Boat Custom's 308 Skater OB Flat Deck Conversion.
 

It's not easy being green.

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I drove the Jim Lee's 28' Skater at the 2014 LOTO Shootout. The windshield worked perfectly and the paint was flawless. Chris Mills of Boat Customs and I discussed a simple windshield conversion to my existing 308 Classic Deck Skater. I really wanted to a flat deck conversion for many reasons among them were cockpit room, aesthetics, and to reduce the deck profile of the 308 Skater. Chris and I came up with a plan to do a carbon fiber full flat deck conversion and update the boat with a larger Garmin 7610 GPS and twin Mercury Vessel View 7 displays tied to the GPS. Ron Muller with Electronics Unlimited is helping us tie in the displays with the integrated remote audio and CZone digital switching system to maximize versatility of electronics and allow remote access to critical boat components.

Additionally we will re-rig the boat to distribute weight to correct CG issues. The cockpit will be wider and deeper allowing 2 plus 4 bolster seating and standing room between the front and rear bolsters. Access in and out of the boat at the stern will be improved.

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This project was initiated in October is is planned for completion this spring.
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Sounds like quite a project. I will watch eagerly for updates.

Keep the updates coming while the project is moving along. I will be watching this thread. Should phenomenal when it's done.

Sweet! Should be awesome.

Nice teaser photo in the outboard bs thread, well played Sam!

Ambitious project, but the finished product should be really sharp. I'm looking forward to seeing progress pics!

This will be one nice Outboard Skater! Sam's boat will be the coolest outboard Skater to date that will have some really cool features and set the bench mark for future boats. The days of toggle switches and no windshields are gone my friends.
It is making want to rerig my boat too!!!!!

I knew you couldn't keep it on the down low forever. It is going to be BAD ASS!

Now he just finish what he started by adding the 3rd 300xs!!!!!!

awesome!!. I may need to pick you brain after it's all done :)

:party-smiley-004:

will it be ready by late april???? tickfaw 200?

Awesome, cant wait to follow along.

Sounds awesome, Are you going to take the whole deck off and redo or just modify the existing deck. Very interesting.

308 Skater De-Rig
 

This project requires a complete de-rig of the entire boat to a bare hull.

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Cataloging and storage of all components is critical.

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so new interior all together or just adding 4 across to rear seating?

Wow Sam, Too cool. That Czone stuff is awesome! Have you decided on your paint scheme yet? I look forward to seeing your finished boat. I really wanted a flat deck 28, but too much $$$ from Skater. Keep the thread going now that the cat is out of the bag.

You're really doin it Brother!!! Its an incredible project, keep us posted! :cool:

Defiantly gonna look cool. Great project Skate

That's awesome Skate that you are moving forward with it. I too will follow this as i too have thought about this for our 32. Sure it will be badass. Can't wait to see the final product in person. GL and enjoy the process

awesome!

The point of no return.....
 

Deck removal:greenchainsaw:

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We are all in at this point!

cutting up a perfectly good boat.....painfully sweet to watch huh LOL.

Wow what a sweet project. So what happens to the original deck? I'm only a few hours away and it would look pretty awesome hanging on the wall in my garage?

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Sam,

what colors are you thinking of?

I'm still stuck on orange metallic color :)

This getting really cool. can't wait for more.

NO DCB's Allowed!

No Orange! They would pull my man card here in Arkansas:lolhit:

Craig don't remind me. I may need my head checked.

I'm heading up to boat customs Thursday, can't wait to see this project.

Man this is serious Sam!

Sides built up with vacuum bagged Baltec core and bulkheads built up vacuum bagged carbon fiber foam core

Bow
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Stern
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Starboard side
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You're cray cray, lol!

This is great! Might as well split that b!tch down the middle too and add 12" to the tunnel! :cool:

Serious question. I can only imagine what the bill will be for this. Would you have been better off to sell the boat and have Pete build you a new one exactly to your specs? When you look at everything including resale value, resetting the clock with all new parts, etc it has to be an option that was strongly worth considering.

Keep the pics coming, I LOVE this build! :cool:

wtf ?????

KAll this was taken into consideration. The depreciation on a used hull, dealing with tire kickers, and recent price increases on new builds from Douglas plus state sales tax on a new boat I'm much better off doing this. As for how I want it customized, Boat Customs is doing more custom features than Douglas would do for me on a new hull of this size and I have much more input on it. I love the 308 it handles and performs perfectly. This allows me to see over the bow better while driving, more cockpit room, 2 plus 4 seating, easier access into the boat from the water over the transom, a windshield, and the re-rig will correct center of gravity issue I had with the bow being too light.

Yea I might need my head checked lol. Actually I built boats splashed existing boat for molds and tooled hull and deck plugs for molds for new boats in high school and undergrad. I'm more comfortable tearing a boat in half and re rigging it than working on the motors. I actually enjoy a project and building what I want.

Now this is COOL! So your adding height onto the deck to have a stand up bolster seating?? or did i read that wrong?

Wrong. Cutting deck down so you can see over the sponsons while runing.

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Is there a wide body (stretched tunnel) 308 running as of yet???

Skate, you have my respect to take a saw to a recent Skater and go all out on a refab to make it the way you want it - that take's some cojones. As you said, Boat Customs has a track record of coming through with beautiful work...

Going from 1/4 Canopies to full windshield made a big difference on my 36 as far as attitude of the boat. It certainly tightened up and settled it down. It made it happy for sure.

Sam and i talked at lotto about this project and i hope i assured him that chris was the guy for it. its looking good was there a couple of weeks ago just gave chris the dimensions of my boat deck line for him to set up sams this thing is going to be a night and day diferance sitting behind the wrap around sam i cant wait for a ride will have to take it out up here when you pick it up [ATTACH=CONFIG]536748[/ATTACH]