Using a hull as a plug

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by ThekidfromGA, Jun 18, 2020.

  1. ThekidfromGA
    Joined: Jun 2020
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    Location: Midway Georgia

    ThekidfromGA New Member

    I have a Carolina skiff hull that has seen better days, and I was wondering if it could be used to make another hull. I wanted to get some ideas and opinions on how to go about this. Anything is greatly appreciated.
     
  2. ondarvr
    Joined: Dec 2005
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    Location: Monroe WA

    ondarvr Senior Member

    It can be done, but is frowned upon because you are taking someone else's hard work and copying it to cut them out of the deal.

    This mostly applies to stealing the design and selling knockoffs, think China.

    It's tends to be more accepted if you are only building one for yourself.

    The one-off thing for yourself doesn't normally pay off because you're building two hulls to get one.
     
  3. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    I imagine the term "Carolina Skiff" is a generic one, and not a particular brand ?
     
  4. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member

  5. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    OK, we are talking about a brand of fibreglass boat, I had the idea it was a type of hull.
     
  6. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    Several companies have come and gone making Carolina Skiff copies.
     
  7. Ike
    Joined: Apr 2006
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    Ike Senior Member

    You would probably be better off just repairing the hull you have. It would cost less and you would still have a boat you are used to using. A copy made by "splashing" the hull would not necessarily be as good as the original.
     
    Rumars likes this.
  8. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    A pretty good sign if people want to copy something, about the original.
     
  9. kapnD
    Joined: Jan 2003
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    kapnD Senior Member

    A beat up plug will produce a beat up mold, from which can be produced beat up looking hulls!
    If you admire Carolina Skiffs, why not just buy one?
    The reality of molding fiberglass boats is that it will cost you more than simply purchasing one.
    There are also a few tricks of the trade used in building Carolina Skiffs that allow them to get away with making really large flat areas that are quite rigid.
     
    hoytedow likes this.

  10. SamSam
    Joined: Feb 2005
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    Location: Coastal Georgia

    SamSam Senior Member

    The original Carolina Skiff hulls were just generic flat bottom jon boats, over the years they have added some modifications but nothing radical. They had a patent on how they installed the foam in the bottom, but that has been expired for a long time and anybody can copy the process. It was debatable on whether their patent was ever valid to begin with as the same process was used for years before making insulated bulkheads in commercial fishing boats.

    You could probably dig out all the foam in your boat and replace it the same way it was probably installed, that would save the expense of making a mold. Like ondavr says, a lot of people have made molds and tried to sell copies but there is no money in doing that. It's almost as easy to buy a Carolina Skiff mold as it is to buy the boat.

    Anyway, here's the patent describing how they made large flat, rigid areas, it's easy enough to do. The foam they describe and used was Polyisocyanurate (Polyiso) which is a common commercial roofing material available at any wholesale roofing supply place and so it's a lot cheaper than any "marine" foam.

    US4495884A - Boat construction and method - Google Patents https://patents.google.com/patent/US4495884

    .
     
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