Tampa Bay Boat Expo - Part 2 click here to read or make an observation about this  article
by Bruce Hector - Kingston, Ontario - Canada

“Plastic, Plastic Everywhere...
...and Not A Stick O’ Wood Anywhere!”

Review Part 1

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Never see any tuna towers in or around Kingston, or anywhere on the Great Lakes that I recall, Should be cool on a wide beam flat bottom, say a Pilgrim’s Pride 16 0r 18

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Pilgrim’s Pride 16 as built by Michael Hitt of Cincinnati, Ohio. Pride 16 carries a wide 6 foot beam on a flat bottom, and the Pride 18 boosts that to 7 feet. Should be more than stable enough for a lightweight tower.

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Now here’s a centre console with a roomy interior, enough for a head, so your wife or girlfriend will actually enjoy a day on the water with you! She might even come out again!

 
The entire front of the console flips up providing built in privacy for the krewe to powder their nose in. Or store a ton of gear. Just cut the sides from a 4 foot high sheet of ply, and you’re off to centre console heaven. Add a window so its no exactly like the dark hole of Calcutta in there.

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Another way to make head space in a console, with a side door.

 
A very compact way of constructing a folding bow, or stern, ladder.

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It telescopes closed for storage.

 
And hides below under a hinged deck plate. Spiffy!

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Some more underwater art, these barracuda chasing a lure.

 
And a nice school of Jacks being stalked by a predator. Note the smaller game fish chasing the lure. Good use of light.

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A nice way to set up a flattie, if you’re any good at welding aluminum, plans for a similar flattie available from Glen-L for the version below.

 
Scooter

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click to enlargeAnother nice sheer line. Stuff this line onto a Pilgrim’s Pride 18, add a console with a hidden head and a tuna tower, everyone would think you had a $60,000 boat. The joke, of course, would be on your banker and Exxon when you filled up your 25 horse power outboard’s tiny little tank.

 
A big flat bottomed skiff, similar to a Carolina Skiff, or you could build a Jim Michalak AF4 Grande as a big open skiff for a miniscule fraction of this vessel‘s cost.

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Perfectly flat bottom with a 2 by 2 keel. Note the angled chines, probably do nothing for stability, and I’d eliminate them if I built a similar boat, but that is what lets the builder get the hull out of the mold.

 
Another head hideaway, this in a pontoon day cruiser.

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The head space is achieved by using the full height of the squared off cat hull.

 
Here’s how I got to Tampa for the boat show. My Welsford Seagull Skiff on the way to the sun and fun of a January in Florida instead of Canada.! Nine feet of hull extending past my 6 feet long box, dang tiny truck, but it got the job done.

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And here your traveling boat show buccaneer and correspondent me’veryownself, Bo’sun Blackheart Bruce Hector “Scourge O’ the Largo Narrows” relaxin‘ and dreaming in my own little bit of pirate haven.

Next time you find yourself at a traditional Javex Bottle Boat Show, don’t despair the lack of wooden boats, explore and hunt for treasure, a chest full o’ideas await ye’ man!

More articles by Bruce Hector

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