well, got a new boat to play with. it's 20x46'' and has a front deck, gastank behind the deck, then open floor to the transom. got a battery shelf. and a double floor.

the bottom is 3/16''
sides are 1/8'', but the crimp makes them feel strong.
a good gunnel, not as wide as i like, but ok.

well, got the boat yesterday, threw the motor and safety crap in it, iced down sum beer, put 15 gals in the gastank and went go frog till 3am.

put it in sum bad lillies way back of grevenburg last night, and it did better than i thought it would.

no hopping in the deep, ran 25-27 in the deep all night. was getting faster as i burnt off fuel. with a few gals in the tank it will be a runer.

the ribs go across the boat, i'm hoping the 3/16'' bottom wll last longer, if not it will get hooked shortly. they would of run the ribs however i wanted, but they already started when i noticed they were the wrong way.



anyway, i'll postup sum more as i figure it out.

another pic,

the boat runs like a 46'' boat, but is wide on top like a 60'' near the transom. i wanted a boat more fishing/going to the camp friendly. i think it will ge a great all around boat.

so far i like it.

looks real nice Joel

once i get it riggedout and add a few things i'll get it painted, then it ought to look decent.

Nice hull. You got lots of room for sure.

Is that one of them scully hulls?

Congrats on your boat DA.... Looks good...

it's a charles leonard built hull.

in the last few years, lot's of folks are making boats with this 'crimp' on the sides. i had to laugh, cuz charles calls it a ''hard crimp''. he told me, ''i tell frank to crimp dat ting hard so it will b strong''. lol

my skiff in 06 had the same crimp, but it was not nearly as noticeable.

hell, my big bayboat had the same crimp in 2003 or so.

that style been around a long time.


i had to laugh when jojo told me when i was picking up my boat, he said 'don't let them people over there copy my hull''.

hell, every backyard builder buys their alum from the same place and can get the same stuff he uses. there ain't no monopoly on it.

Good lookin boat DA. And an even better looking ice chest! Did you paint that Yeti yourself? We sell them at work, but I have only seen them with the camo lids.

ckc camo painted it. i was being anal about the white color while duck hunting.

it been painted 2 duck seasons ago. holding up well.

Looks real good,I'm sure it'll look better when you are done

Hey DA, is that one of them fancy FL gigin poles with the fish hook tips???? I been thinking about getting me one of those.

i'm sure that's the place, they sell a heck of alot of alum. hell, that truck they drive down my road has probably ruined the road more than the cane farmers. lol

i know the skiff's used to cost 100$ a foot since i was a kid. that won't cover the material now.

a gravois bayboat was around 2000-2500 a foot 10 years ago, god knows what they cost now.

I dont gig many but there are always a few that hide out back in the bushes that only a long gig can reach. The gig heads I can get local only push them under, you cant get a good hit on them. I was thinking those fish hooks could stick em pretty good. I know they stick me pretty easy....

http://www.huntinglight.com

this is the link. i use my gig more when i am alone or they got a yellowthroat under sum bushes.

if i build me a frogchute i might like it, but there ain't nothing like hand grabbin them.

my dad can't grab them no more due to arthritus, he is one gigin fool though.


this is a cool sight too, they got froggin supplies.
http://www.snlcorp.com/SNL/Other/DuckDecoyKit.aspx

My uncle had the box with a chute on it mounted in his airboat and used a pole like that. Never had to get up off the seat. I like mine alive though.

well, i filled the boat up with gas and went frogging.

upon inspection this am, i got a few issues.

1. gas tank is seeping gas into boat. it's a small leak, but a leak is a leak.
2. threads on gastank filler will have to be chased with die, threads aren't good enough to make up cap that i had to go buy.
3. got two cracks along the front deck at the bulkhead. one on each side. apparently he grinded off the weld.
will get it straightened out and postup.

Dang nice ice chest money bags!

yep, it is a nice cooler!!!!!

took the boat out again today, not combat loaded, but with my normal load and 12gal gas the boat ran fine. did good in the grass and turns well. i can make it slide if i want to, but it hold a turn better than i expected.

jumps on step quick and easy, and holds plane at low speeds.

hit a few waves, the 3'16'' bottom felt solid. .

so far, so good.

btw, got 37 frogs tonight.

well, after taking out the boat 3 times, noticed a large hook in the bottom already due to the bottom not having longitudional ribs. also noticed sum bracing under the front deck missing.

so....

brought the boat back to piearre part to be repaired and sold. hopefully won't lose too much money.

not sure what to do now. probly gonna get one of the other boat builders closer to home build me a new one, with bracing like i want this time. don't care what it cost.

Damn that sucks DA. All that time, money, and excitment of a new boat and you get three rides and a forked up boat. Hope it works out for ya man

Got a picture of what the hull looks like without the floor so we can see what kind of bracing NOT to do?

Dont want to bash charles or anything but I bought a boat from him and same shit. Never got the gas tank to quit leaking. Finaly sold it and bought an Aucoins.

Well,
Thats not the type of posts I like to read, but that is why this site is here. I am sure as some point I will have some Egg in my face.

This is the reason I build what the customer wants. I try and give as little opinions as possible.

Even a 1/4" bottom with side ribs will Hook. Though.. It is odd that it hooked so soon.


Good Luck with the sell of the boat.

Uncle J

looks like u have some string wrapped around the shaft!

where is all the Gator Traxesq extras ????




dayum Yetti camo cooler must have cost a pretty penny

boots hes from loreauville