This page will hopefully chronicle the building of the Flats Stalker 18 from Bateau.com, a plywood composite skiff intended for chasing redfish in extremely shallow water. This will be my first foray into both boat building and web pages. Wish me luck! The posts on this page will only display with the most recent at the top, so if you want to start at the beginning, scroll down to the bottom and work your way up. The archive on the right is in chronological order, however. Most of the pictures can be clicked for a larger image. Feel free to leave comments by clicking the Comments link at the bottom of each post.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

New Build Space

Well, after a few months of inactivity, I've finally started setting up a new build space. To the determined few who still check the site, I admire your dedication. I think that I got 8 hits today, but you eight people rule. Especially you, guy from Croatia. Yeah, you know who you are. You're awesome.

About the space. Up until now, I had the boat in a spot next to my mom's house that was just too exposed to the weather for my tastes. Not that I've had time to work on it while we're adjusting to our new life/jobs/house/etc, but it got wet in the rain and was exposed to dirt and UV (UV breaks down unprotected epoxy for those not in the know). Fortunately, a spot at my dad's warehouses opened up and he let me have it for free. And by a spot, I mean a Cavern of Rock that laughs in my old garage's face and then steals its girlfriend.


I could build a 40' sportfisher in there. No more sucking in my gut and inching around the boat trying not to get epoxy all over the front of my shirt. Maybe I'll build a pocket bike track around the boat to keep occupied while epoxy sets.........


Yeah. Feel it.

Don't think that the Cap'n isn't still around either. He's been hanging out on my porch staring me in the face every time I leave to go to work in the morning. Displeased to say the least. Now he has a new perch to hurl insults down from.

"Arrrgh. Your boat be crap me boy."

He's happiest when he can be surly. Hopefully, all this means that I will start making some progress. Money is really tight, but I enough material left over to get me started at least. I've also been able to poach some materials off a jobsite or two. Updates as soon I get something done.