Carbon Copy - Part II

Great news, the Honda 2.3hp, four stroke outboard has arrived and will be anxiously waiting for the day I get the boat completed.

The new motor weighs in at about 29 lbs and easy for my wife to install on the transom.  It won't make the boat plane out but it will keep it moving forward when needed.


I have had three weeks to plan my next move on Carbon Copy.  I need to accomplish a few things before I can put this little skiff in the water.

• Install stringers along the inside edges of the boat and possibly down the center as well.  I want to be sure that I have enough structure from bow to stern so it does not fold in half (might be a good thing).  The seats will take care of the port to starboard rigidity.  These added stringers will also make up my drainage channels from the bow to aft where the aft drain will be located.
• Install a drain channel under the aft seat with a drain plug at the base of the seat.  I would like to keep the drain plug inside the boat and easy to remove and install.  I plan on glassing in some tubing from the transom to the bottom center of the seat. A good seal and glass job will be needed, once the seat is filled with foam, the seat will then be sealed up with fiberglass.
• Tab in and glass in the seats.
• Glass in some backer plates for hardware such as cleats, pad eyes and handles.  I am still undecided as to the composition.  They may be wood or possibly multiple layers of carbon fiber.
• Install a Breasthook in the bow.
• Install the inner and outer gunwales.
• Install two part polyurethane foam in all the seats for buoyancy.
• Put a finishing fiberglass on the seat tops to cover the foam holes.
• Coat the entire interior with white gel coat and non-skid paint on the working surfaces of the sole.
• Flip the boat over and apply the carbon fiber to the bottom and top sides.  This is more for cosmetic purpose than strength however it will stiffen it a bit and add protection against abrasion and puncture.
• Coat the bottom and topside with clear UV gel coat.
• Install the inner and outer motor mount plates on the transom.

There is much to do and very little time to accomplish this.  I have three weeks home and two of those weeks I will be in school.  I might have a couple weekends or evenings to spare.

More later....