1973 22.2 redo ===== SOLD!!!!!

[Group W Bench]

I didn't know you were such a colorful writer Scott. Not since Frank Deford's SI days has such riveting commentary been penned about two average hacks pounding each other in the back yard over a cooler of beer.

I am definitely hanging up the gloves though.

[shortpants]

Yep, I  saw the video. It was after dark, there were two guys. One was a 19 year old blonde buck with his shirt off......the other was a shorter guy in a gray T shirt.

The video was taken by a bunch of howling folks that were having a damn good time. It wasn't a "fight" per se...more of a backyard MMA exhibition. Both athletes wore boxing gloves, no headgear, and seemed friendly at first.

The round begins.

Bruce Lee is posturing on the young buck. The buck is game, but apprehensive. Bruce begins the action with a big time roundhouse left foot to the kidney. You can hear it. The buck is stunned. The crowd roars.

Second strike, Bruce executes a spinning back kick to the head of the buck. Buck never sees it coming. It was pretty too. Buck doubles over. The crowd REALLY hoots on this one.

By now, Buck is seeing the truth. He lashes out in desperation. He mounts a bull rush charge. Hits Bruce with a right hand...on the dark video, didn't look like much. Wouldn't call it a hook, or a straight right. More of a loping overhand. But it's dark. Bruce blocks it, but his glove was crushed into his eye. Bruce described the buck's blow as "heavy handed."

Bruce is a badass in my book. The buck was bigger, taller, and younger. But you should have seen Bruce in action. He was doing all of this neat stuff with his hands, and making cool shrieking noises for the fans. It was deshitt

I've asked Bruce to hang up the gloves. At some point we all have to give up good clean fun with nineteen year old roofers and sheet rock boys

You did good tho bud...those kicks were quick, accurate, and hard. For sure the kid knows. Way to call it done

LMAO!!!!!!!  Still laughing.  I can picture it now as I was sitting around on Saturdays waiting for Kung Fu Theatre to come on when I was a kid.  I don't remember any with Eugene in the movie.........

Here is a pic of the boat now, can you believe it?  Looks better now then when I got it out of the first shop..Hehe.  

[seabob4]

Those interior hullsides look sweet!  Nice and clean!  Looking good, SP!!!  

[Group W Bench]

Shortpants may be getting tired of update photos. He has gotten about a dozen a day for the last week. The hullsides of his boat had become very thin between the grinding by the previous shop and then our subsequent grinding off of the fairing compound by us at Shipoke. The hullsides were downright flimsy. They were around 1/8" thick (width of 2 stacked quarters). Originally, the plan was to glass with 3/4 oz mat and 2 x 1808. After looking over the hull this morning, we decided a change of plan was in order for 2 reasons.

1) Shortpants has a 5k lb tow capacity on his tow rig, and between boat, tower, trailer, and fuel, it will get close. We started thinking about going into weight savings mode. There is nothing wrong with saving weight as long as the laminates are just as strong as heavier methods. The problem is that light weight, strong laminates usually cost considerably more than bulky cloths like 24 oz roving or 1808. But like any business, the "know your client rule" applies to boat building as well. You don't want to rebuild his boat with so much weight that he has to go buy a new tow vehicle to get to the ramp.

2) since the hull is thinner than normal after multiple grindings, we were worried about print through transferring with 1808. 1808 is an inexpensive way to build bulk, but also soaks up a lot of resin. The exothermic reaction of catalyzing resin gives off heat which allows the weave pattern of 1808 to transfer through ("print through") the exterior laminates due to excessive heat.

We ended up using 3/4 oz mat, 2 mil coremat, and 2x 3/4 oz mat from 6 inches below the chine all the way to the sheerline. After discussing the change of plans with Shortpants, we glassed the hullsides today in order to allow for a very low and slow temperature cure. We kicked at 1% instead of the customary 2.5% to mitigate heat and potential print of overlaps (more on that later). Each side took approximately 1.5 hours to lay up between 4 guys. We utilized 3.75 gallons of resin per side, or 7.5 gallons total including glassing in the transom knees. Transom knees are 1.5 inch Penske board glassed in with mat, and 3 x 1708. The calculated weight savings over the originally proposed 1808 schedule was approximately 20 gallons, and the cloth savings was around 30 lbs, for a total estimated weight savings of around 290 lbs.

For guys glassing hullsides, please take note of a few pointers available in the photo that Shortpants posted.
1) You will notice a darker line 3' wide along the floor level of the boat. We intentionally precut the material to create the overlap at floor level. It mitigates the tendency to have a hard line when you install the deck, and makes it easier to fair in the 1708 and mat that will be used to glass in the deck. Just make sure not to have it extend above the deck level, or it will make fairing harder down the road. It is easier to wet out the narrower rolls than one big roll extending from chine to sheerline. This little step costs nothing to do and saves time in laying down the material, and future fairing and finish work.

2) When glassing multiple layers of material around chines, stagger the overlaps beyond the chine. You will often see folks starting the edge of the glass in the chine corner. This is like looking a gift horse in the mouth when you can extend an extra 2 inches on each successive layer beyond the chine corner and onto the hull bottom. Each laminate will extend 2 layers farther, so after 3 lams you will have a 6 inch overlap beyond the chine. This creates a lot of strength in the hull sides and bottom for very little extra material and a few minutes extra work.

[seabob4]

Eugene,
Just good lam schedule philosophy right there...    

And the bit about excessive heat generation and print through...well done, sir!!

[gran398]

Good stuff, thanks for the great tech info Eugene

Thanks shortpants. It was a great video! The best part was watching Bruce in action  The girls were squealing like a bunch of twelve year olds at a Justin Bieber show

The good news is now you'll have a boat you can depend on, rides good, looks good, and will be issue free for a LONG time.

[shortpants]

Stopped by Shipoke over the weekend to have a look at the boat.  Glad to report not only is the boat looking great but so is Eugene's eye!  Here are a few pics sent to me by Eugene past week or so.  There are more but will just post these to show progress.

[Group W Bench]

We are plugging away on Shortpant's 22.2, and it's coming along nicely. Since he is boatless for now, we offered to let him run one of our 14 ft demo boats to feed the fishing sickness. He sent this picture of a nice doormat that he snagged yesterday.

[CaptSteveBetz]

I stopped by Shipoke last Friday. The rebuild of the (alleged) rebuild is coming along nicely.

That boat will be right when it leaves Shipoke.

Nice flattie you got there Tom.

[Group W Bench]

The guys really appreciated the beer that you dropped off Steve. We really do have some pretty great clients.

[shortpants]

Picture or two to show progress.  As always, Eugene and his shop at Shipoke are making the bad experience in which I've gone through a little easier swallow with the manner in which he has treated my wife and I.   Each time I have traveled up to take a look at the boat I get more excited then ever and can't wait for it to be completed.  In the meantime, Eugene was nice enough to loan an addicted Florida boy one of his Shipoke boats specifically the, "General Lee."  (painted in Dukes of Hazzard fashion)  It's Shipokes 14 technical skiff powered with a little 25 Tohatsu.  It's amazing the positive feedback I've been getting on this boat both on the water and off.  People in cars are racing up to me in traffic to ask about it.  I didn't get that attention in my Aquasport!  Maybe I should just sell that and get a Shipoke and paint it similar.  The boat itself has been a blast fishing off of.




On a sour note, here is a picture of a little fire hazard wired at the OTHER shop.

[Capt Matt]

Better to find that little hazard now though
Now that is some serious progress and a loaner boat to get out and fish from in the mean time
Eugene is the man
Capt Matt

[CaptSteveBetz]

I like the option in the for deck to be able to drop a 5 gal bucket with cast net in.

Things are looking good. If I get time i am going to swing by the shop to see it in person again.

[shortpants]

I know that I probably don't post enough or more  pictures like I do but that fact of the matter, I am embarrassed that I was taken to the cleaners by the other shop and am still trying to get excited this time around...that's funny, this time around!  How may people have had their boats rebuilt twice in a year?  Guess that would be another discussion...Anyway, here is a picture or two.  Again, Eugene and the guys at Shipoke have been nothing but the utmost professionals!  Looking at Scott's, Grans, rebuild post helped to get me back into it a little so here are some pictures. I will try and post another set or two in a week or so.  

[Aswaff400]

looks like a ground wire got crushed by the nut/screw holding the battery switch in...

that transom looks sick!