# Spear Glades X - after a couple years



## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

Is that boat really 17ft?


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## Indoman (Jul 25, 2013)

Great looking skiff. Nice and simple.


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## Icroc (Feb 23, 2013)

What other boats did you try before settling on the glades x?
I'm in the market for a new boat and fish about the same areas that you do.

I have talked to Harry a few times, but just couldn't get comfortable with the price of the glades x.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

CodyW said:


> Is that boat really 17ft?


17'6". Check out the website for all the dimensions and more pics.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

Icroc said:


> What other boats did you try before settling on the glades x?
> I'm in the market for a new boat and fish about the same areas that you do.
> 
> I have talked to Harry a few times, but just couldn't get comfortable with the price of the glades x.


Sent you a pm.


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## jonny (May 1, 2007)

Killer little skiff. And Harry is a stand up guy for sure. Before you dismiss the trim tabs. Those things are working even when you don't use them. I suspect take off and planing would differ greatly without them. Now if they were recessed flush mounted design. When trimmed up they would be neutral. But when tabs are placed out the back. They are in fact adding to the hull length about 12" or so. Being a tiller and having a coffin box for seating. Keeps e erything nice and centered as it should be. So I can see there wouldn't be much need for tilt adjustment. Trim tabs are a worthy investment to get the most out of a little skiff like this.


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Really cool simple skiff. My ass hurts thinking about sitting on those SeaDek pads 

My only suggestion would be to put a mesh cargo net on snaps across that front open bulkhead to keep stuff from sliding around.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

jonny said:


> Killer little skiff. And Harry is a stand up guy for sure. Before you dismiss the trim tabs. Those things are working even when you don't use them. I suspect take off and planing would differ greatly without them. Now if they were recessed flush mounted design. When trimmed up they would be neutral. But when tabs are placed out the back. They are in fact adding to the hull length about 12" or so. Being a tiller and having a coffin box for seating. Keeps e erything nice and centered as it should be. So I can see there wouldn't be much need for tilt adjustment. Trim tabs are a worthy investment to get the most out of a little skiff like this.


Good point Jonny, thanks.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

Net 30 said:


> Really cool simple skiff. My ass hurts thinking about sitting on those SeaDek pads
> 
> My only suggestion would be to put a mesh cargo net on snaps across that front open bulkhead to keep stuff from sliding around.


Thanks for the idea - a small tab glassed to the deck fits through the tank handle to keep it in place, but the net would keep my buddies "stuff" from sliding about.


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## BayStYat (Sep 12, 2012)

added fly line toe rail to make a ledge so nothing would slide out.








then a canvas door


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

I looked at your boat online several times before, during and after my build.

I just know I'm going to bust my Carbon Marine extension off. If I tilt the motor that high by hand (no tilt and trim) the arm locks into place. At that point if I lower the motor the arm will crash into the platform. Snap, crackle, pop.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Sublime said:


> I looked at your boat online several times before, during and after my build.
> 
> I just know I'm going to bust my Carbon Marine extension off. If I tilt the motor that high by hand (no tilt and trim) the arm locks into place. At that point if I lower the motor the arm will crash into the platform. Snap, crackle, pop.


Get a jack plate to avoid that from happening. Then just raise and lower it.


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## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Re: the Seadek seat pads. Hydroturf makes a nice base type pad in different thicknesses that I put Seadek on top of. It's black, but its pretty soft and makes a nice seat.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Backwater said:


> Get a jack plate to avoid that from happening. Then just raise and lower it.



I have a jack plate, but I think even in the lowest position it would hit when the arm is locked in the intermediate up position. Luckily, all I have to do when stopping to pole is lift my motor to the first notch. It's only when I lift it to the max position that the arm hits the deck, folding it up and locking it in position. I'm looking at that locking mechanism to figure out how to disable it.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Sublime said:


> I have a jack plate, but I think even in the lowest position it would hit when the arm is locked in the intermediate up position. Luckily, all I have to do when stopping to pole is lift my motor to the first notch. It's only when I lift it to the max position that the arm hits the deck, folding it up and locking it in position. I'm looking at that locking mechanism to figure out how to disable it.


Try raising the jack plate up first and then tilt it.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

BayStYat said:


> Nice - was that the Glide?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice - was this the glide?


BayStYat said:


> added fly line toe rail to make a ledge so nothing would slide out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

Sublime said:


> I have a jack plate, but I think even in the lowest position it would hit when the arm is locked in the intermediate up position. Luckily, all I have to do when stopping to pole is lift my motor to the first notch. It's only when I lift it to the max position that the arm hits the deck, folding it up and locking it in position. I'm looking at that locking mechanism to figure out how to disable it.


 My tiller arm doesn't lock like what I think your describing - have you been able to fish your skiff yet?


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

J-Dad said:


> My tiller arm doesn't lock like what I think your describing - have you been able to fish your skiff yet?



My son and I did a run the new prop / scouting trip recently. It's at a friend's shop now having a cable chase put in and a board in the coffin box to mount my electrical panel on. We've had biblical rains here that has all the creeks and rivers out of control, but I hear the local marshes are "alive". It should be a good summer and fall.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

Sublime said:


> My son and I did a run the new prop / scouting trip recently. It's at a friend's shop now having a cable chase put in and a board in the coffin box to mount my electrical panel on. We've had biblical rains here that has all the creeks and rivers out of control, but I hear the local marshes are "alive". It should be a good summer and fall.


Good luck and send some fish pics


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## BayStYat (Sep 12, 2012)

J-Dad said:


> Nice - was this the glide?


Yes sir


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

I had to call Harry about something last night and we talked a bit. He's got some neat stuff going on at the shop now.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

J-Dad said:


> Thanks for the idea - a small tab glassed to the deck fits through the tank handle to keep it in place, but the net would keep my buddies "stuff" from sliding about.



I have the same tab, but I don't think it sticks up high enough to go through the handle of my gas tank. I'll have to look at it again.


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## TidalFly (Sep 1, 2015)

Sent you a PM J-Dad


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

TidalFly said:


> Sent you a PM J-Dad


responded


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

J-Dad said:


> I’ve owned my Spear Glades X for almost two years and exactly fifty trips, and thought it a good time to post my impressions now that the “new skiff” excitement has worn off.
> 
> I was looking for a poling skiff that could carry three when I started my skiff search, and I wanted something simple but functional. The Glades X meets those criteria, and the fact I could use the 25 hp 2-stroke Yamaha I already owned was a bonus. The skiff is pretty bare bones, with open bulkheads, no hatches, and a portable six gallon tank in the bow. We decided to add a coffin box, and it was a good decision – it’s my only dry storage, and serves as a passenger seat, and a mounting base for the grab bar. The grab bar, tiller extension, and poling platform are graphite from Carbon Marine.
> 
> ...


Interesting rod holders; do the reels rest on those platforms and are they padded?

If you want some electronics, you could have a box made to house a GPS to attach to the grab bar between its legs if there's a chase running under the sole somewhere to run wiring. I like the setup BayStYat has for the forward compartment to keep things from sliding around.

Cool, well-kept skiff!


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Blue Zone said:


> Interesting rod holders; do the reels rest on those platforms and are they padded?


Yes, the rod rests on the legs and mine are padded with Seadek. I much prefer these over the holders I had in my BT and I like the suicide style rod holders. They just make sense to me ergonomically or maybe it's all the LEAN manufacturing stuff I've been through.



Blue Zone said:


> If you want some electronics, you could have a box made to house a GPS to attach to the grab bar between its legs if there's a chase running under the sole somewhere to run wiring.


Yes, Harry can run a small chase in the floor to a grab rail. I have a coffin box, so I am mounting my battery in there and I'm having a guy glass a low profile chase on top of the floor for me to run my wires back to tabs and jack plate.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

Blue Zone said:


> Interesting rod holders; do the reels rest on those platforms and are they padded?
> 
> If you want some electronics, you could have a box made to house a GPS to attach to the grab bar between its legs if there's a chase running under the sole somewhere to run wiring. I like the setup BayStYat has for the forward compartment to keep things from sliding around.
> 
> Cool, well-kept skiff!


Thanks Blue Zone. The rod handles rest on top of the platforms, and yes, they have Seadeck padding. I added additional pads adjacent to the holders for the reels. There's actually a small gps/depthfinder and trim tab controls on a box on the grab bar. Wiring runs through one of the grab bar legs, through a chase to a small battery under the rear bulk head- it's visible in the last picture.


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