Skiff

Don't forget solar panels for battery charging, mounted on the Bimini top. And some switchable, low voltage, low current lights under those side decks, will make hunting among stowed in the boat stuff, easier in gloomy conditions.

 

Thanks. Gotta love those LEDs.

 

Well, I am off to register the new hull with the state.


Still lots to do.

 

Got it!

 

Looks great Hoyt.

Does the cat come along for rides? A friend takes their cat out all the time-PWC,boat- whatever it is she loves it.

 

Thanks.

Land cat. Hates water.

 

Hoyt, how can you register the boat before it is complete? The FWC inspector will need to see the flotation installation, your list of gear like fire extinguisher, anchor, whistle, PFDs and all that other stuff.

I'm asking because I am going through the motions to make my sailboat legal for use with a tiny outboard. A FWC officer inspected my boat at my home. That's an accommodation that I did not expect.

The very nice FWC lady, all 130 pounds of her if I include the stun gun, Glock 40, bullet proof vest, radio transmitter, and the other law enforcement gear. I had to fill out all sorts of paperwork and so did she. She took pictures of the boat, the plans that I had drawn ten years ago, some Excel calculation sheets, pictures of the 2,2 Merc outboard, and pictures of pictures that I have of the boat under way. Wheeew!............ The officer was a pleasant person to deal with but there was a whole mess of details that she was obligated to address.

I have registered sail to power boats on three occasions in the past, but it was never so complex a procedure. I just paid the fees and was on my way, legal and proper.

At the end, I learned that it can take from eight to ten weeks to process the current application before I can make the boat legal for mechanical propulsion. If I get busted for operating without the registration certificate, it will cost an $80 fine. I am not a happy camper.

Your boat is looking good. I hope that you do not have as much bureaucratic hogwash to endure.

 

Thanks, messabout.

The boat only lacks a deck and some seats. Well, lights too.


Boats under 16 feet in length don't need the inspection prior to registering.
The hull is glassed and will float, even can be propelled with a motor. It is stiff and strong but the deck and seats will make it stiffer and stronger.

 

All seams have a minimum of 3 layers of glass. Some have more. Where there is only one layer of glass, not near a seam, that glass is ten ounce cloth. The transom is 1.5 inches thick and solid marine plywood. The hull is .25 inch thick marine plywood.

 

Hmmmm! The tax assessor, and the FWC people are telling me that all boats that use mechanical power must be inspected unless they are factory built and have a certificate of origin. I will chase this down more thoroughly.

Eight to ten weeks for approval is ridiculous. It ain't like I was trying to register a warship. It's just a simple little skiff.

 

Yep, this is correct, all "Z" HIN prospects will need a FWC inspection, unless you produce a certificate of origin. Those with a CO, will typically also have a MIC, so the boat will not be a "Z" HIN. The time frame is pretty conservative, I get them in about a month.

 

How strong you make it has nothing to do with anything. If you get in some conditions, and you will, then your boat is the only thing you have to keep you up. You can drown in a life jacket, easy.

I would strongly suggest you add some you will regret not doing.


I hope that black cat passing before you is not a bad omen
It does however have white feet...
They say females on boats are bad, except (of course) when they have no clothes on.
Then it's a good thing (we all agree to that).

Boiled eggs here are like the plague, especially in the western Cape.
If you want to be disposed of overboard, just take some boiled eggs aboard.

If you take a dog aboard, then you are going to want a bigger boat.
I came up wit this one myself

 

I have never had a hull inspected before registering. I have had them all inspected on the waterways or at the boat ramp after. Never had a problem. Boat should be ready to go on the trailer within a week flotation and all. The only reason it will take that long is I have to buy a new longer trailer.

 

Thanks for the input Par.

Have at it Hoyt. We are anxiously awaiting your reports of the the first splash.

 

Ah yes, it's either going to be him making the splash or the boat

How about some side bets weather it's going to float or not -

And weather the dog will save him or not


Ok Hoyte, when you throw that thing on the water we want an in detail report on the very feelings and findings you experienced. We all know it's not the sailing, that's the lesser part. THE experience is launching the boat and feeling it out. Pushing here to feel how stable it is, then put the dog on to see what difference it makes, now add the cooler box, then the wife, can you sit here... or there. Ok here comes a swell from that boat... now notice what it's going to do. Ok how about if we push it off the trailer now.

Now where's the fuel. "Honey, did you load the fuel tank that was on the front porch when we left ?"

We don't build boats to have one, we build boats to launch them. That's why we always build the next one. And the next one. We just keep the new one a while until the expense and the hard word wear off a bit, then we start all over again. It never stops. Or rather we hope not.