Thanks for the warm welcome and a "pay it forward" offer

[Group W Bench]

I received a nice call from Scott, Gran398, welcoming me aboard. Turns out that we frequented some of the same Tarheel fishing haunts and had a lot of common interests beside old boats. It's really nice to be welcomed aboard like that by an old timer. Seems like you guys take the time to help each other out and get these classics back on the water.

So here's the "pay it forward" part. After reading some of the rebuild threads, it seems like the retail price of materials in small amounts is ridiculously expensive. We take delivery of 55 gal drums of certified polyester Corezyn each week as well as 3/4 oz BEH mat And FGI 1708  for use in construction of our Shipoke flats boats. I will offer up pails of resin at whatever you guys are paying for the second quality boatyard resin at FGCI. 1708 is available to you at $1.95/lb which is oem builder cost. Basically, if you are using the stuff to rebuild your personal boat, I am happy to provide materials to you at our cost ( roughly 1/2 the showroom by the gallon or by the yard price ).

Once in awhile, I'm willing to open up our spray booth for painting of restorations for diy guys on Saturday. There needs to be at least 2 guys to coordinate shooting at least a couple of boats in succession. Everyone brings their own usable supplies (you can use our spray equipment), and sign a liability waiver. Once a quarter seems reasonable if the need exists.

[seabob4]

That, sir, is a HELL of an offer!  And welcome aboard as well!  I worked in the business a long time (Wellcraft/Aquasport, Hydra-Sports, Intrepid, Stamas, Proline) so I'm sure we know a lot of the same people.  Have my own business now (thank God!) re-wiring, re-rigging, installs, etc.  Do a lot of "road" work in Pinellas/Hillsborough.  Have to stop in some day.  If you have any electrical issues, drop me a line.  There pretty much isn't anything I haven't installed...

[Circle Hooked]

That's just a great offer, thank you Sir    

[Group W Bench]

Seabob,

I welcome the opportunity to meet. Drop by the shop anytime from 8-4 during the week. We are by Jacobsen Homes and Deco Boat lifts in Safety Harbor. 925 Harbor Lake Dr.

[seabob4]

Seabob,

I welcome the opportunity to meet. Drop by the shop anytime from 8-4 during the week. We are by Jacobsen Homes and Deco Boat lifts in Safety Harbor. 925 Harbor Lake Dr.

Will do.  Like to see how you build them.  My last stint was at Proline, Production Engineer on the 26-35s.  But I do know a thing or too about "little" boats...  

[gran398]

Eugene, that is a terrific gesture on your part, all the way around...materials at cost and use of your guns and booth too? Wow...Thanks!

It was a pleasure chatting with you, thank you for joining the club, and again, welcome aboard

[Group W Bench]

It's not a big deal as we stock all the materials anyways. I think I threw up a little when I read that guys were paying over $80/pail for boatyard resin and the equivalent per lb. cost of over $4/lb for biax glass.  One post mentioned that 3/4 inch Nidacore was over $100/sheet. That's highway robbery. Case price (16 sheets per) is less than $70/ sheet.

I admire the hell out of guys willing to put in their own time to restore their boat. It's a pretty damn hard job, so we can at least make the materials part easier on the wallet. If someone can use the proper materials at less cost, then I am happy to help.

[RickK]

Hard to beat that gesture - thanks a lot for this and welcome aboard.

[wingtime]

That is a fantastic offer!  Thank you so much for helping out the hobby so to speak.   BTW  I love the screen name.  It won't be long now until we hear about the group W bench on the radio.  :)

[Group W Bench]

Wingtime,

Thanks for the reminder. I need to get some mash going in time for turkey day. It's a Thanksgiving tradition to fire up Alice's Restaurant on the record player and fire up the still. Nothing spreads the holiday cheer like some Son Family Holiday Hooch. My 5&7 year olds think this tradition is great; my wife not so much. Though they don't actually partake in the spoils of the family tradition yet, my eldest can test the specific gravity of mash and hooch with a hydrometer. It is good for his math skills as he has to make adjustments for temperature and then convert to proof. We use metric thermometers as well so it gets him acquainted with the metric system early on. Poor kid, I gave him an abacus for his fifth birthday and I'll only let him use an HP 12C calculator until he gets a learner's permit.

[slvrlng]

Wow what an offer! Wife and I were just talking about the cost of the materials on the 19-6 rebuild. I guess I need to set up another fishing trip with Skoot for this winter with a side trip to safety Harbor. Do you have a website for your boats? Can you post a link?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjKF7aQthcQ

[Group W Bench]

Slvrlng,

shipokeboats.com

Florida Sportman recently did a nice article on our 18:
http://www.floridasportsman.com/2011/08/24/shipoke-18/

The Shipokes are not the same style as Aquasports, but the original Shipoke owners are equally fanatical about restoring the originals from the 1970s. We have a couple in our shop from the early 1980s right now. Our shop has restored a few Aquasports for buddies, and it is a sickness that is equally fun to feed as restoring old Shipokes.

[Capt Matt]

Thank you, that is a incredible offer I'm sure some of the folks around here will take you up on it. I lucked out and had a buddy with an account at Composite One in Lakeland so even though the materials where not cheap I got a deal compared to retail.
The first flats boat I ever rode on was a Shipoke a buddy had in south Naples. After running boats all my life I had never felt the sensation of speed on the water like that before. I want to say the motor was a 175 OMC Javlin, that boat was a absolute rocket.  We used to tow it down to Everglades city and fish all the was down past lostmans river on her. They are one of the most unique flats boats ever made. Talk about some cockpit space with the helm being part of the gunnel. I read the Florida sportsman article last month and just the picture of the boat brought back memories of my first of many trips down to the glades. Not long after those trips I became a flatsboat guide, now it seems I have regressed back to my youth of running a old center console again.
Capt Matt

[Mcdiver]

Group W,

If you ever have a problem with your spray booth or need parts and filters, drop me a line.  I am a GFS distributor for new equipment, and I am certified on almost all of the product lines out there.  Gas fired burner?  No problem.  If I cannot help you fix it over the phone, I have good friends in the area that can help.

Mike

[Group W Bench]

Mcdiver,
Thanks for the kind offer. I wish I knew about you back when we had to buy all new fusable links, tanks, supression control box/thingamajigger, etc for fire supression in the booth. Y'all sure are proud of those parts. The fire marshal is happy though. I feel like you get punished for going through the process of applying for proper occupational licenses and hazmat plans with the City and Fire Department. The previous owner of the spray booth somehow made it for nearly a decade without a spray booth inspection tag. I submit docs to the City, and the Fire Dept. is riding my ass like Brokeback Mountain. Actually, the Fire Marshal is a good egg and a fisherman to boot. It's just that a decade of deferred maintenance repair to a booth doesn't come cheap.