@ StokerBoy - my life story, you asked.

[25two.stroke]

I didn't want to ruin https://www.screamandfly.com/showthread.php?357949-Mirage-Jaguar-for-sale with comments about my neglected projects, but the short answer to your question is no, none of my projects are photo-worthy.

22ft aquasport - 150 four stroke SeaPro
I fish it all every week and it is turn-key with 2 Garmin chartplotters, AIS, Smartcraft, NMEA gateway... but the upgrades to come are:
autopilot
shorten my bow rail
windlass
trailer brakes
paint
onboard charger
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1984 vKing
In the middle of transom, dash and floor replacment. Then once complete it will get painted all white, set up center steer and have a 15" 3 ram trim 2.4 EFI...trying to build that engine as light as possible.
You see, its far from photo-ready

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my 11 ft flat bottom dory.
I built it from scratch. With a 4ft wide ply sheet for the bottom and 30 degree sides, its the most stable and shallowest 11ft boat out there. Two full grown guys can stand on one side of it fishin and lean over no problem...no aluminum boat can do that. Without the skeg it draws about 3" fully loaded. All removable deck panels for cleaning. Nice little fishin boat.
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My 15 ft Corwin. 6'-10" beam and shallow V...another EXTREMELY stable fishin boat. I had a 70 johnson 2smoke on it and I got 7 mpg...I thought that is super good, imagine what I would get if put a fourstroke on it. So I tried it. I bought a used 60 efi from my boss, rigged it and got 8 mpg. I thought, well shoot, that cost me 4000 to get 1 mpg...not worth it. So After putting 200 hours on the 60 I sold it for $200 more than I bought it for and put a 70 Evinrude back on it. Back to 7mpg and I put carson reeds& stuffers and will shave the head a bit on it soon. I want to sell it to help pay for that Mirage.
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8ft yellow jacket. In the garage glassing up the bottom. Brand new build, never seen water. I re-designed the transom from what the kit was, but other than that its pretty much how it was intended to be. I will run one of my crazy 25 hp motors on it. Probably my 12" shaft mariner 25 lwp (ported and bumped up compression)
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As you see...I have a load of projects and not enough time to make them photo-worthy. I work 6 days a week and fish the 7th. Every evening if I'm not going to Church I work on some friend's boat. I work on party boats re-wiring and installing electronics. I service many of the commercial skiff boat fishermen around here cause they don't have time to make an appointment (months out at shops around here) to have their stuff serviced. When the fish are biting they gotta get on it. So they can fish all day and I come down when they get in at like 9pm and bring all the stuff to do an oil change or water pump or whatever service, and by the time their boat is cleaned and fish unloaded they are all serviced up. Its fin and helps me sleep good at night, but I don't have time to do much work on my own stuff.

I have 3 v6s right now and am thinking of starting a 4th. I have that 260 from El Cajon, a CCMS Bridgeport and a 2.4 ovalport EFI. All will be 15" motors but I gotta swap some powerheads around and build 2 lowers...if only there were 10 more hours in each day.

[Stoker boy]

Well I think you need another project! Thanks for sharing.

[25two.stroke]

I want that mirage so I can have something that I can go rip around in the Delta right now and not have to ride with Rufus...that Jaguar is a perfect rig cause I can just drop a motor on and go. Its already rigged pretty much how I would want it.

[Stoker boy]

Good luck.

[Stoker boy]

Kevin knows some guy named Jacob that rides with Rufas. He also knows about the Mirage you want to buy from back east. Kevin has ears everywhere.

[25two.stroke]

Kevin knows some guy named Jacob that rides with Rufas. He also knows about the Mirage you want to buy from back east. Kevin has ears everywhere.

That is me...Kevin fishes around here too.
I sent a check for that Mirage, so hopefully it will be here in the next few weeks.

[25two.stroke]

Should I put a floor back in the Hydrostream or just leave it a ridgy bottom? Rufus will be helpin me with the glass work, so I don't doubt it will be flawless whichever route I go...but I can't decide. I want to set that thing up as light as possible but durable and a single seat center steer. As far as resale value later, do you think it matters?

[Stoker boy]

If you can keep it lite weight and structurally sound that’s the way I would do it. It’s sort of a tossup, some people like the boats lite some like solid and heavy. If you’re going to carry passengers then make it a four seater.

If you’re going to keep it a single seat center steer I would think a person purchasing the hull would want it lite weight.

I have one seat center steer in my Mirage, I can snap in two rear bucket seats or one in-line single seat the way mine is set up. My wife does not like to boat so my Mirage is sort of like my personal watercraft.

[25two.stroke]

If you can keep it lite weight and structurally sound that’s the way I would do it. It’s sort of a tossup, some people like the boats lite some like solid and heavy. If you’re going to carry passengers then make it a four seater.

If you’re going to keep it a single seat center steer I would think a person purchasing the hull would want it lite weight.

I have one seat center steer in my Mirage, I can snap in two rear bucket seats or one in-line single seat the way mine is set up. My wife does not like to boat so my Mirage is sort of like my personal watercraft.

Ok, thats right in line with what I was thinking. Through the years does it seem like people want the Vkings more as a family boat (4 seater) or as a light ripper? I'm in the solo game too, not many of my friends want to go fast and don't already have their own boats. I don't really need a mirage and a hydrostream, and I like Mirages more so the Hydrostream will probably go in the near future when I have finished it and then am content with driving it...so thats why I ask about what people want more. It seems larely that people have been doing the complete restorations and putting all the seats back how they were from the factory, so I think there will be an abundance of those

[Stoker boy]

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a hydostream in person. From the photo it looks like it was set up as a four seater, maybe it’s best to keep it that way.
To me it seems nobody wants the small boats any longer, they’re all into big tuna boats. The only thing I know for sure is, I know nothing.

[25two.stroke]

I want a little rocket ship that can jump to the moon and come back down in one piece...a 400lb hydrostream with a 300lb 250hp motor...that would be fun.

[Stoker boy]

I doubt your Mirage will get down to 400 pounds. Stay with the hydrostream.

[25two.stroke]

That's what I meant. Thats what I want to do with the hydrostream. I don't care if it only does 90 or so...I don't really want to build it for long delta runs, just short bursts after work when theres 2ft chop.
Thats why I am building my 3ram trim 15" mid with the early EFI cowl and hoped up Bridgeport, hopefully I can keep it light.
I will set the Mirage up for running the delta with Kevin, Rufus and the rest of the gang up there.

[mrichartz]

Hey if you have to many that vking would go nicely next to my house and would get past HOA rules lol ...
not like mine that the bastards won't let me keep because misses by 6" in height....
actually over the summer or so think the neighbors are going to work out throwing another row or two of blocks on top quietly so ...
You can Never have to many... hopefully you end up getting them all done and have fun with them

[25two.stroke]

I had 8 boats a while back...now I'm down to the 5 and they are all relatively small. The end goal is 2 but seems that I just bought that Mirage two is not in the foreseeable future. :rolleyes:

[mrichartz]

And everything you've got there is photo worthy.
In what ever stage etc all boats...hey not everything is a hydrostream..lol

[Stoker boy]

That's what I meant. Thats what I want to do with the hydrostream. I don't care if it only does 90 or so...I don't really want to build it for long delta runs, just short bursts after work when theres 2ft chop.
Thats why I am building my 3ram trim 15" mid with the early EFI cowl and hoped up Bridgeport, hopefully I can keep it light.
I will set the Mirage up for running the delta with Kevin, Rufus and the rest of the gang up there. Someday I need to get a larger prop like a 29 so when I do Delta runs I can keep the RPM down. The biggest prop I own is a 24 but I can spin it pretty good and get a decent top end. Most of the time I enjoy cruising around 40 to 50 miles an hour.

[25two.stroke]

Someday I need to get a larger prop like a 29 so when I do Delta runs I can keep the RPM down. The biggest prop I own is a 24 but I can spin it pretty good and get a decent top end. Most of the time I enjoy cruising around 40 to 50 miles an hour.

Well when you come up you can run one of mine and/or take one home. I have a 26p 3 blade chopper, 27p drag 4, 27p Spinelli ET, 28p 3 blade chopper, and 25p TH cleaver...one of those ought to run good and keep your rpms down!

[Stoker boy]

Well when you come up you can run one of mine and/or take one home. I have a 26p 3 blade chopper, 27p drag 4, 27p Spinelli ET, 28p 3 blade chopper, and 25p TH cleaver...one of those ought to run good and keep your rpms down!

Thanks.

[25two.stroke]

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Made a double length transom saver cause factory ones are too short. Painted it pink cause why not. I also put in a smartcraft water pressure sender tonight, cause 150s dont come with them...

[Stoker boy]

The transom saver’s I’ve seen are adjustable. Long or short whatever is needed. I see a red strap but I really can’t see the transom saver. I’m thinking about the type that goes from the trailer to the lower unit. I had one years ago it was called a gator graber.

[25two.stroke]

The transom saver’s I’ve seen are adjustable. Long or short whatever is needed. I see a red strap but I really can’t see the transom saver. I’m thinking about the type that goes from the trailer to the lower unit. I had one years ago it was called a gator graber.

Yeah thats the one that I used as a core, but even though its adjustable it was too short...so I replaced the aluminum bar for a longer one. Thats what you see as a red strap...its not a strap its a steel bar.

[25two.stroke]

Built a fat shaft CLE on Saturday. Cut and re-splined driveshaft from CCMS...I like it. I want to strip the paint and polish it next.
Notice the rise/run of the stair in the back of the shop, I'm sure its OSHA approved.

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[25two.stroke]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwKYOZFbEIk

Sunday I took the aquasport out to slay some halibuts...couldn't ask for a nicer day on the salty pond.
Yeah, I like how the fourstroke trolls so quietly and the troll control is essential. Getting all the engine data and AIS on the Garmins is also just as essential when fishin in that thick of fog with no radar.
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[Stoker boy]

You are part of the food chain out there.:eek:

[25two.stroke]

You are part of the food chain out there.:eek:

Definitely part of the food chain...especially when you can't see 1/4 mile. This weekend brought a tad nicer visibility, but the water was whooped in the middle of the tide. Like 6ft @ 5 sec.
Running back home was nice though. Made it back early for father's day dinner.
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