SK14 build PittPlanB

[PittPlanB]

Thank you for the reply. It is fully cured. I will sand it before applying some of the wood flower peanut butter to fill out low spots in seams before final contour sanding.

[PittPlanB]

I have made a good amount of progress over the last couple of months it has taken me some additional time to add the modifications that I liked from some of the other builds and also modifying and adding some details that I have come up with myself next step is to start laying the fiberglass cloth and also install some of the basic electronics in the bow hatch. The boat is a bit heavier than I thought it would be but based on some of the other posts in the forum that I have used as guides I believe I am still in good shape. I don’t think there’s any way I will be able to load this into the back of my truck because of the weight so a trailer purchase is in my future!

[PittPlanB]

I have not posted in a while. Here are a few additional pictures of the build process and fairing process. I used mostly electric radial and belt sanders but took my time I also hand sanded. I am very happy with the smooth finish after several coats of fairing and fairing a few additional spots a third time.

[PittPlanB]

These are pictures of primer and paint process. The team at BBC was great helping me to select the correct items for the primer and paint. Having a smooth finish is very import you want the boat to have a professional look. I read a post from a seasoned boat builder that running your hand over the boat as to sand to feel for imperfections is very important so I spent a lot of time looking for spots and small ridges of fairing to sand them out.

[PittPlanB]

These are pictures of adding hardware and electrical. I have a lithium battery and marine rated electronics in the bow compartment. I did not run electric to the stern. Looking back an electric starter would have been a nice add, but not a big deal. Learned some lessons for my first build. Posts that veteran builders have online including pictures and videos were a huge help! I could not have done this without learning from their builds. I have navigation lights and curtesy lights on deck. I added the rub rail as well and it turned out great. I also added marine mat (teak and black lines). I spent some extra $ and bought better sail boat quality hatches after seeing some bad reviews for some brands. I used black 4200 for some areas and white 4200 on other areas to make everything water tight and match the different hardware. I also bought stainless steel pipe and cut it to fit the scuppers so I can add the plugs if I want to keep the deck dry for a complete seal. I fish in calm lakes much of the time on Pennsylvania so I can keep a dry deck mostly if I want to with this modification.

[PittPlanB]

Maiden voyage was a success! The skiff performs very well! We put two 200lb+ guys on it and it was still very fast with the 9.9 engine. It also maneuvers very well with a 6ft long and 1” tall scag. My gps app had us moving at 14.7mph. Adding a 1” wood spray rail and then adding the rub rail for a total of 1.75” of spray rail keeps the skiff very dry on a nice day in calm water to light chop. We only took spray in the boat, water never came over the side even when making tight turns. I also moved the grab rail forward to around midships to even out the weight and allow me to move back or forward depending on the conditions. The boat runs great no matter where I stand. I also built a gravel guard for when I am trailering the boat to minimize risk of rock chips from the road. Don’t want to destroy the paint after all that work! Thank you to the team at Boat Builder Central for a great experience building this skiff and making the skiff unique with some custom modifications! I did overbuild the skiff and had some concerns about weight, but it worked out and I have no issues with my modifications. The boat design is very solid, and is a great time!!! I am already planning and researching for my next larger build now that I have some experience, maybe the LM18 starting this fall.

[cape man]

Awesome!

[pee wee]

Congratulations! The boat turned out nicely, looks great.

Thanks for posting all those photos, it'll help some other builder down the road, and it's also a good record for you to refer back to if you need to in the future.

[jbo_c]

Great execution. Looks awesome!

Jbo