Project Boat V2
- This topic has 38 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated Oct 10, 2010 at 4:45 pm by
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What epoxy product did you use? It really does look great.
I think we need to arrange a meetup on the hooch to compare notes.
West Systems Epoxy
Thanks…definitely need to float the Hooch. I’m going through all the DNR boat registration drama right now. My check cleared over a month ago so I called today. Nutshell version….they need the previous owner’s boat registration card to complete the transaction. Of course they were not going to tell me that unless I called them. They are a very complacent bunch to say the least.
Updates……..
I quickly found that I was in need of a pushpole. PVC proved too flimsy so I read on microskiff.com that many folks were using a pine closet rod from Home Depot. I picked one up Friday and it worked perfectly. I screwed and gorilla-glued a 1″ pvc cap to the top:
…and then fashioned a tee from a few 1″ fittings………screwed and glued again:
…and then coated it liberally with polyurethane varnish followed by spray can lacquer. You can see that it’s pretty straight:
….and then bolted a few cross sections of 2 inch pvc to the gunwales to hold said pole:
I then wanted to put a semi-comfortable seat in front that was also easily removable come duck season. The original Gheenoe bench seats were not strong enough to support a pedestal so I ordered a “spider seat pedestal” from Cabelas. My old swivel seat and swivel bolted to the spider seat pedestal. I had to whack off a couple of inches from the two front legs to make it level. The whole assembly is held in place with a small turnbuckle.
Both items were field tested yesterday and did really well. The biggest surprise was the Briggs and Stratton motor. That thing plowed though some grass and muck like it wasn’t even there…..well not exactly….but it worked great! I even saw several teal so hopefully I’ll get a few on opening day.
All for now.
A little field testing and scouting for the upcoming teal season. The pushpole worked great. I was pleased with the motor as well. We even saw a few ducks. Things are looking up!
Yes………he’s 17 and seriously into duck hunting. I guess there are much worse things he could be involved in. I encouraged him but told him I didn’t want him to grow a beard and hair like the Duck Commander guy.
West Systems Epoxy
Thanks…definitely need to float the Hooch. I’m going through all the DNR boat registration drama right now. My check cleared over a month ago so I called today. Nutshell version….they need the previous owner’s boat registration card to complete the transaction. Of course they were not going to tell me that unless I called them. They are a very complacent bunch to say the least.
Drifter, it took me 5 months to get my registration sticker for my south fork skiff. The driving force was me having the DNR officer call the guy in Social Circle while he had me stopped on the hooch to ask why they had not sent it yet. Trying to register a boat that was purchased from Montana with a vin # from a boat manufacturer that is no longer in business turned into a monumental chore.
Now you just need a foot mounted troller for solo excursions.
Looking good Steve.
How did the boat do with a big dog on board? My lab hasn’t been invited on a gheenoe outing yet, but I am sure she will be happy to tag along when she finally gets the chance…..
Adam,
It took 3 months to get my decals……and they expire in 6 weeks! Seems I paid for a “transfer” of ownership and now have to cough up more cheese to get more decals. For those of you not from Georgia….our boat registration process really sucks.
Andrew…actually 88 pounds of fur and slobber keeps the nose down with only one person in the boat. When my big ass gets in front, the dog has to move to the rear. I think of the dog as easily adjustable ballast and almost as effective as a jack plate. 😀
Awesome looking boat! I recently got a 13 foot highsider I want to do something very similar to.
How has that B&S outboard performed for you so far? I’ve been looking at them pretty hard, Mercury’s are way out of my price range.
Tyler,
I bought the B&S for two reasons…..
– 4-stroke so no need to worry about impellers and cooling
– it’s for my son….so no need to worry about gas / oil mixtures.
Oh….and on the used market they are cheap….about $400. The downsides….noisy with vibration….but it doesn’t bother me. It’s plenty of motor for that model boat IMO.
Adam….I went once during teal season but my son has been quite a few times….which was the main reason for doing the project. He has taken mostly woodies with a few mallards. I think the best is yet to come with this cold nasty weather driving the migrating birds our way.
The boat really works great for a teenager with a 4-banger Toyota p/u. Thanks for asking.
Andrew’s gar post got me off my duff to photograph the redneck jackplate. It took about 4 feet of angle aluminum and some plywood / nuts and bolts. I think I may have about $30 in the jackplate. So….it’s cheap, has a ton of redneck appeal and is very functional. Keep in mind….my motor is air-cooled so my only issue with the height of the motor was cavitation. I’ve got it about as high as I can go without losing some performance.
Nice job Steve. I am still blown away by the quality job your did with your boat. I dig the “redneck appeal” as you call it.
Thanks guys.
Zach….in the second photo…you can see the 1″ wide piece of flat aluminum stock that spans between the two bolts….there is another at the bottom as well. I think it spreads the load pretty well. There is no other reinforcement. There is a caveat….the motor very easily tilts up. So….if I whack something at full speed….I think the motor will kick up and absorb some of the force.
I’m hoping anyway.
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