Travlin_Man

I have fished with George on two occasions. He is a first class guy and knows the lake as he has fished there in all kinds of conditions. You will be a better fisherman after having spent a day with him.

What a great idea, simple is good

Sorry I can't help as I am on the west coast. We raised a bro. last night , travlin from west to east.

Sorry , missed the brand. With the boat out of the water and the motor off and key off put the motor in gear and see if there is a lot of play in the prop shaft by twisting it back and forth. Then put the shift in nuetral and spin the prop with your hand and see if you notice any woble.

A little more info would help, what brand of motor , horsepower age, type of boat etc.

Try to find a Gheenoe as they are many times more stable than a canoe.

Delco Voyager , my last one only lasted 8 1/2 years.

I would say BS is right. I have had a M K for 8 1/2 yrs. and it is run wide open most of the time as it is the only power on my boat.

The man that invented the Gheenoe did so because he was tired of trying to fish out of a tipy canoe.

A 13 ft. Gheenoe should not be a problem to handle. I have a 15' 6" Gheenoe that I bought new in 1980. I stored it upside down on a rack and just walked under it , put it on my shoulders and carried it to my truck and slid on top of the topper. I am certainly not built like Hercules although I must admit a few years ago I finally bought a trailer for the boat as I am now entering my sixth decade. They are very stable boats and stand up fishing is not at all a cause for concern. I use only electric power so the long narrow shape is a lot easier to push than the square flat end of a jon.

You don't say if the motor you plan to use will be electric or gas. If you are going with an electric the long narrow hull of a canoe type boat will give you more speed and battery life. Have you considered a 13 ft. Gheenoe? They are very stable and give the advantages of a long narrow hull without the tip over factor.

Have you tried Walsigham Park in Largo ? It is 100 acre lake strictly catch and release for bass and lots of places to bank fish and an electric motor only lake so no jet skis etc.

" Outdrive has new skag welded on" Sounds like this boat has been a river runner, rocks etc. Personally I would stay away from an I.O. At least with an outboard boat you can replace the motor a lot easier.

Do you have hydraulic presses and dies to form the hull or will you be building a rectangular floating box? Don't get me wrong , I think that you and your friend have a great amount of creative spirit to even consider the idea, however I think that there may be a lot more involved than most of us realize when we see a nice looking aluminum boat.

Have you checked the price of aluminum? Are you going to use welds on the boat or rivets? You may find that it will cost you a lot more time and $$$ than you originally estimated.

I have used a Kipawa Prop on my M.K. trolling motor for about 3 1/2 years. It seems to be just as weedless as the two blage prop that came with the motor. It is a 44lb. thrust 12 volt and the only power on my Gheenoe. It seems to me that I get a little more speed than I did with the stock two blade, however this is a long narrow boat and I think that the two blade "Weedless Wedge" would work better on a boat that is much heavier, bass boat wide jon boat etc. Just a few thoughts and observations from many hours of electric boating and fishing.

Take the tire to a shop or service station that will pull it off the rim and put a patch on the inside. If the puncture is in the tread this is the only good long term fix. If the whole is in the sidewall, it's time for a new tire.

I have lived in Florida for over fifty years and I would not advise float tube fishing, at least not in fresh water. I don't want to see any gators burping float tube shreds. Also don't forget about snakes.

How many wooden boats have you seen that were built with OSB? I would use some clear polyurethane , 2 coats, to seal your decks It will provide a durable finish even under the carpet.

I have a Delco Voyager battery that I bought in Oct. 99. I use it with a 44 lb. MK. as my only power on my gheenoe. It still charges up and keeps me fishing. I always charge it as soon as I get home and use the 2 amp. setting for deep cycle batteries on my charger. When I need a new battery, I will get another Delco.

Two lighter less capacity batteries " in series " will give you 24 volts a good way to fry a 12 volt motor . Don't do it . Stick to a good single 12 volt deep cycle battery.

After 36 years of swinging a hammer I was suffering from tendonitus. I had the shots etc. and nothing lasted. Finally I went to a naturapathic Dr. and she said I had yeast in my elbow. A few drops in water three times a day and within two weeks no more pain. That was over four years ago and no more problems.

I think that you will find a new B&S is about the same price. They are noisy. I would go the electric way.

Use a soldering iron to sear the carpet in the spot where you want to drill. This will keep the threads from wraping around the drill bit , and the carpet will not unravel around the hole.

I suggest that you make a phone call before you get your hopes up. This is the busy season for Florida bass guides.