I figured I would add my last project to the list. It started out as a Bateau GF16 Jon boat. The GF16 worked great in North Texas but not so much here at the coast. I have always liked the small scooters here but many are real basic looking. So, I hacked the Jon boat and made it into a scooter. I bought Bateau PH15 plans to use for the width and tunnel design. Funny thing is that I don’t seem to find a pic of the rigged boat.
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That thing is going to be cool. Looks SOLID! What kind of power you thinking?
The build is a couple years old. I will post a pic in use the next time out. It has a 30hp short shaft Nissan on the back. It is perfect as a 1 person boat. It does ok with two. It’s loud poling or trolling upwind so I don’t go upwind. Too much work anyway.
Chip
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I thought I recognized it. Great boat for where you are at.
True story. I was introduced to @TXJM by a mutual friend and he was gracious enough to show me some routes in his backyard so I could get a couple of trails laid down on my Lowrance. We met at his place on a dead calm January day, bluebird sky and everything. But, we were post big cold front that blew out the water. We looked at his scooter for a few minutes, loaded his stuff in my skiff and we were off to the boat ramp just a hop skip and a jump down the road. When we got to the ramp he said something along the lines of “whoa, the water is as low as I have seen it in quite some time” . Now bear in mind, my skiff is not a tunnel and we just looked at his scooter that will run in nothing 
. We get underway and wind our way through the routes I already knew. Then we reached a spot that I had been nervous about running on a normal tide. He guided me through that stretch flawlessly by pointing his finger left or right. And so it continued the rest of the day. We covered 40 miles that day I believe. Saw a few fish with lockjaw, but all in all a great day. Chip is good people.
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You also said something about not babying the boat but you don’t want too many scratches. Not an exact quote but directionally correct. That was a thin water day. Good day to learn the area.
Chip
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Another cool project. Thanks for sharing @TXJM
I tested a TX scooter one time at a media event. The company owner was telling me about guys who stood in the water next to the boat, fired it up, then stepped aboard with the hole shot. That takes some big cajones in a remote location, not to mention good timing.
Even weirder than that are the “leaners”. I have seen what I was told was one at a local repair shop. The outboard was fixed. The console had a real nice grab bar. I have plenty of questions about the concept or any advantage it would have much less the safety. The person telling me about it is fairly reliable.
I’m plenty happy with floats and runs shallow.
Chip
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