Gator Photos

Customers' Gator Photos
(Click on thumbnails for larger photos)

	Forum Member Wormkilla, Conway, SC
Forum Member: Mark H. Baton Rouge, LA
	Thank you guys for the great plans, I have wanted a boat for my backyard pond for years. I built this thing in one weekend and floated it the next. NO LEAKS!!! I've since added oar locks and plan to add a trolling motor. My daughter says "Ya know dad, not everyone can build a boat" but she doesn't know how easily it all came together. My helper in the boat had his first boat ride and was my sidekick for the layout and painting on the project. There are stray pencil marks everywhere on it to prove it. I used epoxy garage floor paint for the painting. That's 290 lbs. in the boat.
		I bought plans from you for the Gator and Duckhunter. Recently completed the Gator. This was my first boat build and the only thing I have ever built before is a birdhouse. The plans were very simple and easy to follow and I had a lot of fun completing the boat. I have attached a few photos. Thanks, Mark H. Baton Rouge, LA
	Henry, I completed my boat the week before last and tested it out last week. The first sea trial was unpowered and went well. I noticed that the boat turned dramatically with each stroke but I think if I adjust the seat location, I can reduce the turn somewhat. The following day, the motor arrived so I took her out for a powered trial. I was very impressed with how well a 30 lb thrust troller pushed us around. During construction, I added a couple steps. I taped all the seams and coated the entire outside with polyester resin, then painted and urethaned. Your plans are great and any little mistakes I made were because I thought I was smarter than your sketches. All in all, it was a great project and I'm looking forward to the next one. Thanks for your help! Gary Marcotte

			Dear Henry- Just got started, and am taking my time to do it right (measure twice - cut once). I'm really excited about the whole process and wanted to thank you for taking the time to give me "technical" assistance in deciphering the instructions. I've enclosed some pictures as to what I've accomplished in 8 - 10 hours. I am doing it myself, and a lot of my time is spent hauling the sawhorses, jig table, and boat in and out of my garage. I'll send more as I get them. Hope you can use them on your website to encourage others. Dana

	Henry, Well, it is summer time an that means boat building time. My youngest (11 years old) thought it was time to build him a boat. Enclosed is a photo of his gator. I can't say I like the color, but he picked them out and they do look OK. This makes boat four (3 gators and a croc) and I have not made one for me yet! I still want to make the duckhunter one day. I wanted to thank you again for introducing me to boat building. With the price of plywood these days, it is more expensive than it used to be, but boatbuilding is still cheaper and more fulfilling than buying one. Thanks Again, James Andrews
	Mr. Corley, I finally built the one-man Gator from the plans I bought from you three years ago. I gave it to my Father-in-Law as a Father's Day present. The attached photo shows him taking it for its maiden voyage in the family pond in Powdersville, SC. He plans on using the boat to fish, hunt ducks & possibly even alligator on some land he recently bought on the Ogeechee River in Georgia. The plans were easy to follow once I finally started, and the boat looks great. Now I plan on starting the Darkwater Skiff. Thanks again. Bill Cole
		First time builder. I loved making this boat. I plan on making another gator boat. Thanks Jerry T. Rochester NY
		I have built a few boats and believe this one was the easiest I have built. My 8 year old son did most of the work along with me. Thanks, Matt
	Don't know if you are interested in getting feedback from people who use your plans but this turned out so neat that others may be interested in taking a look. My objective was a durable one-man hunting boat for a swampy Arkansas location....sort of a sneak/layout boat. As you can see, I have not yet camouflaged the boat for hunting season this Fall but I will do so with spray paint. The entire boat is encased in epoxy; two layers on the inside of the boat and fiberglass mat and four layers on the outside. This makes for a very tough boat but does add weight. I enclosed the front end of the boat for storing items to keep dry and out of sight of ducks. The deck is 3/8 inch plywood and is only screwed on in case that I need to work inside for some reason and is sturdy enough to use as a seat if needed. I installed a shotgun rack on the right side. Standard trolling motor shafts are too long for the small boat and low seat. I took the control handle apart, cut 6 inches off the 30 inch shaft and reinstalled the handle. The wheeled cart is made from a Home Depot two wheel dolly. The frame is plastic and the ends can be unscrewed and a boat carrier mounted to the body of the dolly. I can walk the boat down to the river with one finger. This was my first attempt as such a project and a second effort would be a lot easier because of the learning process. A router with the proper bits really helps with the trim work. It was a good winter project and I'm looking forward to duck season. Doug Proctor

			We would like to share these pictures with you. We had fun from start to finish. My name is Watson, the only one in shorts. We plan to start on the Big Mama now. We'll send more pictures. Watson Anderson , Jamie Anderson , Wayne Anderson