# 15' ShiPoke



## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

Couple of teaser pics:



















OK, mister "google master".  Tell me what you can find on this and I'll tell what I found out.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

I know that they are few and far between.
Prized collectors Items. Simple durable Willy Roberts design.
Original was a wood hull, Fred Archibald flipped the hull and had a mold popped off of it.
Much forums talk, forum member roto77777 has more knowledge than I do.

The rest will have to come from you Captain, you have the boat, tell the story.


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

Not sure if your just being nice letting me think my google skills don't suck so bad or you hit the same brick wall I did. 

Here is what I could find out but not 100% sure of the accuracy.  This what I believe to be true at this time.

Willy Roberts built 10 Slo Pokes, all wood, which are very rare.  I have seen only one.

Fred Archibald convinced Willy to let him pull a mold and build them glass over wood, number built still unknown.

This particular hull appears to be the one that was built by Fred Archibald's for his nephew from a hull that was laying around but no production top cap was available.  That would explain why the front deck is flat and does not share the classic dome look found on the original Slo Poke's.  I'm also told that Fred built his nephew's boat with plastic hatches, found on this boat, and that Fred's nephew's hull was blue. This one was blue before it was repainted by the previous owner. The boat was retitled in 1999 as a "15' Shipoke", consistent with Archibald hulls (see thread on "Shipoke" http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1236654381).  I have been led to believe that this hull was used as the plug to develop the current "SloPoke" molds which might explain the 1999 retitle.

I'm kind of letting the dust settle before I start to clean her up / restore her.  I have decided that even though I'm not a fan of blue, she will have her original hull color when restored.

I'm trying to complete some other projects but my intent on this thread will be to start a discussion for the restoration.  Any shared information/ knowledge on these boats would be greatly appreciated.


CR/TSS


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

Ron,

If that boat used to be Royal Blue, I have a lot of info on it including the guys name who bought it from Archibald's nephew. Call me at 863-581-0072 for more info.

Thanks,
Bob


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> Ron,
> 
> If that boat used to be Royal Blue, I have a lot of info on it including the guys name who bought it from Archibald's nephew.  Call me at 863-581-0072 for more info.
> 
> ...



I'll accept your offer but would also appreciate anything you would be willing to share here whenever you have the time. That goes for any of the boats listed in this section. 

Thanks SD,
Ron


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

It's time:










Tonight we'll start the demo.

She's going to be a little old, a little new but it looks like she'll end up blue.

The goal is to keep her as original as practical but with a decks from modern materials to reduce weight and a more suitable layout. The transom will be raised for a 20" shaft motor. We want to retain the old school look but add our own touch. Advanced Fiberglass will be doing all the glass, gelcoat and paint work in cooperation with The Skiff Shop.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

shill... 

Please photo and document as much as possible. Yea, I'm sure you will. 

Cheers


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2009)

> shill...
> 
> Please photo and document as much as possible. Yea, I'm sure you will.
> 
> Cheers


I had been putting this project off because I knew it was going to be labor intensive. When Advanced Fiberglass showed the same enthusiasm for the project I did, I knew it was time. 

I only took 150 pics today.  Since I took duplicates of everything I should end up with 50 to 70 after I cull and before the tear down. I'll take a bunch more tomorrow after the surface hardware has been removed and before we cut her apart.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWnmCu3U09w[/media]

Just figured you needed an opening theme for this project,

and it was too quiet up here in the peanut galley....


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

Nice, Ron. Is that Capt. Pat Murphy's old boat?


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## backwaterbandits (Dec 15, 2006)

Can't wait to see the progress on the resto...
Maybe you'll keep this one a while  !
I'm thinking you'll make a great pair of "Classics". 
Oh, and what's wrong with blue!?! :-?


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> Nice, Ron.  Is that Capt. Pat Murphy's old boat?


Yes.


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> Can't wait to see the progress on the resto...
> Maybe you'll keep this one a while   !
> I'm thinking you'll make a great pair of "Classics".
> Oh, and what's wrong with blue!?!  :-?


Nothing, as long as it's on someone elses boat.  I didn't like sea foam green till I had about three of them in a row. ;D ;D ;D ;D

I appears the original color was a royal blue. No way would I want a hull that dark. Thinking along the lines of Ice Blue.


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

Last nights work:


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## backwaterbandits (Dec 15, 2006)

Looking good! 
A good start, best of luck with her.


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

Got a little more done last night.

"Here, hold my bheer and watch this.   ;D ;D ;D



















Learned that she's in fact a glass hull (not glass over wood as originally thought. Plan is to save the transom (wood) since it appears to be in almost perfect condition and replace all the wood (glass over) decks with core to lighten her up a bit.

The wood in this 30 year old boat is in almost perfect condition.


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## aaronshore (Aug 24, 2007)

> The wood in this 30 year old boat is in almost perfect condition.


The wood in this 30 yr old is perfect too ;D


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Watch for an old coin during the demolition,
some of the old boat builders left a coin built into the hull for luck.

http://intheboatshed.net/2009/03/19/gadfly-ii-coin-evidence-could-make-her-much-older-than-originally-thought/


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> Watch for an old coin during the demolition,
> some of the old boat builders left a coin built into the hull for luck.
> 
> http://intheboatshed.net/2009/03/19/gadfly-ii-coin-evidence-could-make-her-much-older-than-originally-thought/


Thanks for the heads up. Forgot about that one. While it appears we are moving out, the demo isn't really that bad and goes pretty quick. If he did leave a coin, it will probably show when we start sanding. 

The Finish Master rep is here now with my new sanding toys.  He'll be consulting for the exterior paint for the chines up. The bottom will be white gelcoat. Interior finish product is TBD.


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## element (Dec 25, 2008)

Ron Good luck with your new project. Anxious to see it when you are finished. George


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## flaco (Feb 14, 2007)

"Watch for an old coin during the demolition,
some of the old boat builders left a coin built into the hull for luck."

Whoever built my house left a few busch beer cans in the studs in my kitchen. 
Not sure if it's good luck, but probably explains why the room's not square  [smiley=toast.gif]


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## Redfly (Nov 14, 2007)

any updates?


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## aaronshore (Aug 24, 2007)

> any updates?


As a matter of fact yes. Ron fired everyone and is still old and fat. Wait, thats not new news. No, no new updates.......... ;D


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> any updates?


The boat has been gutted and the transom raised to 22-1/2. A new composite forward bulkhead is tabbed in. You guys can have your "no wood, no rot" boats. I'm ripping it all back out and going back semi old school with Okume and epoxy. It will be much lighter and stronger per lb of material. This boat was 30 years old and none of the wood had been compromised It's a shame we couldn't have known before we gutted it.

Before I gut it again, I'm going to mount a couple of motors to test it's performance so I can redistribute weight if needed during the build.

The completion of this skiff will now be kept in house so it may take some time.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

I believe that boat belonged to Jody Coscia before Capt. Pat. That hull was used by Classic Willy's to pop a mold of the newer SloPokes.

Only if it was originally Royal Blue. I'm not sure she's 30 years old either. Fine boat! Doe's it have a HIN number?


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> I believe that boat belonged to Jody Coscia before Capt. Pat.  That hull was used by Classic Willy's to pop a mold of the newer SloPokes.
> 
> Only if it was originally Royal Blue.  I'm not sure she's 30 years old either.  Fine boat! Doe's it have a HIN number?


Yes, the original color was Royal Blue. I'm sure 

No it does not seen to have an engraved HIM but that may have been lost when Captn Pat made her a battle ship 

It's titled as 1999 ShiPoke. I'm going by what I was told for her age. If you have something different, that may explain a lot. Please share. 

Regardless , I have decided to bring her back "retro", a little old and a little new. I'm going to use Okume core and epoxy most likely covered with Awl Grip. I intend to take my time to bring her back along the lines of your Challenger for finish.


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## boarchibald (Jul 26, 2009)

The skiff you have was built by me in San Antonio after my dad Fred Archibald stopped building boats. The boat you have I built for my brother in law and it was powered wiyh a 40 hp mariner tiller driver.We later cut the transom down and repowered with a 25 hp mariner. Most all of the 15'S we built were cored hulls and decks this one was not due my brother in law's lack of funds. All the wood in your skiff was a-c fir.My dad built about 6 15's and I built around 5.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

How cool is that! Right from the source. 

Welcome to microskiff! 

Cheers


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> The skiff you have was built by me in San Antonio after my dad Fred Archibald stopped building boats. The boat you have I built for my brother in law and it was powered wiyh a 40 hp mariner tiller driver.We later cut the transom down and repowered with a 25 hp mariner. Most all of the 15'S we built were cored hulls and decks this one was not due my brother in law's lack of funds. All the wood in your skiff was a-c fir.My dad built about 6 15's and I built around 5.


First of all - Welcome to the forum [smiley=1-beer.gif]

Thanks for posting.  I've just been messing around with her till I decide how I'm going bring her all the way back.  

Your account matches pretty much what I have been told but the main discrepancy is the year it was built.  Was it circa late 90's?

And, yes, the plywood was fir.


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## parrothead127 (Jul 26, 2009)

A good friend of mine from Tampa had one of these. He would have a great deal of information on these if he hadn't gone to be the good Lord.


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## boarchibald (Jul 26, 2009)

That boat was built as a very dark blue 1n 1999, I also built a 18 ft the same dark blue sides with a white running surface around the same time frame, that boat is still in homosassa.


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## JaredFacemyer (Jul 29, 2009)

Thats awesome, great info straight from the guy who made it. Cant wait to see it when its finished.


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Whats the story Capt. Ron?


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> Whats the story Capt. Ron?


"Story"?   :-? :-?

She's on the back burner for now.  Undecided  Customer's boats come first and I have two other projects ahead of her including my SUV.  With a little luck, I'll be able to work on her in the spring.

I was seriously considering restoring her to original but it seems it's taboo around here to anything but epoxy.   With epoxy @ over 5 times the cost of decent polyester resin she may be sitting till banks start writing loans again. ;D ;D ; Polyester actually costs me even less since we buy it in 55 gallon drums


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## flyfisheraa573 (Jun 26, 2008)

bump...for an update?


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> bump...for an update?


Not unless you want to see it being used as a storage bin. ;D ;D Been stupid busy and still trying to finish the SUV. Hoping to get this drug back out after the MS rally and start a steady pace to finish it. 

I'm looking forward to trying some interesting ideas in bringing her back.


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## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

> Been stupid busy and still trying to finish the SUV.


It's good to be stupid busy!!!


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## out-cast (Jan 27, 2009)

Bump [smiley=popcorn2.gif]


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## The_Skiff_Shop (Oct 28, 2008)

> Bump [smiley=popcorn2.gif]


 ;D ;D ;D

Funny, I'm actually digging out back out it right now. 

Have to wrap up a few projects ahead of it but I hope to make progress after the first of the year, weather and time permitting.

Major decisions have been made and it looks like I am going to remove all the original wood, including the transom, and core it.


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## onthespot (Aug 18, 2007)

This is my old boat! It was blue when I owned it. I sold it to Capt.  Bryan,  and he painted it grey. Then Capt. Pat took it of his hands.  I wish I would have never let that boat go.
PM me if you want any info.


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## cordrayj1 (Jan 25, 2011)

what are the spray rails made of? ive been trying to find something to use to make some but have had no luck at all.

ive seen a few of those boats too. looks like a really fun and functional boat.


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