# 1967 Sears Skiff Rebuild in Progress



## bostick29412

I'd started this over in the Boatyard Basics area, so I'm moving this over into the proper section. So, just to recap, this is a 1967 Sears Skiff (according to the title anyway). It's aprox. 14'-4" long, 4'-6" wide at the stern and 5' wide at the widest point, near the bow. I'll be beefing up the hull, adding flotation inside, replacing the false floor, and adding a casting deck with storage up front, and a small deck in back with storage. Probably some rod storage on either side of the gunnels as well. It will be tiller steer.

The immediate task has been sanding, and more sanding. I'll post some more photos this week. Apparently a past owner was a fan of bondo as well, and I'm grinding out some older fiberglass repairs that were not well done.

On thing I'm wondering at this point it, after I do some fiberglass work on the outside of the hull, should I wait to prime/paint after doing the inside work? Unfortunately I don't have a shed or garage to work in. My wife would not look to kindly to me doing all of this work in her horse barn (and I built the dang thing, how's that work?)


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## Brett

I'd get all glass work, inside and outside,
completed before dealing with paint.


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## paint it black

I agree with Brett. Glass work, then paint.


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## bostick29412

It's been a little while since I posted, farm and landscaping have taken precedence.. On the boat, I've been doing lots of sanding sanding sanding.. and some grinding with a flapper wheel to get out the bondo - as you can see from pics. Some trouble spots needed getting down into the roving layer as you can see, but I'd rather get these spots as thoroughly as possible. I just got in my fiberglassing supplies.. instead of West System, I found a good vendor on ePay that supplies boat builders (Polymer Products Co. in California). Their epoxy and  hardener mixes 1/1, and I got 4 gallons plus 8 yards of good fioberglass cloth (5'wide) for a total of $229.52 including the shipping to SC. I've already used some on the bow and it works very well. I'll try to post more shots of the fiberglassing on the hull soon.


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## paint it black

That's a really nice hull. I'd love to come across one like that.


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## bostick29412

It's taken me a while to finally get all of the fiberglass repairs completed to the outside of the hull, yesterday I put a coat of primer on, mainly just because I wanted to feel like I was making some progress. I made a frame with bunks to work in, and a buddy helped me flip it over. Now the fun really begins  Although I was considering keeping the front section of the cap intact and building my casting deck just below, I'm pretty sure I'll be removing everything inside (except for the super-cool/retro beverage station of course) and starting over.. I don't think there is any flotation built in to the hull, so I'll have a blank canvas to work from..


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## snooknreds2

Looking good man!!! That thing actually turned out to be in not that bad of shape after all. Glad that you stuck with it and are going to have a great boat to show for it in the end!!

Keep the pictures coming...


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## wallbanger2

I like what you have done so far. Keep up the detailed pics on restoring/ modifying the layout.

I bought a 12 ft fiberglass Sears Gamefisher that looks like it's little brother. [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif]


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## Guest

Thats turning into a really cool project. Keep the pics coming.


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## paint it black

Once again, I love the lines on that hull. I wish I could come across one in similar conditions and build it up.


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## bostick29412

Thanks for the encouragement. I picked up an old 14' aluminum jon boat for the motor recently, a 1993 20-horse Mariner tiller that runs like a charm. So at least I can run that this summer while I'm getting this baby worked out.


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## snooknreds2

Any progress or updates on this rebuild??


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## bostick29412

Hey, will post photos soon on progress. I've pulled the floor and gutted the interior; everything was pretty rotten. No foam flotation anywhere so at least I didn't have to clean that out. I'm trying to decide on materials for the decks and flooring. A local Charleston boat builder suggested using MDO plywood which I can source locally to keep costs down, although I know that will add weight.


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## wallbanger2

Any progress on the skiff? Looking forward to seeing more of your ideas with this hull.


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## bostick29412

Sorry guys, this project has been sitting forever and now I'm determined to get back on it this weekend, putting in new stringer system and hopefully getting started on the new floor. For economy I'm using 3/8 duraply, seems like it will hold up well and the price is right.  Last month I scored a poling platform that will fit great and has never been used.

I found a listing on craigslist that is this exact same hull, but completely original, in Charlotte. http://charlotte.craigslist.org/boa/1620312917.html
Here are some photos:

















And this is kind of what I'm going for.. but tiller steer.


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## TidewateR

this should be good! I really like the look of your hull. I can't wait to see more progress on this your boat...please keep up posted


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## bostick29412

As of this morning, this is the state of affairs - you can see where the original stringers were. I'll be using some type of wood as the stringer cores. (would you believe that no one in Charleston, SC carries any kind of Coosa, Penske, Nidacore). I'd like to use a wood that's got some natural rot resistance. Has anyone used cedar or cypress?


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## bostick29412

*Ping Pong Balls in for flotation?*

Has anyone tried using them? Each one is it's own little air pocket, waterproof, tough, durable not to mention super light.. I'm thinking a little foam on the bottom, stick in ping pong balls, a little foam on top of that... mainly in larger areas that could use flotation. Thoughts?


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## DuckNut

Get some marine plywood because you need to put a floor back in as well.  Plywood makes good stringers.

The products you mentioned are $150+ each, plywood is $60.


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## bostick29412

Got started grinding out the old stringers yesterday and this morning, and made some progress putting new ones back in today. I gotta say that I have new respect for those of you who I've watched on this site do this stuff.. it's not easy and I won't be showing any close-ups of my fiberglassing work. : I decided to use cedar (will be encapsulated in fiberglass cloth) for the stringer material. Here's where I am after today:


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## oscar1018

I just bought a boat just like that for 150 dollars, will start on it next week, that hull has a lot of potiential!


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## bostick29412

*grab rail design*

I'm having a local fabricator give me a quote on this.. if any of you guys in this forum do this kind of work.. please give me a quote with shipping to zip 29412. Your thoughts on design will be welcome as well. I plan to mount in the center, with a small Yeti cooler just forward of the legs...


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## rkmurphy

Incorporate some gussets on the bottom of the legs


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## bostick29412

Gussets on the forward-facing sides would be good. As long as they're not in a place I'm likely to kick and remove a toe on them!


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## bostick29412

*Floor in place finally.*

I finally have the floor in place - there is an entire stringer grid underneath, foamed solid. The 3/8 DuraPly is glued down with 5200 to all of the stringers with thickened epoxy and tape joining the floor to the hull sides, sealing it all up nice and tight.
I thought I had some photos of that stage but I can't find them. It's raised 6" from  the hull, and you can see the deep sump at the transom. I had a little rot at the upper corners on the transom so I've ripped that out and the next stage is to build it back in solid and stronger than before. I am playing with the idea of not notching the transom and just using a manual jack plate or offset bracket instead.. I think it might actually be easier to build out and I like that look a lot.


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## bostick29412

This weekend I did some more fairing of the floor to hull joint, getting it smooth and ready for glassing, which will come soon. I installed a new transom core, and also started adding some 10oz cloth to the insides where it seems a little thin. It's nice to finally be at a stage where I'm actually adding more glass than I'm grinding off. Sorry for the poor quality phone-cam pics.
- After the two layers of 3/4 ply were bonded overnight with thickened epoxy, I through-bolted them to the existing outer skin, making sure to start tightening in the center and working out to get good squeeze-out.
















Here's a shot of the entire hull after ripping off the last of the old cap. I'd thought about using part of it for the cool retro look but I wasn't sure about its long-term structural integrity.








My 9-month-old Drahthaar pup, Lucy, ready for action.


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## alphachief

Neat project...great looking pointer. Is it a GWP or a Deutsch Drahthaar?


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## bostick29412

> Neat project...great looking pointer.  Is it a GWP or a Deutsch Drahthaar?


She's a Deutsch Drahthaar - awesome dog. Got her from a small breeder in Gastonia, NC.


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## bostick29412

BTW, if anyone reading this is in Charleston, this might be a good project hull... (not mine) Mitchell Skiff and motor, $850

http://charleston.craigslist.org/boa/1688796046.html


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## bostick29412

*Seating Choices*

I bit the bullet and purchased a Yeti cooler yesterday, as it will be the featured "guest seating" in the boat and  I need to know the clearances to build in to the sides, forward deck, etc. The top of the cooler will be pretty much level with the gunnels on either side. 










The other alternative was to go really old-school and bolt in some classic seating for the captain and guest.. at least they're bouncy.


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## Gramps

Nice looking project! You won't regret the Yeti, it kept ice for four days in the Everglades.


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## jimbarn1961

NAW, Me likes OLD SKOOL ;D ;D ;D


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## jjay0172

I really like the hull design of your boat. I was reading some of your photo captions... been there done that... grind...fair...grind again... It's looking great. Keep up the good work!


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## bostick29412

Thanks - I got lucky when I found the old girl. The nice flare up front will give me a nice wide casting area, and give a pretty dry ride as well. I'm really hoping to have this thing wet by the end of May at the latest..


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## bostick29412

I'm still working on building up the glass on the new transom, and also laminating strips of 3/8" ply inside the top of the gunnels. Will eventually have 2 layers glassed in, after trimming them level, to support the decks around the perimeter. Planning to glass the floor as soon as possible.










Also, here is a shot of the little Mariner 20 that will eventually be pushing her.


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## bostick29412

More progress, mainly last weekend.. finally got the floor fiberglassed, and I need to add a little more glass to the transom to be finished there. 
Here's just before fitting the fiberglass cloth in:










After the epoxy cured I finished epoxying in the second strip of 3/8 ply to the upper edge of the sides all arouind, and once it dried, I cut/ground the upper edge flush. You can see here I've just loosely laid a piece of plywood over the top to see how it sits.. this is how I'll join the decks to the hull, with epoxy and probably a handful of stainless screws.










While I had the plywood up there I was looking at the poling platform I found on Craigslist.. wondering if it's too large/tall for this boat? I might cut it down a little.. Also, it was not made for a tiller-steer boat so it might take some modification to  get clearance for my motor's tiller..


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## joshuabward

I think the platform looks good and as far as being too tall I just think its personal preference, up here in Fernandina/ Amelia island the water is very muddy so height is important for sight fishing reds in the flats in my opinion.


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## Salty_South

looking great! Keep that platform as tall as ya can for visibility. It will also be easier to tilt or work on the motor while you are one the water.


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## joshuabward

I forgot to mention that your boat is sweet, I like the classic style skiffs. After my current mountain of projects are finished I want to do a hull like that.


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## bostick29412

Thanks a bunch guys, I took last week/weekend off for a visit from in-laws.. trying to get back on it this weekend. Hopefully will have more progress photos coming soon!


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## bostick29412

*Framing the Decks*

I made some good progress over the weekend, getting most of the deck support framed in. I used 3/4 Ply, all of the supports are 4" deep. It's pretty stout. I've got a little more glassing and finishing to do as you can see also.
I still have to add the gunnel support and I'm trying to decide whether to add another bulkhead up front. The 6-gal gas tank will ride under the front deck  just inside the main bulkhead. There will be a hatch over the middle opening of the framing to access a battery and anchor, etc... the question is, do I need to add a full bulkhead due to the proximity of the gas (fumes) and a battery?


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## tedcombs

sweet looking boat cant wait to see the end result


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## tbayray

Awesome build.
Any est. on weight...


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## Lil_Tate

tight work...
i likes.


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## bostick29412

I'm not sure about the weight, but it's still pretty light. We'll see once I've gotten all of the decks on. I added in the gunnel supports after work yesterday, will get some more photos tonight before I start adding more glass+epoxy to those.


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## bostick29412

*More cockpit framing*

I've gotten the gunnel supports in, and drilled in the holes to run pvc for the chase tubes on either side... also for the rod tubes. Got the pvc to curve using a heat gun. Heat, bend. Heat, bend... Hopefully this weekend after a little sanding, I can prime and paint the areas under the decks..


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## bostick29412

*More cockpit framing*

I've gotten the gunnel supports in, and drilled in the holes to run pvc for the chase tubes on either side... also for the rod tubes. Got the pvc to curve using a heat gun. Heat, bend. Heat, bend... Hopefully this weekend after a little sanding, I can prime and paint the areas under the decks..


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## bostick29412

Added a bulkhead to separate the gas tank from the rest of the bow storage, and got the last of the deck framing done over the weekend. Put in two coats of primer for the areas that will be hard to reach once the decks are on. I'll paint those areas while they're easy to reach.. got some fairing and sanding to do...


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## tedcombs

wow coming along nicely, what colors are you thinking on it?


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## bostick29412

*Colors*

I'm planning on painting everything white topsides, and the non-skid will be a cream-color to cut down on glare.. I might do the hull in a really light green or light blue.. not sure yet. I'm going cheap with the paint, using Rustoleum's marine topside primer and paint, but I'm going to add an enamel hardener to the paint to give it quicker drying times, extra hardness, more gloss. I'll be rolling and tipping...


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## msabol

What a great job on your boat!! To be honest, this project has inspired me to try one of my own. In that pursuit, here is the first of many many(prob dumb) questions that I have for you. I saw the pics where you put 3/8" ply inside the top of the gunnels. What did you use to affix the plywood to the gunnels? Also, I saw where you used "cut" pvc to help clamp the wood to the boat, how do you "pull apart" the PVC to get it over the gunnel and plywood?


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## bostick29412

Trust me, there are no dumb questions as far as I'm concerned.. some other projects on this site inspired me to take on this project (also my first). 
To attach the two layers of 3/8 ply - one layer at a time - the pvc clamps work great. They're made of 1" pvc, make the first cut lengthwise in a tablesaw or clamp and use a skilsaw.. then cut into 2" cross-sections.. you'll be able to pull them apart with your hands.
Good luck with your project.. make sure and post it here.


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## bostick29412

Oh yeah, if there's one piece of advice I'd give anyone else, it's to modify the old adage of "Measure twice, cut once." My mantra now is, "Measure ten times, add a 1/4 inch and then cut. Dry-fit, trim, trim. Then glue in. ;D


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## Calibogue

Looking good my friend!
I am quite impressed but I knew you had it in ya!
Get that girl built and I'll teach you how to pole her...HA!


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## bostick29412

Haha - OK, Cali. I wondered how long it was going to take you to sign on here. I think you need to find yourself a project hull...


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## Calibogue

Oh I got a project hull alright..........a 1970 20' SeaCraft to be exact!


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## tbayray

Sch-weet!
Lookin' good; my friend.
[smiley=1-thumbsup1.gif]


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## bostick29412

*Weekend Progress Report*

The rains held off until late Sunday so I managed to get a lot of work done. On Thursday, I went ahead and installed the rigging and rod tubes and they're in very tight, no rattling around. The gas line was run in the starboard tube, and two chase strings run through the port tubes for wiring later. (using the shopvac to suck the strings through worked very well).

















I picked up the final two sheets of 3/8" MDO Plywood (DuraPly) on Friday, and after work, laid them on the framing, scribed the outlines, cut with a jigsaw and got them loose-fitted on top of the boat. I left about a 1/4" of extra material on every cut... after these photos, I flipped everything and used fiberglass tape to butt-join all of the seams and make it one piece. That entire process took about 2 hours, very easy.

















On Saturday, the deck was joined to the hull framing with thickened epoxy and and I used 1" stainless screws every 12" or so, counter-sunk into the ply. Once everything was set up and cured, I used the jigsaw and angle grinder to carefully trim all of the edges flush.. and then everything was covered with a 10 oz. fiberglass tape. I also cut the holes for pop-up cleats. That's where she is at the moment.. It rained this morning, so it's all a little wet at the moment.. I could not cover it with a tarp when I finished yesterday since the epoxy was still tacky..


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## makin moves

thats starting to look sweet


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## bostick29412

I'm still working out the best way to install the hatch.. it will be 3/4 ply, fiberglassed on both sides. I'm trying to decide whether to install a lip and drains to keep that front storage area somewhat dry.. or just keep it simple.


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## kooker

This boat is going to look soooo sick. You're doing a really nice job on this. I have a question for you. How much does the 3/8" MDO Plywood (DuraPly) cost and where can I find it?


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## bostick29412

You won't find it in Lowe's or Home Depot - this stuff was actually recommended to my by a professional boat builder here in Charleston, SC as a good budget option... I'm getting from Buck Lumber and Southern Lumber and Millwork here.. just call some smaller/specialty building supply places where you live. I'm getting the 3/4 for $45 per sheet, the 3/8 is costing roughly the same (different suppliers)


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## FSUfisher

That's really lookin' good! [smiley=1-thumbsup1.gif]


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## bostick29412

Thanks - I got the front deck covered in a layer of 'glass yesterday, will be working on that in segments over the next few days. Really hoping that I'll be ready for paint by the end of the weekend. Problem is, I need to move the boat to another location to paint it, and my trailer is currently without an axle, springs etc.. and I'm not sure I have the almost $300 it will take to rebuild for a couple of weeks :-/


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## flyfisheraa573

borrow a trailer if you can 

have you decided the color scheme as of yet?

I'm thinking it would look good with an ivory interior, and a light green, ice blue, or similar exterior....just my $.02


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## bostick29412

> borrow a trailer if you can
> 
> have you decided the color scheme as of yet?
> 
> I'm thinking it would look good with an ivory interior, and a light green, ice blue, or similar exterior....just my $.02


We're definitely on the same page there..


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## kooker

Light blue/Ice blue for surrrrrrrrree. This boat is going to be so sick man I can't wait until its done.


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## tbayray

QuickQuestion.
What's the grey stuff in pic:


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## tbayray

Is that the 3M adhesive you were talkin' about putting the floor down with...


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## tbayray

HAve you seen this...
VINTAGE catalog... 

http://www.martyonline.com/sears-elgin/


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## bostick29412

That's a cool catalog - there aren't that many "kit boats" for sale these days that I've seen. 

Not sure what the gray stuff in the photo you are talking about? I used thickened epoxy to attach the strips of 3/8 ply to the tops of the hull sides.. it might look gray in the photo I guess?


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## tbayray

10-4


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## bostick29412

Quick update, got all of the fiberglass down and putting a hot coat on this weekend and sanding, getting ready to prime. Had a funeral ceremony for my dearly departed random orbit sander, the abuse finally killed him.  ;D


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## DarkstarCrashes

That boat is looking great, can't wait to see it finished.


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## bostick29412

*A little more progress*

Made a little progress this weekend. I hope that sweat doesn't keep epoxy from curing, it's been hot as heck this weekend. I need some shade to work in.

I got the hatch cover made, and made sure that my hinges were going to be flush.. have to put in the supports next and make sure the entire hatch fits flush as well. Also put an extra coat of epoxy on the entire deck and got it sanded. Time for fairing and priming soon.


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## jrod0785

This boat is looking awesome!! Keep up the good work!!


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## tbayray

Nice. [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif]


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## bostick29412

*A little bit of primer...*

Moving kinda slow right now, but got the lip in that supports the front hatch, and the first coat of primer on the decks. I'm trying to decide whether to finish out the decks all the way before doing the floor/sole. 
Another issue I'm looking at now is the cost (ouch!) for a new rub rail. I'd love a stainless rail or rubber with rope insert, but they're expensive. I still have the original aluminum rail that might be useable with some elbow grease. Anyway, I'm looking at all options.


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## flyfisheraa573

*Re: A little bit of primer...*



> Another issue I'm looking at now is the cost (ouch!) for a new rub rail. I'd love a stainless rail or rubber with rope insert, but they're expensive. I still have the original aluminum rail that might be useable with some elbow grease. Anyway, I'm looking at all options.


no doubt...what's up with that anyway?!?!? Talking about throwing a kink in the plans...it's a freaking piece of rubber...no metal...no rope...just rubber!!!!!   

on another note though...man, the boat is looking awesome!!!!!  

I was originally going to go with a more complex layout...but your cockpit design inspired me to go more simple, yet classic


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## FSUfisher

Looks very clean. I like it.


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## bostick29412

*Rub Rail*

I think I'm going to try and salvage the original aluminum rub rails.. they've got paint on them, some pitting and gouges, but I went over one last night with some 60-grit on the sander and maybe I can get it progressively smoother and smoother with finer grits and then polish. I seem to have more time than money :-[ Let me know if you guys have any ideas on refinishing aluminum. I'd rather not paint it, but that is an option I suppose.


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## mark_gardner

*Re: Rub Rail*



> I think I'm going to try and salvage the original aluminum rub rails.. they've got paint on them, some pitting and gouges, but I went over one last night with some 60-grit on the sander and maybe I can get it progressively smoother and smoother with finer grits and then polish. I seem to have more time than money :-[  Let me know if you guys have any ideas on refinishing aluminum. I'd rather not paint it, but that is an option I suppose.



i've taken nasty dull looking aluminum and sanded with 600 grit wet sand paper followed up with some mothers polish and a buffing pad and been pretty happy with it ....


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## FSUfisher

I have not gotten around to doing it extensively myself, but if you progressively sand up from lower to higher grit paper and then polish like Southbound said you should get a new finish. A lot depends on your patience.


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## bostick29412

I'm going to work on the rubrails some over the weekend to see how it goes. I might consider painting them with an aluminum enamel paint, if it scratches off it's only going to expose the aluminum underneath, no big deal. I don't really care if it's super-shiny. Nothing I own is super-shiny.. ;D


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## popcorn

Don't forget breathing protection. Polishing aluminum has some health risks.


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## bostick29412

*Painting and Non-skid*

Man it's been hot here, but at least it helps the paint dry faster, when the humidity is not 100%. I guess you Florida boys are familiar with that situation.. I'm basically done painting the topsides, just have to finish the hatch cover and I'm ready to flip her over  

I'm also in the middle of making the top for the poling platform. Two coats of Rustoleum topsides paint in Oyster White, and then two coats of Sand Beige with the non-skid added in. I really dig the subtle two-tone look and the colors are very easy on the eyes. I found some great non-skid additive at the Sherwin-Williams store. I think it's Shark-Grip or something.. It's a plastic grit and gives the perfect texture, imho. 

The platform, in progress:



























A close-up of the non-skid..


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## paint it black

Wow that looks insanely great!
Bad ass project!!


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## tguasjr

WOW! I cant believe its the same boat!


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## jimbarn1961

Dude, who u tryen to kid thats a 67 SEARS  J/K. Unbelievable, awsome looking, u got some serious skills. ENJOY it you deserve it.


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## bostick29412

*Thanks*

Thanks a bunch, guys - I'm really enjoying the build process, it's a lot of work, but rewarding. Needless to say, the first meal caught off this boat is going to seriously tasty.


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## tom_in_orl

I looks really good. Congrats!


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## joshuabward

Your boat looks so good that even my wife recognized the craftsmanship..... Every evening I sit on the couch with my laptop and cruise microskiff, my wife is usually sitting next to me, and when I was looking at your non skid/paint pics she says "that's not the same boat" then she says "you are gonna do that to the piece of crap in the back yard" I told her that I would try to make it as nice as yours. Now she is okay with the boat in my back yard so I guess I owe you a beer if you ever come down to Jacksonville.


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## bostick29412

Josh - please tell your wife "thankyou".  I'll take you up on the beer sometime. Ice cold PBR please.

My wife was pretty skeptical that I'd ever finish the boat - for all I know she might still be - For a while there every time I mentioned needing to finish up something, she'd say, "Oh yeah, like that boat you're going to finish any time now." Haha. 

On a progress note, I had some friends help me flip the boat over and I'm getting prepped to paint by this coming weekend I hope.


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## flyfisheraa573

SH....where are you at? Not that I'm impatient...but I know everyone is eager to see how this turns out...

Honestly, it is one of the best re-do's that's ever been posted on here...IMHO


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## B.Lee

Wow, been a bot since I checked in here, that's some might fine work on the interior! 

Josh, now that your wife has seen what can be done, your bar is set pretty high, get to work!


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## bostick29412

Sorry for the lack of recent updates - I'm still painting the bottom - light blue - taking my sweet time and trying to get it right. I've put about 3 coats of primer on, and one coat of paint that's been wet sanded so far.. I was not happy with the results of my first roll and tip job, so I might try spraying this next coat. 

I'm hoping to get the painting done this weekend, but my trailer is still out of commission, so I'm not in a rush right now.


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## bostick29412

I happened across this ad on the 'net - my hull is definitely the same as the 14' on this ad.. at some point someone had removed the windshield and bow covering.


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## flyfisheraa573

well...yours looks better now than the original did 

a few things I noticed from the ads...the kid in the 14' is going to be thrown out if the boat takes a wake the wrong way ;D and does anyone else notice how much bigger the people in the 16' are compared to the folks in the 14'?  ;D

none the less...cool find!


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## bostick29412

Here's a crappy cell phone photo of the hull after 2 coats of blue paint. The cheap Harbor Freight sprayer did a fine job. You can see a few little brush marks from the first coat here and there when you get really up close. She's kinda like the girls we used to call UCU's in college: "Up Close Uglies" - give her ten feet and a six pack and she's downright purty.

While it was upside down I went ahead and installed the pop-up cleats and added some carpet to the underside of the gunnels. 

I'm hoping that my new trailer axle and other parts will arrive today so that I can get that together, put the boat on it and finish getting her rigged. Stay tuned.










One extra note: the Valspar enamel hardener additive that I've been using makes a HUGE difference in how quickly the paint cures, and it's hardness/durability. I highly recommend.


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## joshuabward

Looking awesome, I love the lines of that boat. Brush stokes are just character


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## jrod0785

Looks awesome man!!


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## flyfisheraa573

bump for update....


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## oysterbreath

You are doing an incredible job on this lil skiff. I really like the way you decided to frame her up. I've never heard of anyone using MDO for boat building. I will defiantly look into that. Keep the photos coming...


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## tbayray

Schweet!
Your a real soldier.
It's just too doggone hot out there for me...


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## bostick29412

I've been out of town for a while, so nothing has happened for a little bit. I'm hoping to make some progress this week and weekend.

I'm also trying to work out some kinks on my other boat, a 1976 Robalo 20 with the original 1750 Merc on it. You can imagine the fun I'm having with that old 2-smoke beast...

I promise more updates soon!


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## Conch_and_Cracker

Man a wooden toe rail just makes a skiff look sweet, only issue if you use a front mount trolling motor you will have to cut the rail. Good luck on the rebuild


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## TidewateR

impatient update bump [smiley=spinning-on-head.gif]


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## bostick29412

Dang! OK I'm getting on it.. I'm almost finished rebuilding the trailer, just two rollers to replace this afternoon. Then I'll work on getting the boat off the sawhorses, flipped over, and back on the trailer asap. Without dropping it, hopefully.


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## bostick29412

I worked my butt off in the heat this weekend, but got a lot done. I'm basically ready for river test as soon as I get my registration numbers on. 

The cheap Pep Boys rub rail option worked out pretty well I think. Especially after putting stainless screws every 8". It feels like it will be durable and should stand up to UV well.. it's made for auto trim applications. I put the stainless transom plate on and mounted the 20 Mariner and got the fuel lines hooked up, and ran on the muffs for a while. Oh yeah, almost as an afterthought I put in some ipe trim pieces on the inside of the coaming for a more retro touch.. 

I'm having problems uploading to Photobucket from home, so I'll just upload one photo here.. a taste of more to come tomorrow.


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## Gramps

Wow! You've done a heck of a job! The transformation is amazing.


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## joshuabward

Well done!!! I can't wait to see the rest off the pics. You should go ahead and run it up on a shell bed just to get it over with, cause you know its gonna happen anyway ;D


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## makin moves

you did a amazing job nice boat


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## kooker

Very nice. Do you think you're going to add a poling platform?


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## bostick29412

*Progress Report / more photos*

Here are some more photos from yesterday. Yes, I still have a lot to do on this boat. I'll be adding a grab bar/cooler bracket in the center, a tiller extension, and of course a poling platform. I decided that I didn't like the platform I had so I sold it for what I had in it and will have another one fabricated that's better for a tiller-steer motor. And later, I'll be adding running lights etc.









A closer look at the bow and rub rail. I used part of the old rub rail trim to hide the joint where the two pieces of vinyl rail meet... it only comes in 16' pieces.









The stainless steel transom bracket. Probably overkill but hey....









Stainless strap eyes to hold down the Yeti and keep the gas tank in place under the bow.









Looking forward.









I think that the ipe coaming strips came out looking pretty good with some teak oil on them. The carpeting job is kinda half-a**ed but it works. I don't think that the glue I installed it with is the best for this application so I might end up re-doing it later.









Overview of the decks.


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## floridanative1028

Looks amazing. I don't know how you did it in this heat but you somehow managed to get it done and done right. Good job man I hope she lasts another 40 years.


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## gheenoe

Boat came out killer one of my favorite builds on here.  [smiley=1-thumbsup3.gif]


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## tguasjr

WOW!!!! [smiley=1-beer.gif] It looks awesome!


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## oysterbreath

This is one heck of a build! GREAT INSPIRATION!
Thanks for sharing!


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## jrod0785

Your boat looks awesome man!!!!


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## bostick29412

Thank guys. Some of the other work on this site inspired me to take on this project in the first place, so I hope I'm doing the same for someone else.

I added a stainless steel spring hatch holder yesterday and tomorrow I'll be taking the boat to someone nearby to fabricate the grab bar and talk about the poling platform design.


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## Brett

I like the pep boys alternative to a Taco rubrail.
Inexpensive and effective, very ******* tech...

(that one goes into long term memory for my next build...  )


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## bostick29412

Haha - there's an awful lot of ******* tech in this build! I've been thinking about building my next boat completely out of empty beercans which will certainly stretch my redneckineering capabilities..


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## Swamp

Great looking skiff! I know you have not used the boat much, but how happy are you with the Duraply so far? Obviously only time will tell, but I really like the concept.


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## bostick29412

> Great looking skiff!  I know you have not used the boat much, but how happy are you with the Duraply so far?  Obviously only time will tell, but I really like the concept.


For the Duraply, I can only say that I've been leaving some scraps out in the weather during the entire build. Even the the smallest pieces have not rotted or delaminated in the least. I don't know about long-term saturation? I'll keep you posted.


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## FSUfisher

Really looks good! You have any details on how you applied the non-skid? Your attention to detail is incredible.


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## Swamp

I've got some 3/4" phenolic ply that I use for throwing bats in the studio. They have been covered in clay and water for years and have not warped or split. When this current batch of bats wears out, I'm replacing all of it with phenolic.


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## bostick29412

> Really looks good! You have any details on how you applied the non-skid? Your attention to detail is incredible.


I won't say my attention to detail is that good - get up real close and you'll see that I could have done a lot better job fairing in some places before painting.  

The non-skid was really pretty easy. I just taped everything off (that green Frogtape works best) and at every corner, just put a little piece of tape at a 45º to cover the inside of the corner. Then use something round with a proper radius (the top lip of a beer can worked for me) and mark the curve.. come back with a razorblade and lightly cut out the excess. Rounding off each and every corner makes it look a ton more professional. Then just use a roller to apply the paint with non-skid mixed in. I used something called Sharkgrip that I got from a Sherwin-Williams store. Practice a little on a piece of scrap before you start on your boat.. it's not hard at all.


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## bostick29412

*She floats!*

Sorry no pics yet. I splashed the "Fiddler" Saturday morning for the 115th Rockville Regatta, basically a huge on-the-water party here in Charleston. We used her as a tender for a friend's 34 foot trawler. In short, she ran beautifully. A little tippy at rest ;D but very stable at speed. Cuts chop nicely. I did not have a gps with me but the 20 pushed her along at a pretty good clip. In fact she planes out fine with 4 adults and a loaded 65 quart yeti. I'll try and get some photos asap.


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## B.Lee

Congrats!

Launch day is a big deal, a cap to a lot of hard work. It's also the beginning of the next phase, modification!


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## bostick29412

*Photos on the water*

Took the afternoon off yesterday and took Lucy on her first boat ride. Just did a little riding around then anchored on the south tip of Seabrook Island for a bit so she could chase seagulls. (Lucy is my Drahthaar pup).  Once again, my original gut instincts about this hull are proving correct. Quick to plane, floats in about 4" (without me on board) and is good in chop, the configuration of the chines provide a very dry ride for a boat this size.

Here are some shots of the boat in the water finally.. you can see the grab bar setup, still waiting to get the poling platform fabbed up as soon as $$ allows. The home-made tiller extension is fabbed up from a fiberglass shovel handle and some pvc parts. About $20 in materials.


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## Un-shore

That turned out really great!


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## Swamp

That is really stylin'! The wood combing really sets that boat off. I might just have to steal that concept.  Now go catch some fish!


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## joshuabward

I'm jealous... it looks awesome in my opinion the best resto/mod build on here.


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