Now what?! (project update with pics)

[G Jacobson]

Hull flipping day for my 17' V-hull skiff FINALLY arrived on Thursday!
After getting her on the dolly I consulted an 81 year old Norwegian boatbuilder I know (my Dad) for assistance with the interior planning. He was a great help in determining the final shear line using a CVG fir batten on the starboard rail.

The original plan was to finish the side panels bright but that didn't work out due to incomplete resin uptake in the 6oz FG fabric .

Here she is out of the garage (much to my wife's elation!).





And here she is flipped and ready to slide on the dolly.





After reading all the controversy about CPES I decided to just coat the interior with 105/206 slighty diluted with acetone to improve the brushflow.

Now all I have to do is install frames, stringers, decks, seats/storage, motor controls, etc......!

[Wild Dingo]

Well... all I can say is

WELL DONE!!

[Thorne]

Purty -- and looks fast, too!

[geeman]

Thats one smoooooooooth paint job!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JimD]

Looking very snazzy

[pipefitter]

Great job. I know that had to be alot of work.

[katiedobe]

Great Job!!!
I have just finished applying F-glass and resin to the bottom of my 16' skiff and am curious as to how you got such a smooth finish on top of the glass.
Did you fill the weave with thickened epoxy then sand it fair? Or did you just keep applying epoxy to fill the weave?
I am leaning towards filling with thickened then fairing. Is this the right way. I want a smooth hull as this boat needs to showcase my skills. I live in a small community on a large lake and I want other people to see my boat and ask my to build a boat for them.
I am a custom door and sash maker and I have not applied any fiberglass before this boat. I got great adhesion but the weave has telegraphed through.

I wish I could paint my hull that nice pretty green but down here in the tropics of Mexico I will need to stick with light colors.

How fast will that thing go with what size motor are you planning to put on it.
Nice lines!

[katiedobe]

Just noticed you are from Camas!! I moved down here from Portland, OR. How did you enjoy the heat wave my mom said you had last week?

[S/V Laura Ellen]

two thumbs up!

[Cec]

Beautiful Paint Work! Did you roll and tip the hull?

[RodB]

Nice job, now the fun begins in other 75% of the work. Looks like you did a solid paint job. Keep up the good work you'll be proud at the end.

RB

[G Jacobson]

Thanks for the kind comments everyone.

To answer the questions about the paint job, I applied 3 coats of epoxy - 1 to wet out the glass, 1 to fill the weave, and a top coat. Then I simply wet sanded the crap out of it, starting with 100 grit, then 150 and finishing with 220. Since it is a trailer boat, I decided to go with Pettit Easypoxy topside paint. I wet sanded the first coat with 220 then brushed on the final coat unthinned. I credit the paint for the good finish.

BTW, The Easypoxy colors are Jade green on the bottom, black on the sides, and Brightwork Brown (with a touch of Burgundy) on the chine rails.

Oh yeah, forgot to add that I used some colloidal silica in the final 2 epoxy coats. I also wet sanded both coats with 220. This was the first time I've used colloidal silica and was amazed at how it made the epoxy feel and look like spreading "liquid glass". I'm sold on the stuff!

[mcdenny]

That's one nice looking skiff. Did you design it? What do you plan to use for power?

[G Jacobson]

mcdenny,

Thanks. Yes the design is my own but I have to credit my Dad for the inspiration. It is loosely based on a design he came up with in the 60's he calls a "Sugar Scoop" (it really is a sweet little skiff!). It is a lightly built skiff with lots of side flair and longitudinal sweep.

As for power, I have twin 25hp Merc 2 strokes to hang in the double outboard well. Not sure how fast 50hp will push her, but speed isn't my main concern, - rough water manners are.

[katiedobe]

Thanks for your info on the finish of the epoxy.

you faired the hull with collodial Silica huh? I got some of that here. Man it sure is hard when it dries. You wet sanded that through that many grits . You must have arms like popeye . I am impressed.

I put some cabo sil (collodial silica)mixed with epoxy on the bow area and sanded for about 20 minutes and said, "no way am I going to do the whole hull with this stuff" so I ordered some # 407 West System to fill the weave with. Waiting for it to arrive in a friend's truck who is driving down from the states.

I like the look of the hull and the shape. I hope you and your dad get to enjoy it out at Buoy 10 this august. Catch a salmon for me would ya?

What is the story behind finding the twin mercs? I would love to see pictures and hear it. What year are they? They do have counter rotation to each other right? Lots of questions you need to answer.
Wonderful Job. Love the paint scheme. I love Easy Poxy too. It always makes me look like a great painter.

[G Jacobson]

katiedobie,

Thanks for the comments and interest.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I faired the hull with cabo sil because there was a LOT of sanding before I even laid glass on it. I strip planked the hull in 1/8" Lauan and was planning on finishing it bright so I had a pretty smooth surface already. What I found with the cabo-sil was how "glassy" it spread with the squeegee. What might have saved me a lot of sanding was the added cure time using 206 which allowed me to rework the finish with the squeegee to eliminate runs etc... This worked well enough that both my wife and kids were upset with me after I "screwed up" the glossy epoxy finish by wet sanding it!

The story behind the twin Mercs was that I wanted engine redundancy beyond that provided by a kicker. I probably should have gone with 30's or even 40's but finding a matched set of outboards proved to be much more challenging than I hoped. When I found a pair of new 2005, 25hp 2-strokes, - I didn't hesitate. Also, I was told that counter-rotation was not available in the lower horsepower ranges.

Glad you like her lines and the paint scheme. We'll see if I can get away with the dark colors up here in the NW. And yes, she will likely see action at Bouy 10, Tillamook Bay, the Columbia River in addition to the Pacific itself.