a workable plan, but I've got it sussed out now!

The original plan was to fit the stringers next. However I ran into some problems, the cradle I made does not support the bottom of the boat all the way to the chine, so it had caused a slight droop where the chine meets the bulkhead, around 1-2cm. I did a few experiments and firstly jacked up the chine at bulkhead c (both sides), this worked but lifted the whole boat and didn't quite give the results i wanted. I then lifted the whole boat with a strap, but that was just a bad idea. I then placed some weights in the middle of the boat and jacked up the chines at c again, much better! But still not perfect. Then placed the weights on top of the stringers, to push the stringers down while I jack the sides, now I was in business. The sides however also gave some issues as they were slightly outwards, simply using a strap pulled them together but created a slight bulge along the side of the bulkhead, not good enough, so I strapped some timber up and pulled it together both at the bottom and the top, sorted that out nicely.

This whole process just showed me how damn strong this 'outer skin' is! But it also placed doubt in my mind if I was going to get a correct alignment if I tacked the stringers in, undo all the straps etc, do the stringers and then fit everything back together. I was not comfortable with this and lacked the confidence to do it this way. So I took everything apart, leveled up the jig ( using a laser level), then the boat. Strapped it all together, jiggled it around until I was 100% happy and now I'll glass each box starting from the transom working forward. I just feel a lot more confident in getting a straight boat doing it this way.

Here's a few pics.

A friend's son sitting inside giving a good idea of the size

Lightly sanded where the stringers and bulkheads needs to go.

The gap I had to close on the sides and Chine

The strap idea that just didn't work, contorted the boat way to much.

The best way, weights on the stringers and a jack on the sides.

Timber used for getting the sides lined up correctly.

The whole contraption, lined up and square!

Finally got the perfect fit I wanted!

Made myself a tool for the filleting, out of some tong depression sticks, works very well!

Bilge Area done:

Port side outer box, between e and D

Glassed in.

Got 7 boxes done, a couple more to go.

Posted: **Fri Jul 10, 2015 9:01 am**

Looking good! There's plenty of space on that boat. One tip that Jacques has mentioned to help with getting the sides in place with a fair curve is to install a temporary rub-rail, just some strips of wood clamped or screwed in place to even things out. It looks like you got it done your way, though. Nice progress.

Posted: **Wed Nov 04, 2015 4:16 am**

Hi all,

Been slow going, but finished with glassing the stringers and bulkheads. Once I've sanded it down and made it look nice I'll post a pic.

I did get the jackplate and spent some time on it giving it a custom paint job. Looks pretty good, I just hope I can keep it scratch free, for a while at least

The Fuel tank has been ordered, and is getting made here in Namibia by a local boat builder. Looking forward to receiving it back!

Keep on building ...!!

Posted: **Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:09 am**

Here is some update pics.

Engin well pieces glued into place and livewell floor being dry fitted.

Posted: **Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:08 am**

That looks really GOOD.

cool lines on that boat

Posted: **Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:59 pm**

Looking real nice, Wouter! That's a big step getting those stringer boxes glassed.

Posted: **Tue Apr 19, 2016 6:01 am**

Got some more work done.

Done with the inner structures.

Thru hull holes filled with epoxy and flipped over again to finish and paint the bottom.

1st coat of PU primer on.

Wet sanded her with 360 water paper, she's pretty smooth now.

I do have a few pinholes that I just can't seem to get filled. Ive tried epoxy fillers but they just don't go into the holes, the air inside the holes just seem to push the filler out when I smeer it over. Any ideas..?

Regards,

Posted: **Tue Apr 26, 2016 3:31 pm**

Wouter

Started following your build tonight and it looks GR8, I am soon to start mine, just need to put my wife in an medical induced Coma or divorce her before I start

Anyhow, her son is in the process of repsraying his entire Bakkie (Truck like a Toyota Tundra for the US of A peeps here

) and he recently asked the same Q concerning the pinholes. Whatever you do, do not apply a final coat as the paint will trap air in the pinholes, which will expand with heat and you'll end up with a surface that's reminiscent of some shield hood disease, measles I think it was called!

Kay, so the way to prevent this, is prior to painting the primer, you need to take resin mixed with hardner and nothing else. Then applying a thin coat all over, scrape off all the excess resin with a squidge not worrying about possible ridges and so forth, if excessive, take a brush and brush the resin (thin it out) with long strokes, leave that to cure for around 30minutes and apply a scented coat, repeating the removal of excess. Leave this to cure properly and then use 100 to 150 grip sandpaper to sand it down to have the surface as level as you'd like it to be.

Remember the primer is to thick and will never fill the pinholes, this same thickness also comes into play after sanding the entire area.

There's another way but that would entail sitting with a good pair of reading glasses and filling each pinhole with said mixture, hoping you don't miss one.

Anyhow, as you've already painted the primer, and I am not to sure that the resin coating would do any good wit regards to assisting the sealant of glass in cases where sanding took down a bit much before the primer, I am pretty sure it will still work to fill the pinholes and some scratches caused by say 80 grip paper.

Hope this helps, it sure was an easy and proper fix to the paint job we had, although we had made use of a thinned out version a super fine etch filler. However I saw this on a site where they are fixing and building and painting airfoils on aircraft, so it should work on a boat!

Posted: **Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:03 pm**

Hi LGF

Thanx for the input.

I've since taken a different route and used a 2mm drill bit, twirled it between my fingers to open up the pinholes and filled it with a epoxy based filler. It was a painstaking process and took ages. But it gave the desired results. I've now also sprayed another layer of primer. It's a filler based primer, pretty thick stuff. So not the final primer coat.

Have sanded the sides and transom and so far I have zero pinholes left. Luckily the effort seems to have paid off! Sanding the rest of the hull in the evenings and will see where I stand by the weekend. Will give an update when I get there.

Regards

Posted: **Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:30 pm**

No Probs Wouter, had I only seen your build earlier I could have posted sooner and saved you the pain in the Bass with the 2mm drill, cause he also went through that process, but there were just way too many so he opted for another in the thinned out filler.

Just to say it again cause it needs to be said again, your Build Looks Fantastic. You opting for a dual console (bass-boat) style or single console or center console?

Posted: **Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:55 pm**

Thanx for the compliments!

Yeah it was a pretty labour intensive solution, but now that it's done I'm happy I did it! Peace of mind goes a long way in the building process

I'm planning a bass type layout with a single console off centre,with two seats. My fishing partner will just have to endure the breeze

The idea is also to leave enough space between the cockpit and the gunnel so that you can walk around the boat on the deck.

Posted: **Tue Apr 26, 2016 7:32 pm**

Ok that sounds like a cool layout. Have you ever considered a collapsible screen that can act as additional deck area in the area where your fishing partner is sitting. Not sure if I make sense, but basically the deck can be placed and secured in an angled position when on the move and when it gets to fishing then the angled screen (deck)just goes to the horizontal position.

You could end up with a 18 X 6 foot square deck, and only the driver side and console not being able to be walked on and fished from,

Posted: **Sun May 08, 2016 1:59 am**

Hi Wouter,

Great progress. You are very close to the real fun part. Filling in the guts is 90% of the job....IMHO.
Good idea enlarging the pinholes and puttying them up. I sanded mine back a little and re-sprayed with a thinner primer. The high build primers do not get into those pin holes.

Cheers,

Posted: **Tue May 17, 2016 11:24 am**

Wouter

what motor size wise do you intend sticking on the back?

i was looking at the jackplate you bought and was wondering how wide the unit is on the transom side of the plate? i got most of the specs of the plate, but since they don't sell automated plates i will need to modify mine, hence the question of how wide it is. thinking of installing a small yet torque sufficient low rev reversable motor between the two sections, transom and motor parts of the plate?

when you posting pics again, progress bud progress?

Posted: **Tue May 17, 2016 11:38 am**

Hi LGF

I'm planning either a 115 or 140 suzuki four stroke. It all depends on my finances when the time comes

I'll measure my jackplate for you and post the measurements. (sometime this week)

Been sanding a lot, so not much photo worthy.

Got my fuel tenk today! Will take some pics and put it up.

Posted: **Wed May 18, 2016 2:05 pm**

Cool thanks for the effort.

I'll go past the post office tomorrow to see if my plans arrived yet. Been busy with electronics and plumbing in the meantime. Got the bilge and aerator pumps, some solenoid valves, switches, LED's for hatches and nav lights and switch panels with luminous (glow in the dark power mixed with resin) lettering, also sort of sorted out the way in which I need to fill, then circulated, pump out some water, perhaps refill during the day and empty after the days' fishing, mostly automated at this stage, but still some that processes that requires manual override, soon to be automated completely. Perhaps before installation

Next is the pedestal seats and cowlings.

Posted: **Wed May 18, 2016 2:07 pm**

Forgot to say, I'm a bit sneaky, I already got three friends of my son including him lined up for when we (they) start the endless sanding.

Posted: **Thu May 19, 2016 8:28 am**

Here's a pic of the pinholes I drilled/twirled out and filled with epoxy filler. Took ages but it was so worth it! I've sprayed another high build primer coat and sanded it down, It's all smooth with not a single pinhole!!

And the custom Fuel tenk, 150 liters, it will fit in between bulkhead C and D under the sole, in the center of the boat.

Posted: **Thu May 19, 2016 8:35 am**

Good Plan LGF

I'll tel you what, the sanding can take the stuffing out of you some days!

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2016 6:50 am**

Wouter wrote:Good Plan LGF

I'll tel you what, the sanding can take the stuffing out of you some days!

That's why I had to stop and buy the following: pneumatic finishing sander (round with Velcro pads and self cleaning) and a linear straight pneumatic block type (long block) sander and a hand planer that can plane to a max depth of 2mm.

I don't like sanding much, but will never ever stop before it's not 100%, so i figured I best get some tools to make it easier and hopefully a bit quicker when I get to the major sanding time.

Was thinking of starting with the hatch lids too, but decided to rather wait as I might make them too large or too small and this will only become apparent when I get the plans and then might have lost a lot of time and effort. I will rather just use the time to produce more bass lures.

There is also work that will dictate how and when I get to build, as I travel abroad at least twice a month if everything is in place at work, however there are times that I get to be in the country for long periods, and that's when my leave gets depleted for my projects

Man I cannot wait to get started, already started with trailer planning too! PS the trailer people here is called Roadque if I'm not mistaken, but also have a former neighbor that is in the trailer building business, so Wouter if you get to that stage, lemme know if you'd like to have his number and see what he'll be able to do for you?

Where my plans @????????

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2016 7:06 am**

I forgot to mention, I am planning to multiple hull flips. Well in my head at least thus far, as I am thinking of sanding the glass work from the deck and subsequent gunnels onto the shear prior fairing and applying the final coat, this goes for the inside of the hull too. Perhaps it won't be necessary, will just require proper planning, but that, although I keeps me awake at night, will sort itself out when the time comes.

Also planning to get everything in place and prepped before I start assembling/building, i.e. build the trailer base and use that as a sting back and cradle, thinking of only installing temporary braces for the bulkheads and the cradle supports when I m actually going to build the hull. The reason for this is, should I run out of time, that I can transport the hull to storage as the place where I have to build, is right in front of our front door and the wife won't be too amused if there is an unsightly unfinished hull lying on a strong back or cradle for that matter. Divorce is not something I am planning

Posted: **Fri May 20, 2016 7:17 am**

Sorry I didn't give you the advice of fixing those pinholes before you had to drill them individually but the surface beneath those holes looks stunning. Great sanding work there!

That fuel tank also looks very good. If you don't mind me asking, why is it extruded at one end and how will that affect the placement wrt the sole and the deck?

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2016 4:40 am**

Thanx,

Concerning the fuel tank.

I fish two big river comps each year and they both require that you travel pretty far on a daily basis. Three weeks ago we did the Crockango event (on a friends boat), held on the Okavango river and did close to 250 km per day (4 day event), that requires a lot of fuel. And very few commercial boats have big enough fuel tanks so we always end up carrying jerry cans etc on the boat. But they just get in the way and refueling takes time etc. So with my boat a pre-requisite was a large fuel tank. I don't want loose cans on the boat and I don't want to refuel during the day.

So with a large fuel tank, you are adding a lot of weight, so placement becomes important. It had to be on the bottom of the boat to get it as low as possible. With the bulkheads and stringers I couldn't get a large enough space for the tank further back, unless I made two separate tanks, but two tanks creates multiple other issues which I don't want to deal with.

So I decided that the tank will sit in the center of the boat between C and D and on the bottom, I have 20mm of foam on the bottom of the tank. The "tower" part of the tank was added to get the required volume I wanted/needed. The flat part of the tank will then fit under the sole but the tower part will be between the seats. Where others have made coolboxes, I'll have the the tower part of the fuel tank. The Plan is also to have a hatch there so that I have access to all the parts of the tank, that way if there is any issues, I'll have access without having to rip the boat apart.

Posted: **Sat May 21, 2016 3:27 pm**

Wouter good plan. I also fish some long range comps but Cracker Larry's OD18 has a 40 gallon tank and I will no longer will have to depend on friends taking me out and will have plenty of fuel to make the long runs.

Tom

Posted: **Mon Jun 13, 2016 4:55 am**

Got the bottom painted. I did end up getting a bit of an 'orange peel' that I'm not to happy about. Will need to sand it down and see where were stand then. Maybe a light sand and a polish will sort it out!

Taped up n line.

Masked off the sides.

After two coats.

Done.

Posted: **Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:28 am**

Looking good Wouter, looking very good, how did you end the black coat at the bow, straight lines?

Posted: **Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:28 am**

Very nice bottom treatment Wouter.

Posted: **Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:37 am**

Yes, its a straight line at the bow. Will take a pic and post it.

Posted: **Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:42 am**

Cool will be nice eye candy!

Really looking good Wouter!

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:14 am**

As promised, here is a pic of the bow. You can see the 'orange peel' in the reflection.

I've started sanding it down with 600 water paper and its getting smooth. Going to get some 360 water paper today and try that out, should go a bit faster and easier. This stuff is hard as nails.

Had a visit from my friend who has an auto body shop with a spray booth and much better spraying equipment, he's offered to redo the spray job over a weekend for me.

BTW, the sides and transom are going to be white. No fancy paint scheme.

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 4:55 am**

OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH, besides the Orange peel, well, my eyes haven't had such sweet stuff to look at for a long time. Like the way you've taken the black onto the bow, was considering that, just wasn't sure how far up the bow to take it. But I suppose i'll get to that when I get to that stage, maybe I'll paint it PiNk, CaNdY ApPlE PiNk

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:44 am**

Watch it when your boating in the Orca mating season.Could get nasty!

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:09 am**

Good one Woylie!

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 10:49 am**

woylie wrote:Watch it when your boating in the Orca mating season.Could get nasty!

Posted: **Tue Jun 14, 2016 10:35 pm**

That graphite looks great, Wouter. I would probably put the sandpaper down at that point but I've got to say I'm looking forward to see what a sprayed on coat looks like.

Posted: **Wed Jun 15, 2016 5:47 am**

Hi Will,

Just to avoid confusion, Ive decided not to go the Graphite route. I just couldn't get any graphite powder, if I did: the supplier was unwilling to ship to Namibia. There's no graphite on the bottom.

Instead, I've gone the paint route and spray painted a Polyurethane enamel. It was my 1st time using this product so I probably should have done a test section 1st

! It would have saved a lot of sanding. But in the end I'm not to worried, once this layer is sanded and a second layer is applied (professionally

), I'll have a super strong bottom coat, that looks nice too!

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2016 4:34 am**

Got the boat out of the workshop and into the hands of a professional.

The bottom is done and looks a ton better!! Nice and shining with a perfectly smooth finish.

Got a coat on on the sides, a little sand and then two more coats.

I also got a weekends fishing in and caught my PB Nembwe! Very chuffed!

Painting should be finished by the weekend, I'll post a pic when it gets back!

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2016 8:05 am**

That bottom looks great!! True mirror finish!! Jeff

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2016 10:54 am**

The paint job looks absolutely stunning Wouter, same goes for that Nem, what's the weight?

Also, saw Bassmunn's last couple of posts. He went the paint route and regretted it, saying that it wasn't as durable and scratch resistant as a graphite coat would be. knowing you can't get hold of graphite, have you come accross a marine epoxy paint that could be sprayed? I would like to have the boat with a finish like that, but would also opt for something a little more up to scratch (pun intended) with my extreme kinda fishing

PS, don't forget the pics when she's back? Need a fix!

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2016 11:24 am**

Nembwe was 2.77kg

Yips, Bassmunn used automotive 2k if I remember correctly from his post.

I opted for a Polyurethane from Libra Paints. After many hours spent researching the options, I decided on their product. It does get used in the marine environment and they supply large fishing vessels with this product. So it has been tried and tested. After having used it, I would recommend it any day of the week. I also sanded down the first coat of black on the bottom and believe me this stuff is tough!! So I'm not worried about the scratches.

Check this out!!

I'm thinking about adding a red pinstripe between the black and white. This is just a vinyl sticker for now to give an indication of what it will look like.

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2016 6:05 pm**

Shiny!!! I like the pinstripe!

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2016 8:38 pm**

That is top notch there! Did your painter spray graphite, or is that paint? Either way, WOW!

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2016 1:41 am**

Oh my ................

I'm Gobsmacked

IT LOOKS (speechless)!

That is exactly what the pictures in my mind looks like, different Colours and designs on the shears if I remember your proposed designs correctly, but the finish, the shine, the sexy gloss, oh I am going to have such a hard time concentrating for at least a week.

Will defs remember Libra for the paint, do they have a good colour range?

PS. Thanx a mill for messing around with my abilities to do anything but fantasize

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2016 5:54 am**

That my Friend, Is one Beautiful finish!! Well Done Indeed!!!!

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2016 6:07 am**

Very nice Wouter!

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2016 6:52 am**

Boat looking brilliant, I like the "Nembwe", I think it is still the best freshwater fish to catch in Southern Africa, only the 3 spot comes close. Enjoyed fishing "Island View Lodge" area as well as the Barotse floodplains. My GV15 will spend most of it's life in that area.
Enjoy the build and I hope you have many happy hours on water doing what you like best.
Dave

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2016 8:07 am**

Beautiful paint job

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:21 am**

That is fantastic! The bar is once again raised!

Posted: **Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:29 am**

Did a very light sand with 1500 grid and polished it up again! Honestly, I cant get over how good it looks, so I just had to post another picture

The boat is back at my place and taped up, so I don't mess up that paint job

Now I have to start making the inside as nice as the outside!

Quickly test fitted the Fuel tank and it fits perfectly! Sigh of relieve!!

Fitted the bottom of the live-well and drilled the holes for the fittings, they are now epoxy filled and ready to be drilled the correct size.

Also started with fairing the engine bay and getting all the under floor conduit in place. But I haven't received my foam yet, so waiting on that before I start foaming and fitting the floor.

Posted: **Tue Jul 26, 2016 7:52 am**

Wouter, Really nice work on your bottom!! Shines like a mirror!! Also, nice fit for the fuel tank!! Jeff

Posted: **Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:29 am**

Wouter, your fairing and paint job is a work of art. Are you installing your fuel tank between frames C and D? I have been thinking of different options for the fuel tank installation with my build.

Posted: **Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:59 am**

Thanx.

Yes, the fuel tank sits between bulkheads c and d under the sole. I had to do that to accommodate the amount of fuel I will need to carry, without using two separate tanks.

Where are you going to place your tank..?

Posted: **Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:11 am**

I am thinking under the sole either between B and C or C and D like yours is placed. I want a 30 gallon tank because I sometimes fish areas that are 60 -80 mile round trip. Are you planing to route the fuel fill and vent to the back deck?

Posted: **Tue Jul 26, 2016 11:28 am**

What type of layout are you planning.? I would think that having 30 gallons between b and c would put a lot of weight in the front of the boat.?

The fuel filler cap and vents will sit behind the passenger seat. (or that's the plan). So from the tank they will go straight left towards the port side and then up to the filler cap.

Posted: **Tue Jul 26, 2016 12:26 pm**

The layout will be a center console with front and back deck as per the plans. Yes, good point 30 gallons is a lot weight forward in the hull. Once my hull is turned over I can get a better idea of how to install the tank. I will have to go with a custom made tank.

Posted: **Thu Jul 28, 2016 4:23 am**

Wouter

Its starting to become a bass-rig now, is looking very very nice and please from hereon onwards please include a pic of the bottom paint job on every update, I too can't get enough of how good that looks, please?

Posted: **Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:23 am**

That paint job is stunning. it's the exact opposite of how my paint jobs turn out. Bravo!

Posted: **Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:02 pm**

Fred in Wisc wrote:That paint job is stunning. it's the exact opposite of how my paint jobs turn out. Bravo!

Come now, it can't be that bad, I mean if we give Wouter a 10 then surely yours can't be -10

Posted: **Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:06 pm**

OK, maybe not the exact opposite. Both end up with color on the boat, but his surface finish is like a dead calm lake with nothing floating on it, and mine's more like a breezy day with a mayfly hatch going on. Still floats. Fish don't care. But with a boat as pretty as Wouter's I'd be a LOT more careful docking and launching.

Posted: **Thu Jul 28, 2016 3:07 pm**

Kay, you win, with a description like that how can you not? One things for sure and that's that Wouter nailed that paint job, sure is heading to become a great looking girl, Lady! Again congrats on that paint job Wouter!

Posted: **Sat Sep 03, 2016 5:04 am**

I am getting caught up on a few threads, and this boat of yours sure looks nice.

Casey

Posted: **Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:30 am**

Thanx Casey

Currently busy doing the foam and all sorts of bits and pieces. Not much photo worthy, but will make a plan to take some pics and post an update.

Regard

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 7:20 am**

As Promised, here's some pics and a update.

Test fitted the water trap for the fuel. I have heard rumors that these traps can cause the motor to struggle to suck the fuel from the fuel tank and that one should use a booster pump between fuel tank and water trap to make it easier for the motor...? Any comments..?

I got the foam and with the first pour did a pretty good job, almost perfect, some good calculations

However soon realized it wasn't always going to be this easy

Lots off little poors to fill it all up without wasting to much foam. Used a hacksaw blade to cut it down and then finally sanded it flat with a orbital sander, not too difficult just some nasty stuff to sand.

Bow floor section fitted and glassed into place.

Between bulkheads A and B, foamed and prepped to glue the sole down. Its done now and also glassed into place.

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 8:32 am**

Wouter, great job!! Looks really nice!! Jeff

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:01 am**

Wouter as far as the fuel filter set up most of the boats on this site use a external fuel filter and
have had no problems that i am a where of. My self included.

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:34 am**

I'll be running an inline fuel filter as well.

But with my fuel tank being aluminum I was advised to add a separate water trap by the manufacturer of the tank. According to them the tank will have condensation inside it and create water that will lie at the bottom of the tank. The outflow of the tank sits at it's lowest point which means if any water does get in there it will definitely get into the fuel line. Therefore I have added this water trap in the fuel line system, to prevent any chance of water getting to the motor. But, now someone told me that the fuel pump on the outboard is not strong enough to suck the fuel through this water trap and maintain steady fuel flow to the motor, causing the motor to strain and under perform. This has me

my head.

The suggestion was to add a small fuel pump between the tank and the water trap that is switched on when the motor starts.

I have no experience with these water traps, so have no idea what to expect.

Will probably be best to speak to the manufacturer directly and find out from them.

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:41 am**

Do I understand your fuel is coming off the tank bottom? And you are running a gas engine? If so that is something that is not approved here in the USA. You can do it with diesel but gas is a no-no.
I have a filter like that on my Merc 50hp and it has no problem with it just for info.

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:51 am**

Here is a better picture of the water separator.

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 10:09 am**

Thanx Fuzz,

If a 50hp can pull it through then the 150hp should have no problems

Yeah, we don't have near as strict safety regulations as on your side of the pond. Will take years before we catch up to the Western standards. (to be honest I've tried to find regulations for Boat safety in Namibia, for registration purposes, but there just simply are none from government. They keep telling me they will just come by to inspect and then they will issue a boat license, without any set regulations whatsoever! Pretty scary!)

However I would still like to do my boat on the safe side

What would be the reason for not allowing gas to be fed from the bottom of the tank...? Is it for spillage and leak reasons..hence fire hazard?

Maybe I can modify my plan to be more safe!

Regards

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 10:55 am**

I have not read the regs but I am sure it has to do with a highly flammable liquid being able to leak into the boat. Diesel tanks are built with fittings on the bottom very often.
I got to thinking about it and I have the same filter as you on my 9.9 Suzuki kicker also with no problem. I think you are good with your 150. Make sure it is rated to flow what the motor needs at wide open.

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2016 2:51 pm**

Wow these pics are great, and what good progress.

I am thinking of making three lockers in the back as well.

Casey

Posted: **Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:48 pm**

Got a bit done.

Foamed the boxes between b and c, ready to take the sole

Glued the sole down and prepped for glassing. I dropped the sole in the middle to make a slightly larger compartment

Glassed in. Using peel ply to make the glass smoother and the fairing later on easier

The rear port side, contains the drain tube that the bilge pumps plumbing will go through.

All Foamed up and a hole made for a inspection hatch in the foam.

Test fitting the sole for the aft port section. Added hatch cover,for our yearly renewal of the Certificate of Floatation (RSA standards) the foam needs to be inspected. So I thought I would plan for this so they would not have to drill through my sole at some point in the future

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2016 3:54 pm**

You work looks professional. Your foam is nice and level with the top of our compartments.

Posted: **Mon Sep 26, 2016 4:47 pm**

Wouter, very professional!! Nice clean look!! Jeff

Posted: **Tue Sep 27, 2016 6:55 pm**

Great stuff here. Looks amazing.

Casey

Posted: **Tue Sep 27, 2016 11:02 pm**

Thanks gents!

Always nice when your work is appreciated!

Posted: **Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:28 am**

Wouter your work looks GR8 and glad to see you're building again, been a bit quiet on the boat-building, must have done fishing I suspect, if so you owe us pictures

Posted: **Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:39 am**

Yeah, been busy with some family matters lately.

Sadly my father passed away middle August. And with me being in a different country it's put a lot of strain on my schedule etc.

Posted: **Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:20 pm**

That is a tough one. Wishing the best for you and your family.

Posted: **Sun Oct 02, 2016 1:04 pm**

Jammer om te hoor - sterkte daar.

Posted: **Sun Oct 02, 2016 7:42 pm**

Sorry to hear about your Dad. Prayers you and the family.

Posted: **Wed Oct 12, 2016 4:08 pm**

Thanx all!

My dad has sure been an inspiration in my life! Got me into boats at a very young age. Revamped and built a few with him! Definately going to miss his input and support!

I got a bit done in the evenings. Finished the sole front and aft. Now for the cockpit area.

I need to figure out how I'm going to fix the feul tank to the boat before I can fit the sole there. So a bit of thinking to do before I continue. My thoughts are that the high density foam on the bottom of the tank will compress over time...? And that might cause the tank to be slightly loose under the sole with no way to get to it. So trying to come up with an idea that will allow me to tighten it up again should it get a bit loose later on..? Or am I just beeing paranoid..?

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:19 am**

Do not use foam under a fuel tank , you will eventually end up with crevice corrosion and a leaking tank.

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 11:58 am**

Wouter,

Just a thought, you could first lay down several neoprene strips bedded in 5200, then bed the tank on the strips with 5200. I know this does not involve any mechanical fasteners, but it may be strong enough to support the tank. I have seen others apply coal tar epoxy to the tank and then foam. I know foam is not recommended due to the risk of eventual corrosion.

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:24 pm**

Thanx guys

Just to clarify, the high density foam that is currently under the tank(Glued on with contact adhesive) is not the expandable type used to fill the compartments.
It's like those blue camping mattresses,only this foam is water proof and doesn't absorb water at all. I'll post a pic.

I do not want to put any expandable foam anywhere near the tank.

Vincent, you have put me onto a good idea. Instead of fastening the tank from top(which my head got stuck on) , fasten it from the bottom!

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:37 pm**

See the 10mm foam on the bottom of the tank in this picture

What about using silicone on the bottom of the foam (neoprene) to 'glue' it to the bottom..? Anyone done that before?

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 4:28 pm**

I used 5200 on the bottom of my strips , then stuck that to the sole in the tank compartment.
Go to my build gallery and check out the way i did it. Pictures pretty much say it all.

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 4:30 pm**

Thanx. Will do!

I just can't get 5200 here, so need to find a substitute.

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 4:40 pm**

Yes Neoprene strips and 3M 5200 or equivalent top and bottom is the way to go. The strips are sold in the Bateau store for reference since you probably won't want to order from here although UPS shipping may make it feasible. http://boatbuildercentral.com/proddetai ... 9443_1%2F4

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 4:55 pm**

Thanx Tom.

Yeah with what's going on this side on the political front and the severe nose dive of our Rand vs the U$D it's not feasible to import and transport much these days.

I had a look at your pics Topwater. Thanx for the direction and I now have a much better idea of what I need to do!

Once again this forum comes to its right!

Thanks peeps!

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:24 pm**

If you can find a polyurethane based adhesive or polysulfide adhesive, they both have better strength than silicone. A polyurethane based sealant/adhesive should have the best adhesive strength. Too bad you cannot get the 5200.

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:26 pm**

Thanx Vincent,

I'll look into that!

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:30 pm**

Wouter wrote:Thanx. Will do!

I just can't get 5200 here, so need to find a substitute.

Wouter did you look in the right shops? when I started my CS we only had 1 marine shop on the island thank god we have three now, but aside from that, it was about six years ago that I looked for a long board couldn't find one, that one shop didn't have it so I made one, then one day I had to buy a new copier for the office so I went to xerox to buy one, ones leaving the store I saw a corner in the store with all 3M products after all they sell office products also,to my surprise the had a couple of shelves with industrial products also, like epoxy pour sleeves (electrical), long boards, long board paper but also 3M 5300.

Not saying it will be the same in Namibia but maybe it's worth a couple of phone calls?

Posted: **Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:49 pm**

Good point, I have found the weirdest things at the weirdest locations/shops here.

But I'm close to the Angolan border in a very small town (population 200k), 800km from the capital. With very little to no shops. So most of all metarials I have used so far have been sourced and couriered to me(at a price of course) We have also have only one hardware store

South Africa has a lot of the products, but sometimes the companies just refuse to export to me, so makes it difficult.

Mostly I take product info from this forum and try to source it. But it takes a long time unfortunately! And a lot of time dealing with suppliers etc.

But I'll get it done with the right stuff! Just got to be patient!

Posted: **Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:17 pm**

Ordered, paid and on its way

Posted: **Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:25 pm**

. . . err, that ought to get the job done!

Posted: **Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:26 pm**

Nice!

Posted: **Tue Oct 25, 2016 2:06 pm**

Man that thing is going to fly!

Had a buddy put a 115 on a PH18 and it would run 55+. . . hope you have good blocking for the oh sh!t handles!!

Posted: **Tue Oct 25, 2016 2:32 pm**

Zoom zoom!

Posted: **Tue Oct 25, 2016 9:52 pm**

Very nice, I look forward to hear about the performance numbers. The Suzuki is a good choice, had one on my last boat and it was bulletproof.

Posted: **Thu Nov 10, 2016 3:40 pm**

Got myself a dremmel, it's an awesome little tool! Should have bought one ages ago

Made holes to fit a 110mm pvc pipe with it that I will be running the steering and other motor cables through. Came out nice!

Posted: **Thu Nov 10, 2016 3:49 pm**

Wouter wrote:Got myself a dremmel, it's an awesome little tool! Should have bought one ages ago

Made holes to fit a 110mm pvc pipe with it that I will be running the steering and other motor cables through. Came out nice!

Very cool! Another tool I need to get. =)

Posted: **Thu Nov 10, 2016 3:59 pm**

Get one! You won't be disappointed!

With all its extras and add on's it really is a versatile tool. It's probably not designed for the scale of our boats, but if you work slowly and don't put to much pressure on the motor you can do a lot with it.

I particularly like the fact that I can now get into places that standard size tools just won't allow you to.

Posted: **Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:44 pm**

It also has an attachment for sharping lawn mower blades.

Newt

Posted: **Sun Nov 13, 2016 7:59 am**

Cut out a hatch today. The plan seems to work

A whole bunch more to do!

Posted: **Sun Nov 13, 2016 1:24 pm**

Hi Wouter,
Did You cut out the hatch also with the Dremel ?
Greetings from Karl

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