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I used Pettit Hydrocoat for bottom paint. It should be able to withstand long periods out of the water. Don't know about the actual antifouling performance. It does depend on the type of water you are in. I keep my boat on a lift. Don't ask me about the topside paint. It was a nightmare for me. After the first a failed attempt with Rustoleum Marine paint I ended up rolling and tipping Interlux Brightsides on the hull. As for the kicker, one fellow Bluejacket owner is planning on mounting a movable outboard bracket on the transom for a kicker or dinghy outboard. Henry needs to put up some pictures. Your boat starts to look good. The upside down part wasn't much fun for me. Egbert

Thanks Dave and Tom. Tom certainly deserves the credit for a beautiful and functional design. I got many comments on the amount of interior space for the size boat. There were many surprised reactions when you mention the boat goes 23 MPH with a 75 HP motor and the shallow draft. Often the question was asked when did you finish restoring the boat? Egbert

Georgetown is behind us. The show just lucked out with the flooding at high tide. By the time the show started the water receded just enough to access the docks with dry feet. All in all a pretty good show, beautiful weather and plenty of interest in our Bluejacket. Egbert

We are in Wilson. There is a portion of 117 closed where is crosses the Neuse rive just south of Goldsboro. We can try 701 to i-40. Need to look in the morning before we leave the motel. Egbert

Thanks Oyster, I have been checking different websites for road closures. We are staying the night in Wilson and likely take the route you described. We had to do the same thing last year because of flooded roads. Seems that everytime we go to the boat show there is some major disaster. First the fire, next the flooding and now the hurricane. Egbert

This means you are not going at all or are you trailering the boat. For us it looks like some roads are closed due to flooding left and right so we have to find a way to get there. Google traffic proves to be helpful. Egbert

There is a public boat ramp at East Bay Street and Morgan Park with a decent parking. It is only a short ride from the show. We used it last year. I'm planning to be there early afternoon on Friday, launch the boat and cruise a bit around the area before docking for the show. Hope you didn't had any trouble from Matthew. We had some rain from it this morning and lost power for a couple of hours. Egbert

Looking good bigger is not always better, specially in boats. I just had 2 boat shows locally and in both I was just about the biggest boat. Looking forward to the Georgetown show. Egbert

It was a fun day, not really a big show but a nice variety of boats. From the classic mahogany runabouts to Chesapeake work boats. Here is the link to Woody boater. http://www.woodyboater.com/blog/2016/09/18/a-perfect-day-in-reedville-virginia/ Egbert

Here are a couple more pictures of the boat show. This is the "Raffle Skiff" we are building at the museum's boat shop. There will be one lucky winner in November when the raffle drawing is held. It is a traditional Chesapeake Bay deadrise skiff. Just an overview.

Today was the Reedville antique and traditional small boat show. I had both my Bluejacket and Nutshell Pram there. Very nice day with a good turnout. My Setup There was also the beautiful steam launch "Sunnybank" which was used for a couple of tours on Cockrell Creek.

We are planning on being there for both days of the show. I'm repainting the hull. I just wasn't happy with it and trying to clean it up with buffing and waxing made things look worse. September 17 my boat will be in the Reedville Fishermen's Museum Antique and Small boat show. (it isn't small or antique) and a week later at Wings, Wheels and Keels in Topping, VA Egbert

Henry has his Yamaha connected to a Garmin GPS by way of a NMEA 2000 network he should be able to give some insights. The same I did on my boat. I needed a starter NMEA network kit ($80) and a special adapter cable ($100) to hook up the motor. Ridiculous prices for a couple of cables. But it does work. It also gives all the motor gauges on the gps screen.

Congrats on the first cruise, you already did more miles than we did. I'm just piddling around our area and it has been to blasted hot the last month. Sorry to hear about your engine problem. Henry had also some lower end problems with his Yamaha 90. I wish I had roof space left for an air conditioner. On the other hand I don't need to add more weight to the boat. Did you have your issue resolved connecting the engine to the GPS? Egbert

El-UnSwitched.pdf The equipment that stays on all the time such as bilge pumps. El-Engine.pdf ETEC 75 engine wiring and gauges. El-Navigation.pdf Navigation lights and equipment. El-Anchor.pdf Anchor winch wiring. El-Domestic.pdf Galley equipment. El-Lighting1.pdf Lighting diagram 1 El-Lighting2.pdf Lighting Diagram 2 El-AC.pdf 120 Volt AC wiring.

Electrical Diagrams. Tom asked for the electrical diagrams. I have them in a CAD program and converting them to JPG files didn't work very well. I will try to attach them in PDF form which is better readable in other posts. The diagrams are broken up into different sections. The only one I have in normal image form is the main distribution diagram. Egbert

Yes you do need ventilation with a plastic tank. As I read it not with a metallic fuel tank. I built a plywood box around the tank to minimize the ventilated space, Attached is a PDF with backyard boat builders safety guidelines This is the ventilation section, there is more in the document. VENTILATION The Ventilation System Standard applies to all boats that have permanently installed gasoline engines for electrical generation (generators), mechanical power or propulsion (inboards and sterndrives). In some instances the standard also may apply to boats powered by outboards (such as an outboard powered boat with a fuel tank permanently installed in a compartment. GENERAL: With certain exceptions, the Coast Guard Ventilation System Standard requires: A natural ventilation system consisting of openings and ducts for any compartment which contains, or is connected to another compartment which contains, a permanently installed gasoline engine or fuel tank, unless certain portions of each of the compartments are “open to the atmosphere.” A powered ventilation system consisting of an exhaust blower and duct system must also be provided for each compartment in a boat that contains a permanently installed gasoline engine with a cranking motor (starter). “Open to the atmosphere” means a compartment that has at least 15 square inches of open area directly exposed to the atmosphere for each cubic foot of net compartment volume. NATURAL VENTILATION Except for compartments “open to the atmosphere,” a natural ventilation system must be provided for each compartment in a boat that – - contains a permanently installed gasoline engine; - contains a permanently installed fuel tank and an electrical component that is not ignition protected in accordance with the Electrical System Standard (see page 35); - contains a fuel tank that vents into that compartment; or - contains a non-metallic fuel tank. The “Natural Ventilation System” must consist of: (1) supply opening(s) or duct(s) from the atmosphere or from a ventilated compartment or from a compartment that is ventilated to the atmosphere; and (2) exhaust opening(s) into another ventilated compartment or exhaust duct(s) to the atmosphere. - Each supply opening must be located on the exterior surface of the boat: - Each exhaust opening or exhaust duct must originate in the lower third of the compartment. - Each supply opening or supply duct and each exhaust opening or exhaust duct in a compartment must be above the normal accumulation of bilge water. - The minimum internal cross sectional area of each supply opening or duct and exhaust opening or duct must exceed 3.0 square inches. SafetyStandardforBackyardBoatBuilders.pdf

Good looking boat, the devil is in the last details and they seem to keep on coming. An option for the gas tank ventilation is an aluminium tank which I believe doesn't require ventilation. My tank stinks when the boat is parked inside. I haven't noticed any smell when the boat is parked outside. It is a Moeller plastic from early 2012 before the extra coating regulation. For your boat could you make an intake through the access hatch in the cockpit floor going to the hull exterior. Egbert

Just plain old treated wood bunks. You asked for some technical details about the boat, I'm updating the diagrams. They are hard to read other than in my TurboCad I tried uploading main distribution diagram in JPG format but it didn't work, maybe a PDF works. Main Distribution Diagram.pdf

The 20 feet bunks will not support the hull forward, 16 feet is about the max from the transom to where the hull goes off the bunks forward. The extra length will give me something to attach a cross brace to support the keel further forward. I'll check the angle of the bunks. Egbert

I did a few measurements, the bunks are 14 feet long. The way it sits in the pictures the transom overhangs by 20" and the bow about 10 feet. Lengthening the bunks to 20 feet and creating some support for the keel at the forward end should be the way to go.

Thanks Action Tiger, The design is a big part of the boat. I needed a shallow draft, economical boat that 2 people comfortable can stay on. I don't know yet about the fuel economy, the boat is far heavier than the designer intended. Built in too much creature comfort I guess. I loved the building process except for the painting which I stink at. Egbert

Tom. Replacing and extending the bunks is pretty much the only thing I can do with the boat lift. I should be able to make a cross piece to support the keel forward. I'll try to take some clearer pictures. I had the trailer weighed today so the total boat weight is 5900 - 1440 = 4460. This is including 29 gallons gas and 37 gallons water. The actual boat weight empty is almost 4000 LBS. Your comment about a "Fat Lady" was very appropriate. I would think that the scale must be fairly accurate since it is used for commercial purposes selling corn seed and fertilizer. I don't know the capacity but it is a fairly small truck scale. I believe that the 28 in post #39 is one in the Northwest. I think that Henry is going to visit them this summer or fall, he should know more. Egbert

Last week I declared my 25.5 finished and we managed putting it in the water this weekend. Friday I took the boat to Crop Production Services and had it weighed. It was 5900 LBS including the galvanized trailer and full with 29 gallons gas and 34 gallons water. I get the trailer weighed tomorrow. I will try to get some performance data together when we are using the boat. I did notice it was a bit slower than last fall but the boat gained about 300 LBS over the winter. Wiring plumbing and some more stuff like drawers etc. I do have a question for Tom. We keep the boat on a boat lift. Does the transom need to be supported by the bunks, If I do than the boat sits way to far forward on the lift. The way it sits on the lift now the transom overhangs the bunks a little over one foot and the end around where the fore cabin starts. Egbert

Thanks Tom, I'm in the process of updating the electrical diagrams to "as built". I probably went a little overboard with all the creature comfort items resulting in some added weight. I weighed the boat last year, with the galvanized trailer I came to 5160 LBS, Since then the plumbing lines and electrical wiring has been added. I will have the boat weighed again this week and the trailer empty afterwards. Last fall the top speed with the Etec 75 was 25 Mph. I will do some trails hopefully after this weekend. I did like how it handled the few times we had it in the water. Egbert