# Gheenoe Upgrades



## ZachMatthews (Feb 8, 2007)

Hey guys -

I've been doing some upgrading on the old Gheenoe lately.

First off I found a trolling motor on the bottom of the river a few months ago.  Posted on our local board about it and didn't have any takers so after six months or so I claimed it under the old legal principle of finders-keepers, losers-weepers.

The other day I built a wooden mount which clamps down to my nose-cone, but which is removable with a couple hidden wingnuts in case I want to go back to a clean boat.  (Actually just removing the motor itself is quite clean because I recessed all the bolts).










Here's the setup currently:










The problem is that I am frequently in the boat alone.  The boat rides and poles very well provided someone is on the bow, preferably someone about 50 lbs. heavier than me (to offset the motor).  But when I am alone I get quite a bit of nose rise, even with a cooler up front.










So I decided to build some trim tabs like these:



















I wasn't able to get the exact same product he used, so I started with 5" X 5" aluminum angle in an overly burly 3/8ths inch.  (1/4th would have been ideal but it wasn't available).










I cut it using a Sawzall with a metal blade and axle grease as a lube.



















My buddy is going to paint these for me in his shop (black) so I made him a set too.



















I am no machinist by any means but these will work fine and won't be inspected too closely.  I need to find some block rubber so I can make those rubber wedges.  My tabs are longer though, so I may not need them; the transom of the boat has an outward angle, so when you flip that by 180 degrees it means these trim tabs are already going to be angled down somewhat.  The idea is for that angle to catch water, lifting the rear of the boat like an airfoil while pushing the nose down.

This is next on the agenda:










That should be easy; I can make it out of 1.5" aluminum angle from the local metal supply in like thirty minutes.  I'll just need to epoxy and clamp up a transom plate out of marine ply and then paint it.

Zach


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## 8loco (Feb 12, 2012)

Hey man. I sure have enjoyed your podcasts over the past couple of years. Boats looking good. Bring it way down south and we'll get it salty.


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## ZachMatthews (Feb 8, 2007)

Thanks 777. Not too much interest other than you I guess but I thought I'd throw this up here anyway. My friend is going to do a quality paint job in his auto body shop for me (all aluminum will be black). When I get everything adjusted I'll trim the bolts and probably go to a round headed carriage bolt on the outside of the jackplate housing. The actual plate is gluing up now (1/2" marine ply X 3) and I'll epoxy it and then paint it black.










Zach


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## zeneb (Jun 20, 2011)

Zach, looks good. Where did you pick up the aluminium?  I have been thinking about building a Jack plate like that but don't know where to get any near Buford. 

Hooching


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## redgheenoe (Apr 28, 2007)

I like it. You'll have to tell us how the tabs helped.


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## wellmanj (Feb 4, 2013)

I like your tabs; creative.  My (not mine anymore) Gheenoe's nose bounced all over, unless there was another person in front. This would have helped a bunch.  
How's it ride with them?


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## Tex-Tex (Feb 19, 2013)

Is that a griff riding shotgun?


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## [email protected] (Nov 12, 2012)

You can cut aluminum with a skillsaw, fine tooth blade, on backwards.

Wear eye and ear protection.


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## ZachMatthews (Feb 8, 2007)

Good eye on the Griff.  That's Gretchen.

I haven't run the boat yet with the tabs on; soon.



















All but done now. Just need to paint.

Hooching there's a metal supple shop near my house in Marietta; Home Depot didn't have aluminum angle in anything above 1/8th thickness, which just seemed a little light.  That's 1.5"X1.5" in 1/4th thickness.  It was like $30 for the aluminum angle on the jackplate and the equivalent of $15 for the trim tabs (I made four so twice that).  Bolts are maybe $15-20 all told.  So it ends up being less expensive than a commercial solution and mine's adjustable. (Though I do have to disassemble it to change heights; I drilled holes for a 2", 3" and 4" rise.)


Zach


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## ZachMatthews (Feb 8, 2007)

Everything is all bolted up.  I want to do one last tighten and double check on everything then I plan to run her tomorrow to check it out.




























I have a feeling this boat is going to howl.

I've also added a Garmin Echo fishfinder to the front; I actually wired it directly into the trolling motor housing so that I only have to clip one set of cables to the battery. It also is bolted to the nose cap so it can come off when I want to go back to a clean boat.


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## ZachMatthews (Feb 8, 2007)

Ran very well.

I may have lost 1 mph off the top end (from 18 to 17mph with my 8hp Merc) but the boat is tacked to the water and it handles like a dang sports car now. 

http://vimeo.com/60869442 

Best of all the boat runs level and on plane with no heavy cooler in the boat up front. 

Zach


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## scottruns (Mar 2, 2013)

Nice work makes me wanna try it now!


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