GF14 - The Conch Fritter
Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:54 pm
Well the Conch Fritter was finally splashed this September after numerous delays. Namely, a wife, a baby, house renovations, a new job promotion, another baby, quitting said job, selling a house, moving across the country, buying a new house, more house renovations, starting a new business, weather delays, and a few vacations thrown in there. Honestly, I didn't even work on it for a year and a half straight, but I am very glad that I packed it up in a moving pod after fairing and was able to "finish" it this summer. I am very proud of it and look forward to many fishing outings with my kids and friends.
Another reason why I think I took so long on the build is that I did want to do a fair amount of customizations. I spent a lot of time overthinking, pondering, researching, and daydreaming about what I wanted to add or account for on the boat. Combine that with a lot of staring, questioning, and overall learning curve of being my first build it just added more time to the build. However, all that adds to part of the fun. It may all be a blessing in disguise because I moved from a saltwater environment (Charleston, SC) to a freshwater environment (Minneapolis, MN) so at least I don't have to worry about as much corrosion or any oyster bars.
Some of the customizations and notes about the build are here...
Fabricated the rubrail to wrap all the way around the bow.
Fore, Aft, and Middle hatches.
Limber holes throughout.
Chase tubes along sides for future wiring/accessories.
Added a Taco Marine flexible vinyl rubrail. This was definitely worth the $240, because of the protection it provides when loading/launching at the boat ramp/dock.
Oarlock mounts.
Foam added throughout.
1" transom drain.
Beer/rod holders.
Aluminum transom plate.
Had to build up transom to fit motor correctly.
Restored a 1970's trailer.
Custom vinyl logo/name.
Some of the technical specs...
The hull weighs just about 300lbs.
Suzuki 15HP long shaft.
Meranti plywood.
System 3 Silvertip Epoxy.
3-4 coats System 3 Yacht Primer.
6 coats Pettit EZPoxy Hatteras Cream paint with Performance Enhancer on outside of hull. 6 coats EZPoxy White with Performance Enhancer on the inside. The outside was rolled and tipped. The inside I just rolled. If I were to do it again I would probably just roll and not tip the outside. I feel like the slightly smoother finish by tipping wasn't worth the extra time or tedious effort. I was very happy on how the inside turned out without tipping. I was able to purchase all my paint and performance enhancer for 95% off. Originally I wanted to use a different outside color but my local Gander Mtn/Overtons was going out of business. I had planned to used EZPoxy before even knowing that Gander offered it for sale. So when entered the store for the first time to check out a clearance sale for boots, I saw that all their marine supplies were on super clearance. They had Hatteras Cream, White, and Fire Red left for colors. I always wanted the White for the inside, and the Hatteras Cream was an easy compromise. So instead of about $44 per quart I got them for a few bucks. I bought up all the white, cream, and performance enhancer that they had left.
I'll look to add a bow mount trolling motor (will need to create a custom mount), and replace the trailer hubs this winter/spring.
Thanks for looking!
Some of the customizations and notes about the build are here...
Fabricated the rubrail to wrap all the way around the bow.
Fore, Aft, and Middle hatches.
Limber holes throughout.
Chase tubes along sides for future wiring/accessories.
Added a Taco Marine flexible vinyl rubrail. This was definitely worth the $240, because of the protection it provides when loading/launching at the boat ramp/dock.
Oarlock mounts.
Foam added throughout.
1" transom drain.
Beer/rod holders.
Aluminum transom plate.
Had to build up transom to fit motor correctly.
Restored a 1970's trailer.
Custom vinyl logo/name.
Some of the technical specs...
The hull weighs just about 300lbs.
Suzuki 15HP long shaft.
Meranti plywood.
System 3 Silvertip Epoxy.
3-4 coats System 3 Yacht Primer.
6 coats Pettit EZPoxy Hatteras Cream paint with Performance Enhancer on outside of hull. 6 coats EZPoxy White with Performance Enhancer on the inside. The outside was rolled and tipped. The inside I just rolled. If I were to do it again I would probably just roll and not tip the outside. I feel like the slightly smoother finish by tipping wasn't worth the extra time or tedious effort. I was very happy on how the inside turned out without tipping. I was able to purchase all my paint and performance enhancer for 95% off. Originally I wanted to use a different outside color but my local Gander Mtn/Overtons was going out of business. I had planned to used EZPoxy before even knowing that Gander offered it for sale. So when entered the store for the first time to check out a clearance sale for boots, I saw that all their marine supplies were on super clearance. They had Hatteras Cream, White, and Fire Red left for colors. I always wanted the White for the inside, and the Hatteras Cream was an easy compromise. So instead of about $44 per quart I got them for a few bucks. I bought up all the white, cream, and performance enhancer that they had left.
I'll look to add a bow mount trolling motor (will need to create a custom mount), and replace the trailer hubs this winter/spring.