Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:33 am**

So I purchased the unfinished hull from rtboating here on the forum. I saw the ad locally and jumped on it. Roy dropped off the boat yesterday and it's sitting in her new home for a few months. I just got my guide license this summer and plan on turning this into a guide boat for here in Homosassa. I'll have lot's of questions and any help will be greatly appreciated.

my main questions are going to be about the layout of the boat once i get to that point. I'm familiar with the glassing process as this wont be my first time doing fiberglass but will be the first time using epoxy...

Cpt. Sean Roush

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:38 am**

My first concern is the outside of the hull. It is pretty much finished and coated with steelflex on the bottom(previous owners work). i've noticed lot's of air bubbles on the sides. how much of a concern is this?

I plan on sanding down the bad ones and re glassing over them with a combination of drilling a small hole and trying to inject the smaller ones... Or should i bite the bullet now and sand down the sides completely and restart???

Anyways off to start mixing epoxy and starting to fillet these stringers in...

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:39 am**

I think you'll love working with epoxy. Good luck with the build!

If it were me and from the large amount of air in the cloth, I would take it down. The real concern to me is if the painted glass on the bottom looked that way before paint. Hopefully others will chime in.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:59 am**

that port side there is the really bad part the transom and and starboard side arnt to bad... I'm guess the 1708 didn't get enough resin in it...

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:09 am**

Eric1 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:39 am . The real concern to me is if the painted glass on the bottom looked that way before paint.

It does look like that under the paint, look at the waterline spots don't end in a straight line like in the picture
You're sure it's air/dry spots not just sanded spots? it's hard to tell from the picture

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:19 am**

My camera tends to embellish things a bit alot of it is sanding but alot of air too...previous owner states " The bottom was fine the only delams I had was those couple of spots on side and on that top line"

I'm going to take his word for it for now and only sand out the really bad spots. if i do redo it it will be after i finish the inside of the boat.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 2:55 pm**

Just took a closer look at your pictures. I don't believe the previous builder used marine plywood. You've said you wanted this boat for charter. That being the case I'm pointing this out to you. If it's not marine plywood it won't hold up.
Last thing I see, and it maybe the camera, is the wood on the inside appears to have black mold growing on it. If you go further with glass on this wood you should consider killing that off before you put epoxy and glass over it.
Understand in no way am I busting your chops, I'm just looking out for you.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:46 pm**

it's marine plywood I know that for sure. as for the boat I hit the entire inside with 60 grit sand paper to knock of the dirt and grime, blew it out, and wiped everything with acetone. primed all joints with epoxy then used west systems 405 fillet filler mixed with epoxy to fillet everything in. Next to tab everything in with the biaxle tape. The working time on this slow cure epoxy is amazing compared to poly...

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:00 pm**

a picture of the finished fillet, ready for tape... I cant get the pictures to upload in order.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:11 pm**

As I understood it's the type of lamination glue that makes ply marine ply so I'm not sure how to detect that from pics, fillets and tape I would have done wet on wet but that's me.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:42 pm**

From what i gather wet on wet is stronger but glassing over a well sanded and cleaned fillet is plenty strong...

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:43 pm**

Not doubting you, I've just never seen plugged marine ply.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:51 pm**

ya'll noticed the mold and dirt and the "non marine ply" but missed the awesome scarf joints the previous owner did... not a but block anywhere. this is marine fir i know a little cheaper than what ya'll sell on the website but none the less its marine ply.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:53 pm**

Ok Cool! Build on!

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:56 pm**

Eric1 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:43 pm Not doubting you, I've just never seen plugged marine ply.

from the vendors website it says "marine fir ab grade has no more then 9 single plugs per sheet"...

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:03 pm**

CatfishHunter wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:56 pm
Eric1 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:43 pm Not doubting you, I've just never seen plugged marine ply.
from the vendors website it says "marine fir ab grade has no more then 9 single plugs per sheet"...

Cool, I'd never seen the stuff! Glad it's marine grade.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:20 pm**

It's okay, it's what they sell in the mayor home improvement stores, if I remember correctly I used it on the sole of my CS because the marine store was out of Bruynzeel, it holds up good, about the wet on wet, it's just easier to do it that way not necessarily better

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:32 pm**

thanks for the replys fellas. definitely a ton to think about. Stress levels are way up there for sure lol. I decided to build this boat because i couldn't afford a new $10k hull. so keep in mind the modest budget of an aspiring new captain... Most of the wood boats i've owned and worked on are all local built tunnel hull boats and mullet skiffs built with poly and non marine ply. they're only glassed on the bottom and still last 20-30 years...

This was my last guide boat that i rebuilt, a 25 year old ex guide boat built by local Donny Russel. 25 ft long by 101" wide. very heavy and ugly but she'd float in spit and carry 4 old men fishing in their lawn chairs.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:57 pm**

Looks like you have a great start, and are doing a fine job. I'm sure you will be happy with the finished skiff.
If you want a second opinion about the air bubbles there's a good glass man who lives off of Cardinal his name is Roy. maybe you could have him stop by and look at it. If you want his number let me know.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:01 pm**

Shoot me that guys number if he doesn't mind and i'll give him a call if i need some help for sure. It'd be cool if it was the guy on the same street lol

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:14 pm**

HI Catfishhunter!
Welcome aboard! Good luck finishing the boat.
I built the same boat, it's a monster.

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:13 pm**

Since you have ab fir it would be best if you cover it with 4 or 6 ounce fiberglass. This will keep it from checking. Good luck on completing your build the XF20 is a great shallow water boat.

Tom

Posted: **Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:41 pm**

TomW1 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:13 pm Since you have ab fir it would be best if you cover it with 4 or 6 ounce fiberglass.
Tom

Not sure where your refering too. BOM calls for 12oz 45/45 biaxle cloth and 12oz biaxle tape... there are 2 layers of 1708 on the outside bottom and one layer on the outside sides... I have the 12 oz 6" tape on its way but i haven't ordered the cloth yet so please elaborate. Also I see it calls for woven tape but see no reference to it on the layup schedule... thought it does say cover hull inside and out with 1708 but it lists 12 oz biaxle on the BOM

BOM:

Fiberglass tape:
biaxial 45/45 12 oz. 6" wide (400 gr/m2, 15 cm wide)
Woven tape : 9 oz. 4" wide (300gr/m2, 10 cm wide)
Fiberglass fabric: biaxial 45/45 12 oz. 50" wide (400 gr/m2, 150 cm wide)

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:26 am**

I mean cover all the frames and stringers and especially any wood exposed to sunlight with fiberglass.

Tom

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:27 am**

yes the plans call for everything to be coated with glass thanks. I plan on using what tape the plans call for plus the 1708.

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 5:21 am**

I used 6" 12 ounce biaxial tape for all of the taping inside my XF-20.
If you are going to wrap the stringers, you'll need to round over the top with a rounding over bit.
Are you are going to put down a sole on my the stringers?
When I built my boat in 2007, there was no other cloth specified besides 1708.
I have some ideas to share after you settle on a layout.

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 6:28 am**

Yo Catfish. I will chime in since I am the one responsible for theXF20.I live in Crystal River. Funny, I was on Cardinal yesterday at Wally world. After the holiday I will swing by and see the Xf. Give you some pointers and will prob. learn some from you. Have a Happy Turkey day and will get in touch next week ..How far down is sorrell from walmart. Is it on North or south side of Cardinal?I can be reached at 3523426619. Ken

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 3:22 pm**

stickystuff wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2017 6:28 am Yo Catfish. I will chime in since I am the one responsible for theXF20.I live in Crystal River. Funny, I was on Cardinal yesterday at Wally world. After the holiday I will swing by and see the Xf. Give you some pointers and will prob. learn some from you. Have a Happy Turkey day and will get in touch next week ..How far down is sorrell from walmart. Is it on North or south side of Cardinal?I can be reached at 3523426619. Ken

Geeze man...how lucky can you get. You've got the xf 20 man only a couple blocks away! Small world.

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 3:38 pm**

From the designer: there are two main versions of the XF20. The light one without a sole uses a lighter fiberglass than the heavy duty version with a sole.
The light version can not take more than 50HP and even that is a lot.
The version with the sole takes larger engines but require more glass.

Look at the drawing for the sole option: it shows the heavier layup.

The light woven cloth is to finish seams around the seats etc. All other seas are made with biaxial.

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:36 pm**

thanks guys. I'm on sorrell right behind the walmart... you can't miss the boat in the yard. Stop by anytime I'm home most afternoons. watch out for the dog she bites lol. any help will be much appreciated...

Sean R. 352 538 8331

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:41 pm**

Aripeka Angler wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2017 5:21 am Are you are going to put down a sole on my the stringers?

yes planning on a sole with front and rear decks... something like 10" gunnels. I'd like to shorten the decks from the current layout in the picture by a foot each way to have more room in the center of the boat. I'm not sure if this is doable or not... if all else fails i plan on decking it at its current layout.

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:55 pm**

Man Catfisherman are you lucky you have ken who was instrumental in the design of the boat and Richard not far away. They will both keep you on line and provide all the help you will need.

Tom

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 5:43 pm**

If you get the chance look over Richard's Red Alert. It is one fine looking boat and has help up really well. I had three days to look it over all I wanted and found no flaws at all. Nobody will get the same chance with something I built

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 5:54 pm**

Fuzz wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2017 5:43 pm If you get the chance look over Richard's Red Alert. It is one fine looking boat and has help up really well. I had three days to look it over all I wanted and found no flaws at all. Nobody will get the same chance with something I built

I tried to look at the post but the pictures arnt showing up for me, is it my computer or????... I'm currently reading through majorgators build and want a similar layout...

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 8:07 pm**

Here are some pictures of my boat "Red Alert"...

Posted: **Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:20 pm**

nice boat! I plan on a very similar layout but intend to run a tiller and hope to shorten each deck by 1 ft to give my parties a little more leg room...

Posted: **Tue Nov 21, 2017 4:07 pm**

CatfishHunter wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:20 pm nice boat! I plan on a very similar layout but intend to run a tiller and hope to shorten each deck by 1 ft to give my parties a little more leg room...

Thank you. I you have any questions ask them here.
I lost a lot of photos in the photobucket debacle, I still have a bunch I can dig up if need be.

Posted: **Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:14 pm**

Cool deal AA I'll ask plenty im sure... do you have a picture of your hull before the sole and decks went in. I'd like to see the framework underneath on your boat...

I made an order Sunday night from the website for some materials to finish up my fillets... It was here when i got home from work today!!! I wasn't expecting it until after turkey day.'m truly impressed on how fast it got here. If it warms up and the rain holds off i might get some more done on the boat this week.

I sanded the entire boat one more time with 60grit to knock the rest of that mildew off and wiped it with a healthy portion of acetone. Should be good to go now...

Posted: **Wed Nov 22, 2017 9:20 pm**

I looked today for a pic before the deck went on, no luck. I have a laptop at my fishing shack in Hudson which might have some photos on it. I'll check when I go over there this weekend. It's been a long time. Hopefully, I can find some pics.

Posted: **Sat Nov 25, 2017 6:57 pm**

I got everything filleted in and cleaned up ready to be tabbed in. If the weather holds out i'll get some of it done tomorrow...

Posted: **Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:56 pm**

We put in a solid afternoon of work today and got the 2 layers of 12oz tape glassed into all the inside seams. I ran out of material before doing the stringers as they called for 3 layers of tape... I'll have to make an order for some more cloth and epoxy this week to knock out the stringers. I also need to sort out the transom knees before i glass anything else in...

Posted: **Sun Dec 03, 2017 1:02 pm**

I spent the weekend fishing with the family but found a little time to work on the boat. I finally got the transom knee's glued and filleted into place. Next step is to tape the knees and stringers into place. One of the knees needs a little fine tuning with the sander as it ended up a little higher then the other.

Posted: **Sun Dec 03, 2017 1:21 pm**

The boat is looking good and nice catch. I see that pompano in there and Get jealous. I know there has got to be some up around where I live, but no one targets them at all. One of these days I‘m going to have to try to catch a few as they are one of my favorites.

Posted: **Sun Dec 03, 2017 1:25 pm**

Browndog wrote: ↑Sun Dec 03, 2017 1:21 pm The boat is looking good and nice catch. I see that pompano in there and Get jealous. I know there has got to be some up around where I live, but no one targets them at all. One of these days I‘m going to have to try to catch a few as they are one of my favorites.

Thanks it was a fun day. He was strictly by catch and a surprise while tossing mirrolures for trout... We catch a few around here but no one really targets them either...

Posted: **Sun Dec 03, 2017 3:24 pm**

Catfishhunter, your XF is looking but but your recent fishing adventure was fantastic!!! Jeff

Posted: **Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:27 pm**

Bad news today for my project. my fiberglass mentor stopped by to check out the outside of the hull and air bubbles under the 1708... His conclusion was the previous owener/builder didn't wet out the plywood nearly enough and ended up with a dry layup... the plywood soaked up most of the resin and the mat stayed dry... Looks like i'll be sanding and peeling off this half ass fiberglass job... the good news is it peels off fairly easy... the bad news is i'll have to recoat the entire outside of the hull... this $350 hull just got alot more expensive.

I put in a order last week for some Marinepoxy and 6" tape to finish the tabbing in. I'm no longer using the Raka epoxy... I'm also questioning on weather or not i should use this 1708 that was included with the boat, as im not sure if it was the right material. I'm going to stick to products from BBC...

Posted: **Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:52 pm**

Catfishhunter, don’t throw out the 1708, just get someone to inspect it to ensure it is good 1708 cloth. It likely is fine and you can use it without incurring additional expense!! Happy to take a look if you want to cut a small area and ship to us or just get some really close-up photos and we can see if the photos are good enough to give you an opinion!! Jeff

Posted: **Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:54 pm**

thanks jeff sent you an email... maybe you cna help me out or i'll send you a sample. It's not enough to finish the boat so im going to have to order more anyways.

Posted: **Thu Dec 07, 2017 8:01 pm**

CatfishHunter, just responded back to your mail. Feel free to call me tomorrow: shop 772.770.1225 or my mobile 772.631.4665!! Happy holidays, Jeff

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 7:32 am**

That hull looked to be built from marine fir , it will soak a lot more epoxy .

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:33 am**

topwater wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2017 7:32 am That hull looked to be built from marine fir , it will soak a lot more epoxy .

you are 100% correct on that it's fir... I'm not sure how he managed to get so many air bubbles as the inside work that i did went on smooth

Here are pics of the 1708, just want to make sure its the stuff compatible with epoxy as i've read not all 1708 is. Thanks again for your help everyone.
Jeff we must be on the same schedule as i just got your email as i'm replying to this thread lol

pics far and near of both sides of the 1708 in question.

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:35 am**

I wonder if the matt used was intended to be used with poly resins?Sure is suspicious that u can peel away the glass.
I remember a post by CL saying that there is no use for 1708 in wooden boats.

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:37 am**

Tungsten wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:35 am I wonder if the matt used was intended to be used with poly resins?Sure is suspicious that u can peel away the glass.
I remember a post by CL saying that there is no use for 1708 in wooden boats.

The plans call for this material... the extra thickness is needed for the xf20... some 1708 has the mat coated with something that disolves in poly and not epoxy... I was also wandering this myself. There however is a 1708 made that is compatible with epoxy and is sold on BBC.

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:53 am**

I wish i could find the thread,there was a conversation regarding the use of 1708 that's meant for epoxy.It was a good read.

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 9:06 am**

Do an advanced search for "1708 epoxy poly". There a lot in there about a '71 aquasport and a privateer 22. I think one of those is the thread you are looking for..

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 9:39 am**

CatfishHunter,

Jeff and I were looking though your pictures and discussing your situation in the shop today. From the photos you show the cloth looks good. Without seeing and touching the cloth in person all I can say is that it is either 1208 or 1708. Either way I believe your buddy that came to look at the glass job was correct, the wood was simply not pre-wet before cloth was applied. Anytime you add cloth to bare wood the wood needs to be pre-wet with epoxy. If you don't pre-wet then the wood (which is porous) it will pull the epoxy from the cloth, leaving the cloth "starved" for epoxy and resulting in dry cloth with air pockets and white/cloudy areas.
Going forward, strip all the bad cloth from the hull. If the hull surface is slick you need to rough it up with some 80 or 60 grit paper. According to Jacques specs you will need 35 yards of 1708 for the hull. When you lay up your new cloth, pre-wet the wood, lay the cloth down (chop side down) and wet out the cloth. You can use a laminating roller to help you get the cloth completely saturated as well as get the air bubbles out. Use a spreader to get the excess epoxy out of the cloth, you don't want to be left with an ice skating rink when you are done.
Sorry you had these issues but it sounds like the old cloth is coming off easily so hopefully that saves you some grinding/sanding time.

-Reid

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 10:22 am**

Thanks Reid. Yeah My plan of attack is to finish the stringers on the inside, then flip the hull and grind it all out and re glass it. Anyone with a spare tyvek suit please mail them to my neighbors as it's going to get dusty...

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 10:24 am**

CatfishHunter, yes we both looked at your cloth and feel it is fine!! I can't remember who said it in a prior forum post but your wood (Marine Fir) is going to soak-up some resin!! The XF20 is a great boat, you will love it when completed!! Jeff

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 10:37 am**

The good thing is that hopefully that fir is now impregnated with resin and won't soak up any more.

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 10:50 am**

cape_fisherman wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2017 10:37 am The good thing is that hopefully that fir is now impregnated with resin and won't soak up any more.

What can happen if the ply isn't wet out good first is that after you turn the lights out on what looks like a great glassing job, the ply continues to suck resin out of the cloth/mat leaving you an unpleasant surprise next morning.

I agree with cape fisherman that the ply hopefully has a full serving of resin by now.

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 11:41 am**

Fir has been used successfully in boat building for a LONG time.
I suspect that there was never enough resin on that 1708, the problem is most likely due a bad layup rather than the thirsty fir substrate. I seriously doubt the last guy had a clue what he was doing and he was probably running low on resin before he ever started the layup.
If I remember correctly, we poured 13 gallons of epoxy on my XF20 when we laminated the outside with two layers of 1708.

Posted: **Fri Dec 08, 2017 11:47 am**

AA, very good update for CatfishHunter!! Jeff

Posted: **Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:30 pm**

I finished up tabbing in the stringers this week. I have to finish up with the transom knees and tunnel then sand everything out and put a layer of 1708 over the inside of the hull. I'll need to order some resin before tackling that job.

Posted: **Fri Dec 15, 2017 3:42 pm**

Nice work CatfishHunter!! The XF20 is one of my favorites!! Happy holidays, Jeff

Posted: **Fri Dec 15, 2017 4:28 pm**

That is first class laminating work.

Posted: **Fri Dec 15, 2017 6:21 pm**

Very Nice Indeed!

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:29 pm**

Building under an open carport has its limitations. Work's come to a halt with this cold weather. The boat has been tarped for the last month. I figure I'd post a link to my youtube channel. I made a few videos of the progression so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB9dpNe ... 76zTmTRbZ0

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2018 7:40 pm**

Catfishhunter, good to hear from you!!! Thanks for checking in!! I will go watch your YouTube later!! Jeff

Posted: **Fri Jan 19, 2018 11:41 am**

Nice videos! Finally someone posted a motion video of their build. I still enjoy the still shot montages that most people put up on youtube but I find this one a lot more informative as to how you're actually doing the build.

Posted: **Wed Feb 07, 2018 4:27 pm**

weather is finally warming up a tad so I put in an order for 4.5 gals of resin and 20 yards of 1708. Planning to knock out the inside of the hull, then start fixing the previous owners mistakes on the outside... Should be getting some work done this weekend.

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2018 8:31 am**

CatfishHunter, Sorry you had issues with our site regarding shipping yesterday!! We are looking at the issue and trying to determine what went wrong for you!! Regardless, your order will ship today!! Thank you and your build is really starting to look good!! Jeff

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:08 pm**

Thanks jeff. I'm not sure what the problem was??? I'll just call to place an order next time. you guys are much easier to deal with then the interweb...

I got the inside of the hull sanded out today. it took me a few hours and some 60 grit. I need to hit a few hi spots with the grinder and I'll clean the rest up tomorrow . I hope to glass this weekend weather permitting. The 2nd pic you can see the 3 layers of biaxle tape i used on the stringer, I over lapped each layer. staggering 1" each time... turned out pretty dang good...

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:42 pm**

That looks pretty dang good to me too! Very clean and precise looking. Gonna be super strong.

Dougster

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:02 pm**

Yes, looks really nice CatfishHunter!! Jeff

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:13 pm**

Love the boat, but that hard spot on the starboard side is gonna be hell to fair out if you don't fix it.

Is there a reason to use such a short piece of ply up front where the bend is? Would it result in a more fair curve to use a full length sheet there & put the short one in the middle or closest to the stern?

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:26 pm**

I'm not sure on the reason for the small piece of ply up front as i bought this hull already started. i'm just going with what i got lol. i'm not fairing much of the inside of the boat as it sits now. it will all be covered by decks later on. The outside of the hull needs to be completely ground down and redone as the previous owner didn't get enough resin on his layup... If your referring to the bend where the front sections of ply meet on the outside... there is a nice sized air pocket under the fibger glass and it's really ugly right there. I hope to fix this when i grind all of the outside down. I plan to glass the inside and put in a few bulkheads and then it should be stable enough to flip and do the bottom over.

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:27 pm**

My latest youtube video...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpR0NG0itrA

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:59 pm**

I took the grinder to the high spots and went over the entire boat again quickly with the sander this morning. Cleaned it out, wiped everything with clean rags and acetone. I started laying down some 1708 working my way from the inside out. working solo this a piece of 1708 this big isnt very user friendly lol... I got about 1/2 the hull glassed in. The bugs buzzing the lights started getting stuck in the epoxy so i gave up for the night, back at it in the am.

Not sure why the pic is sideways...

Posted: **Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:05 am**

after 2 full days working by myself I got the bottom finished. Next the sides and a little on the bow left to do. I still have to figure out my clamping board on the transom then it will get glassed as well. It sure would have been MUCH easier to glass the bottom before the stringers went in. humidity is to high today to glass so I'll give it a break and go fishing.

On another note, while using a squeegee to wet out the 1708 the excess epoxy I was scraping off would get really foamy and hard to work with... any reasons for this?

Posted: **Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:29 am**

Maybe the air from the mat was causing your foam issue.

Posted: **Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:34 am**

that makes sense cape because this 1708 is a pain to wet out!

Posted: **Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:50 am**

You were able to get a lot accomplished, even working alone!! Nice job CatfishHunter!!! Jeff

Posted: **Fri Feb 16, 2018 6:36 pm**

Thanks jeff. yes cape i suspect that was indeed the case. I slowed the plastic scraper down and did longer sweeping passes and ended up with less air in the resin i was moving around. I finished glassing the bottom and sides of the hull today. Bow, transom, and tunnel left to do. Then I can start putting in the bulkheads.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 8:09 pm**

good job!

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 8:27 pm**

Yes CatfishHunter, nice work!!! Jeff

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 6:49 pm**

Thanks fella's. I got the bow knocked out this afternoon. I'm glad to say she's 100% waterproof now with the exception of the transom. I'm still figuring out the clamp board situation. Now it's on to the fun stuff! I've used a little over 10 gallons of resin so far. I still have to flip it over and redo the outside!!!

Posted: **Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:43 am**

Nice clean work Catfish!

Posted: **Sun Mar 25, 2018 8:50 pm**

Late night staring contest with the boat... I'm set on the deck layout. 6' front deck. 4' rear. 8" gunwales. That will leave roughly 10' x 5' open middle section... With the warmer weather I should be able to get some more work done these next couple weekends. I cut out the transom knees and added another piece of plywood to the transom making it 1.5" of ply total instead of adding a hardwood style clamping board.

Thanks everyone for following along so far.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:24 pm**

I was able to get the transom glassed in this week.I ended up adding another 3/8th ply board making the total thickness 1.5" now. I tabbed it in with 12oz biaxle tape then covered it in scrap 1708 material. I also picked up a 75 Mercury 4 stroke to power my boat. Bulkheads and deck framing this weekend, weather permitting.

Posted: **Sat Apr 21, 2018 7:31 am**

I got the front bulkhead tabbed in... 2 more then then onto the deck framing. Check out my build playlist on youtube if you haven't already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TumAdX0 ... 76zTmTRbZ0

Posted: **Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:05 am**

CatfishHunter, your build is making real progress!! Hope you got a great deal on the Mercury!! Jeff

Posted: **Sat Apr 21, 2018 3:01 pm**

Nice going on your build. Nice motor. When your ready for a prop take a look at this one especially if you have a jack plate. http://www.ptprop.com/index.php?page=sh ... &Itemid=46

Tom

Posted: **Sat Apr 21, 2018 6:36 pm**

Thanks tom. Yes i do have a jack plate and am looking for a prop as the motor didn't come with one. I'll check the site out.

I did get a hell of a deal the Merc. A friend and fellow captain donated it to me so I can get the boat on the water. It had been in his shed for a backup and he purchased a new motor and no longer needed it. I'll need to service the carbs and basic stuff from sitting but she's a runner for sure, and should be a great fit on my boat.

Fitting the rear bulkhead this afternoon. had to pull the hull in slightly as it was a bit out of shape. Thinking about glassing it in but we have some rain in the forecast...

Posted: **Sun Apr 22, 2018 10:06 pm**

I got the aft bulkhead tabbed into place. I also got around to pulling the carbs(4) off the Merc and gave them a quick cleaning. They were pretty crusty and will probably need a complete rebuild but I'll see how it runs from here. Back to real work during the week hopefully i'll get some more done next weekend!

Posted: **Mon May 07, 2018 2:23 pm**

Got a little more work done on the xf20 this weekend. Final bulkhead tabbed into place and I got the transom knees tabbed back in. I'm ready to frame the decks and sole now...

Posted: **Tue May 15, 2018 4:28 pm**

Build looks great. What is the height, thickness, and width apart of your stringers? Keep up the work.
Dave

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2018 12:06 pm**

Thanks for stopping in papadave. the stringers were made from 2 layers for 3/8th ply laminated together. They run about 16' and are 5" high. not sure on the width apart i'd have to recheck the layout. but the center two butt up against the tunnel.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2018 1:55 pm**

Boats looking good.

Posted: **Thu May 17, 2018 3:33 pm**

New to Epoxy, these pages have some good reading..

https://bateau2.com/howto/sg101.php

and more to read,

http://bateau2.com/howto-index.php

Looks like a nice boat to build, good luck. Take lots of photo's...

Posted: **Fri May 25, 2018 2:45 pm**

Rub rails going on this weekend... I went with the 1x4" for extra support as i'll be carrying extra passengers more often then not.

Posted: **Fri May 25, 2018 2:52 pm**

CatFishHunter, you are really making good progress now!! Looks great!! Jeff

Posted: **Fri May 25, 2018 7:13 pm**

yes sir its coming along nicely. but one step forward two steps back. I'm almost to the point where I can flip the boat and grind out the rest of the previous owners poor lamination on the outside of the hull...

Posted: **Sat May 26, 2018 7:32 am**

Soon CatFishHunter, very soon!!! Jeff

Posted: **Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:12 am**

I got a little work done on the boat this week... I glassed in some gunnel supports/ribs to the side of the boat. This will give me a place to attach the inside gunnel board and a place for the decking to sit...(sorry for lack of proper boating terms lol) I might ad two more to each side just to give me a proper curve. The boards were 6" so that gives me about an 8" gunnel after everything is glassed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcW8N0gvU7I

Posted: **Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:05 pm**

Looking good! You are going to love fairing!!!

Do you guide out of Crystal River area? Some bad ass fishing and oyster bars there!

Keep posting...

Bob

Posted: **Sun Jun 10, 2018 11:15 pm**

Nice video!

Posted: **Mon Jun 11, 2018 6:48 am**

I'll be using the boat mostly out of Chassahowitzka and ozello a few miles south of crystal river. oysters bars and rocks are even worse here then in CR lol.

Posted: **Sun Aug 26, 2018 7:29 pm**

I havn't posted an update in a while but with this hot rainy summer we've been having here in central FL I haven't got alot accomplished. I ordered some tropical slow hardener to try and get a little done. Since the last update gunnel supports or "ribs" were glassed in, and I started laminating and framing the bulkheads. Next will be gunnel boards and framing for the decks and sole.

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 7:23 am**

CatfishHunter,

You are making good progress. Loved your short video. I see you decided to add additional gunnel supports since the video or were they planned all along. Not fun working outside is it. I feel for you. Good way to lose weight as I sweat buckets just doing anything outside this time of year. Keep up the good work.

Regards
Tom in Steinhatchee

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 7:34 am**

CatfishHunter, agree with Tom, good progress!! And yes, this has been one hot summer here in Florida!!! Jeff

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:27 am**

thanks guys. I added additional ribs to help the inside gunnel board keep to the contour curve of the boat a little easier. Nothing I'm doing on the inside is planned really. Just making things up as i go

I upload a little video every time i do a little work. I have about 20 or so videos of the build so far if you check out my channel "Seven Cabbage Fishing" on youtube. I have enough materials to finish the inside for the most part. More work to come if the weather holds out.

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:07 am**

CatfishHunter,

Yeah I kind of do the same thing as I go along. Design on the fly. You are doing really nice with your glass work. When are you planning to flip it and redo the bottom? The ladder system worked good for me in flipping my FS17. Do you have access to a tractor with forks up front? It looked like someone on your street had a tractor when I searched on google maps.

Regards
Tom

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:41 am**

I have several fishing guide buddies that all build boats. I'll buy a case of beer and have them over for a boat flipping party. we've flipped much larger boats then this that weighed 2500lbs. This little thing shouldn't be to bad. Here's the last one we flipped 25ft long 8.5ft wide. and another of a 23' sitting in my yard that needs new frames and floor boards.

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:57 am**

Loved the video of the Chassawhisky, and seven cabbages is indeed a great place name for a guide service. 30 years ago I got my first trip there with a coworker that knew Pete Walker who had a place out towards the mouth, and over a period of about ten years got to know the locals and the waters. That's the river that has big limestone rocks that move every night! Went through 3 aluminum props on a 5 day trip there with a 20' Sport Craft, and almost took the lower unit off a 40hp Johnson on a little Carolina Skiff. First time to seven cabbages the redfish were on fire and we boated over 2 dozen easily.

The XF20 is a perfect boat for there and Homassassa (actually all the way down to Hudson and up to the bend). Keep posting the videos!

Boat is looking great!

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:03 pm**

Chass is definitely a hidden gem. MY grandad and his two brothers were guides here. Walter, johnny, and Cricket. Johnny just hit 80 years old and still fishes the river in his 30 year old wood boat. You might have ran into one of them at some point. I love fishing north from the river into the 7 cabbage area! thanks everyone for the kind words and help along the way.

Posted: **Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:53 pm**

I knew all three of them, and drooled over the boats they used. They would make a point of always stopping by Pete's and/or Mickey's on their way by, even when they had a load of clients. We were there when a pilot crashed his plane in a few feet of water just offshore, and I believe it was Cricket in his wooden skiff that took the fire and rescue guys out to assess the crash site. Great guys and they always had a boat full of fish on the way home. I just may have to swing a day off and see what's biting...

This was two years ago with my Washington State friend (he's 6'6")... have never found a place with better sheephead fishing...

Posted: **Mon Sep 03, 2018 7:37 pm**

Chipped away at some light work in between the rain this weekend...

Posted: **Sat Sep 29, 2018 11:21 pm**

Spent a few hours tonight sanding and getting the gunnel supports fine tuned and ready for the inside boards. I got some nice oak 1x4's for the inside. Tomorrow i'll shop vac everything , wipe with acetone and install the inside gunnel boards and the rest of the deck framing...

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:14 am**

Just a heads up on the oak. From what I've researched red oak should not be used in boats. Hopefully others will chime in.

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:22 am**

White oak is what boat builders use . Red oak because of the grain structure soaks up a ton of water .
If you cover it with glass and epoxy i guess it would be alright but why take a chance when there are
better options out there .

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:36 am**

Sealing with epoxy and protecting the surface with glass changes the equation on what wood you can use. Problem with oak is the weight, but on a boat like this that isn't as big a concern.

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:40 am**

That is a nice clear piece of oak board you have there. Remind me where are you going to use it.

Regards
Tom

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 6:47 am**

Never mind my stupid question. I see you are going to use the oak for the inside gunnel vertical pieces. What are you using for the horizontal sections of the gunnels. I used cypress planed down to about 3/8 inch thick for the vertical pieces. !/4 Meranti ply for the top caps and then wrap it all with cloth and epoxy.

Regards
Tom in Steinhatchee

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 8:17 am**

Plenty of boats frames are made from oak, in this case the oak will be the inside horizontal board that the gunnel cap will rest on... i used cheap knotted up fir for the outside rubrail and had an issue with it cracking when making the curve, I didnt want to use plywood as i've done enough laminating already lol. Everything will be coated and sealed so it shouldn't be an issue. as for weight its only two 10 ft sections and will be wrapped underneath the gunnel about as far from any water as it can get. The "Devil" oak boards are cut and into place... still need a little coaxing to get in there perfect.

There should be more positive reinforcement on this forum instead of "you should have done it this way"...

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 8:59 am**

I just thought you would want to look into the issue with red oak. I thought I was being positive.
I'll comment no further on your build.

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 9:08 am**

Catfishhunter,

I love your build. Keep it up, you are doing a super job.

regards
Tom

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 9:18 am**

Eric I didn't mean it like that but in a perfect world I would have built it out of mahogany and sailed around the world. sometimes we're limited to what we have around us and in my case a very limited budget. I've exhausted my savings and its been a year of building. at this point I just want to finish this boat and get it on the water so it can start making money.

I have a 20 year old lumberyard skiff in the yard that still floats and makes money. its made from pine decking boards and bc plywoood. If i get that long from the xf20 I'll be more then happy. no hard feelings as i didnt mean it that way. Thanks everyone for checking out the build.

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 10:05 am**

Catfish, not all oak is the same. Like ply. To Eric’s point, white oak is what you’ll find in nearly all applications where water saturation is to be avoided (casks, boats, tanks, etc). As noted you can overcome that by dealing with epoxy and glass. This is about safety more than “the right way”. Saturated wood is weaker as the celluloid fibers become flexible (think steam bending). It will also tend to rot from the inside. Which means you’ll find out there’s a problem when it fails. Catastrophically.

While I do understand you comment about “positive” I’m not sure we should push away safety concerns.

I think red oak would be fine, and look great as bright work, if you are sure to fully encapsulate with epoxy. Pay special attention to any and all end grain. Sand back any notches to allow for a good epoxy coat to remain post sanding. And make sure you use a UV clear coat or colored paint and you’re good to go.

Make sure you get some pics. We all like pics.

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:03 pm**

CatfishHunter,

I understand trying to build something on a limited budget. My boat building is all financed off my hobby of fixing chainsaws and sawing logs on my woodmizer. The income from this is sporatic.

Anyway I wanted to offer you some assistance in the form of some marine wire which will be surplus to my needs right now. When you get ready to start the wiring contact me. We are less than 2 hours apart. I also have a cable steering set up which has no home.

Regards
Tom in Steinhatchee

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:06 pm**

CatfishHunter,

Almost forgot the 32 gallon moeller fuel tank which is kind of big for the xf20 but it is a low profile model which would probably sit between the stringers. See picture in items for sale listing.

Regards
Tom in Steinhatchee

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 12:49 pm**

Thanks THB will take a look and be in contact for sure. Between the boat build and the $1500 for my captains license course/applications process last year, I'm on a ramen noodle budget lol. I've been looking for a fuel tank, as that is hindering my deck/hatch layout plans. not sure if i want to put it up front, between the 2nd bulkheads or under the rear deck.

Both inside gunnel boards are cut and fit. i'll glass them in after lunch...

Posted: **Sun Sep 30, 2018 2:49 pm**

CatfishHunter wrote: ↑Sun Sep 30, 2018 9:18 am Eric I didn't mean it like that but in a perfect world I would have built it out of mahogany and sailed around the world. sometimes we're limited to what we have around us and in my case a very limited budget. I've exhausted my savings and its been a year of building. at this point I just want to finish this boat and get it on the water so it can start making money.

I have a 20 year old lumberyard skiff in the yard that still floats and makes money. its made from pine decking boards and bc plywoood. If i get that long from the xf20 I'll be more then happy. no hard feelings as i didnt mean it that way. Thanks everyone for checking out the build.

No worries, Inflection is easily lost in written word. Build on and thank you for clarifying.

Posted: **Fri Oct 19, 2018 8:25 am**

CatfishHunter,

How is it going with your XF20 build. Have not seen any updates in several weeks.

Regards
Tom in Steinhatchee

Posted: **Fri Oct 19, 2018 7:19 pm**

I've been chipping away at it... I cut the deck and gunnel caps out of the remainder of the 3/8th fir plywood i had and dry fit everything. Continued with some frame work but i'm sort of at a stand still until i purchase my hatches and fuel tank. I plan to glass the bottom of the panels this weekend if i get a chance. tons of sanding and cleanup that isn't that glamorous.

Posted: **Fri Oct 19, 2018 7:46 pm**

Nice progress CatfishHunter!! Good to hear from you!! Jeff

Posted: **Sat Oct 20, 2018 7:02 am**

It is looking real good. I see all the wood for the floor support. Floor going on pretty soon?

P/S, if you need some floatation foam I have some extra you are welcome to. Some came with the FS17 when I bought it 3+ years ago. I also have a windshield which came with the boat which I am not going to use as It is too wide for my console.

Regards
Tom

Posted: **Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:20 am**

thanks Tom. I'm staying away from any foam on this project, and will probably set it up for a tiller motor to stat with. I'm trying to stay with the open area to fish 2-3 guys plus me. A large console wont work, if i do go with a console it will be a very small one on the rear deck with a leaning post.

I'm going to hold off on the floor for now as im going to use 1/2" marine fir instead of the 3/8ths that i have been using so far.

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:16 pm**

I managed to get the bottom side of the gunnel caps laminated and attached to the boat. once the epoxy cures I'll router around everything and clean up the edges. Things have been going a little slow because of the terrible amine blush i've been getting with the "tropical slow" hardener. I'll be sticking with the "Slow" hardener on my next orders as i had little to no blush with it.

I'm running out of material and need to make another order soon anyways...

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2018 5:45 pm**

CatfishHunter,

Looks real good. I like the wide gunnels. You could keep it real simple and not put a sole on it. One of the original XF20's in the picture gallery had no sole with 25 hp Johnson. I would be tempted to use 1/4 on the sole with layer of 17-08 on top for strength.

Regards
Tom

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:05 pm**

The rest of the boat is 3/8th. I originally planned on using it on the sole but i dont want any flex as it will be carrying multiple people on guide trips. I'm going to use 1/2" with a layer of 1708 on top and only resin coat the bottom. The rest of the decks get laminated on both sides with lighter cloth. Though i am tempted to put it on the water with a kicker motor and see how she does .

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:09 pm**

You are making great progress. Nice looking work!

Posted: **Mon Oct 22, 2018 9:32 pm**

Have you thought about using nidacore for the sole? If you went 3/4 core and one layer of 1708 each side it should be a nice deck.

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:18 am**

CatfishHunter,

My boat building buddy in Perry has a 4x8 sheets of 3/4 inch core he calls green board or something like that. He has it for around 70 a sheet. Would make the XF20 a lot lighter to use it for the sole with 17 oz biax on both sides. I have been thinking of using it to build the GF16. I will go up there in the next day or so and I will get the proper name for the stuff and see how much he has on hand.

Regards
Tom

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2018 7:44 am**

Tom/ CatFishHunter, just be careful in reviewing the foam. We had a call yesterday where a builder thought he was using either CoreCell or DivinyCell and it appears what he had really purchased was some kind of insulation board from Home Depot/Lowes!! He was not able to get the fiberglass cloth to adhere and as a result we received the call!! I know you both are quite experienced but just wanted to throw that warning out there!! Jeff

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2018 8:51 am**

The only thing I buy from Homo depot is alcohol cans and some tools. Only an idiot would try to use their foam.

Regards
Tom

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:03 pm**

I'm not worried about the weight really and nidacore and similar products are very pricey. I can get some 1/2" marine fir for less than $60 a sheet. a 1/2" sheet resin coated on the bottom and 1708 on top wont be much heavier then 3/8th with 6 oz on both sides.I only need about 3 sheets for the sole. Thanks for all the input guys

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2018 1:58 pm**

Where do you find 1/2 inch marine fir?

Regards
Tom

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:59 pm**

Triton lumber here in homosassa usually has everything i need. all the 3/8ths for this boat came from there.

Posted: **Tue Oct 23, 2018 6:19 pm**

I like buying my plywood for the boat at my local lumber yard. The price is just to good for Hydrotek Meranti.

Posted: **Fri Nov 09, 2018 5:47 pm**

I haven't got a whole lot done on the xf20. I threw my back out trying to move the trailer around the yard by myself. I did purchase an old rotted out microdraft hull for $100 and salvaged all the hatches, pumps, cleats, battery boxes, trolling motor mount, and hardware for my build. anything to save a little $$$. I've been messing around with the deck hatch layout, once i figured it out i'll cut some holes in the deck and finish the framing.

Posted: **Sat Nov 10, 2018 6:29 am**

Good deal to get all those hatches and other stuff off the donor vessel. Hatches alone are at least 70 a piece up to 90. Too bad the microdraft rotted out but that is what happens with other building methods. I have 9 hatches on my FS17 and the costs add up pretty darn quick. Great savings on salvaging all that other hardware. Get well with your back strain. I have been there.

Regards
Tom in Steinhatchee

Posted: **Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:09 am**

Man that was a a smart move getting that donor boat!

Posted: **Sat Nov 10, 2018 8:24 am**

Nice find CatfishHunter!!! Jeff

Posted: **Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:47 am**

Looking GREAT Catfish.
I'm getting my build back this Thursday all wired up, motor and jack plate dry fitted. I will post some pics and get back on fiber glassing top deck.
Oh Joy! Fiber Glassing.

Posted: **Wed Nov 14, 2018 5:56 pm**

nice, atleast the weather is cooperating. Looking forward to your update. I took the week off from work due to this back strain. I got the microdraft gutted of all the goodies. I need to sit down and commit to ordering a fuel tank and then I can move forward with the build.

Posted: **Mon Mar 11, 2019 8:56 pm**

It's been a while since i've updated this thing. Not alot of fun in grinding 80% of the bottom off an xf20 off and re glassing it... The overlapping sections of mat on the corners of the boat that the previous owner put on the outside were delaminating, so I ground them back to the bare wood removing all the old glass and fastco steelflex. I had 40+ hours in sanding/grinding to get all that mess off. I re glassed the seams with 3 layers of 12 oz bi axle tape. The bottom, transom, and sides got wrapped with 1708. Luckily the middle section of glass was good. After doing my best to get things smooth I did one quick coat of fairing mix and got most of the low spots.

Graphite went on next, She turned out pretty good. I could have faired the bottom some more but at this point in redoing the bottom a year into the build im over sanding and grinding and i'm sure my neighbors are too...

Posted: **Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:12 pm**

Grinding all the glass off that thing had to suck

But it is looking much better now

Congratulations for getting this far.

Posted: **Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:23 pm**

Great job... and welcome back to building her!

Posted: **Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:01 pm**

Keep on keeping on Catfish! You’ll be cruising the shallow Chaz soon!

Posted: **Thu Mar 14, 2019 7:34 am**

Nice work CatFish!! Jeff

Posted: **Mon Mar 18, 2019 8:52 am**

We got the boat sanded, cleaned, and Silver Tip Yacht Primer on this weekend. I'm going to flip the boat and finish the inside at this point and paint it once all the glass work is done.

Posted: **Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:25 am**

Looks good!

Posted: **Mon Mar 18, 2019 1:33 pm**

Nice work CatfishHunter!! Jeff

Posted: **Sun Apr 28, 2019 12:57 pm**

Still chipping away at the build. we got it flipped last month and i've been trying to wrap up some of the small stuff so I can get the decks and sole on... The Moeller fuel tank came in. I had trouble finding one with enough clearance as to where I wanted to mount it(above the tunnel all the way forward against the rear bulkhead, not back at the transom like in the pic). I built a fish box / live well for the front out of foam insulation board. Taped the corners with 10 oz biaxle and then covered in 1708. It turned out pretty decent for what I had into it lol... Next will be some minor glass work under the front and rear decks and then priming them.

Posted: **Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:03 am**

Did you glass the outside of the well?

I recommend it.

I made something similar and the foam has no shear strength, so if it bends out a few times; it will delam.

I figure if mine delams, I will inject it!

Posted: **Tue Apr 30, 2019 6:12 am**

yeah the box is taped on all corners inside and out and then coated in 1708 inside and out. i plan to build a frame around the top to keep the water in and use as a mounting surface as well. she's solid as a rock.

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 6:01 pm**

I've been getting some small stuff done when I can. Rear storage area primed. Rear hatch frames situated and ready to glass in. The finish line is getting close.

I guess it's time to drill some drain holes and limber holes in my boat... all that work to drill holes in her lol

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 7:46 pm**

Looking good!

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 8:02 pm**

I like the way your live well turned out and the boat really is coming together. What size tank did you wind up getting in the area you wanted? Looks like it was make for the space!

Posted: **Wed May 15, 2019 12:12 am**

CatfishHunter wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 6:01 pm I've been getting some small stuff done when I can. Rear storage area primed. Rear hatch frames situated and ready to glass in. The finish line is getting close. I guess it's time to drill some drain holes and limber holes in my boat... all that work to drill holes in her lol

I say drill her when you can!

No wonder we don't have women boat builders.

Posted: **Wed May 15, 2019 8:43 am**

Nice progress CatfishHunter!!! Jeff

Posted: **Wed May 15, 2019 12:11 pm**

OrangeQuest wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 8:02 pm I like the way your live well turned out and the boat really is coming together. What size tank did you wind up getting in the area you wanted? Looks like it was make for the space!

I settled on a 12 gallon tank only because of space constraints. The larger ones were either to tall or to wide... During scallop season I can always tuck a small kicker can out of the way if i need too.

fallguy1000 wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 12:12 am

I say drill her when you can!

Yes good idea, I'll take what i can get these days.

Posted: **Sun May 19, 2019 2:06 pm**

I cut a few holes in the boat, rear deck hatches are in place.

Next I'm moving up to the front deck to finish the fish box section.

Posted: **Sun May 19, 2019 2:41 pm**

Man that is really looking good! With all that wood shiny like that you going to be doing some sanding to get anything to stick to it! Are you going to cover with cloth or straight to paint on the decks?

Posted: **Sun May 19, 2019 4:05 pm**

i resin coated the rear deck a while back to keep the weather off it because its been under the carport for so long. I'll sand it back and cover in cloth once i get everything below deck sorted out. The deck and hatches are on there for a temporary fit. i still have wiring and pumps to hook up before i glue any decks down.

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 2:46 pm**

My water tight hatches leak like a sieve. Make sure all your lockers have drainage. I didn't, huge mistake.

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 3:23 pm**

a beer can can pass through my scupper holes lol, Good looking out though.

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 6:47 pm**

What are you saying? If you drop your beer it could get sucked out to sea?

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 7:55 pm**

OrangeQuest wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2019 6:47 pm What are you saying? If you drop your beer it could get sucked out to sea?

If you drop your beer you get tossed out of any boat I’m on. So beer getting sucked out to sea could be an advantage.

Posted: **Thu May 23, 2019 9:33 am**

I just planned for a wet ride. all of my hatches and under deck storage have drainage to the main bilge(pump on each side of the tunnel). sole will be drained out each side at deck level. all of the under deck drain holes/scuppers are big enough for that empty beer can to pass through lol. You never know where those things might end up.

Posted: **Tue May 28, 2019 8:06 am**

I got a little more done to the front deck storage areas. lots of sanding, got it primed and most of the framing done. I'll have to plumb and mount the fish box before i can finish the rest of the framing. Cutting holes in the front deck for the hatches next.

Posted: **Tue May 28, 2019 9:01 am**

That looks strong enough for a few big guys to fish off of!
Nice work.

Posted: **Tue May 28, 2019 10:59 am**

Nice progress!! Jeff

Posted: **Tue May 28, 2019 11:03 am**

Plan to be doing mostly what you’re doing. I like it!

Posted: **Thu May 30, 2019 6:34 pm**

I had a little time today so I wrapped up the top of the transom. I was torn between using a round over bit on the router or gluing some quarter round trim to the top and glassing over it. I settled on the the molding. I glued two pieces of 3/4" 1/4 round trim together with thickened epoxy then glued it to the top of the transom.it had a slight curve and was tricky to clamp down, but both were exactly the same width and didn't need much fairing to get the 12 oz tape to lay over the top smoothly. ive never done it like this but seems like it will work lol

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 3:41 am**

Seen quite a few times where guys end up unhappy theu didn't glass the transom cap. Sun cooks it open, water gets in and rots the top edge of the ply.

My advice is glass it.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 5:31 am**

The quarter round seems to be a good way to cap the end grain of the plywood and then get the fiberglass to follow the edge. Any damage gets past the fiberglass then you still have the 1/4 round to still add protection. Nice!

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 5:59 am**

Ya that 12 oz bi x can be a pain to work with ... I'm going to be using 3.5 oz woven cloth over the transom. No need for bi x tape here.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 7:37 am**

fallguy1000 wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2019 3:41 am Seen quite a few times where guys end up unhappy theu didn't glass the transom cap. Sun cooks it open, water gets in and rots the top edge of the ply.

My advice is glass it.

yeah i was concerned that routing the top edge over would open the plywood up in the transom. atleast with the molding i have a sacrificial board on top and everything is sealed.

12 oz biaxle is a breeze to work with when you've been using 1708 most of the build lol i would have used lighter tape but its what i had.

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 7:38 am**

Nice progress CatFish!!!! Jeff

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:55 pm**

I got the fish box installed and plumbed, all the thru holes for the drain and both bilges were drilled and filled and mounted. I borrowed my buddies flaring tool and installed the brass transom drain tubes. Front deck hatches cut and fit.I also decided to cut the bow transom curve flush with the deck. i kind of regret doing as it lost some of its style up front

, but it should make mounting the trolling motor and finishing the deck much easier. I'm slowly wrapping a bunch of the small stuff up.

I'm no longer concerned with the decks flexing as the plywood and frame setup have zero flex like it is. It should be plenty strong once laminated and glassed to the hull. Next I'll plumb and mount the bilge pumps and install the fuel fill , vent, and hoses.

Posted: **Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:24 pm**

After much contemplation and having a larger man call me to book a fishing trip I decided to laminate the undersides of the decks with 10oz cloth before gluing them down...

These afternoon rains make it hard to get anything done, but slowly chipping away at it.

Posted: **Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:30 pm**

A larger man...too funny.

Posted: **Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:34 pm**

cape man wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:30 pm A larger man...too funny.

We'll leave it at that as there might be a few of these larger men lurking about lol. I just don't want a new client to step on my boat for the first time and feel the deck flex.

Posted: **Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:19 pm**

One more piece to the puzzle, got my jackplate in. Bob's hydro jacker all in one with a 6" setback. Decks are ready to be glued down and glassed but we've had 30+ straight days of rain. Not so great for building boats under a carport.

Posted: **Wed Aug 14, 2019 3:59 am**

Everything looks like it is coming together nicely.

We are having a very dry spell here in Houston. Humidity is very high with a sprinkle here and there but for the most part no rain.

Posted: **Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:55 am**

CatfishHunter, yes, way too much heat and rain down here as well!!! Nice progress, Jeff

Posted: **Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:12 pm**

The rain and heat finally let up enough to get some work done. Both front and rear deck are glued down. The front deck got glass yesterday, I ended up using the remainder of my 1708 on the bow section I also tabbed everything in with 2 layers of 120z tape. A little overkill but she's built like a tank. Hopefully I can knock out laminating the rear deck this weekend...

Posted: **Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:56 pm**

Wow! That is looking good!! I have not been on here for some time. You have come a long way.

Posted: **Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:19 am**

Nice work CatfishHunter!!! Jeff

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