27ft Sportfisherman

I may not have been paying enough attention when I started posting about the 26ft sportfisherman project of Kevin Agee. When we first discussed this proposed design it was to be about 26ft, so that was what I called it. But it grew a bit between first discussions and agreeing the final lines. It is actually a bit over 27ft from stem to transom, so it is now the 27ft sportfisherman project. And that project is now moving into the final finishing stages.

Having glassed the console, next we took a skillsaw to it. That was not to destroy it but to form a concealed switch panel with hinged cover to protect it from the elements.

Console after cutting to form the switch recess. The removed part will be used to form a hinged cover.

This is the infill piece that will fill in the hole in the console, with the switches mounted in the horizontal surface. We made this from 15lb Coosa Board.

The infill piece has been glued into the console. When finished it will hold the electrical switches, including the key-switch for ignition. 

Work has also started on fairing and priming the deck and rubrails to ready them for final painting.

After two coats of high-build epoxy applied by roller, the deck is ready for sprayed fairing compound.

Kevin took delivery of his new double-axle trailer, which had been set up by the supplier to suit the hull bottom. We jacked the boat with trolley jacks, supporting it on boat stands and axle stands, then dismantled the cradle from underneath. Pushing the trailer in under the boat was an interesting process, with trolley jack and axle stand playing leapfrog with trailer frame and axles.

New double axle trailer.

Jacked and supported on boat stands and trolley jack, the cradle was dismantled.

Safely on its trailer, the new boat came out of its shed for the first time.

Showing its lines in daylight.

For the first time we are able to step back and look at the transom and engine bracket.

Launch is still a few weeks away. Plans won't be available until after she is wet and has done some sea-trials. See our full range of designs on our website or mobile website.

Back to Building a Sportfisherman

I had to take an enforced break from working with Kevin Agee on his 26ft sportfisherman for a couple of weekends, the result of a very minor injury that tried its best to become a much bigger issue. Now I am back to help him as he approaches completion of his new boat.

Work on the console and leaning post has continued.

Console structure completed, with Coosa Board for the instrument and helm surface, plywood elsewhere.

Front view of console. The opening will have a door for access to the instrument wiring and batteries.

Leaning post structure completed. Helm seat is on the left and an aft-facing seat on the right, with the live bait well under the aft seat. The hole in the side is for a tackle box and the other side will have a refuse bin.

Inside view of the live bait well. The rounded ends were made with laminated plywood half-pipe sections and allow the water to swirl or flow smoothly rather than splashing back and forth between hard corners.

Framing for cabin hatch.

Cabin hatch cover. It will be hinged at the front.

The tumblehome rail, dry-fitted to set up the alignment. This is two layers of high-density Coosa board, cut to a trapezoidal section and tapered toward the front. It will be glassed before fitting and will have a stainless steel capping.

The underside of the rubrail has been faired to a large radius against the hull in the bow and will now be glassed along with the decks. The glass will be lapped onto the hull, which has been ground back to glass for a good bond.

Today we glassed the console and leaning post with a layer of 8oz woven glass. 

The side decks aft of the sheer break and the aft deck have also been glassed, with a layer of 1708 stitched fabric. Doing the same to the side decks forward of the break and the foredeck is scheduled for the next week or two.

This design won't be on our website until after Kevin's boat is launched. See our range of other designs on our main website or our mobile website.

Sportfisherman Fish Box & Centre Console

After a period of laborious filling/sanding/fairing/sanding/fairing//sanding/painting, when it seems to the outside observer that nothing much seems to be going on, Kevin Agee's boat is back into a phase when progress appears to be going apace. Various projects are going on simultaneously. The foredeck has been glued on, the fish box lid has been formed, the rubrails have been glued on, the intermediate rails have been dry-fitted to fine-tune final position and the centre console is being assembled. See the captions under the photos for explanation.

Nicely faired and sprayed interior of the cuddy cabin. The foredeck has been glued on and is still to be filleted around the edges. The bright white interior will help with keeping this area clean and habitable. It will have a small seat each side and a WC between them.

The fish box lid has been made from multiple layers of Coosa Board, formed to the camber of the aft deck. The lid will be in two halves, hinged at the centre.

View of the underside of the lid. The white lines are epoxy filling the kerfs that were cut into the lower surface to help with bending to shape while gluing it over a former. The cover will be glassed top and bottom. The rebate around the perimeter allows it to lie flush in the aft deck.

In the foreground are the sides of the aft unit of the centre console, formed with plywood sides and laminated plywood radiused corners. This will form the seats and the live bait well. In the background are the sides of the forward unit, which will house the steering, engine controls and instrumentation.

Pre-formed corners of the console are laminated plywood to 15mm total thickness. The flat panels are 9mm plywood, so rebates have been cut 9mm deep and 20mm wide for gluing the flat panels to the corners.

Aft unit of centre console in position in the cockpit. This is the "leaning post" or seat unit. The forward side is the elevated helm seat, above storage. The aft side is the live bait well with an aft-facing seat over it.

The rubrails have been glued on and must still be shaped, then glassed along with the sidedecks. These are all Coosa Board, a lightweight board for the decks and a more dense board for the rubrails. The intermediate rail is oak and has been dry-fitted for fine-tuning for best aesthetics.

This design is not yet on our website. To see our full range of designs, go to our main website or our mobile website.