Eastern NC SK-14

[Capt UB]

Is that your Stripping basket up front? Takes ups some room, but I'm a big guy....

The rest of the boat looks great. My 15.4 Gheenoe with a 5 hp 4 stroke flew with two and gear, flew about 12-16 mph. That was more then I needed and still was way fun by myself.... Much faster!

Can't wait to see her in the water.

Bob

[OrangeQuest]

Very nice build and looks to be well thought out.

[BlackJack224]

Is that your Stripping basket up front? Takes ups some room, but I'm a big guy....

I may occasionally use it for that, but the thought is simply cast net storage. I'm a big guy as well, and knew I'd likely have NO business on the front deck of this thing, so I didn't mind "wasting" some of that space up there. That's also why I poured the entire bow with foam and didn't facilitate any storage up there. I'll use that bucket to throw extra junk in as well, and a good place to keep a couple of rods stored and out of the way. I anticipate most of my fishing be done from near the center of gravity .

The rest of the boat looks great. My 15.4 Gheenoe with a 5 hp 4 stroke flew with two and gear, flew about 12-16 mph. That was more then I needed and still was way fun by myself.... Much faster!

Thanks. I may end up downsizing to a smaller motor if there are issues with being tippy or constantly wanting to swamp the deck, but hopefully not!

Very nice build and looks to be well thought out.

Thanks, OQ. I've put a little thought into this one, but shot from the hip along the way a plenty too! My main goal was to keep it simple, relatively light weight, and not cram 10 lbs of sugar in a 5 lb sack. All of my tube work is aluminum, and my paddle and push pole are carbon fiber. That Engel is really lightweight and also incorporates 4 lightweight rod holders. The bucket at the back can serve dual purpose as a driving seat, as well as storage for tackle, pliers, etc... I also have a battery operated livewell kit for the Engel should I wish to use a livewell. I also like that I can quickly strip it all out, basically to bare deck, in the event that I want to go paddle around a farm pond, etc... Like most people have said on this forum, I likely should've built the FS14LS, but I did have realistic expectations about this being on the small side, very simple, and a good one to learn the craft on. It's been a lot of fun, and no regrets. Looking forward to splashing, and unless fairing and paint take WAYYYY longer than I hope, I should be close to my original goal of mid-June launch.

[seaslug]

That is the most well thought out SK14 I've seen, and a beautiful job you've done. I absolutely love that bucket holder deal on the foredeck. The guy I sold my SK14 to put a 20hp on it and loves it. Talk about flying! I made push pole holders for mine, but was afraid of breaking my pole because of the extreme curve of the hull, so never tried it. Mike

[Capt UB]

That is the most well thought out SK14 I've seen, and a beautiful job you've done. I absolutely love that bucket holder deal on the foredeck. The guy I sold my SK14 to put a 20hp on it and loves it. Talk about flying! I made push pole holders for mine, but was afraid of breaking my pole because of the extreme curve of the hull, so never tried it. Mike

When I bought my 2017 NMZ 15.4 Gheenoe, the dealer said not to use three pole holders (with bungee cord), just two because it put too much of a bent it. I see the same here too.

[BlackJack224]

That is the most well thought out SK14 I've seen, and a beautiful job you've done. I absolutely love that bucket holder deal on the foredeck. The guy I sold my SK14 to put a 20hp on it and loves it. Talk about flying! I made push pole holders for mine, but was afraid of breaking my pole because of the extreme curve of the hull, so never tried it. Mike

Thanks, Seaslug. Means a lot coming from you, after that piece of art you turned out on your build! If mine finishes out 50% as nice as yours, I'll be tickled to death.

That is the most well thought out SK14 I've seen, and a beautiful job you've done. I absolutely love that bucket holder deal on the foredeck. The guy I sold my SK14 to put a 20hp on it and loves it. Talk about flying! I made push pole holders for mine, but was afraid of breaking my pole because of the extreme curve of the hull, so never tried it. Mike

When I bought my 2017 NMZ 15.4 Gheenoe, the dealer said not to use three pole holders (with bungee cord), just two because it put too much of a bent it. I see the same here too.

Thank you both for the heads up on this as well. I can't mount my holders and start fiddling with them until I plane my rub rails flat, but I had considered that it may be too much curve. I very well may end up with just two holder and bungees, but we'll see. I may also just pull that third holder near the bow back toward the stern a bit, and offset the center one toward the inside similar to Seaslug's. I guess the beautiful thing is that nothing is permanent if it doesn't work. A little epoxy and some wood flour, and we have a blank canvas again!

[seaslug]

Thanks for the compliments. I thought about moving the forward holder back as well, but was afraid a 14-17' pole would probably bounce up and down too much. Also, I have a 3 piece sectional pole that's a lot more flexible than one of the really high end poles like a Stiffy, so keep that in mind. I think 2 pole holders and bungees are probably the only option. Looking forward to the rest of your build and launch. Mike

[BlackJack224]

[BlackJack224]

Well, unfortunately still no additional progress on the skiff. Work has been crazy, I tore my knee up a couple weeks ago and have to have surgery tomorrow to get her fixed back up. Needless to say I’ve had some more pressing stuff to get caught up around the house before I’m on crutches for a few days. I’m also renovating a little shop at my house so I can move her here from my buddies wood shop for sanding and finishing. It will give me more time to sneak out a few minutes at a time and sand instead of driving a few miles down the road. I did make a neat little router sled today to level out my rub rails. Laser cut from 1/4” aluminum and put it together with male and female tabs (puzzle joints), and plug welded and ground smooth from the bottom. This allowed me to maintain that sharp edge on the inside for the router base to ride on without hanging up on a weld or a formed radius. It also kept it extremely fair and true. My plan is to simply walk down the entire skiff with the router and plane across the rail until flat from bow to stern. Hopefully it works, but it should! Maybe I’ll hobble out and get a little work done next week after a few days of ice packs!

[poleposition]

^

Every once in a while you see something on this forum that amazes you in its ingeniousness; that sled certainly fits the bill