# 2001 HB Waterman 16 - Thanks Microskiff



## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

I just wanted to say thanks to the members here on Microskiff.com for the advise on a direction to go on my recent skiff purchase which was off of this site as well.

I picked up this bare bones 2001 Hells Bay Waterman 16 from Deland, FL a few months ago and brought it back to Texas. Overall it was in good condition but it needed some love. In its original life it was a tiller and the second owner converted it to a side console, the owner that i picked it up from converted it back to a tiller but left the holes in the gunnel so i had that fixed as well as some minor fiberglass repairs around the hatches, and removal of some old trolling motor plates.

I posted on here awhile back on how to run electronics on a grab bar, and there was really no good way to mount anything to the existing floor, so i had the shop install a composite floor and build me an aluminum cooler holder and grab bar. This way i could mount my cooler holder and grab bar with electronics on the floor, which now the wires run under the flooring. On the grab bar i mounted the Lowrance HDS9 Gen 3 with accessory switches and Diamond Performance trim tab switches. 

Here she is in all her glory, she still needs some additional love but after i get the feel for what the boat can do ill have those things addressed. This is my first boat and im really in love with it!


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

Congrats, man! Saw this on the FB page...slick ride...let me know if you need someone to push you around.


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## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

jsnipes said:


> Congrats, man! Saw this on the FB page...slick ride...let me know if you need someone to push you around.


Thanks man! definitely will do!


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## CaptainRob (Mar 11, 2007)

Pretty Boat!!!


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## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

Incredible!


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Great job Action. This is how this skiff is intended to be rigged and fished. Looks like 3.5-4 inch draft so you kept it light. Now you can start enjoying the capabilities of your sight fishing machine. You are fortunate to be living and working close to the Laguna.


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## pt448 (Mar 22, 2014)

Action Johnson said:


> I just wanted to say thanks to the members here on Microskiff.com for the advise on a direction to go on my recent skiff purchase which was off of this site as well.
> 
> I picked up this bare bones 2001 Hells Bay Waterman 16 from Deland, FL a few months ago and brought it back to Texas. Overall it was in good condition but it needed some love. In its original life it was a tiller and the second owner converted it to a side console, the owner that i picked it up from converted it back to a tiller but left the holes in the gunnel so i had that fixed as well as some minor fiberglass repairs around the hatches, and removal of some old trolling motor plates.
> 
> ...


I'm really digging that grab bar/ice chest setup. Congrats!


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## TBflats (Feb 10, 2015)

Awesome setup!


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## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

Thanks guys for the kind words!


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## D. C. Ward (Oct 26, 2015)

MAN! that thing is sweet, Im really digging the cooler rack/grab bar


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

That and the pre-'02 Whipray's are the ultimate technical poling skiffs! Great set up!


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## game on (Mar 12, 2016)

Nice job! I like how clean and simple you kept everything...


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## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

game on said:


> Nice job! I like how clean and simple you kept everything...


Thank you! that was my goal!


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## jboriol (Jan 2, 2010)

Action Johnson said:


> Thank you! that was my goal!


I love that skiff...beautiful!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Dude, I dig the beard!


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## ADicus (Feb 15, 2013)

Skiff looks awesome man! Looks like it's barely in the water. What kind of bow stick are you using I don't see any role to it is it a bracket?


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## Southbay (May 6, 2016)

Action Johnson said:


> I just wanted to say thanks to the members here on Microskiff.com for the advise on a direction to go on my recent skiff purchase which was off of this site as well.
> 
> I picked up this bare bones 2001 Hells Bay Waterman 16 from Deland, FL a few months ago and brought it back to Texas. Overall it was in good condition but it needed some love. In its original life it was a tiller and the second owner converted it to a side console, the owner that i picked it up from converted it back to a tiller but left the holes in the gunnel so i had that fixed as well as some minor fiberglass repairs around the hatches, and removal of some old trolling motor plates.
> 
> ...


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## Southbay (May 6, 2016)

Tell us, where did you get that work done?


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Backwater said:


> Dude, I dig the beard!


I believe that's Willie from Duck Dynasty. Have every seen them together


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Beautiful skiff. 

Are the images flipped or is the push pole on the port side? I don't think I've EVER seen a skiff with the push pole stored on that side.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

amazing shallow draft with a 40 hp motor.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

permitchaser said:


> I believe that's Willie from Duck Dynasty. Have every seen them together


Wait! Fer real?


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

The skiff is looking great, Robert!


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## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

Backwater said:


> Dude, I dig the beard!


haha thanks man



ADicus said:


> Skiff looks awesome man! Looks like it's barely in the water. What kind of bow stick are you using I don't see any role to it is it a bracket?


Thanks! Oddly enough thats just how the pictures turned out. Its roped off to the front eye



Southbay said:


> Tell us, where did you get that work done?


Cougar Marine in San Benito, Texas did the work for me. 



permitchaser said:


> I believe that's Willie from Duck Dynasty. Have every seen them together


haha! wish i had some of that duck money! 



Sublime said:


> Beautiful skiff.
> 
> Are the images flipped or is the push pole on the port side? I don't think I've EVER seen a skiff with the push pole stored on that side.


Thank you! sadly you are correct, the push pole is on the wrong side, i think the original owner mounted it over there and it was never moved. Next on the list when i get some time near a good shop again is to have the push pole moved over and have a different poling platform fabbed up.


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## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

devrep said:


> amazing shallow draft with a 40 hp motor.


It does good as long as im not on the platform lol



Backwater said:


> Wait! Fer real?


Haha i wish man. 



paint it black said:


> The skiff is looking great, Robert!


Thanks bud! hoping to drag it down to the everglades sometime this year!


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## commtrd (Aug 1, 2015)

Wow beautiful boat! It has no tunnel? Do you mostly fish it in the lower Laguna? Have been real curious how a non-tunnel shallow draft boat would fare in the mostly ultra-shallow waters from the land cut south... Really wanted to order new boat without a tunnel but agonized over that decision for a while and decided for lower laguna work it really was needed.

Thanks for the post and the images. Much appreciated.


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## Action Johnson (Feb 4, 2016)

no tunnel on this boat, i was working down in Brownsville for about a year and frequented the LLM, for the most part it will run pretty shallow but i never push my luck and normally set down pretty deep and pole onto the flats. For getting up its more poling to find deep enough water and normally have to have my passenger lay on the front deck while i get up on plane before them moving back to the cooler/seat (my prop is garbage) so that doesn't help popping up either. I believe the lower coast with their vast sandy flats a tunnel is a very good option. I primarily fish the upper coast so a non tunnel is a little easier to deal with on the mud flats.


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