Well, looks like it is time!  The ocean sailing urge has returned, and I can't take it with me to the Caribbean!

I've built four bright finish drift boats over the years in Sapele and Meranti. This was finally to be a keeper for myself!  For this boat I wanted to do something different, with a nod to minimizing maintenance. So this one is a wood boat with glass and epoxy on both sides of a Ocume core. The chines are heavily built up of glass and Kevlar-- designed to break rocks instead of the reverse!   The outer bottom skin is equally overbuilt with 36 oz roving plus 10oz cloth, plus epoxy and graphite. The paint is single part Monopoxy brushed on and easy to touch up.

Bottom has two built-in watertight compartments, and yacht grade hatches cover two more watertight storage areas.

For the interior I wanted to use a different approach than the built-in side lockers I've done in the past.  Always found that side lockers made it somewhat difficult to get in and out  while wade fishing. (or maybe I'm just getting old)   On this one all the interior components bolt in to two oak rails, allowing the entire interior and anchor arm to be easily removed for varnish touch up or storage---- and can be adjusted fore and aft for balance.  Front seat  is a double with room for a large Yeti cooler underneath. Lots of attachment points for additional dry bags if you are on a multi-day trip.

And about that transom:  It is more like a bow than other round transoms you may have seen on the MT boats, and is built entirely differently.  I had a lot of fun figuring out how to carry the white oak cap rails all the way around that complex shape.

I'll put this boat alongside the best that have come from Livingston over the years, but I'm off to look at a sailboat in the Caribbean soon.  I know most people who frequent this site are into restoring classic frame boats or building their own, but if you are into stealing one for 1/2 of replacement cost  and going fishing this spring, bring $7,000 in green to Victor!

Richard  eldersailing at gmail dot com