Skiff 03.JPG19'6" LOA x 46". 3/16 bottom, 1/8 sides, longitudinal stingers with welded in 1/8 double bottom.

Been out of town with work obligations, and had the birth of our first child, so finishing the skiff had been put to the back burner. Finally got around to finish rigging it out. I am very happy with the final product. The boat runs great with the 50hp outboard. Jumps on plan and maxed out at 37MPH, way faster then I was expecting, also rode much dryer then I expected with only 7" of rake.

Few more pics of my progress

For more photos

Looks good. Did you cut sides to make the shape of the bow? Or just the angle on the front?

Thanks for the kind words.
I only cut the sides where they meet at the bow stem. Sides are 24" and there are 7" of rake in the bottom. You could cut the sides as the bottom comes up in the rake, but it would give a little different look, keeping the shear line at the top of the boat more straight.
Got to put in a couple of hours this evening after work, began tacking up the gill bracket.

This is my 1st official post here. I've been doing a lot of lurking and reading. Great looking boat and skills to boot on the build.

Where u gonna crawfish? Basin?

Blue Tick,

Appriciate the compliment, I'm pretty satisfied with how the boat is coming out.

I'll be using the boat in the Pearl River basin, little crawfishin, froggin, duck hunting and some deer hunting. Going to see how it works out, but kinda of building it with the intent of selling it in the not to distent future

Would be great for a mud motor. Minus the gill bracket

Yeah, I've had the idea of maybe putting a mud motor on it in the back of my mind. I put all the bracing in the full transom to fall out right for a mud motor, I would just have to cut the gill bracket off and then cut the transom down to the channel. I had saw I picture of one that Uncle J had built a little while back with a mud motor, I really liked the lines of the hull, and I tried to build this one simular to it, just set up for an outboard.

As soon as I finish this one for myself, I'm going to try and turn out another one, same hull minus the gill bracket and welded in double bottom, to sell.

How much material u got in it?

I'm about 2200 in with everything, gas, welding wire, ect. I've got 33 hours on it as of yesterday evening, guessing I will be somewhere around 50 hours when finished, not including rigging it out with the motor.

Good looking skiff. Are you basing your design off this skiff?



If so, I would be concerned with the lack of rake and having the weight up front w/ a front console. That boat is going to be really prone to diving.

Thats the boat! Is it yours? Great looking skiff!
I started to put a little more rake into it, just don't care for the look when they come up hard. Planing on a small console and single operator seat up front. Going to run two batteries, 15-20 gallons of fuel, plus a 50 hp outboard hanging another 14" set back on the bracket all in the rear of the boat. Plus I will have the advantage of power trim on an outboard motor to trim the bow up some while running.
If thats your boat would love to hear what you think about that set up. It's a 7" rake as well if I remember right? Gonna finish the gill braket then, then got plenty of welding to catch up on, so wont be starting on the consol till this weekend.

Yeah that's mine. I think it has 8" of rake.

I'll put money that you get wet

Yeah, I'm sure it will be pretty wet. I'm going to try and finish welding it out by this weekend, hang the motor on it and put it in the water to see how it floats before building the console. Really want it up front, but if it doesn't float right I might go to a rear operator side console.

I'm using the millermatic 251 also. Replaced the miller gun with a profax. Had trouble with miller gun

I've been welding with miller spool guns for 20 years, and in the past had always swore by the miller spool guns. This one however , has been a pain since the day I bought it. Nothing but trouble with it, I bet I have literally lost several hours on this build fighting with that damn gun. Plan on replacing it with a profax as well in the near future.

Wires breaking near the handle and tips plugging.

30a

I'm running a 30A also

Any trouble with tips plugging?

Yeah I've had some trouble with tips plugging, but more of an issue with the gun jamming up wire feeding into the liner. changed the liner several times, re seated all the drive rollers, It might run 2lbs of wire trouble free, then just go crazy, and only weld an 1" or 2 without jaming up. Like I said, I've welded with those guns for years, welding for some big ship yards, and built boats for one of the big mud motor builders, so I can usaully figure out whats going on with them, this thing has been a pain since day one.

I had an old miller spoolmatic II, the big aircooled guns for years. Lost it during Katrina. Was big an bulky, but I had real good luck with it over the years.

wonder if its a defect in the gun. Brother-in -law has a 30A and gives him the same probs. I use the 3035 spoolmate for my Miller 210 and have had no issues with it

I've used a 200, 3035 and now a 30a. So far I love the 30a. What size wire and tips are you using that you're having problems with them plugging up?

.030@35

Mine jams up with 3/64 just as much as with .30. When I'm done this boat I'm going to bring it in for service. I've used a lot of 30a's and have always had good luck and recommended them, this is the first one I have personally owned and it has just been a headache. It almost seems like the drive motor and drive roller aren't in line correctly with the liner and barrel

I have checked that, say thats the north south adjstment, it seems as if it might be off east west, for which there is no adjustment. If thats even really what it is, only thing I can seem to come up with.

Right rollers for the size wire? They only make about 20 different options lol

Yeah, I'm running the right rollers. Welded the floor in this evening, and the gun had one of its better nights, just a couple of jams. I'm gonna bring it in for service after this boat, it's got a lot of hours on it. I'm going to give it one mor chance on the next hull I build, and if I still have trouble I'm gonna replace it with a profax

Should have everything but the console welded out and finished this weekend. Gonna hang the motor on it and get it on the trailer, then float it before putting in the console. Will try and get some photos of the progress up this weekend

Probably a sorting table.

Please explain..

Just like a picking box on a shrimp boat. Usually crawfish sack hangs from the rounded part, then tou can cull through the catch, and sack them up.

Table folds up and down for space. Down of course in this pic

Any more updates on the build ?