# Riverhawk B52 build



## johnbw620 (May 19, 2010)

What motor is that?


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Its a 3hp Gamefisher, air cooled. It will be promptly be placed for sale. It runs fine, i just have no interest in going that slow. I got a good deal on the whole package so i have to deal with the motor and trailer to get the hull.


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

I have a riverhawk b60 that had the exact same setup. I will post pictures or send them to you. They are great little boats. You will not be disappointed. 

I am going to watch this closely for inspiration on my next build.


----------



## johnbw620 (May 19, 2010)

> Its a 3hp Gamefisher, air cooled.  It will be promptly be placed for sale.  It runs fine, i just have no interest in going that slow.  I got a good deal on the whole package so i have to deal with the motor and trailer to get the hull.


  I had the same situation when I bought a used 15'4" Highsider.  I eventually found a 15 hp 2-stroke for it, and thought I was flying


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Stopped by Lowes to get some cutting discs and a sanding pad last night.  Ventured over to the lumber aisle to check out some possible materials for decking.  Only one thing jumped out at me, I believe it was polystyrene (sp?) board.  Where are ya'll finding these composite boards used for decks?  I feel like this is gonna be a holdup in my process.

Anybody glassed over this stuff with success? It seemed pretty stiff.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

I did a little researching and I guess you can only use epoxy with the polystyrene...is this why its unpopular? 

Still seems like a cost effective way if the floor is well supported.


----------



## Birdfinger (Dec 20, 2007)

Polyisocyanurate foam boards is a closed cell insulation foam. Mostly used for roofing insulation. It is foil backed (foil has to be removed) and has a yellowish tint to it. It will take polyester resin with no problem. My Front deck is built with it and it is 7yrs old now and not had any issues yet.


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

Hey Birdfinger, I am in Chattanooga, Tn and would love to look at the job you did with the foam boards.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Vacation-work-vacation since i bought this thing has kept me from starting any major work.  Well, that and a girlfriend.  Finally i had a few spare hours to start things up.

You hear mention of the quality of Riverhawk being less of Gheenoe.   So far i really believe that.  The floatation foam inside the front bench was not very "full."  When i see Gheenoers threads where they cut out the benches, it seems like the foam covers all the space inside.  Not in my case.  Also, and this is nitpicky, but the center box was a couple inches off center, you can tell in the pics.

Took the nonessentials off.



Cut out front bench.



Not much foam.



Off-center livewell/box removed.



Next is removing rear bench area and start the sanding process.


----------



## Birdfinger (Dec 20, 2007)

Joe e pm sent


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

replied bird finger

riverbum, 

my riverhawk b60 has the same issue with the center being off. i ended up putting in a floor and it made all the difference in the world walking around. I did not like the hawks bottom for walking. after i put in the floor i noticed it was much stiffer and planed better in the water. 

i would be happy to show you pictures of what i did. I am reluctant to post pictures on here because my work doesnt come close to some others on here.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

> replied bird finger
> 
> riverbum,
> 
> ...


post it up, dude


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

Here is how it looked the day I bought it. 



Here is the floor and new back decking. 





and this is after sanding(which i did very little of). i thought i could get away with little sanding which was a mistake.



i ended doing my own version of paint splatter. it did not go well. 


Since these pictures i have cut out the center lip since it was so far off and repainted. 

this is my first boat and my first experience with fiberglass so i am happy with it. its not perfect but it catches fish. 


oh well. that is all i will post for now. i love my riverhawk and i think you will too. 

i fish it quite a bit in panama city area for reds and trout. i live in chattanooga, tn so when i have it up here i plan on doing some trout fishing. 

oh yeah, i also found a sweet 2003 yamaha 15hp 4 stroke tiller motor for it too. in all i have about $3500 in it. it is perfect for my budget until i can make the next step up. 

best of luck on the build i will be following it closely.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

I dont see anything wrong with that, Joe.  This is my first go-round as well, so as long as it still floats when im done, ill be happy.

I got around to cutting the back bench out, ran into another Riverhawk problem.  The floatation foam was not "full" again and also it was soaking wet.  I found out why.



There was a hole in the drain channel that allowed water to get in since this thing was made.  Also found a random nail inside the bench.





Two questions now...Whats the best way to remove the rub rails and nose cap, and whats the best method to sanding it all down?  Im using a dewalt pad made for masonry now.


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

I drilled the rivets out of mine. I also cut about 5 inches off my nose cap. Those things are huge. I coated my cap and rub rail with Herculiner bed liner and it works pretty well.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Interesting. Dont remember what size bit it took do ya?

Also, I need to sand til I see the pinkish orange glass underneath, correct?


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

Man, I want to say it was a 3/16 bit but I am not sure. I just went a little smaller than the center of the rivet. 

As for sanding I don't know. I obviously didn't sand enough.


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

Also, 
I would suggest putting a keel on the bottom of the boat. My hawk had a nearly flat bottom and had a tendency to spin with the current. 

I put in a 1x2x10 keel it tracks perfectly now. Here is what i did. sorry if the pictures arent very great. 






afterwards I took the same bed liner kit and just applied over it. I feel it protects the bottom a little better.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Any problem with the herculiner wanting to peel or flake on the bottom? Since mine will split duty as a flat stalker and river runner I wanna a good protection for the occasional stump/rock bump when drifting.


----------



## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

Not really. The problems I have had with paint and the liner is that I didn't properly prep the surface and I did it in the winter which hurt the curing stages. 


I put the liner on there specifically for all the oysters down in Florida. So far it has protected it well. I don't know how well it will do in 5 years but for now it is good.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

For the price you can stand to chance it every few years. 

This gel coat removal sucks. Is there a trick? Any specific grit paper for my random orbital sander that will work wonders? 

I didnt think so. Back to the grinder and dust mask.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

These will make quick work of gelcoat:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-nylon-abrasive-wheel-94017.html

You can get them at Lowes if you don't have an HF near you. More $$ though.


----------



## trplsevenz (Oct 29, 2012)

Get yourself a rubber sanding pad for your 4" grinder, and get a bunch of 24 or 36 grit flat sanding discs. That setup will eat whatever glass you need gone. its much easier to feather out with this type versus the flapper discs.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Thanks guys, ive got a Harbor Freight near work.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

I will say that the 36 grit flapper discs kick the chit out the abrasive wheel.  Maybe Riverhawk Gelcoat is tougher chit to hold together all the imperfections, which im finding more and more of.  

This sanding has been no joke, and im not even halfway there.    After all the small stuff and spider cracks ive found, i need to sand about all the gelcoat off the inside of the hull and epoxy it all back with mat or cloth.  

Before i throw away this used float foam, i was thinking that i could cut it down and make small compartments to fit it back in, which would save me about fifty bucks.  As long as it didnt get soaked it should be reusable, correct?


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Ok.  Found some spare time (scarce right now) to get some sanding in.  This almost half of what i want done.  









Im gonna keep at it, but its real easy to get unmotivated wearing a tyvek suit and mask in 90 degree humid heat.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Been sidetracked lately.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)




----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Took a break for a while.  Moved.  Remodeling house.  Finally got remotivated to finish grinding out this hull.

Got a few holes to patch.










Gonna glass some strips on the side for reinforcement/rigidity so i can put some kind of removable oar tower bracket there that sets out away from the boat about a foot.










I wanna reinforce the transom on the sides so it can maybe one day handle a 25 yami 2 stroke.  Some tight spots there i need to finish off with a dremel.


















picked up a 1985 Johnson 15 with electric start off a coworker.  It had been sitting in a barn for years and i finally talked him out of it.  $125.  Needed a cam follower, water pump, carb cleaning and still needs a new starter.  Ran it on my buddies 16' river jon and got 19 mph so it should scoot the Riverhawk.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Chapter 2...The Rebuild

Had to deal with a couple funerals and an ER trip for the old lady followed by a surgery so i took a little "me" time and started doing some glass work on this thing.  

Layed a layer of cloth on the main floor to beef it up for river use, ran a section of PVC glassed in to run battery wires and fuel lines to the forward deck.  Itll also drain the bow storage area.  Patched a couple grinder mistakes with cloth over mat.  










Worked on beefing up the transom for more peace of mind and fixed a couple holes i had made cutting out the rear bench.  Mat covered with cloth.  Ought to hold a 25 if i ever want one.










Laminating two pieces of 5 mil oak paneling with epoxy to be the false floor.  Foam tomorrow after the epoxy fully cures and im laying in a floor.










I will say that the epoxy is pretty painless to work with.  You get about 10-15 minutes before it gets to thick to spread.  Im figuring out how much to mix at one time and all the little detail crap with the cloth vs mat.   Cloth easy.  Mat is messy.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

more

poured in some foam then sanded it down flush with where the floor will lay.










filleted in the floor with a mix of epoxy and wood flour.  i have a layer of mat glassed in on the underside of that board.










when it dries ill lay a layer of cloth over it and glass that in.  then its time for bulkheads and decks.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

kerb kit for my Johnson arrived.  The OMC original equipment variety complete with float.  My old float was cork and dry rotted.

You have to remove pull start to pull the kerb (not fun, you really need 3 hands for this, especially reinstalling).










Disassembled, ready for a bath and rebuild.











All better









New starter motor ordered. Hopefully water testing next week.


----------



## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Unopened beer making kit :-/. You needed to make the beer to aid you through the build.

Best wishes now


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Its a wheat [smiley=1-sobbing.gif] or else I would.  trust me, plenty have been consumed during our recent hot/humid ridiculousness.  I do not envy you Florida boat builders.

got bored again so started working on the jackplate.  drilled holes til the battery died.  waiting for batt to charge now to finish.











Scrubbed her down with degreaser and dawn/hot water.  Not bad for how bad it was.  Hit all the zerks with fresh grease. Probably be changing the old plugs and lower unit oil tomorrow. This model (1985) has a gear drive tiller shaft. If not greased often, its almost impossible to turn the throttle if the tiller is angled up and not perfectly straight out from the motor.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Looks good. Good progress.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Thanks dude. 

Ive got the jackplate mounted to test fit everything. Need to drill a couple more holes and cut out some UHMW plastic for a backer to mount thethe outboard on. No pics currently, but ill finish that up tonight hopefully.

Changed lower unit oil, new plugs, but the damn electric start isnt working still with a new starter motor. I hate wiring and all things electric. Hopefully its just a bad starter switch. 

Layed a sheet of cloth over the false floor and bonded it with the hull. Came out real smooth and the boat just feels better when I stand on it. "Firmer" will work there.

The front bulkhead is epoxied in place and deck supports are cut, ready to be glassed in. I had to make a few adjustments and grind off a little more gel but nothing major.

I beleive im gonna sell my spare bow and get my fab buddy to make a custom poling platform. I was thinking itll mount to the deck and be around 28-30" high. Any of you gheenoe classic guys feel free to chime in on the stability and height Of your platforms.

I set my cooler in the middle and held my 7' oars out on each side to get an idea for where my oarlockoarlock bracket needs to be. Looks like it should set about 18" rear of center, be 10" out from the rubrail and raised a foot. Probably have these made out of 1" square steel.

Sorry for the novel.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Welp, been putting in a little time each day, been pretty busy with other stuff but making time to squeeze in some epoxy work.



















Set and filleted the deck supports/foam boxes.

The chine to gunnel transition in the bow is a major you know what to fillet.  I ended up just taking my finger and working it in like that.  Where the foam will go I just coated the wood with epoxy, so its pretty much ready for pour foam.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Foam is in.  Gotta little more glass to lay underneath and then paint.  Deck template is complete.  Starting to look like something.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Foam.  Cut up all the good foam i had removed and fit it in tight. Then poured over that to fill it in.










Deck is cut and almost ready to be set.  Not gonna get to it til next week though.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Sweet, you're rolling man...


----------



## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Oak expands and contracts with temperature a lot more than most other woods. I know it can cause delamination issues with poly resin. Hopefully since you used epoxy you will be fine.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

It wasnt oak after all. Just luann. The rest besides the false floor is 1/2" ply.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Had the house to myself for a few days.  Had to get busy.

Motor had been peeing off and on, so I decided to to remove the water jacket and change thermostat (were debris ends up).  Also figured it was only 6 more bolts to change head gasket, so I decided to go ahead and do that too.  











Water jacket off.










Head removed.  Notice the two middle holes still have bolts inside.  Yep, broke two off.  So now instead of a 2 hr quick job I realize I have to pull the whole powerhead off and find a machine shop.










Pulled exhaust cover off (water passages run through it) and broke another stud off.










Had to take carb, pull start, fuel pump and shifter linkage off to pull the powerhead, but really it wasnt too bad.  4 shops later I found one that took the job.  Got it back today ($150 later).  Ordered all the extra gaskets I need to replace now.



















Painted underneath the front deck.  And spilled 3/4s of the quart inside the boat.  Awesome.  Already ordered another quart.










Sanded and painted the nose cap as well.  Added a little artistic touch afterwards.










Removed the rub rails, set the front deck then glassed it in.  Made rod holders for each side and glassed those in too.  I think they turned out pretty good.




















All bulkheads are cut for the rear deck as well. Ready to be set and glassed. Im rollin now.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Finished the front deck.  Using Totalboat Wet Edge topside in plain white.  I like it.  Self levels nice and was pretty resistant to sanding.  The Hydroturf is 4mm.










Set the rear bulkheads as well.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Good progress. I'm interested to see if the hydroturf resists fading better than seadek.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

I put it on my 70qt k2 last fall and its seen some use, no fading yet.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Set the rod tubes tonight. Went ahead and glassed in the rearmost deck support this morning since it would be impossible with two pvc pipes sticking out the rear.

Foam tomorrow. But nobody but Tomahawk cares. Not sure why I still post here.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Hey, its been looked at 5600 times. People are interested even if they don't comment. I learned that on my own thread. Keep it up


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Foamed inside the rear deck supports after filleting in the rod tubes.  2 quarts was the perfect amount.   Also made a mockup of the rear deck. Somehow I managed to be an inch short on overall length.  I need an elf to write what I think down and hold the damn tape once in a while.  Before I go any farther im gonna flip the boat and start removing gel on the bottom for a layer of kevlar on the keel and chines for a little added protection.   Also im out of epoxy so thats really why im gonna sand the bottom now.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Tinkered a little today. 

Glassed the supports to the bottom. Huge PITA. Did some sanding and smoothing of a couple trouble areas. Another chitty activity. 

Measured my rear deck template against my remaining plywood. Bout 6" too short. Chit on me again. Managed to swindle my feyonces dad out of a full sheet of 3/8" and cut it out of that. Then layed glass on the bottom. This went a little smoother. 

Bought some 1" square steel tubing and a 3"x3' weldable steel sheet to fashion my oarlock brackets from. These are gonna be trick when you seem em complete. So of course I had to put my cooler/seat in the boat and mess with angles and heights for rowing. Im just gonna have to put the boat in a puddle and hold the oars out and see where I need to be with that. Hopefully by next Wednesday. Shes a'comin'.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Epoxied in some inside spports for where my oarlock brackets will mount to stiffen it up some









Two coats on the bilge area and added a rear support. 










Rough set the rear deck.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

[report]
Planting food plots and hanging stands for bow season has kept me busy, but this low humidity Sunday got me giddy for boat work. I dragged her outside and did some finish sanding on the rear deck.


















Set my last sheet of chopped mat on the decklid for a little extra stiffness. Kinda regretting not adding a bridge support under the rear decklid. May have to retrofit one if theres still too much flex.









Glassed the deck to the hull with 6oz cloth tape

















And glassed the front support to the hull


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Got her wet today. Put her in the local puddle to configure draft and where my oarlock brackets need to be positioned. Pushed it off the trailer in ankle deep water and climbed aboard....didnt scrape bottom in 6" of water but granted the motor isnt attached. Stability was good, about like the 1640 jon im used to fishing from. The false floor is awesome, they should come from the factory with one. I put the cooler up on the rear deck to get a feel for poling height and stability. It felt good as well. Im happy.










Then brought her home to sand and put a coat of paint on.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Congrats, now finish her up!


----------



## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

She's getting there…nice work.

Don't know if you know it or not, but there's a 10-pt buck hiding behind your skiff…….


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

I started on the rub rails. Sanded em off and hit with rust oleum rattle can bed liner. 



















Also made a front lean bar that'll mount to the nose cap with u bolts out of sch 80 pvc. Hole E cow that stuff is expensive, I almost walked out. It got bed liner as well.










I'll cap the ends when I figure out if it's sturdy enough or needs structural foam inside.


----------



## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Wow that's a lot of work! You're almost there and it is looking great!


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Rub rails reinstalled with rivets.










Spent the rest of the day putting the motor back together. Added a little *******.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Jackplate installed and lower unit is on the motor. Such a pain to connect that shift linkage by myself.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Boat weighs 280. Scales at work round up in 20 lb increments so it may be 265. With nose cap, lean bar, bottom paint and poling platform i should be around the 300 mark.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

So ive got 3 coats on the inside now. Cut my hydro turf pad for the rear deck, and painted three areas with a non skid additive mixed with paint. It looks like a seaworthy craft now. 

Taping out for nonskid


















Area behind rear deck hydroturf









This is in between the nose cap and front hydroturf pad









This is how i got rounded corners. Traced a socket then cut it out with a razor blade. Worked well.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Laid down non skid additive with my paint and was pretty unhappy with it. Did not go on evenly at all so i decided to web over it. Really happy with this outcome. I may web a couple more spots. Besides a foam fly patch and hydroturf reel pads the inside is pretty much licked. Makes the outside look terrible though.


----------



## tcaseycook (Jun 28, 2012)

Job well done. Quite the transformation.


----------



## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Indeed, a beautiful boat! Lots of hard work and love put into it. Now lets see some pictures with fish slime!


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Gotta get this motor to fire after its rebuild. May have a wire crossed. About to junk it and order a Zuke 20.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Fuel pump came in Friday so i took today off to get her wet again. 

Impressions: with the motor on the back and the gal on board stability improved noticeably. Felt very comfortable on both decks.

The best i saw was 18mph. Very disappoint. It never felt like it was hitting full throttle. When i got home i took the cowl off and checked the throttle linkages. Looks like the tension on my tiller handle was too tight so with the additional slippage of my poorly lashed tiller extension i wasnt allowing the motor to hit full throttle. Ill try again later this week. It was fun as hell though.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

erikb85 said:


> Fuel pump came in Friday so i took today off to get her wet again.
> 
> Impressions: with the motor on the back and the gal on board stability improved noticeably. Felt very comfortable on both decks.
> 
> The best i saw was 18mph. Very disappoint. It never felt like it was hitting full throttle. When i got home i took the cowl off and checked the throttle linkages. Looks like the tension on my tiller handle was too tight so with the additional slippage of my poorly lashed tiller extension i wasnt allowing the motor to hit full throttle. Ill try again later this week. It was fun as hell though.


18 is not bad for a 15hp. Get you a cheap knock off tiny tach so you can check your rpms. You may need to re-prop.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Any suggestions on cheap tachs?

According to a couple boat speed calculators, and me being very generous on weight, i should be real close to 25mph. I have a 9.25x9 johnson stainless prop to try as well. Peak hp is at 6k rpms and it didnt sound even close to that to my virgin ears.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

I used this one.

http://www.amazon.com/KEDSUM-Tachometer-Stroke-Outboard-Mercury/dp/B00ACDP6YU


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

tomahawk said:


> I used this one.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/KEDSUM-Tachometer-Stroke-Outboard-Mercury/dp/B00ACDP6YU


Went ahead and got the waterproof version for 4 bucks more.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Cool, I bought a wrecked gheenoe highsider that I'm going to set up similar to your hawk for my son.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

I like my setup. I do not like the offset tiller setup on my motor.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Got out again today. Ordered a tach so i can figure out if i need a different prop. Ive got the jack plate maxed out and i still have too much lower unit in the water. I gotta drill some more holes and get it up some. This is 20 mph max with me and cooler totally full of ice.


----------



## slewis (Sep 8, 2015)

Reading through this thread makes me want to go pickup an old Gheenoe or something so I can attempt a re-build. Well done guys.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

This is a post from another board, and a month old. But i didnt wanna rewrite it to add it here and i had been absent from MS for a while. 


Ive an upcoming trip to the salt, and needed to cram a bunch of crap together to get the ride seaworthy. Mainly shore up a couple chipped spots on the bottom with epoxy and paint. 

I wanted to sand down the entire hull and glass in some kevlar strips for abrasion resistance and then do some real tough coating. Time/money isnt gonna allow that, so i went with a temporary solution. I started with some spray paint, and realized it was gonna take about 12 cans. So i bought some $20 a gallon Exterior Brick/Stucco/Concrete/Wood paint and went to town. 5 miserable coats later...





And i put some UHMW plastic strips on my bunks so itll slide off and on easier. Countersunk stainless screws hold it down.



I also rewired the trailer and put some waterproof LED lights on it. Two blown fuses in my truck later, they work perfect.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Well the cheap paint held up zero against things like light wind, dip spit dumped out of a moving truck, and oysters. I actually took the boat to the beach, and watched it rain for 3 straight days. The few hours i got to enjoy sucked due to 25mph wind. During my short tenure on the salt crevasse they call the Atlantic, i was impressed. Boat did good, poled skinny, and got me to where fish should have been. Problem was short windows of moderate weather didnt interlope with favorable tides. I forgot to take pictures. I was busy living my life. At one point i beached on a sand bar that i could see breakers from. Very tempting to brave those and pass into big water just to say i did in a got dang square transom canoe but i passed since i had the lady with. The main moral is thAt my jack plate blows. Too much setback levers the ass of my boat in to water too far (causing too much lower unit to be in the water while running), and i need to finish out the bottom properly. So shes stripped and flipped and im about to start removing gelcoat for a layer of glassed kevlar and epoxy mixed with graphite as a final coat. The chines up will see black awl grip paint. The set building students at UNC school of the arts get extra credit if they do side projects so i may drop off some aluminum tubing and see if they can fab me up a poling platform. I scored a nice trolling motor so next up is a battery and bracket to mount both. Got some wiring to do but already have the switch panel and tinned marine wire/connectors. Im already bored with this and ready to start a wooden drift boat build.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Buckled down and started stripping the hull. 

Day one results 









Day two results. The keel section has to be down to bare glass for a layer of kevlar.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Ill be glassing tomorrow if the weather stays good. Gonna lay up a sheet of cloth across the transom to beef things up for future poling platform


----------



## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

You're going to take the jack plate off and then glass right?


----------



## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

Maybe I missed it but what's that big-ass piece of PVC pipe sticking up in the nose for?


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Trolling motor wires and bow light wires. A nose cap sits over that. Just didnt have the nose cap on.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

yobata said:


> You're going to take the jack plate off and then glass right?


No and i can explain why. The jackplate mates to an aluminum transom plate that is riveted to the hull. That area of the transom isnt really what im trying to beef up, its where the transom meets the gunwhales. That will be the area where the poling platform will mount.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Well i sold the old Johnson 15 Friday and bought a minty one owner 2005 Merc 9.9 2 stroke today. It has the all in one tiller which i think im gonna love since i run a tiller extension. Trying to get the glasswork done on the bottom but afternoon Tstorms have prevented it. This will be a good motivator.


----------



## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Just read through your thread. Nice boat. Looks like you're almost there.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Been on a good steady tear lately. Once i get started I don't wanna stop. Finished getting all paint/gel off the keel area to prep for kevlar. 










Glass a layer of 7oz cloth and 5oz cloth across to transom to the gunwhale transition area to beef up for a possible poling platform down the road. Easier to do it now and im sure i wont regret it. 










Glassed in some kevlar keel protection. 6oz. 



















Yall were right, kevlar is a pain to deal with it, and it may not protect squat, but at least its one extra layer of something. 

The. I covered it all up to the chines in 4 coats of epoxy graphite. 9oz pots seemed to be the perfect amount and have just a smidge leftover. It ran in places, and isnt exactly even, but only i will see the bottom and it seems real slick when wet (i had just rinsed all the kamikaze bugs off in this pic).











Since this ive now got the boat back on the trailer and im sanding down the gunwhales. Started with 60 grit to knock the top layer of gel off. Thought i had 120 grit pads but did not. Took a while to get it smooth with 220, and ill prob hit it with 320 before paint. Not a whole lot of fairing to do. One spot on the side, the nose and transom area.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Nice work!


----------



## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Looking good, what colors are you planning on using for the hull and topsides?


I'm really enjoying seeing the progress. My first boat was an old camo 15'4" Gheenoe with an old 6hp Evinrude, my dad got me when I was about 10. This would have been about 1991. I think about that boat often, and your thread really makes me want to go get another one.


----------



## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

What was the issue with the Kevlar? I never messed with the stuff and heard that its a nightmare working with it.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Nightmare isn't really the word. As old timers say "Onnary." It doesn't wanna lay down or bend as good as mat. Takes a lot to fill the weave. You can sand it. You can't cut it. 

I'm going with black for the hull, the topside is already complete.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Well she looks like a boat finally. Ive been fairly busy with a new job and life stuff, plus the heat and humidity has made it hard to get certain stuff done, but its almost a wrap. Ive sent measurements to my rat-rod building fab guy for a grab bar powdercoated black. I want to make an electronics panel for it so i can run my bilge, lights, and etc off of that, as well as a future depth finder/gps. I am about to start on a 3.5" transom riser out of a sheet of aluminum with two 5/8" thick ply pieces to offer some setback. With the motor mounted as is, i got about 16 mph with me and the old lady, but weight wasnt the most evenly distributed. I really need the grab bar back quick so i can start wiring and figure up the length to cut the tiller extension. 

The nose cap is under construction currently. Im glassing in a 2x4 for an offset trolling motor mount. When thats done ill mount the trolling motor disconnect plug, front nav light, recessed stainless pop up cleat, and paint it to match the hull. 

Painting is done. 5 coats of Petit EZ Poxy in gloss black. I think it turned out pretty good on this old boat thinned and then rolled/tipped. Ordered numbers and a tailing red sticker from @LWalker and they were cheap, got here very quick, and look awesome. Highly recommend. Painted the fiberglass push pole black, looks a lot better. Installed push pole holders, they work good but when trailering the pole ends bounce and vibrate like crazy. First trip out proved fruitless for carp, but i got one little bass and it was fun to get out.


----------



## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

Looks great man!


----------



## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

Looks great. Well done.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

erikb85 said:


>


Looks Awesome! Great job!


----------



## bentley faulkner (May 6, 2016)

Nice mounts in the background


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

More progress...almost there.

Sanded down the nose cap and glassed in a 2x4 for the trolling motor.










Installed nose cap with Nav light wires ran, and a plug installed for the trolling motor in the front of the nose cap. Added a pop up cleat.


















Push pole holders.









Got the grab bar back from the fabricator. I think I'm really gonna like it, probably gonna do a paracord wrap over the top.









Put on the rod holder grommets from customgheenoe.









I went 4" up for the transom riser. If it's too much and I'm blowing out I can cut some off but even like this I got about 2" of setback and the cav plate is a inch or so above the keel 

















Ill clean up the mess when the wiring is done and I've got a switch panel fabbed up for the grab bar.


----------



## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Looking good man, I like it.


----------



## erikb85 (Jun 13, 2014)

Got out this morning to test the jackplate And trim positions. 

In the lowest slot I got zero blowout, about 4800 rpms and 18.5 mph. The middle slot got me 5050 rpms and 19.5 mph with some blowout if I took a turn fast, and the top slot blew out like crazy. The grab bar is awesome, this little merc is too. Played around with the trolling motor some and it's awesome as well. Pushes the boat good in speed 2 and 3 so should make a battery last a while. Probably gonna look for an 8 pitch prop instead of the 9 but I feel like I'm throwing away money since I'm really wanting to sell it and get the same motor in a 15 horse.


----------



## bourbon (Feb 24, 2011)

Enjoyed reading the thread from start to finish. Any chance you could post a close up of how you mounted your push pole holders and/or tell us where you sourced them? 

Thanks!


----------



## Sabalon (Aug 16, 2016)

Great read. Thanks!


----------

