Laguna Madre 18'

[VT_Jeff]

Let's keep it simple and non-controversial: Just make sure it's flat, like the Earth.

Welcome to the forum, I'm a big fan of the LM and some real beauties have been built here.

Here's how I post when I'm including photos: I create a new post on my phone and add the photos, save it as a draft, and then when I'm at my laptop I add text and post it.

If you edit the photos on your phone before uploading(just edit/save, I don't think you need to actually change anything) then the orientation will usually sort itself out.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Jerid Ray]

Fish vacation..friends in town...had access to my old skiff I sold so I fished (distraction addiction) .....makes for slow progress. Finally back on track . Putting in a few hours a day after work and weekends. Making progress now. Sanded down. Primer guide coat to see my issues. Orders my Gator Glide. Sending off my paint codes to Quantum for paint. Ordered graphite.

I'm doing an epoxy coat on most of the sole with a Wrap around on the Chines. Then a graphite mix epoxy on the planing/poling sole. Then gator glide the whole wad to chines. Gator G2 is slick as whale shat. But not hard. Epoxy is hard as NAILS. Quantum (paint I'm using) is hard as ShAT but also expensive. I run my skiff in texas. I run my skiff like I stole it. If you havent run In Texas you don't know about running skinny as hell. I figure my epoxy coat is hard. Graphite coat is next hardness. The gator glide give me my ablative coat.

[Jerid Ray]

Pics for attention

[TomW1]

Glad you built the tunnel, make sure you get a good electric or pneumatic jack plate. I would recommend a 4-blade prop on your motor. I can run the numbers through my calculators when you get to that point so you have a starting point for a 4-blade prop.

Tom

[Jerid Ray]

Thank you, great advice! I have a prop guy who recommended the same 4 blade he runs on his two stroke. I had the 70 4 stroke and ran the same series of prop albeit a little larger under his advice. The thing won't cavitate with the prop halfway out of the water even. I plan on running a low water pickup on my transom and mounting my jack plate so that I can at least get my hub in the tunnel while still getting me down enough for proper running once I'm on plane.

[Jerid Ray]

Glad you built the tunnel, make sure you get a good electric or pneumatic jack plate. I would recommend a 4-blade prop on your motor. I can run the numbers through my calculators when you get to that point so you have a starting point for a 4-blade prop.

Tom

Wait...Tom.....do you live in Tivoli Texas?

[Jerid Ray]

Final rail piece attached. Gives a bit of an overhang and bulks out rail from bow to stern. I went ten rounds about even going wider amidships to stern, but after seeing some other builds that have plenty of foot space for walking the rail...I decided to leave it as is. Should be plenty. Clamped in place with a small bead of liquid nails at apex to seal it off. So I could pour epoxy and not have it leak out. Still leaked out but not bad. Wedged shims in between at a few intervals to get the rail angle off the gunwhale. Like opening a triangle a bit. So when the boat is floating the rail should be perpendicular to the water and not parallel to gunwhale.

Also three another (4th coat) coat of epoxy onto the Kevlar transom. Yes you can see my fairing there. That is all getting taped off and painted so it won't be seen. Like the Chittums do with their carbon fiber transoms. There will be exposed (covered in resin and a UV stabilized clear) carbon kevlar on the transom for looks. I have to put multiple coats on to get my thickness to where I can sand and flatten. Without sanding into kevlar. FYI kevlar does NOT sand. So if you do...it turns into shag carpeting.

[Jerid Ray]

5 coats of custom color "camo lite green" from Quantum. This stuff is hard as nails. Can't scratch it with my finger nail. 7 coats of Gator Glide G2. The Marsh Goblin is protected.

Both applications went well Into 1am. Waiiiiitt.....put on a coat...waiiiiitt.. put another. Repeat. I am FINALLY ready to flip.

[Jerid Ray]

Finsl shot.needs a wet and and buff for paint. Otherwise she is golden

[pee wee]

Wow, that was a lot of work! Boat looks great, I like the green.