# Extending a Gheenoe Classic to 18'



## RustyReel3755 (Jun 1, 2009)

Nice boat. I certainly would not cut it in half. If you want to try it, buy a beater that is going to need some work anyway and go at it. Better yet, supposed to be an 18 footer coming from Gheenoe in the near future, sell you current boat and buy one of those.


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

I think they have an 18' Gheenoe in the works from the factory, but that's another subject.

I would love to see it, and would probably try it if I had two hulls and some more free time.  I like the way you are thinking!  

I don't know that splicing in a section from another hull would be best though, since there are no straight sections of a Gheenoe hull.  you might be better off fabricating your own extension section to fair into the existing hull shape.  It wouldn't be too hard with some 1/4" ply or luan.

The hardest part would be cutting that good-looking rig in half!


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

I tend to lean to the extreme.
What you propose sounds like an extremely interesting project.
Set up a construction base.
measure and cut exterior braces for the existing hull
18 inches on center, reference marks on hull.
Cut hull, pull apart, brace hull using braces at reference points.
1x1 stringers attached fore to aft along all hull lines to carry hull lines.
Sand tapers to existing cut edges
Fabricate fiberglass panels to fit missing areas
glass overlaps
Fair and paint.

You do it, I'll watch and make wizeazz comments!


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

Well, I like your idea but have to say I don't know I'd turn your perfect looking baby into a Frankenhull. 

I think the obvious differences besides draft would be that it'd ride smoother in a sea as it's got more length. And it'd give you a ton more room and options as to where to put the batteries, etc. 

While you're at the "length" thing, why don't you add some "width"?? Really since you're gutting it, why not?!

-T


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

Call Pugar He can build anything you want ! How about a "stretch" LT 

I think it would only cost about $3000.00 more ...

Dave


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## choppercity47 (Jul 30, 2007)

buy the 18'er from CG


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2010)

> I think they have an 18' Gheenoe in the works from the factory, but that's another subject.
> 
> I would love to see it, and would probably try it if I had two hulls and some more free time.  I like the way you are thinking!
> 
> ...



Me! Knowing really next to nothing knew you "wood boat" guys would give me an answer like that. ;D

I like the set-up of my boat, but wish that maybe it was a few feet longer even though I have no idea if there would be any positives. 18' long with waterline bean at the chine of like 34" would put it somewhere into the Panga design thought I think.


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## HighSide25 (May 15, 2007)

not that beauty. please dont


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2010)

> buy the 18'er from CG



The problem with that is the beam is getting wider as the length is getting longer.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2010)

> Well, I like your idea but have to say I don't know I'd turn your perfect looking baby into a Frankenhull.
> 
> I think the obvious differences besides draft would be that it'd ride smoother in a sea as it's got more length. And it'd give you a ton more room and options as to where to put the batteries, etc.
> 
> ...


Yes, it may look nice and it's worked-out much better then imagined since April with very few issues, but I did build this with ZERO knowledge of resin, fiberglass etc.....except for the tons of answers I got here. One day it might just start to dissolve, but I can always move the goodies to another hull.

Another thing I found funny is that on at least 5 different occasions while fishing I was asked if that was the "New" G. Loomis Microskiff! I would always answer "why, yes it's the prototype". All from a couple of stickers. BTW, all 5 of those boats were I was asked that question all were very high dollar boats which I found interesting, but not surprising. ;D


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

Aparently he has the skills to do it ! 
I think Bretts Idea is best ...


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## tguasjr (Mar 9, 2009)

Dont cut up that beautiful boat. Sell  it and buy the new Gheenoe super 18.
http://www.customgheenoe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9556


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

I think you should consider what Tico and others have said. Sell your boat (check the trade in value) and upgrade to the 18' Super "G".

If you should stretch your boat, then re-registration is probably required and resale value of the stretched boat will be lower.

Frank_S


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

when I had my gheenoe and was looking to do the same I saw a few projects where people have cut gheenoes in half and tried to widen them, none of them were successful because they couldn't get them to square up right, also the glass on them was so thin that it made them flex alot more.
The new super 18 is most likely made using thicker glass and thus it will be stronger then a home grown copy.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Can't fault your logic FC.
The smart move is to sell and then buy the new 18.
But think of the entertainment value of a project like this.
There'd be months of pics and comments to keep us busy.

                                       [smiley=lurking.gif]


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## Tom_W (Oct 23, 2008)

Why not a transom extension or transom floats like they build for jon boats?

It would give you a longer hull without a total rebuild and the extra floation would get the rear up.

Just a thought.

More fun - less work


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

Ya Know I was thinking that Also LOL














> Why not a transom extension or transom floats like they build for jon boats?
> It would give you a longer hull without a total rebuild and the extra floation would get the rear up.
> 
> Just a thought.
> ...


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2010)

> Why not a transom extension or transom floats like they build for jon boats?
> 
> It would give you a longer hull without a total rebuild and the extra floation would get the rear up.
> 
> ...



Do you mean sponsons? The motor is a 15 hp 2 stroke which is pretty light and don't need more buoyancy in the rear for a heavy motor if that's what you mean.

I think a lot of you don't understand what I'm trying to do probably due to the fact that I'm not explaining it well. 

The Super Gheenoe 18 is way too wide and just too much boat for what I want. IMO, if I was going to go that route an Inshore Power Boat would be my preference as the hulls are priced very close I think.

*My question is:* If the Classic hull was extended to 18'(however way possible) near it's widest beam would it draft less, pole better, ride better etc....then the 15'6" version while *STILL* leaving the rest of the hull identical to a standard Classic except for say fixing the nose from the square version to one that would handle better? If no, then there is no point in discussing this anymore. 

I would think the answer is yes, do to the fact that there are at least 10 or so different "Technical Poling skiffs" out there that all have very similar dimensions when it comes to length and width.


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## OSWLD (Apr 20, 2008)

I think it would pole better, track better, and definitely draft less. thats 2' more of hull at its widest point dispersing weight. and really, i'd like to have one. the hardest part for sure is going to keep everything flush, straight and square with the world. Warping could really be an issue and since you want to add in the center of the boat you could get a screw in really easy. that would not be ideal.

That is a really nice boat, but if your somewhat confident in your work and thats the boat you have to work with, i'd say go for it. make a little history and quite possibly one bad a$$ little ride.

Whats the worst that could happen......


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

This Will be Interesting ! Build a Jig and go for it ! Sure form tool Shape mould ...

Post Lots of Pixx 

Dave


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## Tom_W (Oct 23, 2008)

I was just thinking if you extended the rear by bolting it to the transom you could test your theory without taking a sawsall to the hull. 

If you didn't like it you could easily go back to the original.

If you did it would encourage you to mark your hull with a sharpie and go to town. 

or

You could build a mold and make several of them to outfit the gheenoe army.

The 2-1/2 foot "engine well" could be used for storage or decked and used for a fishing platform. 

Of course you would probably want a tiller extension if the well wasn't decked. 

I don't have the nerve to slice a perfectly good hull...one with a crack or hole no problem.


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Perhaps someone has an old beater hull, no title, full of leaves they would like to donate to your cause?

I like your thinking, and think it is certainly an attainable goal. 

On the other hand, it might be just as easy to build one from scratch to your dimensions.


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

Tom W, kind of like an engine bracket on an offshore but in the shape of the hull lines of the classic. 

I had started to do that with my 13' but when I layed out the lines to follow the shape of the hull it ended up looking like it would just be a 15' highsider, so for the time and cost I said forget it and I would just buy an NMZ when I could.


A classic would be different though because it is wider so the transom would also be wider. I would like to see that done.


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2010)

> I think it would pole better, track better, and definitely draft less. thats 2' more of hull at its widest point dispersing weight. and really, i'd like to have one. the hardest part for sure is going to keep everything flush, straight and square with the world. Warping could really be an issue and since you want to add in the center of the boat you could get a screw in really easy. that would not be ideal.
> 
> That is a really nice boat, but if your somewhat confident in your work and thats the boat you have to work with, i'd say go for it. make a little history and quite possibly one bad a$$ little ride.
> 
> Whats the worst that could happen......



If there was anyone who would take on a project like this I would have to think it would be you with all the other stuff you have done!  



I'll leave the Classic I have alone only because I would still like to fish within the next year!  ;D and I guess I could use it as a comparison?

I'm starting to commit to this project. I need to read, ask and find all the info I can about splicing two fiberglass hulls together and of course all the info I can from all of you.

I'll be on the look-out for two Classic hulls. I'll talk to Puger and Sr. Gheen about if this would work and if they would have any issues with me doing this out of respect to them.  Also there has got to be some wrecked hulls, pieces etc.....at the main shop!


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## Jacbo (Jun 23, 2007)

If I was going to do this I would use a few 15' 4" Highsiders. They're much easy and cheaper to come across in project form. Also you could widen it to whatever width you desire. 

After all, a classic is just a widened highsider anyway.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

the curvature of the hulls won't match up if you try to splice 2 hull sections together because of the dynamic radius of the gheenoe shape. Instead of wasting alot of time and money on something that may not work out do like me and brett and build your own boat. You can buy the plans online for what you are looking for and be water ready in less then 2 months!

heres a link to what you want
http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=FS18

This is a proven design, and will cost you less to build then buying 2 classic hulls.


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

I keep mentioning that an extension would be added by making a Mould between the cut ends and doing a lay up ...

Dave


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2010)

> the curvature of the hulls won't match up if you try to splice 2 hull sections together because of the dynamic radius of the gheenoe shape. Instead of wasting alot of time and money on something that may not work out do like me and brett and build your own boat. You can buy the plans online for what you are looking for and be water ready in less then 2 months!
> 
> heres a link to what you want
> http://www.bateau.com/proddetail.php?prod=FS18
> ...


I'm starting to inquire about the FS18 for sale, but would feel weird not building it myself and and the questions I would be posed by others admiring it.

That site and those boats intimidate me! Two Months! Maybe a year or more and if I had to cut all those pieces........who knows. I'm no carpenter, but that was also my concern with the re-do of my classic never using glass, resin, marine paints etc.........I just took my time, thought about my next move for a while and it turned out better then I had hoped and was not that difficult in the end. 

Now, I was not prepared for how strong and powerful those chemicals are even working out-side. I must have lost about 2 million brain cells before I bought a respirator! ;D


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I started out by refurbishing an old gheenoe also, then decided to build my own boat. I designed it myself and did a ton of trial and error and got it done in 4 months. If I bought plans I could have done it in 6 weeks.

The construction and cutting is way easier then you think, and cutting the panels is super easy if you buy the plans cause all you do it lay the stencils on the wood, trace and cut, all this can be done in a day. Look up some of tutorials and you'll see it looks easy cause it is, just takes time.


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## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

This thing is AAAAMMMAAAZZZIIINNNGG

Build it just like this!

FS18

http://www.wetconcepts.com/platform.htm


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

I was thinking like firecat last night about all the disecting and bisecting and splicing you would have to do with making the curves line up.

Maybe you could just lay up in place the 2' mid section using cut luan and wax paper as a mold.

BTW, I'm all against you cutting up yer boat. Just had to say it. :'(


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

I think selling the existing hull
to finance the construction of a new hull
would be a much more satisfying endeavour.

Start from scratch...  ...build your own.

We need another project to follow.


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

> If I was going to do this I would use a few 15' 4" Highsiders. They're much easy and cheaper to come across in project form. Also you could widen it to whatever width you desire.
> 
> After all, a classic is just a widened highsider anyway.


This is a VERY good point Jacbo brings up, worth considering for sure. 

Also, keep in mind the classic/hi-sider hulls may not lend themselves to the extension very well without losing stability/floatation in the stern. 

Basically look at the difference between a 13 and a 15 hi-sider:

The 13 has a wide stern, pretty stable, seems slower to steer at speed (more controllable??)... probably more floatation at the very back because of the width. 

Now look at the 15; it basically is the 13 hull, following the natural curve of the gunnels back 2 more feet gives us length, but also narrows the stern. Begins to take on more of a "canoe" shape for lack of a better term.

If you followed those lines back even more, say another 2', you'd pretty much wind up with a canoe in the back. Narrow, less stable at speed, possibly less floatation???

Your classic hull would yield similiar results because of the classic's natural lines getting narrower as you move back to the stern. 

This is the main difference I've found between the classic hull and the LT25. The LT25 carries more width as you get back toward the stern. more floatation, more stability, better handling at speed, etc. 

Just my thoughts....

I like the concept of your idea, just need to look at the application and end result correcting whatever it is you don't like about the hull's current configuration. 

If you do the work and it doesn't correct the issues at hand, all you've done is cut up a beautiful boat!!

-T


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

> The problem with that is the beam is getting wider as the length is getting longer.


ok so I was reading back through this post and I missed this quote the first time. Heres my issue with this statement, if you extend your boat in the middle, which is the only way of doing it and not loosing functionality and stability by narrowing the back, then you will be adding alot of width to it cause it's the only way to follow the natural shape of the boat. If you didn't it would look like a goofy hack job. Everyone agree?

So now lets look at the dimensions of the classic, according the gheenoes website at the widest point it has a beam of 4'7" or 55 inches. The recent posts about the super 18 put the beam at just over 5 feet, or 60/61 inches. So without modification you are only talking about a 5 inch difference, once you modify the boat even if you hug the sides as best as you can you will be adding atleast an inch or 2 to the sides if not more, so at that point there will only be a 1-3 inch difference in width. So really you'll be making the same boat, except you wont have the added strength that is built into the super or the wider transom which adds to stability.

When you look at the pictures of the super it looks huge, but if you look closely you'll knotice they just design the sides to come back in much less which adds to the functional deck space and makes it a dryer ride.

My point to this rant......wait I'll come up with one.....oh right, I'd either buy the super 18 when it comes out, or I'd build one from scratch, because otherwise I think you'll quickly regret spending the time and money hacking up 1 or 2 hulls trying to get it to line up and look good, not to mention be structurally sound.


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