[ElLobo]

New to me Gordon Waterman 18 owner here. I wanted to show off my new sled and start a thread so I can put all my mod/upgrades in one place and keep everything orderly.

The boat is 2005 Gordon Waterman 18 and is hull #8 built under Toms guidance.
Yamaha 70TLR 2-smoke

Mods so far:

• Vmarine suicide knob cap.
• trailer rewire.
• paracord wrapped steering wheel.
• 4-color Scandvik under gunnel lights. These are sweet. Goes to a single throw switch and will alternate colors each time you flip the switch.
• added aluminum tab on poling platform for puck style anchor light.
• moved GPS over on blue point customs console tray extension and added the most important upgrade... SS cupholder for cold ones.
• New bolt on bench and backrest cushions on the way from New Moon Upholstery.

Planned upgrades:

Will be taking this boat to Tom at the Skiff Shop and having the non skid and slicks redone in a new color. Tossing around the idea of having the side hatches being reconfigured to open front to back instead of inside to outside for ease of access while the boats on the trailer as well as having the rear bulkhead glassed flush where the live well is between the benches. Longer term plans is to have the metal pieces powder coated black.

This Chittum is the color scheme I'm leaning towards. Classic but modern as the same time 😎

 

[manny2376]

Beautiful skiff! I own a side console 06 with an F60 and I would 100% modify the hatches to open towards the stern along with replacing the springs with shocks. Another change I’ve wanted to make to mine is moving my starting battery up to the bow, as having it out back makes her list.

These Waterman are super capable skiffs, there’s not much that they can’t do. Enjoy!

 

[Rk_1234]

great rig. was following your earlier thread when you were looking for a waterman to see what might get posted. I'm trying to find a Gordon or Hell's waterman with a tunnel. Love the colors on that Chittum look forward to seeing pics of the upgrades. I'm a big fan of finding older boats and upgrading them.

 

[scissorhands]

Sweet sled

 

[jonny]

Nice looking skiff!
Sux some of these get print through from the coring. I had a Lostmen that you could see every core joint down the side. I had a bud that had a old Shipoke. And his deck looked like yours. Once Tom reskids the deck it will never print through again. And will be good for a decade or more. Nice color choice as well. I love the clean solid color like Chittums. The multicolor slicks are too cluttered/busy looking to me.
Is there no bulkhead in front of the live well? That would be good to add one and glass it in. Make it look newer and cleaner.
I actually like the hatch layout. It works better on the boat when it matters most. My 01 Guide was laid out similar. And was never that big a deal to me. Maybe just add some friction hinges. Or reconfiguring the strut out of the way. That would aid in access.
But all that is cosmetic. You could just fish the hell out of it as for several years.

That’s a boat you will hold onto for a while.👍

 

[ElLobo]

Nice looking skiff!
Sux some of these get print through from the coring. I had a Lostmen that you could see every core joint down the side. I had a bud that had a old Shipoke. And his deck looked like yours. Once Tom reskids the deck it will never print through again. And will be good for a decade or more. Nice color choice as well. I love the clean solid color like Chittums. The multicolor slicks are too cluttered/busy looking to me.
I actually like the hatch layout. It works better on the boat when it matters most. My 01 Guide was laid out similar. And was never that big a deal to me.
That’s a boat you will hold onto for a while.👍

Thank you! Yeah, once resprayed it will look solid. It definitely is exaggerated in the pic from the poling platform (filter, lighting, aperture setting on the camera) and not as bad in person, but something I want taken care of and have redone more so as the nonskid is just worn down from being older.

 

[DBStoots]

Very nice! Maybe consider alternatives to powder coating--Rhino Lining, etc.

 

[ElLobo]

New bolt on cushions from Cass at New Moon Upholstery are installed. These things are super solid and Im really liking the 3 tone color scheme.

 

[JDRProductions]

New to me Gordon Waterman 18 owner here. I wanted to show off my new sled and start a thread so I can put all my mod/upgrades in one place and keep everything orderly.

The boat is 2005 Gordon Waterman 18 and is hull #8 built under Toms guidance.
Yamaha 70TLR 2-smoke

Mods so far:

• Vmarine suicide knob cap.
• trailer rewire.
• paracord wrapped steering wheel.
• 4-color Scandvik under gunnel lights. These are sweet. Goes to a single throw switch and will alternate colors each time you flip the switch.
• added aluminum tab on poling platform for puck style anchor light.
• moved GPS over on blue point customs console tray extension and added the most important upgrade... SS cupholder for cold ones.
• Have new bolt on bench and backrest cushions on the way from New Moon Upholstery.

View attachment 164334

View attachment 164335
View attachment 164336


Planned upgrades:

Will be taking this boat to Tom at the Skiff Shop and having the non skid and slicks redone in a new color. Tossing around the idea of having the side hatches being reconfigured to open front to back instead of inside to outside for ease of access while the boats on the trailer as well as having the rear bulkhead glassed flush where the live well is between the benches. Longer term plans is to have the metal pieces powder coated black.

This Chittum is the color scheme I'm leaning towards. Classic but modern as the same time 😎

View attachment 164333

Nice ride!

 

[Micro Thinfisher]

Need - Want….Super Cool‼

 

[ElLobo]

Boat got some 2021 ponies and a new Uflex steering system this week.

 

[NativeBone]

Boat got some 2021 ponies and a new Uflex steering system this week.

View attachment 186232
View attachment 186233

VERY NICE!

 

[ElLobo]

Switched to a Odyssey PC1200 battery for cranking/house. Added two Relion RB52 Lithiums for the TM, all moved to the front hatch to clean up the rear starboard hatch and put some weight forward. All in all ended up only adding about 8 pounds in battery weight over my original setup but have 40 more Ah on the TM batteries. New Custom battery tray with engraved Gordon Logo and New Waterman Motor strap.

 

[DBStoots]

Looks great! What prop are you running? Did you make a change after moving the batteries to the front hatch? Also curious about your back rest--more pictures? Can you raise it? Is it substantial enough to use as a step up? If you switch the hatch layout to open from the stern to the bow, will you still be able to use it?

 

[ElLobo]

Looks great! What prop are you running? Did you make a change after moving the batteries to the front hatch? Also curious about your back rest--more pictures? Can you raise it? Is it substantial enough to use as a step up? If you switch the hatch layout to open from the stern to the bow, will you still be able to use it?

Running the PowerTech SCD3 17p. I need to change to the 16p now that I have an extra 300 rpm to work with on the F70. I haven't ran it yet with the battery change but hoping the weight distribution forward and out of the rear hatch will kill a little bit of the porpoising/lessen how much I need to run the trim tabs as well has reduce the list to starboard it had when the house battery was in the rear starboard hatch. The back rest does fold out of the way and is used as a step up to the platform, I wouldn't have a boat without it now. Makes life easy getting up and down and can be moved out of the way when fishing from the back deck. I do believe I would still be able to use the hatches if switched from stern to bow instead of inside to outside. I currently have to lift the step out of the way to access them now. A stern to bow setup would allow me to get into them a little without lifting the step I believe. Next on the list is to go from the hatch hinge straps to piano hinges and clean up the deck a little. Non skid and some fiberglass repairs coming down the road soon. Then blacking the poling platform, wheel, and front porch metal with textured back powedercoat and she'll be done for awhile. 🤞


Heres some shots of the step/backrest folded up and down. I can take some better close ups tomorrow.

 

[whoislang]

Lol what that booty do

 

[DBStoots]

Running the PowerTech SCD3 17p. I need to change to the 16p now that I have an extra 300 rpm to work with on the F70. I haven't ran it yet with the battery change but hoping the weight distribution forward and out of the rear hatch will kill a little bit of the porpoising/lessen how much I need to run the trim tabs as well has reduce the list to starboard it had when the house battery was in the rear starboard hatch. The back rest does fold out of the way and is used as a step up to the platform, I wouldn't have a boat without it now. Makes life easy getting up and down and can be moved out of the way when fishing from the back deck. I do believe I would still be able to use the hatches if switched from stern to bow instead of inside to outside. I currently have to lift the step out of the way to access them now. A stern to bow setup would allow me to get into them a little without lifting the step I believe. Next on the list is to go from the hatch hinge straps to piano hinges and clean up the deck a little. Non skid and some fiberglass repairs coming down the road soon. Then blacking the poling platform, wheel, and front porch metal with textured back powedercoat and she'll be done for awhile. 🤞


Heres some shots of the step/backrest folded up and down. I can take some better close ups tomorrow.

View attachment 187377

View attachment 187378

Yes, they are weight sensitive and very trim tab sensitive. Mine also lists to starboard side at times. I'd love to have a backrest on mine, just need someone to figure out how to make it work as the extension from the poling platform to the proper position to support the captain and other passenger needs to be rather long. My platform is also black powder coated, so I guess it would have to be redone if I were to add a back rest.

 

[Fishing123455Y]

So cool

 

[Cassio]

Sweet rig! New Moon does some quality work.

 

[ElLobo]

Sent out my metal bits to be shot with black LineX Ultra at Sarasota Linex and laminated a new carbon shelf to replace the old one. Cant wait to see the boat all blacked out!