# Dolphin 16 super skiff



## ethan.weber

if the engine is 1990 you could probably get it for cheaper. i got a 1990 dolphin backcountry with a 2001 90hp yammie for 6800 but it didnt come with the other attachments and it wasnt redone as recently. if you do get the boat you will be a loyal dolphin follower for life, i know i am now.


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## Sheremeta

Its a nice looking skiff. I would pay attention to the fuel tank if its built in, dings and damage to the rub rail as that can mean damage to the hull/top cap joint. Dolphins are well made boats and dont come up for sale often. The older ones are the ones to hold on to.  The superskiff is like a small bay boat and on calm days the beach will be fine. I think the super skiff drafts around 8" and handles chop well.  The 2006 yamaha 70 is a great engine.


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## lemaymiami

Only other thing to watch out for on older Dolphins is that the earliest versions had wood reinforcing for decks , transoms, etc. I'm not sure when the changeover occurred but the ones with wood were sufficiently troublesome that for years Dolphin ads were bordered by the notation "no wood, no rot" to distinguish them from earlier models. 

Properly encapsulated wood reinforcing isn't a problem. Any place where water has gotten to the wood, is....


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## Sheremeta

another thing is that Dolphin has great customer service even if you didnt buy new from them.


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## cutrunner

One of my fav skiffs of all time imo.
Its just a great all around boat


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## ethan.weber

im sure you can email dolphin and ask them about the wood thing.


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## dingdangdoo

You guys are awesome, thanks for the help! 8" of draft to me it's pretty good, any skinny than that i'll just get out and wade. The yammie is a 2006 so pretty new, i'm gonna be looking at it today. Well it sounds like a really good reliable company. I was looking at an action craft, it's seems like there is a ton of them for sale but the company is shut down. I like to be off the beaches for cobia and tarpon, so this little skiff of a Dolphin should fit my needs. Hope all goes well, thanks for all of your help. Should be posting pics soon if i get it.
Plus i saw some guys in a Gheenoe catching dolphin 12 miles of the beach, if they can accomplished that in a a Gheenoe, if i pick my days right, it won't be a problem!
HOO YAH!


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## cutrunner

Where are you located?


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## dingdangdoo

Beaufort,SC.


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## dingdangdoo

Guys,

So the owner wants 10,800 for the boat. Comes with 2006 Yammie 70HP 2 stroke, 6ft power pole, 55 lb trolling motor, 2 batteries with onboard charger, garmin chartplotter and GPS and 3 blade stainless steel prop.

I tested the boat in chop, handle it amazingly. No bumps or rattles or vibrations. Turns on a dime with no skipping, the rails dug. It poles in 6" of water. The awlgrip paint looks good. The only thing was no gunwale rod holders and some minor holesd in the bow from previous trolling motor that was installed. 

Nada guide listed the boat with outboard, hull and trailer and it came out to 6,500 bucks. Do you guys think it is worth the other $4000 for this boat?
The bank is gonna only finance what NADA list so i have to fork up the rest? Please help me!


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## ethan.weber

you could probably talk him down a bit. bring up the nada listed price because that will help your cause. also bring up and flaws with the boat like the holes you mentioned in the bow. the add ons assuming they are some what new dont add up to $4000 probably closer 2500. do what you can to get this boat because unless the engine has issues you will have one of the best flats boats imo out there.


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## dingdangdoo

I REALLY want this boat but the NADA guide has it listed just the hull no more than $1500 and the Motor and Trailer another $4500. Powerpole another 1000 bucks, GPS/Chartplotter $500 or so and the new paint 900 bucks. I'm gonna have to seriously wave some cash in his face and get him to go as low as I can go. So i hope to post photo's of my new boat soon to you gents!


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## dingdangdoo

Plus i'm learning my lesson. You can have a 1980 orginal hull of a the rarest flats boat with $50,000 in upgrades and accessories and th NADA guides is gonna list the boat at 500 bucks.


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## Net 30

When it comes to older classic skiffs (Hells Bay, Dolphin, Hoog, Willy Roberts, Hewes Lappies, Shipoke etc) no bank will ever recognize the true "market value" of the skiff. When you look what people are willing to pay for a Chittum built Hells Bay vs what NADA says it's worth - 2 different worlds! My advice, don't buy it for an investment - buy it cause you love it and what you think it's worth in terms of how you feel each time to see it and use it.


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## Sheremeta

> When it comes to older classic skiffs (Hells Bay, Dolphin, Hoog, Willy Roberts, Hewes Lappies, Shipoke etc) no bank will ever recognize the true "market value" of the skiff.  When you look what people are willing to pay for a Chittum built Hells Bay vs what NADA says it's worth - 2 different worlds!  My advice, don't buy it for an investment - buy it cause you love it and what you think it's worth in terms of how you feel each time to see it and use it.


Exactly. For peace of mind compare your max offer to what you could buy in a newer hull with power and ask yourself if the newer boat would perform better (it probably won’t). This boat probably handles better than boats twice as much. Also see if you can find the same hull (probably cannot find one)  that needs work and estimate what it would cost to bring it up to par with the one you are looking at. 

I looked at this boat on boat trader and thought about buying it. I would get it and put another power pole on it.


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## dingdangdoo

Thanks Gents, It's times like these when a Forum is really a good place to go to. Really informative and great advice. Thanks for all your help. I really do love the way the boat handle it didn't take a beating on the chop and for a 16 footer it looks bigger than what it is. It poled well and most of all i plan of keeping for a LONG time and maybe down the road taking down to the bare hull and refurbished it to and build it back up!


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## Sheremeta

Post some pics when you seal the deal. Good luck.


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## dingdangdoo

> When it comes to older classic skiffs (Hells Bay, Dolphin, Hoog, Willy Roberts, Hewes Lappies, Shipoke etc) no bank will ever recognize the true "market value" of the skiff.  When you look what people are willing to pay for a Chittum built Hells Bay vs what NADA says it's worth - 2 different worlds!  My advice, don't buy it for an investment - buy it cause you love it and what you think it's worth in terms of how you feel each time to see it and use it.
> 
> 
> 
> Exactly. For peace of mind compare your max offer to what you could buy in a newer hull with power and ask yourself if the newer boat would perform better (it probably won’t). This boat probably handles better than boats twice as much.  Also see if you can find the same hull (probably cannot find one)  that needs work and estimate what it would cost to bring it up to par with the one you are looking at.
> 
> I looked at this boat on boat trader and thought about buying it. I would get it and put another power pole on it.
Click to expand...


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## dingdangdoo

So you saw the boat on the ad, how doe she look to you?
I have a gentleman here also that 's trying to sell me his sliverking grandmaster flats boat with a new 2011 140HP suzuki but to me if a boat that needs a 140 on it, it's not gonna be easy to pole and draft the 6" i'm looking for.


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## dingdangdoo

picked the boat up today and took it out for a test run. 10-15 knots winds, 1-2 foot chop conditions, a little choppy , PERFECT for my first test. The boat handle chop and wind like nothing. The boat hauls with the Yammie 2 stroke 70HP, the only issues is the gunnel rod holder just has 3 rounds tubes for the butt stock but no support for the rod itself and the port trim tabs did not work, it worked when i looked at it with the last owner. I think i may of knock some wires loose while i was moving the battery around. Will post some photo's soo! Do you even need trim tabs for a skiff, i got on plane just fine.


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## Sheremeta

Don't want to offend anyone but stay away from the silver king.

The ad only has one photo so it's hard to tell but it got my attention. I own a dolphin and it's just an amazing well built boat. Jumps on plane in inches of water. The attention to detail is superb. I ran off shore today looking for cobia and then ran into the backcountry for flounder and trout.


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## dingdangdoo

Yes i'm stoke on my purchase, for a (new to me boat) she handles like a dream does everything that i wanted from a boat for my kind of fishing, i'll even take out to the keys for some lobster season and some hog fish spearing on the inshore reefs with it. For 16 foot boat she rides like a bigger one and i thought i beach her so i can go and move my truck from the ramp and she was floating away in 4" of water!


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## Sheremeta

No it does not need trim tabs but if you want to jump on plane in less than a foot of water trim the tabs all the way down and prepare for a big smile on your face when you gun the throttle. There is zero bow rise. Tabs come in handy on windy/choppy days too.


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## dingdangdoo

thanks casacola.

Big help, i guess i'll have to look around and see if i knocked somewires loose. If not i'll have to get someone to look into it which will cost me more but being a boat owner is all about having something come up, doesn't it?

Since it's already on there, i'll fix it. Thanks. Will post photo from tomorrow's first true excursion.


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## dingdangdoo

So i got some photo's i like to post, but can't for the life of me figure it out on this site. How does one go about this?


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## Sheremeta

Here is Prayot's sweet boat.


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## dingdangdoo

Thanks for doing that casacola, it seems like i need a new camera too! Damn I'm thinking i got one hell of a good deal!


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## stasponge31

I would say you got an awesome deal on a BEAUTIFUL boat. Congratulations!

Tight Lines!


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## Snookdaddy

> thanks casacola.
> 
> Big help, i guess i'll have to look around and see if i knocked somewires loose. If not i'll have to get someone to look into it which will cost me more but being a boat owner is all about having something come up, doesn't it?
> 
> Since it's already on there, i'll fix it. Thanks. Will post photo from tomorrow's first true excursion.


Are you tabs Bennett or Lenco's? I would imagine they're Bennett's based on the age of the boat. 

Call Bennett customer service @ 954.427.1400
and ask for "Tabman"... He will help you trouble shoot your tab problems. They're located in Deerfield Beach and their customer service is second to none!

Tabman will walk you through the problem and you will be in business in no time.

Bennett's website is http://www.bennetttrimtabs.com/

There's not much to the wiring on Bennett tabs, so this should be an easy fix that you can handle yourself...

If you have Lenco tabs, their customer service is also excellent and their is even less wiring to troubleshoot.

You can save some $$ by doing the work yourself..

Nice ride by the way... I've always wanted a SuperSkiff, because of the way they eat up chop.. I don't think there is a better 16' poling skiff for rough conditions out there...

Bob


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## cutrunner

Boat looks awesome!, only thing that i would change is put the. Ontrol box on the other side of the console (personal prefrence)


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## dingdangdoo

No the trim tabs are Lenco's. I think when i took home I was going 95 N and hit some big bumps and think that the wiring came loose. I looked at the wiring myself and connected and reconnected some parts with no luck. I took a big hit because one of the wood supports on the trailer broke and now i have to fix that also. Man the fun is already starting as a Boat owner.


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## dingdangdoo

> Boat looks awesome!, only thing that i would change is put the. Ontrol box on the other side of the console (personal prefrence)



The control box doesn't bother me the last owner was a lefty so it's not that big of a deal to me. I have alot of plans for this boat! SEADECK all around within a couple of months and I contacted Dolphin and i'm gonna get her re gelcoated. Unless some of you guys know who does great work?


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## Sheremeta

No take it to dolphin for the work. I wish they were closer I would bring mine too.


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## Sheremeta

wait, I am closer than you. You are in SC right?


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## dingdangdoo

yup Beaufort,SC. I visit my folks from time to time down in West Palm Beach, so i plan on taking it to them and getting the work done. Gonna strip her down to the hull and they said it shoudln't take more than a week.


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## cutrunner

Next time you talk to them, ask them if they are re-geling the boat or painting it. To regelcoat an entire hull is a real pita, trust me i have the shirt..


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## Wrh6489

Its not what it's worth, it's what it's worth to you.


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## CaptainAdam

New to the website and would like to say hello to everyone! I also own a 1983 16 Dolphin super skiff. Stripped it down and completly refurbished. I love the boat! I will post a few pics as soon as I can. I run a large sportfish however my passion is the skinny water. Most of the shallow water stuff has been in New Jersey and the Florida Keys for me. Thanks and great site!
Captain Adam


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## dingdangdoo

Yeah I love to see your Super Skiff.

Yup i'm gonna get her refurbished and gel coated. The Boat was just painted with Awlgrip paint on the top decks, floors, gunnels. I just want the Hull to look brand spanking new again. I don't mind the bottom paint on there currently but I like a whole new color going on for her.


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## dingdangdoo

Well i got a quote directly from Dolphin boats. 12,000 bucks for a new Gelcoat paint job, that's fricking CRAZY! I didn't even pay for that on the boat! 8000 for awlgrip paint on the decks! NO WAY! I rather get the boat custom wrapped than pay 12 grand. I can just buy a new skiff for that price!


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## dingdangdoo

> Yeah I love to see your Super Skiff.
> 
> Yup i'm gonna get her refurbished and gel coated. The Boat was just painted with Awlgrip paint on the top decks, floors, gunnels. I just want the Hull to look brand spanking new again. I don't mind the bottom paint on there currently but I like a whole new color going on for her.



what did it cost you for your refurbished? If you don't mind me asking.


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## Sheremeta

At those prices you could have the top cap pulled and do a total restore however you get what you pay for. Your hull new in Kevlar without power is around 20k +


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## CaptainAdam

I have invested close to $8,000 in the refurbish. Lots of changes including a 17 gallon livewell in the console. my father and I put most of the labor in except for the paint job which I had someone spray in their off hours. 
Not sure how to upload a picture on here yet. any help would speed up the process. Thanks!


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## cutrunner

If you awlgripped the outside your self, or had a friend spray it, i cant see you spending more than $800 in materials..


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## Sheremeta

Ya for a 15-16' boat thats about right after you buy the awlgrip, reducers, tape and other materials needed. I got a verbal quote to do my 15'10 hull and it was 3k. Granted the guy is a pro and does great work but that is still high.


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## Snookdaddy

> Well i got a quote directly from Dolphin boats. 12,000 bucks for a new Gelcoat paint job, that's fricking CRAZY! I didn't even pay for that on the boat! 8000 for awlgrip paint on the decks! NO WAY! I rather get the boat custom wrapped than pay 12 grand. I can just buy a new skiff for that price!


I was waiting to hear how much your gel-coat job was going to cost.. Gel Coat is less expensive and a better option when making a new boat from a mold, but an expensive, time consuming job on an older hull.. Gel Coat tend to "orange peel" when sprayed on fiberglass exposed to air. This peel must be wet sanded down to 1000 grit to get any kind of shine..

Simply put... Gel Coat is a bad choice when refurbishing older hulls unless you're doing all the work yourself... Even then, you're going to spend hours and hours sanding.

If you want a "top flight" refinish job on your skiff, use Awl Grip or Imron 2 part polyurathane paint and be done with it.. Most of the major custom yacht builders use one or the other. 

I used Imron on my Challenger Skiff and prefer Imron because it is much easier to blend if you scratch or chip the hull when compared to Awlgrip..

Paint is more scratch resistant and has more shine than any gel coat and will last for years longer in the sun than gel coat..

My Imron paint job was about 1/3rd of your paint quote, but I did a lot of the prep work... If you remove all of the hardware and fill in the gouges, holes yourself, you can save a lot of money... 1/2 or more of a paint job's labor is in the prep, before paint..

There are a few 2 part polyurathane paints out there that cost less than Awlgrip or Imron.. Check out ClassicSeacraft.com and you will find the other paint manufacturers out there.

Do not use a cheap "one part" paint... They don't last as long and are not near as durable as 2 part.

Also, get a quote from a good auto paint shop. They'll know how to spray 2 part and will probably be less expensive too... 

Last thing... I would not do anything until your personal fishing season is over... Enjoy your boat now and do all of the work in October, November, December... Stripping a skiff, painting and refurbishing does not happen in a month, unless your a pro..


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## ek02

Tom Gordon at Islamarine in Islamorada specializes in skiff restoration. He does excellent work and uses Algrip on the hulls and decks. He can also do gel coat, and he does nice wiring and rigging. Be prepared to pay for it though. I have had 2 Super Skiffs, a 1994 that I bought new and just sold, and a 2006 that I just bought. The 2006 is much lighter, floats and runs shallower, and runs drier. They both had 90 HP Yamahas. Super Skiffs need 10-12" of water to pole in, with the weight of a 90HP, due to the 18 degree dead rise. They don't run or pole as shallow as a Mirage, but the ride is better. These boats are very weight sensitive also. I like these boats because they are easy to pole and I can get them into spots that bigger boats can't, and I can get there in choppy water without getting beat up.


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## Snookdaddy

> Ya for a 15-16' boat thats about right after you buy the awlgrip, reducers, tape and other materials needed. I got a verbal quote to do my 15'10 hull and it was 3k. Granted the guy is a pro and does great work but that is still high.


I paid a little more than 3K for my 16' Challenger Skiff to be professionally sprayed in Imron, but they sprayed inside every hatch, the fuel tank, and they sprayed 5 layers of clear coat on my teak spray rails and rolled bottom paint...  It was expensive, but the finished product was worth it.

As I mentioned before, a good automotive body shop could probably do it for less with the same results...

The only downside to paint is if you keep the boat in the water for more than 4-5 days..  Paint that is below the waterline can blister if left in the water for long periods of time...   I take my Challenger to the Everglades and the skiff may be in the water for up to a week, so I elected to have white bottom paint that is made for trailerable boats.

I've had no problems so far and my Imron shines like it is new...  I keep my Challenger in the garage when not in use, so this helps..

When and if I ever have to refurb my Gordon Waterman, I'll be using Imron on the hull.. Besides being more durable, paint is much lighter than gel-coat..


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## CaptainAdam

Believe it! You name it and and I replaced it. Everything! Custom fuel tank, rub rail, reinforced transome, all new hardware, steering, pumps, electronics, new wood and glass to change spaces, new plumbing for a on deck 30 gallon well,to many things to list. It all adds up.
The boat is definaetly heavier now but the overall goal was successful. Caught plenty of pilchards and bait in the morning for sails on the big boat and still light enough to pole the flats. 

Tried finding a way to post the pics-could you explain how to


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## dingdangdoo

well i guess i'm gonna have to learn how to paint a boat! OR see what the cost of custom boat wrapped is gonna cost!


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## Sheremeta

I wouldn't wrap it. Wraps can scratch easy. I would fish the boat and put away a few hundred a month and have a pro paint it when you saved enough. Who knows you may have your eyes on a different boat by then.


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## CaptainAdam

Thanks CasaCola for the message and helping me post the pics. I am resizing them and will send them over to you today.


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## Sheremeta

Here you go. Nice work.


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## Sheremeta




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## Sheremeta




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## Sheremeta




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## Snookdaddy

Casa Cola,

How did you scribe your lines onto the plywood to make the front and rear bulkhead fit so perfect?
Also, did you cover both sides of the plywood decks with f/g cloth or just the topsides?

You skiff looks great!


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## Sheremeta

It's not my boat. I'm just posting the photos for foxcatcher.


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## dingdangdoo

> It's not my boat. I'm just posting the photos for foxcatcher.



Foxcatcher, did you do all that work yourself or did you hire someone? If you don't mind me asking what did something like that cost you? I'll have to do total refurbished in the future. Can't do it yet the wife will get PISSED! But i can see my skiff looking like yours in the next couple seasons.


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## CaptainAdam

My father and I did all the work except for a friend who did some glass work then sprayed it. Payed him $2000. I have just over $8000 into the boat up to this point. Lots of filling and sanding throughout the project. I wanted a yacht finish like the larger boats I run. Building the console from nothing took some time. Wanted a solid platform for a 3rd person to stand and cast from. Plus a larger in boat live well than the shrimp one we cut out. Purchased a 17 gallon well that would fit and still have plenty of room to walk around the helm.


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## oysterbreath

REALLY NICE WORK! What paint was used. I like that blue!


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## CaptainAdam

Thanks for the kind words. After the boat was faired out twice. Had the boat sprayed with a product called duratech (filler and primer). After that I filled any remaining pin holes with a glazing putty. All of the light blue was a Imron mixture we did on the spot. I wanted a baby color and my friend started with a gallon of white and ended up adding a total of 4oz. of commercial blue. It was tough trying to make the proper call on the color in the can. When it was first shot on the skiff I wasn't totally happy. When it was cured and dried it was perfect. All of the white was Awlgrip. The painting was really the easy part of the project compared to the prep work. The bottom was completely striped and I painted four coats of Interlux Inter protect 2000E. Two coats of gray then two coats of white. Doing it helps when I sand the bottom.Lets me know how close I am to the original gelcoat. The final bottom paint is Interlux Micro Extra.


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## CaptainAdam

Anyone else do anything similar in their refurbish. Thought there might of been a few questions or suggestions after looking at the posted photos.


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## cutrunner

Top notch refurb!!!


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## dingdangdoo

yes that work is sick. So far i've started fresh on my boat. Got a new water pump and impeller. 100 HR service done, fixed the trim tabs, had to replace all new steering due to rust, worn out cables. So far i'm gonna be in the hole 1500 bucks total for all the parts and labor.


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## CaptainAdam

Sounds good! I have been fortunate with my 1990 Yamaha 90 hp. I change the water pump every year or so. Runs well and dosen't skip a beat. I anticipate purchasing a new motor some day. It was originally in the guide program in the keys. Guessing it was abused and put away wet. It was then purchased from the guy i bought the skiff from. I 5200 two 5 by 12 3/8 thick backing aluminun plates to distribute the weight. What size outboard do you have on your skiff? Good luck with it! You won't be disappointed.


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## dingdangdoo

yeah she looks good for her age, minor scrapes and rashes here and there but nothing big. By the time i get her back she's gonna be a fishing machine for at least a year. The motor was running good, i just wanted a fresh clean start. I have a 70 2 stroke and it can go up to about 35-40MPH with 5200 RPM at about 4000-4300 RPM she's gets about 25-30 MPH, good enough for me! I don't think she can handle a 90 on the back. Plus that would limit me floating in 6" of water. Maybe down the road (years) I'll get here a new Yammie F70 or Evinrude. I'm, happy with my purchased. It's a niche boat, neither you know about it or you don't. Most guys here in SC all know Eastcape, mavericks, Hellsbay but they don't know the pedigree of a Dolphin. Until they see me running through 3 foot chop and stay dry!


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## Captryandunn

If the Hull number
starts with "DFL" then it is for sure a Dolphin Boat.
It you look at the last 2 numbers of the hull number that is the year of the
boat.

We stopped using wood in the construction of our boats in 1984 /1985

Hope this helps
Karl Zimmermann
President

This is what I got from dolphin when I was looking at a 16 a month or so ago and I love that boat 
First week I had took it 13 miles offshore to the barrier islands off of Biloxi and had a 19 key west and a 25 proline riding out with me and they couldn't keep up great boat great ride and very dry unless you get it on the side


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