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2,505 Posts
OK, I'm really doing this, asking $1600 for boat and trailer, if you want the engine it's another $1600 or $3K for the whole package. The motor is a 2004 that I received on a trade unused. I did the break-in and I would say it has less than 50 hours on it.
Many forum members here probably know this was a classic restoration project for me and the boat really does deserve to be restored. I picked it up in 1997 with the intentions of gutting it out and restoring it from the stringers up. However, I had so much fun fishing in it, I just never got around to taking it out of service long enough to re do it. There is a Mitchell Mojo thread with as many pic's as I could find of fish caught in it. http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1221189370/0#0
Then a job change came with a relocation and another new baby and you know the rest of the story. As the time passed I couldn't find the time to
get any momentum on it. However last summer I did remove the benchseats and floor and replaced them with a new layout using plywood coated with garage floor paint and non-skid particles on the exposed deck areas. A bit bush league for sure, but was only intended as a prototype until I could figure out how much fordeck and rear bench I wanted. There is a thread in the bragging section about that too.
http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1209781296/0
I'd say dimension and proportion wise it's about right now and with modest care could be fished as is for a couple years or more. If you want to dive in and do it right though all the existing wood can be removed fairly easily by backing out dry-wall screws and then replacing it all with epoxy/glass coated marine ply, ideally light weight okoume. If you're really ambitious and want to make a mold, I would extend the transom about 18-20" to give it a bit more displacement and square up the chine a bit at the stern which will give it a better running pad without sacrificing the entry at the bow. The extra length at the keel would help it track better as extra length would help most any skiff in that regard. But it really is OK now if you just want to build on the hull as is.
Performance wise it runs about 27-28mph WOT with a 25HP as it's setup right now loaded with a couple average sized guys, gear and a stock aluminum prop. The hull is USCG rated for 50hp though. I bought it and ran it with a 40hp for 10 years or so and that is plenty of power with about any load you'd want in there. With a 40HP you can expect 37-38mph. Like most skiffs it poles best from the bow, but can be poled from the stern too. It can be turned on a dime from either end.
Tom_in_orl is a forum founder/member that has spent the most time in it recently. You can PM him privately for his thoughts about it or he may chime in here too. Either way I have nothing to hide here, it really is a neat little skiff that fishes much bigger than it is. Any one that takes the time to restore it would be rewarded with a classic and great performing little skiff.
Here are a few pic's taken this weekend so you can see it exactly as it is at the moment. For any one interested if there is anything else I can tell you about it just let me know and I'll try my best. - eric
58" at the waterline
Bow platform is 60" bow to cockpit and 70" wide gunwale to gunwale.
Cockpit is 77" fore to aft, 50" at stern gunwale to gunwale and 56" under gunwale side to side. 18" deep at the stern seat and 18.5" deep at the rear of the casting platform. The stern seat is 15" from the sole.
Bow storage opening is 30" wide and 15" high, 17" high underneath sole to bottom of platform.
Either rear storage area is large enough for a 6gal gas tank. Center area has a little convenience shelf and still enough room for a full sized battery underneath.
Many forum members here probably know this was a classic restoration project for me and the boat really does deserve to be restored. I picked it up in 1997 with the intentions of gutting it out and restoring it from the stringers up. However, I had so much fun fishing in it, I just never got around to taking it out of service long enough to re do it. There is a Mitchell Mojo thread with as many pic's as I could find of fish caught in it. http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1221189370/0#0
Then a job change came with a relocation and another new baby and you know the rest of the story. As the time passed I couldn't find the time to
get any momentum on it. However last summer I did remove the benchseats and floor and replaced them with a new layout using plywood coated with garage floor paint and non-skid particles on the exposed deck areas. A bit bush league for sure, but was only intended as a prototype until I could figure out how much fordeck and rear bench I wanted. There is a thread in the bragging section about that too.
http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1209781296/0
I'd say dimension and proportion wise it's about right now and with modest care could be fished as is for a couple years or more. If you want to dive in and do it right though all the existing wood can be removed fairly easily by backing out dry-wall screws and then replacing it all with epoxy/glass coated marine ply, ideally light weight okoume. If you're really ambitious and want to make a mold, I would extend the transom about 18-20" to give it a bit more displacement and square up the chine a bit at the stern which will give it a better running pad without sacrificing the entry at the bow. The extra length at the keel would help it track better as extra length would help most any skiff in that regard. But it really is OK now if you just want to build on the hull as is.
Performance wise it runs about 27-28mph WOT with a 25HP as it's setup right now loaded with a couple average sized guys, gear and a stock aluminum prop. The hull is USCG rated for 50hp though. I bought it and ran it with a 40hp for 10 years or so and that is plenty of power with about any load you'd want in there. With a 40HP you can expect 37-38mph. Like most skiffs it poles best from the bow, but can be poled from the stern too. It can be turned on a dime from either end.
Tom_in_orl is a forum founder/member that has spent the most time in it recently. You can PM him privately for his thoughts about it or he may chime in here too. Either way I have nothing to hide here, it really is a neat little skiff that fishes much bigger than it is. Any one that takes the time to restore it would be rewarded with a classic and great performing little skiff.
Here are a few pic's taken this weekend so you can see it exactly as it is at the moment. For any one interested if there is anything else I can tell you about it just let me know and I'll try my best. - eric






58" at the waterline


Bow platform is 60" bow to cockpit and 70" wide gunwale to gunwale.

Cockpit is 77" fore to aft, 50" at stern gunwale to gunwale and 56" under gunwale side to side. 18" deep at the stern seat and 18.5" deep at the rear of the casting platform. The stern seat is 15" from the sole.


Bow storage opening is 30" wide and 15" high, 17" high underneath sole to bottom of platform.

Either rear storage area is large enough for a 6gal gas tank. Center area has a little convenience shelf and still enough room for a full sized battery underneath.



