Custom Micro Bass Boat: SwampCat Boat Works lives!!!

[FD]

Yep, my most ambitious project yet began yesterday.

The DIY garage boat, the SC 12-60 Tunnel Micro Bass boat started yesterday.  Here are a few sneak peek pics from day 1.  Video coming soon.

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[Capt. BassinLou]

Looking forward to following this project. 

[Princeton_Man]

Very cool! Is this going to be a glass boat?

[Donald Garner]

Looking forward to following this project. 

X 2

[Smallie_Stalker]

Always enjoy these types of threads. I'll be watching the progress.

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[Oldfart9999]

Looking forward to following this project. 

Me too.
Rodney

[twocold]

Looking forward to following this!

[FD]

Day 2 went well.  The tunnel is taking shape.  Got the interior side walls in and glued with Thixo epoxy.  The overnight cure is unbelievably solid.

I'm still having issues with making the bow geometry work out.  That's day 3's task.

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[FlatsNBay]

Looks Heavy?

[FD]

Part of what you see is the jig to keep it  square during the build.  The boat is made out of 5mm plywood.

That being said it is going to be heavier than a Jon boat or pond prowler.  But it is larger and has the capabilities of a bass boat, in an 11'-8" frame.  Still should fit in the back of a pickup with the Reese hitch mounted frame/loader I designed.  It is also designed to fit in the back of a toy hauler so I can have a comfortable boat when we hit the road in a few years.

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[FD]

End of day 3.  I got the bow geometry worked out so it looks less like a barge.  Having room for storage under the deck made it look tall for its length. 

We will see how it looks when I get it out of the jig and flipped over, but that is still 40 hours away...

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[topdsm0138]

Looks great! Can't wait to see the end results.

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[big g]

Your amazing Lee! All the projects you take on besides running a company at the same time.  What are you planning to power this boat with?  Good luck moving forward.  This will be fun to watch!!!!!

[FD]

Very cool! Is this going to be a glass boat?

Epoxy and paint over 5mm plywood with some glass reinforcement.

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[FD]

Your amazing Lee! All the projects you take on besides running a company at the same time.  What are you planning to power this boat with?  Good luck moving forward.  This will be fun to watch!!!!!

Thanks G.  Honestly the company runs itself most of the time, but I like to think I'm amazing..

Normal power will be all electric. Likely a MK Edge TM and an ePropulsion outboard. 

However I have two test dummies, Nate and Josh, that want to put a 25 on it and see if they can get 50 mph out of it.

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[Princeton_Man]

Your amazing Lee! All the projects you take on besides running a company at the same time.  What are you planning to power this boat with?  Good luck moving forward.  This will be fun to watch!!!!!

However I have two test dummies, Nate and Josh, that want to put a 25 on it and see if they can get 50 mph out of it.

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Better use a lot of epoxy. 

[Larry Francis]

This is pretty cool. looking forward to seeing this through in the end.

[FD]

Progress photos from Day 6.  It's starting to look like a boat..

Videos coming weekly or when I get time to edit.

I got it off the horses and on the ground by myself.  It still weighs well under 100lbs.

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[Smallie_Stalker]

Wow it's really coming along quickly. Are those open spaces going to be filled with some type of floatation?

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[FD]

Wow it's really coming along quickly. Are those open spaces going to be filled with some type of floatation?

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Yes, sort of, but not until I flip it over.

Because I wanted it to track well under TM power and handle a higher HP outboard at the same time, the pontoons are more pronounced at the stern while the bow end is more flat.   With the changing angle, I have to cut and fit each one individually.

When I finish the skin and flip it, I'm putting 10" of 2lb density, closed cell pour foam in the pontoons.  That should give me 1800 lbs of buoyancy.

If it fills with water I should be able to sit in it and wait for someone to come get me.

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[Smallie_Stalker]

Yessir that should keep you afloat! 🛟

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[FD]

Day 7.  I survived.

Probably should not have taken on such a complex hull shape for my first boat build but it's too late now.  Finally got the skins on but it was a pain.  I was attacked by a horde of love bugs and had to close the garage doors and break out the portable AC to keep it tolerable.  It did keep most of the bugs out of the epoxy.


Tomorrow I flip it.



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[Princeton_Man]

Lookin' good!

[big g]

Wow, looks stable, but heavy!  Enjoying the journey!   

[Oldfart9999]

Wow it's really coming along quickly. Are those open spaces going to be filled with some type of floatation?

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Yes, sort of, but not until I flip it over.
hen I finish the skin and flip it, I'm putting 10" of 2lb density, closed cell pour foam in the pontoons.  That should give me 1800 lbs of buoyancy.


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I see a small problem with that, the amount of tackle the average baas fisherperson carries weighs much mow than that. It's coming along quite nicely Lee.
Rodney