# '79 CMF Skiff 14.5 rebirth



## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Hello all i have been drifting around here for some time now. i have had a few little skiffs over the years and built a few in the past.. ive been in a 20' I/O recently and well simply put IT IS NOT A FISHING BOAT.

Back story, ill try to make is brief as i know all y'all want is pictures and not a novel though i can be long in the tongue..

here goes

I got a 2007 trailer that has maybe seen water a dozen times so it is basically new. oread the word to the buddies to keep eye out of a skiff.. just so happens a hull was sitting behind my buddy who (sank my 12' skiff about 4 years ago long story short.. it was being towed by a 30' to the anchorage after a long day. cross wave, nose dive, boat breaks apart, motor salvaged..) so he said to me you can have this hull to replace the one he had killed.. SWEET FREE hull. i had no idea what it was other than 14.5 feet and shallow draft tri hull.. ok im game.. 

well my brother is bringing it to me this weekend so until then i have a few cruddy cell pictures

She is a 1979 CMF skiff 14.5 stick steer made in Georgetown SC boat is in Charleston just south of Georgetown. 

- nice size bow casting deck
- live well
- dry storage
- bow dry storage

"sarcasm" 
- higher performance custom jack plate out of raw steel covered in cancer 
- double bow eyes, because one is never enough
- real tree leaf camo
- that 2 years behind a barn dirt paint job

the plans.. Keep It Simple Stupid
loose the jack plate. loose the 15. clean, repair hull, sand, fair, 2-3 coats of Marlin Blue, then clear, we thing the interior is good to use i will decide, if not then off white and swirl blue to match hull.

the only electrical that i am considering is Nav lights and thats only because Mr. Green Jeans likes me to use them when dark. i like stealth mode  ;D

as for power im thinking 25-40hp.. they came with 30-40Hp 15' from what i can find.. 

now in the minds of simple a tiller is the simple solution as new cables for the stick steer, shift, throttle cost money we will see all depends on motor.. 

now i do like the idea of having my body mass up front for a better distribution of ###.. on the topic of ### newer 4st are simply too darn heavy at 200-230#.. so older 2st is the target 160#..   

well here is the pics more to come.. this will be my 7th boat at age 28.. 





the stern light mount



dry storage



live well



this wall paneling will be replaced and new will be glassed in and non skid



"Custom Cancer Jack Plate" adds 20mph instantly







this is my 1960 Feather craft that i nut and bolt ground up restored in 2008 for an indication of my past work..


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Picked up a boat troling motor mount for my turbo quiet 65 . new never used Craigslist score..


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## PG350 (Jan 19, 2012)

I have a new project also that l looks just as dirty. I like that boat because it is different than most. Good luck and keep the pics coming.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

thanks the different factor is amazing to me.. i have not seen any like it before very cool design and i feel it will end up a vey functional fishing machine..

time for some decisions.. i want the bow simple as all bows should be.. so the first 2 issues that come up are CLEAT and NAV light.. 

so do i go with a 
A) fixed 1.5" high small bow light
B) a pop up
C) a receptacle and a 1' stick (but this is an item to take up storage space

im up in the air on the Nav light.. I would love some FEEBACK


















and i have basically decided on a 8" pop up center cleat 




this is te color i am going with on the hull, MARLIN BLUE


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

fstarted building a new push pole over the weekend out of Oak it will be glassed tonight...


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## PG350 (Jan 19, 2012)

I am very cheap so as far as nav lights I would not spent too much.  I like the simple 1.5 inch light.  All that fancy pop up stuff just adds more to break.  

Nice looking push pole but is it heavy due to being made out of oak?  

The hull I just bought is the same hull as a Sea N Sport Dory 16.  It is older and needs lots of cosmetic work.  I also need to make few repairs to get it on the water to see if it is something I want to invest a lot of time into.  I love the look of Pangas but cannot afford one so this boat is my is as close to a Panga as I am going to get.  

Here is the link to the Sea N Sport page that shows the kind of hull I just purchased. Do you think it will be a dry ride? http://www.seansportboats.com/160DTDC.htm


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

The shaft is pine and the push base is oak. So no it's not heavy.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Got the first layer of glass on and then the base with plate for one side on. Ill resin glue the other side with a level coat of resin in the morning before work. Then the edges will get tape glass.


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## Rosco (Nov 6, 2010)

Seeing the work you did on the other one, this one will turn out just fine!


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Sweet smell or resin in the morning. 
The base is 1.44" width. The edges will get glass at lunch if not will happen after work.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

well buddy dropped off the MotoGuide Saltwater mount that i had him buy for me out of town off of Craigs List. it is MINT.. needs a little wipe down other than that she is brand new. one letter of the decal is pealing but thats not a big deal.. cant believe i grabbed this sucker for $35 they are on amazon for $371

Finished one side of the pole.. the other will be finished after work.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Not that I don't like boat accessories and all, but what is going on to the boat itself? Did you get it cleaned up?


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

> Not that I don't like boat accessories and all, but what is going on to the boat itself? Did you get it cleaned up?


Boat arrives to me Friday night.. next week will be cleaning.. as for main power i am shopping for a 25-40hp weight being a factor as the new 4st vs an older 2st have significant weight differences. so i am going to toss some of my gym weights in the transom and float her with fuel at bow and see how the transom water line is with me in the transom (tiller steer) and how it balances set as a stick steer at the bow.. this will help me make a decision.. along with the fact that i dont want to "have to" run a jack plate so i am hunting a 15" and simply i am picky dont want a POS and dont want to pay full blown retail.. this said it is a game of patience. I have a few good prospects.. 30-35Hp is looking like the best power to weight ratio. 


Until my brother brings me the boat on the new trailer it is a holding pattern on the power plant..


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

addition... this is my fall project so yea.. hopefully i can find an offseason motor deal


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Ok so there were some delays on delivery but she made it this week perfect. Parents got here for the football game and the boat got here perfect. I will have to adjust the trailer some but for the nothing invested other than $35 for the trolling motor mount I'm in the black by a lot so that's always a plus. A new galv trailer with new spare and boat and a brand new motor mount for $35 I'm off to a good start. 

Sunday I will start to clean and make a few plans. But for sure hull paint, white interior (simi gloss) and blue splatter. Few other fixes and upgrades. 

More pics to come don't worry.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Well this evening I has a little bit of time to clean out the boat and wash it to better acess the hull structure. This week I will strip it of components. And get things sanded and ready for some glass work.

Worms and oak tree growing in the boat. 










Bag of dirt and leaves. 





































Live well with thru hull drain. 










The splatter paint job is well...... I think a drunk 10 year old could have done better


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Don't you just love it when there are tree's growing in your boat? ;D Cool lines on that boat, can't wait to see it rebuilt!


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Christmas came early while I was home for lunch. A new reel. Well... A reel I have had but it was lost and I had forgot about it. Found it in the box while looking for my 80 and 120 grit orbital paper. Guess I'm going to have to find a nice 6-7'er pole to mount her to. For now ill leave it on the book shelf to see how long till the wife notices. I'm betting before bed tonight she will have evicted my new shiny gem to the shop. 

Nothing fancy but it made my Monday better.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

I got some sanding done tonight. Man dang whoever in the past that made a few repairs left a mess of epoxi resin drips and splatters everywhere. Well in a good many places. The sanding process has begun. 





















































:-/


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

well lastnight i got the SS bolts holding the 20 adapter plate off. that was fun breaking those suckers loose.. in the process i was attacked by fire ants on my hands.. and thus the scavenger hunt for there home started.. well i found it.. the underside of the rear corner stern light bracket was rotten and that is where the nest was.. so i used a paint scraper and removed the rotten area. The entire piece will be cut out after making a template and synthetic will be replacing the wood that likes to rot..



in addition i used kitty hair to fill the assortment of voids in the resin that i sanded down the other day.. i felt that they were too large of voids for fairing compound and the kitty hair would yield a stronger result.. next will be a full layer of glass 10 oz on the stern for piece of mind that there is a solid unit of water prevention.. i only found one blister that i will need to address.. 





If anyone can yield an opinion of H45 vs H60 core foam for replacing the bow casting platform wood.. i think that the 7,900 psi of the H45 vs the 10,800 psi of the 60 will be sufficient strength to support me. the sheer strength is rated at 81psi and that is good in my book.. please let me know opinion.. i am also in debate about adding some to the bottom sides of the live well and the dry storage hatch as they are vacuum molded and about 1/8" thick and can flex.. and being that they are older glass i do not want to risk then cracking or someone stepping thru the lid.. the other option from 1/4-3/8" core on the underside would be structural cross weave sewn matt.. but i feel that the core foam would yield a stronger and more efficient lid in the end..


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

few things new.. got the barn paneling wood chiseled off the bow and stated to make the rod storage tubes with flairs..


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## Rosco (Nov 6, 2010)

I've used H45 and H60 on my build. I lean toward the H60 for anything anyone will be standing on.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

> I've used H45 and H60 on my build.   I lean toward the H60 for anything anyone will be standing on.



Would you mind sharing the source of your purchase it may speed my search for best deal up a bit..


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## Rosco (Nov 6, 2010)

I got the large H60 panels I needed for bulk heads through Paxton Co. I have a friend with an account that was able to order it for me. I ordered H45 from Aircraft Spruce as I mainly needed smaller peices for where I vacuum bagged it between the ribbands. Lastly, I got some specialty scrim and scored H60 for contours from Greatlakesskipper.


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## spahlinger85 (Sep 16, 2013)

I wanna hear more about that push pole thinking of making something similar


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

> I wanna hear more about that push pole thinking of making something similar



what you want to know? its been on my brothers boat for about a month now and so far it has landed a dozen or so reds and sea bass.. she pushes around the Charleston flats nice, he seems to like it thus so far.. i will make myself another..


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## spahlinger85 (Sep 16, 2013)

Well I guess it's pretty self explanatory. You used pine closet rod from HD? Did you just epoxy the foot into the slot or where there any screws used? I have a couple of cans of polyester resin at the shop I'm gonna use. No glass on the pole right? Only the foot? Lets see a shot of it in action!!!


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

No screws.. the wedge was sanded for a tight fit. it is wedged in there, then I epoxy resin it in.. and i did 10oz over the foot up about 3' up the shaft.. and did a tape on the edges.. then 2 coats of resin on the shaft and let it soak in basically making the shaft waterproof not a structural element as glass gives structure.. i made one years ago and it has been used for years and looks good as new. 

i will try and get some action shots.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Well i have been busy with football season, BUT i have finalized my rear deck and storage plans.. H80 structural foam and some H60 have been ordered. The 1/8" ply templates will begin in a week for mockup and fitment.. 

the rear will be a large U shaped traditional deck with access to the 2 corner drain plugs for on plain draining as i do not plan to run a bilge pump for "KISS". then the under seat will be dry storage in addition to the existing dry storage. 2 recessed cup holders, 2 corner rod holders. I cannot decide if i want 15* holders angled at 45* to the corners or 90*. the bow deck will be rebuilt along with 4 rod tubes. 

i will post pics of the template mock up soon... the project will take full force work once football season is over and no more home games..


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

ok final layout has beed decided on, some things are shifting that currently exist etc etc.. but here is the layout that will be created..



The 1/8 template boards and some 2x2 supports are in the shop and they will become a rear deck after work as long as it is not raining 10% chance so things are looking good.. 

In case anyone was wondering YES a 4x8' sheet of ply can fit in a tahoe. yes it is TIGHT but it will fit..


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

moved some pictures in Photobucket and the links broke, so i deleted post and re linked.. as there is no edit post button.

Update for wednesday night... well the pedistal seat base removal yielded more time consuming and opened up a new area to fix.. so no templates were made last night.. but progress has begun and moving forward..

after removing the wooden SPONGES full of water i found a crack in te deck under the rear base that was allowing water to run into the hull and as you already are thinking.. YES the old open cell foam in the rear 1/3 of the boat was rotten... BUT a positive bc of the tunnels the center hull is only about 10" wide so i dont have to remove the entire floor.. i cut a small 3x3 inspection port and yup water and rott foam.. i will grinder cut out the rest of the infected area.. then use 2 part Liquid Urethane Expanding Pour foam 4# density for the under the deck area... i will also add a synthetic stringer.. there will be NO wood on this boat.. if i am going thru the effort now why do it again.. once that is done i will lay new glass and glass in the rear deck..

also test fitted the gas tank in the bow.. it needs about 1/4" more shaved vertically off of the access hole for the tank to fit..


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

ok now for todays update from work done thursday night.. cut larger hole.. found rotten foam.. lots of rotten air pockets. all was removed. there is a little left towards the stern but i ran out of day light and my dual 1000w halogen work lights will arrive today YAY let the be light.. 

not in the first picture (looking towards the bow) that the foam just stops.. as far as i could reach my arm it was hollow. i guess they only put foam under the seat post locations.. who knows.. but i will have a solid keel hull pocket of poly foam with no air space..





hammer and chisel to get the old foam out. i found numerous pockets like this _*containing the worst smelling rancid water i have ever smelt in my life.*_


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Got the rear deck mock up framing started and good and square. I'm happy so far. Once the 1/2" H80 is laid on top it will yield a 1.5" of toe rail. The rear cross bar is 5.5" from the motor mounts at the transom and will be about 15" wide. That is where to hatch edge will end. The only things on the read deck will be 2 cup holders 2 rod holders and the SS piano hinge for the hatch. The deck is 3'x4'










The piece of fiberglass scrap of the floor cut out. That is representing the glass I will lay inside the compartment to keep it dry and the drain channels under the deck. 










I am happy with the way things are going so far.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

finished the framing, i spent more time than i thought but was in no rush and wanted it perfectly square and how i wanted it.. it will get skinned thins week aka 1/8" templates



got the rod tubes started.. think im gonna add a horizontal 2nd on the top.. have not made mind yet


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

FedEx dropped some presents last night on the porch..

box of Divinycell H80 1/2" foam
and new  1,000w halogen tripod work lights.. will be used for the paint booth and night sanding. cant ever have enough light in the shop.





these suckers make lots of light..pitch black night only the work lights on i could see about 50 yards to the neighbors house across the street that usually i cannot see.


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## jdpber1 (Aug 21, 2013)

Well after being paid up with bruised ribs and chest pain when breathing from a car wreck :'( I finally feeling better and got some work done. 

Made lots of dust sanding all the built up resin off from past repairs from a previous owner. Some spots were as thick as 1/4" thick of pure resin. 

Got the bow gas tank in place. 
The rear top deck template fitted. And I am about to do some glass work to a couple places and work on the rest if the templates.


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