# 1967 skeeter project



## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Hello everyone,
   I'm findly getting my 1967 Super Skeeter boat back on the work bench and trying to complete this boat. 

Here are some pics of the Skeeter boat hull and the final plans for painting. (PS. Skeeter boat manufacture never made a flats class but, I did....My Flivver boat (the micro of micro boats) is almost complete.  Enjoy

















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## disporks (Jan 19, 2011)

seen one of those skeeters locally on cl recently, would love to see more pics of it and the inside of the hull


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Here you go. I'm having the transome rebuilt and I'm making it into a nice flats boat.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

I just saw this on a nother forum,  Looks great










I think this would look great in a darker blue with burch ply on my skeeter with my paint scheam... 











What do you think?


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Do the cedar strip, it's easy enough, just takes an extra day to make the panel. I would get it water ready and do a float test before doing up the interior. You might rethink some things after you see how she balances out with the motor hung and weighted down.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

I PM the guy who did the work. I'm going to add a false floor in the skeeter with flotation foam inside. I'll use 1/2 inch Birch and epoxy and glass the bottom to the hull. I'll just epoxy clear coat with UV protection on the top part. I hope this will look better. I saw a 4x8 sheet of birch ply with(what looks like the same strips as the ceder ) in the ply. 

Then again, I might just change my mind. HA! HA! ;D ;D


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

I've brought my boat over to a repair shop in Orlando and the owner is letting me be apart of the repairs which is a great thing. If I grind and do the messy things, the cost becomes smaller. They are replacing the transom and stringers for me but I'm doing all the grinding. I've learned alot of things as I watch them repair boats. I think I'm having flash backs from my days working at Regal Boats....

So, here is what I've done so far.
Removed the false floor,
grinded the flooring down to bear fiberglass,
repaired the cracked side,
cut out the rotten transom,
grinded down the jaged fiberglass,
cut out my transom template,
They glassed the templates together for me,
Now I'm grinding the paint off the thing.

I've been grinding down the paint off the bottom of the boat being carefull not to damage the old fiberglass. The product I am using is a 4 1/2'' paint removing grinding wheel that I purchased from harbor Freight for $6.00. Home Depot had it for $10.00. I've used 5 wheels so far and I'm almost finished with the bottom hull. This paint removal grinding wheel is a wonderful thing because now that most of the paint is removed with minimual fiberglass damage if any, I've seen alot of cracks and holes covered up by the paint. Also, the wheel removes the paint and leaves a smooth bear fiberglass ready to paint.

Thank goodness I had purchased  painters coveralls at Harbor Freight because I look like a smerff with all the blue paint that I've removed. I do wear a dust mask to. But, I think I need a new grinder, well another trip to HF for a $12.00 grinder.

I'm hoping to have the hull finished by Tuesday so we can attach the transom and stringers then glass them in.

I'll post pics as soon as I find my camera again.


































I WAS TORPEDOED BY A JAP  ;D ;D ;D









I'll add pics as I go.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Here are new pictures. Sorry about the sizes, they are from my phone.  PS.  Grinding is a messy job...


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

GRINDING IS A B---H YOU GET FIBERGLASS STUFF IN YOU EARS, NOSE, AND ALL SOrTS OF PLACES. I'm not ichey but dam it takes a long time to do.  Here are some more pics of that.
Hull full of grinding fiberglass









Sorry for the tilted shot








There are so many small holes in this hull someone shot at it with a shot gun 

















Here is the pad I have been using from Harbor Freight









I've used 10 so far and I need 5 more to finish. For about 5 bucks a piece...not bad. This pad leaves the bear fiberglass smooth not ruff like sanding disks.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

> GRINDING IS A B---H YOU GET FIBERGLASS STUFF IN YOU EARS, NOSE, AND ALL SOrTS OF PLACES


Yes it is and yes you do, but I hope this doesn't mean you aren't wearing a filter mask while doing it. Grinding glass can cause permanent damage to your lungs very quickly. I always wear a N95 mask when sanding or grinding, costs like $5 and well worth it.


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## noeettica (Sep 23, 2007)

You can't get a retired PBA you do hold "Rank"




> > GRINDING IS A B---H YOU GET FIBERGLASS STUFF IN YOU EARS, NOSE, AND ALL SOrTS OF PLACES
> 
> 
> Yes it is and yes you do, but I hope this doesn't mean you aren't wearing a filter mask while doing it. Grinding glass can cause permanent damage to your lungs very quickly. I always wear a N95 mask when sanding or grinding, costs like $5 and well worth it.


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## disporks (Jan 19, 2011)

Muddminnow, Save yourself some time here...I used this on my project and a whole lot more and it has plenty of life left. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-carbide-cup-wheel-66613.html

This thing will tear up some glass so you dont really need to apply much pressure just let the grinder do the work...it will also make a little less dust than those grinding wheels you have been using. Should save you some time and money...also make sure you wear respirator and especially safety glasses with this.

Project is coming along lookin good!


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks for the info dispo. I only have a small area to grind and these4 pads leave a smooth finish on the fiberglass. THEN I"LL BE DONE FOR THE MOST PART GRINDING Boy, grinding sucks. There sure is truth in the saying "Only a face a mother could love". If I didn't have such a drive to finish this project, I would have never started it. BUT, I like this skeeter boat. 

I have a question. 
I'm looking for some foam in a can. Non-pourus, water proof not resistant. Any ideas


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## disporks (Jan 19, 2011)

I believe there is a "great stuff" brand that is supposed to do good, its in a black can but probably around 10$ from what I remember. How much do you need and for what? May be cheaper to pay someone to inject it


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Well, here is a drawing of what I want to do.










Wood is 2x4x15 pine all fiberglass
blue is foam placement
I'm looking for something I can do inexpensively


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I tested the great stuff can foam, it soaked up water like a sponge so I would never use it. Plus it doesn't go far, you would end up using like 20+ cans to fill all of that. Better to either buy real closed cell pourable foam, or you can cut sheets of Styrofoam and fit them into place.

I wouldn't use 2x4's, especially in standard pine. There is no real rot resistance, it will be very heavy, and there is no way to get perfectly straight boards unless you spend a TON of cash. Plywood would be the way to go, it will weigh a fraction of the 2x4 and you can make sure it is perfectly straight when you cut and laminate the boards together. You won't need 3 stringers, just 2 and a couple of lateral supports, after the floor is bonded making a monocoque structure it will be rock solid.


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## jms (Apr 21, 2011)

> Well, here is a drawing of what I want to do.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



pine 2x4's,covered in foam ?

that method,you may want to run that by the guys doing the work - that's not the best option,nor is it a good idea...

since wood is your chosen material - use plywood,cut and laminated to the hull - this will support the deck.use an epoxy based resin,when working with the wood...

forget the "great stuff" foam idea - big difference between that stuff and a 2part foam...


"I'm looking for something I can do inexpensively" i hear and read this phrase alot - it makes no sense to me !
example: you're gonna go through all the work to do a project,using the cheapest junk materials available ?? does that really make sense ? labor's just about the same - why ?
going through all the work,cutting up decks,fabricating stringers,recoring transoms - doing this work,attempting to cut corners,by using cheap crap,really makes very little sense - why start a project in the first place ? what's the plan when all the work done,using those cheap materials has failed in a few years ? hmmm...


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

Muddminnow, You say the pad you are using leaves a smooth surface, how smooth?  Regardless of the resin type you will be using you need a surface that is rough enough to give you a mechanical bond with the hull.  If the hull is too smooth you won't get a good bond and it will be prone to delaminate when stressed.  You see it all the time in the commercial world where they did not tab in the stringers quick enough and when you go to remove the old ones the tabbing can just be ripped out with relatively little effort.   I use a _minimum_ of 80 grit between coats of epoxy that has had more than 24hrs to cure and use 24-36 grit on the hull(polyester) to epoxy bond.  The 24 also makes some quick work of grinding.  I suggest you hit a spot with 60 or 80 grit and compare it with what you have already done.  If the fiberwheel you used left too smooth of a surface just rough up the area you need to bond to right before you instal whatever you are bonding to the hull.

I also agree with others to stay away from using solid wood, especially cheap pine for structural components like stringers, transoms, etc.  It's another story for blocking and such if treated correctly.  The minimum I would use for structural components is a ply with waterproof glue.  My preferred method is a high quality marine ply that is cut and laminated to the proper thickness out of thinner stock for maximum strength.  Cover any wood on all sides with epoxy(not polyester!) before installing.  BTW if you use regular fir marine ply you should actually glass both sides or you risk the surface wood checking and exposing raw wood.  You may end up paying just as much if not more in extra glass and resin than getting the higher quality marine ply (hydrotek, Okume, etc.) to start with.

This seems to be a sentimental build for you, I suggest you get the best materials you can even if it means delaying your build.  I had considered using marine fir for the stringers and transom on my current project but I did the math and the Meranti (hydrotek) was only about $50 more total.  Since the transom would be totally enclosed with glass and it would only take an extra few bucks in glass and resin to completely cover the stringers I could have saved some bucks.  Then I decided that it was worth an extra $50 to never have to do it again and not have to worry about it if I keep the boat for a long time. 

BTW congrats on the clean out, now the fun part starts.

Swamp


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

No need for Wood. a 100% foam core will work great. I recomend 3/4" - 1" PVC. Will never rot. The boat I have now is build this way and so are alot of other current popular hulls.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Hey,
The surface that is left after I've ground down the paint is smooth enough that when I'm ready to paint, there won't be a need to a lot of prep work. When I'm ready to do any fiberglass work, I'll rough up the areas to get a strong bond between the layers. I'm looking to use either the pine (not spruce) wood or 3/4 plywood for the stringers. Of course all the wood installed will be covered in fiberglass and resin. Then after everything is done I'm painting it inside and out with 2 part industrial epoxy primer and paint. The hull will be coated with that graphite and epoxy mixture and painted over that with the 2 part epoxy color I'm using. I think this should keep the wood dry.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

> I think this should keep the wood dry.


I think that will keep the wood dry as well. However, the wood (pine) won't start out dry when you enclose it in glass, as it has a high moisture content, and it will rot in its newly created glass cacoon.

Please listen to the others and cross pine off your list and seriously consider the use of composites for the build but if you are set on wood then use a higher grade ply.


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## disporks (Jan 19, 2011)

What purpose does the graphite epoxy mixture serve if you are putting something over it? I thought that was mainly for the bottom of the hull to reduce friction?


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Yes, the graphite is for the protection of the bottom of the hull but the paint over it will serve as 2 thinks. 
1. Added protection and 2 to cover the black so the hull is the same color blue. 

Also, I've talked to the people repairing the skeeter. I have stringers cut out of ply that we might be using instead of the hard wood pine.


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

I can only reiterate that while there is nothing wrong with a properly made wood core composite, use the the right wood (min. marine fir), techniques, and use epoxy with it.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks for all the advise guys. Just an update on my Skeeter boat. These guys are real busy building, repairing and fixing up all kinds of projects. I've been real busy doing other things in my life that keep me away from completing this project, but they keep at it. 

So here is what is done:
Complete hull is sanded down and all paint removed (This was the best Idea because I found all the hidden damages like the strakes cracked, holes in hull, thin and week fiberglass ect...
The old transome was removed (by me) which made the repair go into another direction entirely.  [smiley=1-whoops1.gif] 
The fiberglass has pits in it through out the hull. 
They've repaired the strakes, holes, and attached the transom but I still have (thanks to me) a long way to go. I'll be learning how to sand, glue my hair to my face and use Q-tips to clean out my nose and ears real soon Ha! Ha! 

A Note To all you guys that are saying wear safety gear, No Fear...I'll be doing so, Here is a picture of my safety gear..



P.S. I'll have pics soon.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Here are some pics of my new transom installed. Sorry that pics are not on the page. This new photo bucket isn't what it use to be.

http://s1018.beta.photobucket.com/user/muddminnow/media/skeeterboattransom2_zps3730c7ea.jpg.html

http://s1018.beta.photobucket.com/user/muddminnow/media/skeeterboat4transom_zps532555fe.jpg.html

http://s1018.beta.photobucket.com/user/muddminnow/media/skeererboattransome1_zps2d40a3f6.jpg.html


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Fixed it for ya! The new photo bucket is a little confusing at first, but uses the same tags.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks for the help firecat1981. I've got a lot more work to be completed but I'm on a roll now. My transom is in solid, I've been adding glass to the outside filling holes and gaps today. On the back of the transom I added a little elevation  lip to the top of the motor mount. The Iip I added puts the cavatation plate just below the bottom of the hull. This hull has a built in curvature at the back which compensates for trip tabs so the boat will not porpus which is real cool. 

  I'll try to get pics tomorrow. According to the old school builders, this is how they did it years ago. I believe Brett had mentined this to me as well.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

So, Saturday and Sunday I grinded the transom down. MESSY...
Here are the pics from Sunday.



















The pics show the transom and sides sanded down. The last picture shows low spots in the fiberglass/hull so I added several layers in these sections to ground down in the future. Hopefully, I'll get it finished this year to fish out of.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Here is the latest on the transom rebuild.
I added fiberglass in several places that were low yesterday night. Today I went and ground down the areas I had built back up with fiberglass and smoothed it down. It looks very good. After I sanded down the inside and out side of the transome. I found that in some areas around the edges of the top of the transom, the fiberglass was thin. So, I had to add more fiberglass in areas around the transom. Tomorrow I'll be sanding those areas down. The transom has been added and sanded down now comes the floor, bulkheads and stringers to be attached. Here are pics of how these will look (I hope)
PS The 2x4 will be removed.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I'd get rid of the middle stringer, it's not adding anything and will make draining the bilge very complicated unless you raise the sole to be self bailing, which I would not recommend on such a low free board skiff. 2 stingers will be more then enough to make is super solid.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Hey everyone, 
   My skeeter project is coming along well. I have decided to add 3 bulkheads and 3 stringers to the boat. Before I do this, I'll be adding 2 layers of matt and poly-resin to the floor for strength. Through the 40 years of its life the floor has flexed allot. Adding layers adds strength to the floor we believe would improve the structure. After doing this we'll be fiberglassing the 3 stringers and bulkheads to the floor. Then adding flotation foam throughout the floor and several areas will add stability.   Even though others have said not to use wood, I'm doing so because I already have it. I'll be adding pics soon.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

The first picture is a full deck for fishing trips. Everything including the motor will be stored and locked in the hull of the boat. Hopefully, This will deter any thiefs. Out of sight, out of mind. My friends tell me it looks like a coffin. 

The next is for running on the water. I'm looking into a polling platform. Enjoy,


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