A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
I picked up a 13’ Gheenoe a couple of months ago. I have been addicted to the “Bragging Spot” on the Custom Gheenoe forum for about a year. (ok, we all have our hang ups). So to make a long story short, I am doing a rebuild, and learning along the way. This is where I’m at so far.
I cut out the front and rear seats
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stringers for the front deck
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front battery hatch
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I made a new nose cone, the other ones was in bad shape.
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front and rear decks glassed and attached.
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that is a old ice chest,I cut the plastic off. I stll have to put another layer of glass and attach it.
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Last edited by lizbeth on November 26th, 2012, 5:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Lizbeth - the boat looks great! I'm sure you've learned a lot, just like I did when redoing mine. A couple questions / observations:
1) Where is the person going to sit in the front if two people go? You planning on adding a seat? On mine, I've been using the casting platform. This is good and bad. It's somewhat comfortable as a seat, but when running, the front passenger gets the sensation that they're several feet above the water and if one were to hit something, they'd go flying. I can only imagine that with the high deck plus a seat, this feeling would be magnified. I've also noticed that standing on the low deck to fish gives one a similar sensation and the 'noe takes some getting used to as far as the tippiness of the craft, especially if another person is in the boat.
2) I'd do some more research on whether or not a 15 hp is too much motor for the boat. I was running a 6 hp 4 stroke, but recently upgraded to a 9.8 Nissan 2 stroke that weighs the same. With two people in the gheenoe, it runs 17-18 mph...plenty of speed. A 15 hp would be scary fast. Also, the boat is rated for a 6 hp, putting a 15hp on the back adds a bunch of weight. You might want to look into reenforcing the transom as well...not sure the boat was designed for that much motor on the back.
3) I like the coffin box in the center, but you may want to test the boat with and without it in the center before glassing it in. I cut out the livewell on my boat to make it easier to move throughout the boat. The coffin box adds something else to trip over when getting from front to back and vice versa. I've also noticed that like canoes and kayaks, you always want to walk in the center of the boat. I'm not sure you can walk around the coffin box without feeling like the boat is about to tip over. Just might want to test it out before you glass it in.
4) You planning on replacing any of the flotation foam that you cut out?
Casey, I added a reinforcement under the front deck to mount a pedestal seat, only to be used when stopped. My intention is to put a grab bar from the ice chest, and to also use the ice chest for the passenger to sit on while underway.
I did foam the front, above the trolling battery hatch. I have a motor mount, to add to the transom. The guy before me was using a 15hp Yamaha., How ever I may go with a 9.8hp, just not sure yet.
here is a picture of the grab bar, I want to add.
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Last edited by lizbeth on November 5th, 2012, 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
lizbeth wrote:Casey, I added a reinforcement under the front deck to mount a pedestal seat, only to be used when stopped. My intention is to put a grab bar from the ice chest, and to also use the ice chest for the passenger to sit on while underway.
I did foam the front, above the trolling battery hatch. I have a motor mount, to add to the transom. The guy before me was using a 15hp Yamaha., How ever I may go with a 9.9hp, just not sure yet.
here is a picture of the grab bar, I want to add.
Sounds like you've thought it through. A grab bar will be a nice feature...one of the negatives of the design I used is that there's nowhere to put one. I look forward to seeing the end product.
Here is a number of a guy looking to sell his 15 hp mercury. 509-8707. It came off of his gheenoe and said it was perfect. All i know is that you don't have to use the full 15hp but it sure is nice when you are loaded and need it.
I went to the salvage yard the first of the week, I found some scrap aluminum $11.00 worth, I had a idea running around in my head. I took it to the welding shop and this was my out come.
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Last edited by lizbeth on November 12th, 2012, 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have not had very much time to work on the Gheenoe, I have my soldier’s home for Thanksgiving(well one is in now and the other one leaves on Jan. 2nd)
But here are two pictures(sorry for quality) of the inside, put my first coat of paint on today.
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Last edited by lizbeth on December 3rd, 2012, 12:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
