quote:
Originally posted by DFreedomShe turned out beautifully Buddy, you should be real proud. What’s next???
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
Time to rebuild my bank account!
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
quote:
Originally posted by leadenwahboyquote:
Originally posted by DFreedomShe turned out beautifully Buddy, you should be real proud. What’s next???
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
Time to rebuild my bank account!
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
When your done with yours can you work on my bank account next? Im looking to buy a fixer upper Bentz craft 
Look at where Jesus went to pick people. He didn’t go to the colleges; he got guys off the fishing docks.
quote:
Originally posted by FishinMissionquote:
Originally posted by leadenwahboyquote:
Originally posted by DFreedomShe turned out beautifully Buddy, you should be real proud. What’s next???
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
Time to rebuild my bank account!
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
When your done with yours can you work on my bank account next? Im looking to buy a fixer upper Bentz craft
Look at where Jesus went to pick people. He didn’t go to the colleges; he got guys off the fishing docks.
There’s a 13 footer on CL right now…price seems a touch high but he’ll prob negotiate.
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 22 boy that won’t move out)
1 - 18 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
ECFC
Upholstery time…
I’m thinking tan fabric with black piping? Would it be too much to embroider “Bentz-Craft” in the backrest for front seat?
Suggestions? Bendt Brothers is easy and close, and reasonably priced…Mrs. Doris is easy and close as well, and cheap(er) than Bendt Brothers.
Anyone else to check with?
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
quote:
Originally posted by leadenwahboyUpholstery time…
I’m thinking tan fabric with black piping? Would it be too much to embroider “Bentz-Craft” in the backrest for front seat?
Suggestions? Bendt Brothers is easy and close, and reasonably priced…Mrs. Doris is easy and close as well, and cheap(er) than Bendt Brothers.
Anyone else to check with?
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
Color choice sounds great. Would embossing be an option??
Just a thought.
Beautiful boat!
NN
quote:
Originally posted by DoubleNquote:
Originally posted by leadenwahboyUpholstery time…
I’m thinking tan fabric with black piping? Would it be too much to embroider “Bentz-Craft” in the backrest for front seat?
Suggestions? Bendt Brothers is easy and close, and reasonably priced…Mrs. Doris is easy and close as well, and cheap(er) than Bendt Brothers.
Anyone else to check with?
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
Color choice sounds great. Would embossing be an option??
Just a thought.
Beautiful boat!
NN
Thanks, what do you mean emboss? What’s the difference?
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
I’ve never had it done, but you have been open to suggestions so I thought I would throw this out there.
Looks like a cool option.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/embossing-vinyl-how-dies-made-279192/
NN
Well this is cool! I did an emboss stamp for an artist in Greensboro last year. Very easy to convert an image into an 3D stamp. The picture shows the thick card stock with an emboss!
Mark Ingle
NauticStar 1810 Merc 90
A little update after using the boat for a while.
First, the jackplate broke…got stuck in the UP position of course. Made for a fun ride back to the dock. Quick call to TH marine and a new pump unit was mailed the same day. Had the motor off the boat, pump changed, and back together by myself in under an hour, very easy to work on. Sucks that I had to work on it at all, but hey, it happens and customer service was impeccable.
Second, starter motor drive gear got chewed up. Out fishing finally and hit the key to move the boat and got a weird grinding sound. In my haste to keep from drifting into a dock (TM couldn’t fight the wind/current combo) I hit the key again and then again for third time and chewed the corners of the gears off. A quick lasso of a rope around a piling and I was saved from certain destruction of hitting someone’s dock…was a close one. After pull-starting the engine and getting home, discovered the top bolt on the starter had backed out about 4 turns somehow (I’ve never had that bolt off) and allowed the axis of the gear to move outboard from the motor, letting the corners of the gear chew off. Luckily they make a replacement for about $50, and I’m back in business now.
Third is the Awlgrip. Certainly not as flexible as gel-coat, so I’ve got a couple of spots where the paint has cracked, mainly in corners and in the hatch that is the captain’s seat. No big deal, and not a visual anomaly, but I know they’re there and they’re driving me crazy.
Fourth issue is trolling motor usage. When it’s mounted, I lose access to my bow anchor locker, which also houses my cleat for anchor and dock tie-off. This means while TM is mounted, I cannot retrieve my anchor or tie to a dock without removing the TM. Simple fix is I ordered a 4" sleek flush mount Gemlux pop-up cleat for the bow. I can run the anchor in a bucket if I need it, and always have ability to tie off to something with the pop-up cleat.
Fifth issue is stumping me. I’m using some very good corrugated tu
so im not sure if its been asked yet, but now that youre pretty close to be done, was all the money and time worth it in the end?
i know and have seen several people start projects like this but never seem to finish them as beautiful and matriculate as yours. so if someone is looking at doing something like this, would you say go for it or tell them they are better off going and buying a new/newish flats boat?
quote:
Originally posted by TheMechanicso im not sure if its been asked yet, but now that youre pretty close to be done, was all the money and time worth it in the end?
i know and have seen several people start projects like this but never seem to finish them as beautiful and matriculate as yours. so if someone is looking at doing something like this, would you say go for it or tell them they are better off going and buying a new/newish flats boat?
That’s a great question without a simple answer…
To me, being capable and willing to do 90% of the work myself, I was able to do so at minimal cost. What I saved on labor I was able to spend on other parts.
In the end, to me, it was 100% worth it. I wanted a particular boat. I got it, and it wasn’t in the best shape. I got to build the boat I wanted, with the parts I wanted, the way I wanted it built. I got a brand new boat on a hull that I coveted, for less than the cost of a new boat.
To me, that’s a win.
As far as others, that would entirely depend on budget and abilities. If you can do the work yourself and that makes it affordable, DO IT. If you can afford to pay someone else to do the work, and want the satisfaction of knowing you got to build a boat the way you wanted it built, DO IT.
I’ll never tell someone not to go for something like this. To me, the reward was two-fold…the process and the result. But if you can get some satisfaction from either of those, WHY NOT!!
The first trip with the wife and kid was the best of all. Thanks to hydraulic steering, she loves to drive now, and I feel a whole lot better letting her do so. The rewards keep on coming…in the form of memories.
I won’t try to speak for Leadenwahboy, but, I think there is one other aspect of rebuilding that particular hull that is very cool. He now has a completely refurbished ‘Robert Bentz’ Bentz-Craft. While I am very proud of what UBW is building (we are now building that exact same model among others), it is very cool to have Robert’s legacy beautifully restored and floating around out there. Good on you, Buddy.
Ulmer Boatworks
Bentz-Craft boats
- built in the Lowcountry for the the Lowcountry
Good job man, looks great!
quote:
Originally posted by UBWI won’t try to speak for Leadenwahboy, but, I think there is one other aspect of rebuilding that particular hull that is very cool. He now has a completely refurbished ‘Robert Bentz’ Bentz-Craft. While I am very proud of what UBW is building (we are now building that exact same model among others), it is very cool to have Robert’s legacy beautifully restored and floating around out there. Good on you, Buddy.
Ulmer Boatworks
Bentz-Craft boats
- built in the Lowcountry for the the Lowcountry
That part I didn’t mention, but is at the heart of it all. I grew up in these boats. My extended family probably has more than a dozen of the original boats, and they all continue to serve us well. I just wish I could have gotten it done sooner and involved Robert. He was an incredible man and probably the smartest person I’ve ever met, and I just know he would have loved to see this happen. Guess letting his kids and grandkids admire it will have to do for me.
Thanks for the kind words.
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
Wow… Just read this front to back and kudos to a job well done from a guy who has restored several old cars… Great job…
Try heating the hose while tightning the clamps!
quote:
Originally posted by boatpoorTry heating the hose while tightning the clamps!
Hmmm…that may be the ticket! I’ll give it a try…
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
quote:
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
How is the custom Simrad mount holding up? It will be interesting to see how it does as things heat up!
Mark Ingle
NauticStar 1810 Merc 90
quote:
Originally posted by JumpNCobiaquote:
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
How is the custom Simrad mount holding up? It will be interesting to see how it does as things heat up!
Mark Ingle
NauticStar 1810 Merc 90
Came here for a report!
Mount is doing fine! Spent 7+ days in the water this week, and burned 40 gallons of fuel doing what it was made to do…but incurred a battle wound! Apparently the ONE day that I tied up to the inside of the dock with the permanently mounted boat fenders was a bad idea. Got a rub and a some scratches that are pretty bad. Guess it’s time to test the repairability of this AwlCraft…
Mother’s Day the women wanted to go to Privateer beach like we normally do, so we made the ride from Edisto to Bohicket side, was a good easy ride. Not so much on the way back, had to put the wife and kid in the big boat and run back by myself…boat did what it was designed to do, took a beating and kept me dry and safe and cruised back to Edisto at 30+ in a BIG chop.
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
