BLUE GF18 by Jason

[gpratt]

Jason

Looks like you've done a great job on your boat. I'll bet you're getting excited now. I know I did when I got done to the end of that long tunnel.

Gary

[LIVEWIRE]

jason, thanks for the pictures and the storyline.
i've been watching your progress for some time and you have convinced me to take the first step with the gf-18 through ordering the plans as of 5 minutes ago. its not exactly what i had in mind to go after those big flatheads and blues in the cape fear river but its the closest thing to what i want. once i get the plans and see what i'm dealing with i can make a decision to build per plans or tweak it.
keep up the good work and i think you've done a fine job.

mark

[LIVEWIRE]

jason, i like the white interior. alot of people dont like white because of glare but i wear sunglasses anyway during the day. most of my inshore or inland fishing is done at night and a white interior means you need less artificial light to find that leather glove you dropped on the floor after landing that 60 pound flathead.

[jasonmcintosh]

Splash!

[chiel]

Looking good Jason!!! Nice job

but the hight of the bow worries me a bit, can you still look over it?. Could you give me an estimation of the amount of weight in the back(Motor, fuel you, batterie, trolling motor etc..)

I'd like to know this so that I could put some more weight in the front. Maybe you just have to put some ballast in the front?

Can't wait to get mine wet!!!

[Davef]

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fritz]

Very nice. I'm always amazed at how "small" the boats look while under construction -- and then how BIG they become once in the water. That is a really great boat.

Awesome!

[ryans]

Unfortunately, the boat porpoised too much to get the boat on plane for long

The reason for that is the weight distribution. The console as you have it is not as we designed it.
We carefully calculate weight distribuation on all our boats.

We are always willing to give advise about changes.

The way to correct that is to move the center console.

[Kurt]

Jason the boat looks fantastic. Nice neat job. Best of luck with her.

[jasonmcintosh]

chiel,

There's quite a bit of weight in back: motor 220 lbs, me (190 lbs), starting battery 30 lbs (?), 13 gallon fuel tank (only had 6 gallons in it which I'd guess at 30 lbs, not sure). I have one largish (50lbs?) trolling battery under the casting deck.

Even with this weight distribution, the boat sits fine in the water. The nose isn't high at all and I can easily see over the bow when not underway. However, when I give it some gas, the bottom of the boat sinks and the nose comes WAY up and there's NO WAY I can see over it. I didn't try standing though.

Ryan said the porpoising is due to too much weight in back. Could cause some of it, but at this point I'm pretty sure most of my problem is with the "attack" angle of the motor. As soon as I got home, I tilted it as far "back" as it'll go. I'll just have to see how much that improves things the next time out. Even with my wife and son on the front of the casting deck (200 lbs total?), it didn't help the porpoising much.

If need be, I'll move the starting battery up front. Maybe the fuel tank, but I'd hate to do that.

The cavation plate on the motor is probably just under 1 inch below the bottom of the hull. I don't know if moving that down would help this problem or not. I'll make the easy changes first.

Fritz,

Actually, the boat seemed bigger in my garage, but then the whole project has become larger than life over the many months working on it.


Thanks for everyone's comments. This board has been great!

Jason