There are still a couple lingering details to complete, but with the motor mounted, gas tank installed, and everything in working order, we had to take out the skiff for her maiden voyage! Somehow we didn’t end up with photos of the leaning post install, but this was made by Boat Builder Central (where we… Read More Maiden Voyage

With the “big” parts of the build out of the way, there were a few things that we wanted to add. When we started the build, we knew that the goal was to have lights, switches, a bilge pump, etc. so that this skiff could function much like a “real” boat. A few other items… Read More Customizing the Skiff

This is the home stretch. After adding fiberglass to the top deck, the most visible areas were faired (using this process) and the entire top side of the boat was painted in white, and a textured paint was used for the majority of the deck. The paint process can be seen here. Anywhere that we… Read More Painting and Mounting the Motor

The top side of the boat has taken a lot of detail work. A Yeti bucket (with lid) became a bait well. The rear hatch, where the bait well fits, came together. Rod holders were completed. The rub rail was finished. The front hatch was made for semi-dry storage. All of the holes were drilled… Read More All in the Details

With the main floor epoxy applied and glassed in it was time to apply the epoxy high build primer. We chose white to blend with the final paint should any primer areas end up exposed. Once primer was complete it was time to start finalizing the top deck. We added structure to support the gunnels,… Read More Working the Topside of the Boat

Since I (Rebecca) almost failed the physics class I had to take in college, I kept asking for reassurance that this foam wasn’t what actually made the boat float. I had visions of being stuck at sea because we missed a spot with the foam! Thankfully I’ve been told (multiple times) this just helps keep… Read More Buoyancy Foam

After we got the skiff flipped over and onto the trailer, we started applying fiberglass to the inside of the hull. Epoxy (with cabosil thickener) was used to fill in any gaps. All of the seams were reinforced with fiberglass, and then we added the stringers. Fiberglass strips were used to bond the stringers to… Read More Adding Stringers

After multiple passes with the fairing compound and priming, we did one last pass with 220 grit sandpaper, vacuumed the dust, and wiped the hull with tack cloth. The hull paint we chose to use was the Pettit EZPoxy (color Blue Ice 3213). We also added the Pettit EZPoxy Performance Enhancer. This increases gloss and… Read More Epoxy Painting the Hull

With all of the fiberglass and epoxy complete, we began the process of fairing and smoothing the hull. We used Total Boat fairing compound. This evens out any highs and lows to get the surface as smooth and level as possible. This is a multi-step process…fair, sand…fair, sand…fair, sand… The take-away from this process is… Read More Fairing

This is when everything started to actually look like a boat! In between the zip ties we started gluing the boards together. Once that glue had set, we removed the zip ties and began taping the seams with 10 oz. fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin. The next day we started following the chine and the… Read More Gluing and Glassing