# 2017 Spear Glades X



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Recently acquired from a fellow forum member.

Keeping her in the "family" and local here to the Tampa area. 

Ran her hard on Sunday and threw flies at red fish that rejected us.

Beyond stoked.


----------



## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

We need to see some more pics of this sweet ride crboggs!


----------



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

YESSSSSSS!!!

So stoked for you Chris. We need lots and lots of pictures!


----------



## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Pimpin' ain't easy, but it's necessary! Congrats on a sweet ride! I though the stern of that boat you posted the other day looked familiar.


----------



## CPurvis (Apr 6, 2016)

crboggs said:


> Recently acquired from a fellow forum member.
> 
> Keeping her in the "family" and local here to the Tampa area.
> 
> ...


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Tiller Steering 101 (Tillers, Tunnels, & Jack Plates)


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

This angle gives you a frame of reference for beam on the Glades X...I'm 6'2" 220# and she doesn't feel tippy at all.


----------



## Pierson (Mar 16, 2016)

That thing looks like a fly fisherman's paradise.....


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Pierson said:


> That thing looks like a fly fisherman's paradise.....


Yeah. Its a minimalist, utilitarian, no frills fly fishing machine. There are absolutely ZERO of the creature comforts most people look for ... but that's why I bought it. (Well that and the fact she still looks sexier than most...)


----------



## Fritz (Jan 17, 2017)

Love this boat! Well done sir!

Now, I'm looking at that grab bar and wondering if the middle is the right place for it, I mean is it ergonomically best in the middle or would it be better offset to the right, like your arm (I mean your right arm, your left arm is obviously offset to the left). Thoughts?

The grab bar does look cooler in the middle.


----------



## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

Beauty, CR. Goes perfectly with that GT in the rear window!


----------



## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

Coty's old skiff! Glad to see it's still around. Spent some time with it at last year's TBFC outing. Very impressed! Enjoy!


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Fritz said:


> Now, I'm looking at that grab bar and wondering if the middle is the right place for it, I mean is it ergonomically best in the middle or would it be better offset to the right, like your arm (I mean your right arm, your left arm is obviously offset to the left). Thoughts?


Honestly I'm still figuring things out on ergonomics. First time with a tiller and the left hand drive took a little getting used to for a righty like myself. Later in the day I was about a quarter step further to my right once I was trimmed out and running, which allowed a free swing on steering. Also this boat feels weight distribution and subtle changes and moves can change its balance and behavior when on plane. So I like having everything static on the center line where I can move and adjust around it.

Only thing I may change is running a remote tilt switch to the little console. Right now it just has tabs and jack plate controls and I'd like to be able to adjust everything with my right hand while driving with my left.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

mwolaver said:


> Beauty, CR. Goes perfectly with that GT in the rear window!


What's the Good Word? 

(Class of '94...just got my 25th reunion letter in the mail, where'd the time go?)


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

crboggs said:


> Honestly I'm still figuring things out on ergonomics. First time with a tiller and the left hand drive took a little getting used to for a righty like myself. Later in the day I was about a quarter step further to my right once I was trimmed out and running, which allowed a free swing on steering. Also this boat feels weight distribution and subtle changes and moves can change its balance and behavior when on plane. So I like having everything static on the center line where I can move and adjust around it.
> 
> Only thing I may change is running a remote tilt switch to the little console. Right now it just has tabs and jack plate controls and I'd like to be able to adjust everything with my right hand while driving with my left.



Yep. I originally had my jack plate switch on the end or my carbon tiller. I hated it there and moved it to my grab bar where I could bump it up and down while still holding on to the bar.


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

crboggs said:


> What's the Good Word?
> 
> (Class of '94...just got my 25th reunion letter in the mail, where'd the time go?)


my daughter, her husband and 4 other relatives went there....go jackets!


----------



## g8rfly (Oct 9, 2011)

Nice skiff, I've always loved Harry's boats


----------



## AucillaDawg (Mar 24, 2018)

crboggs said:


> What's the Good Word?
> 
> (Class of '94...just got my 25th reunion letter in the mail, where'd the time go?)


Beautiful skiff crboggs! Is the SeaDek something you added? It looks good on there. Thinking about using it on my Evergladez in some places. Good to know you attended the North Avenue Trade School. Go Dawgs!


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Its actually Marine Mat. Previous owner added it. 

I actually used to have a "NATS" t-shirt. But I did spend alot of time visiting friends in the Clarke County Correctional School...


----------



## Pole Position (Apr 3, 2016)

I swear......every time I look @ Harrys' boats I am reminded that simpler is often better. Congrats on the purchase---great looking ride.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Congrats Chris. Dang good lookin skiff! What's the hp?

I love tillers and grew up with them. I'm right handed too but back then, they only had left handed tillers. So I wouldn't have it any other way if I had a tiller these days.

Is that marine mat easy to keep clean?

I take it those fly line spikes are Carbon Marine's spikes?


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

@Backwater, its a Tohatsu 50 with a Jack Foreman prop. She jumps on plane in about a boat length and scoots in the low / mid 30s. Plenty fast enough running jacked up with that massive tunnel. She does NOT like to steer at low speeds. I have to remember to drop the jack plate and get as much lower unit in the water as I can when puttering along at idle speeds. There is no coasting through a turn...gotta push the ass end around with the throttle. Poling and tracking is excellent...and silent. Waited over a year to find one of these after selling my 181...its the perfect upper bay backwater redfish machine.

Yeah...spikes are from Carbon Marine. I'm not sure I'll keep them since I won't be using this boat for tarpon and the boat cover tends to mash them down...


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Tiller gang shenanigans at the ramp this past Sunday, caught up to @Redfish727 trying out his new Foreman prop...


----------



## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

Everglades guide skiff Harry just finished‼


----------



## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Confused why he did the funky 2nd set of legs on the leaning bar? Could have easily run a horizontal set of legs off the leaning bar pipe directly to the coffin box and eliminated the 2nd set of deck mounts.

Other wise looks nice.


----------



## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Bonecracker said:


> View attachment 28284
> View attachment 28281
> View attachment 28283
> View attachment 28282
> Guide skiff Harry just finished‼


Bet that's fly fish marcos new boat.


----------



## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

Net 30 said:


> Confused why he did the funky 2nd set of legs on the leaning bar? Could have easily run a horizontal set of legs off the leaning bar pipe directly to the coffin box and eliminated the 2nd set of deck mounts.
> 
> Other wise looks nice.


It's for those rotund clients


----------



## EvanHammer (Aug 14, 2015)

Net 30 said:


> Confused why he did the funky 2nd set of legs on the leaning bar? Could have easily run a horizontal set of legs off the leaning bar pipe directly to the coffin box and eliminated the 2nd set of deck mounts.
> 
> Other wise looks nice.


Looks like you could drop a soft sided cooler or fish bag in there and it wouldn't slide around?


----------



## Flatbroke426 (May 5, 2018)

crboggs said:


> Recently acquired from a fellow forum member.
> 
> Keeping her in the "family" and local here to the Tampa area.
> 
> ...


Great looking boat


----------



## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Very nice.


----------



## Tx_Whipray (Sep 4, 2015)

yobata said:


> It's for those rotund clients


why did you hack my iCloud pictures?


----------



## POCtied (Oct 19, 2016)

Net 30 said:


> Confused why he did the funky 2nd set of legs on the leaning bar? Could have easily run a horizontal set of legs off the leaning bar pipe directly to the coffin box and eliminated the 2nd set of deck mounts.
> 
> Other wise looks nice.


looks like a Yeti cooler bag would fit perfectly in there


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Got to run her on an early Fall 0.1 low tide yesterday. 

Boat is capable of way more than I am so far. I don't have the cahones to find its true limits yet...although I did spin it up in about 10" and run past half covered traps before dragging the skeg skipping over a shoal to get back home to the ramp...

Good to know I can get in and out of my home creek on a 0.1 low with winter coming up soon.


----------



## Guvner (Jun 19, 2013)

One of my old haunts, National Orange


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

crboggs said:


> Got to run her on an early Fall 0.1 low tide yesterday.
> 
> Boat is capable of way more than I am so far. I don't have the cahones to find its true limits yet...although I did spin it up in about 10" and run past half covered traps before dragging the skeg skipping over a shoal to get back home to the ramp...
> 
> Good to know I can get in and out of my home creek on a 0.1 low with winter coming up soon.


Great looking skiff! It’s really nice to be able to get around in the skinny stuff! Yesterday I drifted into a cove that sanded in thinking I could drift right through the creek into the main bay and it was only 2” deep. I had to push her back into the wind into water up to the top of my wading boots (6-8”), trimmed out, got her moving a little, tabbed down, dropped the hammer and trimmed down and was on my way. If not for that ability I would have been calling an airboat. No seagrass was harmed in these shenanigans, only some mud and sand that got piled up there after hurricane Harvey last year.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> No seagrass was harmed in these shenanigans, only some mud and sand that got piled up there after hurricane Harvey last year.


Yup. Same creek mouth I skipped into at 0.1 reached out and grabbed me at 0.0 a week later as I tried to exit. Had to dodge a crab trap that was 2/3 out of the water and zigged right when I should have zigged left. Quickly learned that sometimes your trim tabs can drag and push the nose of your boat down onto the sand if you've been running slow with them down and forgot to level them out.

Luckily the boat is so light I was able to shove her a few feet over into maybe 6". Barely enough to pole in. Not enough room to spin her up and fill the tunnel so I had to experiment with creating a wave at the stern that would pick me up enough to get me moving forward. That actually worked...but only over the sand, wouldn't have been an option over grass or oyster.

Tide was still going out and the sun was setting...it was either get moving or be discovered later as a dry husk after the skeeters bled me dry.


----------



## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

Ecofina??


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Rick hambric said:


> Ecofina??


Me? Nah...more west central...


----------



## CDL (May 14, 2015)

Only an idiot would try to run Ecky on those tides....ask me how I know ?


----------



## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

CDL said:


> Only an idiot would try to run Ecky on those tides....ask me how I know ?


 I’ve had to pole or get out and pull the boat out of Ecky before. With a negative 1’ years that would be a suicide run!


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Its amazing what these boats can do when driven correctly. I used to drag foot pegs on my Ducati in the north GA mountains but I'm still learning how to trim and drive this tiller on tight creeks. Spent a couple of hours with an experienced Spear owner on the skiff today and got a lesson in using negative trim to lift the stern when running skinny creeks. It really is a balancing act...


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

crboggs said:


> Its amazing what these boats can do when driven correctly. I used to drag foot pegs on my Ducati in the north GA mountains but I'm still learning how to trim and drive this tiller on tight creeks. Spent a couple of hours with an experienced Spear owner on the skiff today and got a lesson in using negative trim to lift the stern when running skinny creeks. It really is a balancing act...


Kind of like running a jetski or outboard jet where you have to throttle up to drive the stern around each tight corner or it won’t make it. That’s where a center console with a good steering wheel knob comes in handy. I run a lot of really tight creeks around here.


----------



## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

sliding your arse around while its puckered tight to the seat can be challenging to one that's not used to it.


----------



## Guest (Nov 12, 2018)

Rick hambric said:


> sliding your arse around while its puckered tight to the seat can be challenging to one that's not used to it.


And sometimes tha t arse goes all the way and passes your front! Makes that pucker a lot tighter lol!


----------



## CDL (May 14, 2015)

Fish a tournament out of Econfina on Sat. out of my bay boat on a -.3 tide....marked 4 rocks I never had seen. I'm guessing we may have been 1-1/2 miles off the hill in 1.5 ft of water. Nasty out there


----------



## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

ill never forget the time my dad and I were 3 miles out of eco with a 10kt north wind & full moon, tying to find some water deeper than 1.5ft finally started getting to some 2ft water and BAM, there went the lower...…. I still rag him about it. tried telling him we needed to add a tunnel to the john boat... eco can be treacherous and it doesn't matter how far out you are in the right conditions.....


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Rick hambric said:


> sliding your arse around while its puckered tight to the seat can be challenging to one that's not used to it.


Yeah...kinda like learning how to counter steer on a cycle. Its counter intuitive at times and scary learning the limits...


----------



## Guest (Nov 13, 2018)

crboggs said:


> Yeah...kinda like learning how to counter steer on a cycle. Its counter intuitive at times and scary learning the limits...


Some call it scary, I call it fun!


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Boatbrains said:


> Some call it scary, I call it fun!


*lol* Running into a ditch and running into a mangrove are about the same thing...


----------



## Guest (Nov 13, 2018)

crboggs said:


> *lol* Running into a ditch and running into a mangrove are about the same thing...


I once slid about 50-75 yds up into a mudflat in Ozello being a jackass! Thankfully there was just enough h2o to make the boat attemp something that resembled floating once we jumped over board in waste deep sludge and emptied the cooler of all ice and drinks minus two bottles of water each for the ride back to ramp! We tugged and pushed for over an hr and she was free. The outgoing tide on an already negative didn’t help a bit! I call that memory a momentary lapse of judgement followed by and hr of reflection lol!


----------



## jonny (May 1, 2007)

crboggs said:


> Its amazing what these boats can do when driven correctly. I used to drag foot pegs on my Ducati in the north GA mountains but I'm still learning how to trim and drive this tiller on tight creeks. Spent a couple of hours with an experienced Spear owner on the skiff today and got a lesson in using negative trim to lift the stern when running skinny creeks. It really is a balancing act...


Not quite as sketch as running The Dragon. But running aground does have its pucker factors. You are correct on the trim. Most people in a shallow situation will trim up. Which is ok when idling. But once you get deep enough to get on it. It just drives the ass end down. Where tucking in all the way. And jacking up if you got it. Will actually lift the ass end like you found out. Another tip is large tabs on these little skiffs will help you get up level at slower speeds. These little skiffs are like a small sports car. They react well to any input. Either from trim, power input or weight transfer.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Huuuge difference using negative trim while jacking it higher...skiff runs skinnier and turns better at the same time. It really is alot like driving a rear wheel drive sports car...


----------



## Mike Geer (Nov 22, 2018)

Chris,
That is a great looking Skiff! That would served me quite well in Texas.

Mike


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

I poled into a backwater from the bow so I could wade an incoming tide...

Still floating in this pic with me on the bow...I estimate somewhere around 5-6"...I've never bothered to measure...any skinnier and its canoe territory...


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

She does squat a little bit in the stern at rest...a product of the Tohatsu 50 and large tunnel...


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Hey Chris. Does your tiller handle wobble at all? My 30 etec tiller handle wobbled some which was magnified with my extensiom.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Sublime said:


> Hey Chris. Does your tiller handle wobble at all? My 30 etec tiller handle wobbled some which was magnified with my extensiom.


Not at all. I used a rubber mallet to lightly snug the extension down before I cranked down the nuts to hold it in place. So far so good...no wobbles or loose connections...

I use a bungie from the platform to hold the tiller handle up when trailering so it doesn't bang around and knock anything loose. And I'm gonna add some red silicon tape one of these days to mark things so I can tell if its slipped at all. I'm a little paranoid about it coming loose while running on plane...for obvious reasons...


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)




----------

