# A different 1991 Johnsen rebuild



## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Today I was able to swing by my lumber yard and pick up some cedar and marine ply to start tomorrow. I also took off the motor, poling platform and all the hardware. tomorrow I will be cutting out the original seating and begin to take off the attempted gripping material that is already in place.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I will post some pictures of were it started, the progress I did today and tomorrow, tomorrow night. I will also post the pictures of the designed grab bar/ seat that the builder has sent me so far. It is being sent off for powder coat next week. I look forward to any input that y'all may have. This is my first restoration project, and while I am handy with wood working, I am relatively new to fiberglass, so this should be an interesting venture.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Here is a few from the past two days.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Few more


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Cool can't wait to see more pics and the finished product.


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

Id totally offer to help, but I saw grinders and fiberglass


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I was only itchy for a day. The white suit lasted about 30 mins before I decided a T-shirt had a better chance of letting me work the rest of the day. I am hoping to be able to get some more work done Thursday.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Does anyone have any horror stories about redoing these skiffs? I have seen one other the exact year and have seen yobota's slightly older one. Does it carry the extra weight well? I haven't seen or read anywhere that it doesn't? just curious.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

If you wanna go for a ride, just PM me. I'm in Melbourne. I love my skiff and how simple everything is


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I'll have to take you up on that. I hope to be picking up my jump seat from New Smyrna next week. Maybe I can drop by on either the way up, or the way back.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Did the draft change much?


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

I never even took it out pre rebuild because once I got it home and really started looking at the transom it didn't feel safe enough to take out...


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Grab bar/ seat is done! Now I need to figure out when I can shoot up to go get it.


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## bobber (Sep 29, 2015)

Carivera said:


> Does anyone have any horror stories about redoing these skiffs? I have seen one other the exact year and have seen yobota's slightly older one. Does it carry the extra weight well? I haven't seen or read anywhere that it doesn't? just curious.


The 14.10 is known for its stern squat but takes weight towards the bow well. I have a 92 hull with the factory flats deck layout. 6' bow deck,6' cockpit, 3' rear deck. Poling platform, 20hp Hatsu 4s,6,9 or 12 gal fuel plus grp24 battery at the rear. troller, GRP 29 batt, tool box(18lbs) tackle bag (15lbs) plus anchor,fenders,etc under the bow deck- this boat is rigged for multi day deep Everglades trips. Its an easy hull to balance for day trips by taking out one or both 3gal tanks. At full 3 day trip load with 2 aboard I get 7" static draft and plane in 12". Yes it's got some bow slap and can be a wet ride. But even my wife said she likes my little Johnsen, its a fun skiff.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

bobber said:


> The 14.10 is known for its stern squat but takes weight towards the bow well. I have a 92 hull with the factory flats deck layout. 6' bow deck,6' cockpit, 3' rear deck. Poling platform, 20hp Hatsu 4s,6,9 or 12 gal fuel plus grp24 battery at the rear. troller, GRP 29 batt, tool box(18lbs) tackle bag (15lbs) plus anchor,fenders,etc under the bow deck- this boat is rigged for multi day deep Everglades trips. Its an easy hull to balance for day trips by taking out one or both 3gal tanks. At full 3 day trip load with 2 aboard I get 7" static draft and plane in 12". Yes it's got some bow slap and can be a wet ride. But even my wife said she likes my little Johnsen, its a fun skiff.


Do you have any pictures of yours for reference?


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## carmenatey (Aug 29, 2015)

The Here is my 14 with front and rear deck with false floor and gunnels


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## bobber (Sep 29, 2015)

Pm me a cell # , I've got some on my phone


Carivera said:


> Do you have any pictures of yours for reference?


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Should I add a livewell? I'm torn. I like the idea of having one, but fish artificial 60-75% of the time. But would fish live more if I had one, I'm sure.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Carivera said:


> Should I add a livewell? I'm torn. I like the idea of having one, but fish artificial 60-75% of the time. But would fish live more if I had one, I'm sure.


I would because if you don't use it for bait you could for a cooler or storage.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Or just use a 5 gal bucket the 30% of the time you want to fish with live bait??


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

If I don't end up building one in, I was leaning toward the 30qt live bait cooler by engel. looks like it has the cooler tiedowns so I can just strap it to the deck. Has anyone had any experience with them? If so would I be able to use it as a casting platform too?


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## bobber (Sep 29, 2015)

I've had the 19 baitcooler for 3 years, here's my thoughts
Lousy as a cooler
Great as a dry box, but the bait version does leak small amounts of water from the air hose pass thru.
OK live well for shrimp,crabs,mud minnows and pins,not good for white baits. 
I wouldn't want to use the 30 as anything other than an occasional platform if even that-the outer shell is a hard plastic that flexes some when you put a foot on it. And the tie down brackets are the same plastic, don't know how durable they would be either. Engel does rate the lid for 220lbs when used as a seat with their seat cushion.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Are there any portable live wells that would keep pinfish or white bait alive that is not overly huge?


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## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

Carivera said:


> Are there any portable live wells that would keep pinfish or white bait alive that is not overly huge?


If you want to stand on it spend a little bit more on the ozark trail root molded and convert it to a livewell. There are tons of home brew livewells that are online you could mimick and if done right it still could double as a cooler when you don't need to use it as a livewell


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I have an Rtic 45 I will be converting to a live well. I will end up getting a smaller cooler for my drinks.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I was able to pick up my grab bar/gas tank storage/ seat yesterday from Cody May. I have since did a paracord wrap on the handle to match the one on my tiller extension.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Stoked just picked up a CMC tilt 35 for a decent price. My 25 merc doesn't tilt so this will help out with poling


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Looks like I'll actually get a few hours to work tomorrow on the boat. Hope to get all the sanding done and start creating the templates for the bulk heads and stringers.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Do I really need to get the hull down to the original fiberglass before I install the bulkheads, or can I get a good bond by sanding down enough to knock off the most of it?


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

You don't want to bond to old gelcoat, anywhere the bulkhead is attached should be bare galss.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I got all the bulk heads glassed and picked up the fumed silica to make my peanut butter to get them in place. Hope to knock out at least one on Wednesday.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I was thinking of doing a false floor for the longest time, but no am thinking I should just use I guess its called diveycell? and maybe just adhere some pucks to the bottom with epoxy so I may mount the jump seat. Does that sound doable?


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I just really how much the floor shakes, and with cutting out the two middle side boxes I'm sure it'll flex even more, and I want to alleviate that.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Carivera said:


> I just really how much the floor shakes, and with cutting out the two middle side boxes I'm sure it'll flex even more, and I want to elevate that.


Stringers from bulkhead to bulkhead (if bulkheads already in, otherwise to transom), and ribs, closed cell floatation foam (if you want), then a false floor. My skiff was night and day different before/after...


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

is there a way to strengthen the floor without a false floor?


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Carivera said:


> is there a way to strengthen the floor without a false floor?


Not really. You could core it and build up glass, but it will be just as heavy if not more, and might still flex a bit.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Plus coring the curved shape of this style of hull would mean using the scored divinycell that can match the curve. This technique leaves voids which have to be filled with thickened resins, and if you're using epoxy that gets to be pretty expensive pretty quickly...

I can't remember if you ended up going with wood/epoxy for your build. If you did, check out my build thread, I used 1x2s for the stringers, some scrap 3/8" marine ply for a couple of ribs. It actually wasn't too difficult and only took a couple of days worth of templates, glassing, and sanding...


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Does anyone have any experience with the diveycell? And what other types of resins are there. I’ve only really used epoxy.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Carivera said:


> Does anyone have any experience with the diveycell? And what other types of resins are there. I’ve only really used epoxy.


Epoxy
Vinyl-ester
Polyester


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

I think I am going to try the diveycell and stick with the epoxy. Hopefully it'll work out.


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## Carivera (Jan 13, 2017)

Boat Builder Central is quick with the delivery. Now when I install the diveycell, do I install score side down, or up. I would think down to allow for better curvature, but admittedly I am a rookie and could use some guidance. I hope to be able to get prepped and make some cuts for the wood tomorrow (I changed the layout again).


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

I am no expert, but here is some reading material. You would put the scored part down so the foam forms properly to the convex curve. When you do this, it will create air gaps in those scores. You need to fill that with something. Most commercial builders use a core bedding adhesive, which is a thick putty that gets squeezed out when you press the core into there. Diab Group which makes Divinycell sells a CBA called Divilette, but it is a polyester based product and I'm not sure how it would work if you already have epoxy in your layup. I would also assume that vacuum bagging may be needed to properly keep that core in the spot? 

Good luck!


http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/pdf/core/GSGUIDELINES.pdf


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