Just wanted to provide a much needed update to my south dade islandia. Louis and Ralph finished my skiff in October 2024. It has been stated before on that other site, but South Dade skiffs went above and beyond, and built me a custom skiff to my exact wishes. From a beefier laminate schedule, extended cockpit dimensions, and a custom one off side console Louis was all ears. In theory, I wanted this skiff to have a roomy interior and to be an all-around versatile tank of a boat. My last few skiffs were true technical polling skiffs, and I felt the need for more cockpit space, free board, storage and a little more dead rise. Due to my strict HOA,I am limited to garage storage only, and one skiff is all the wife will let me stuff in there. In terms of fishing, I had this boat built with the hopes of being able to fish inshore creeks, the beach and nearshore wrecks. My previous boats were not up to the task, considering the giant tides and snotty conditions one can face in the low country. Aside from fishing I also like to camp via skiff, and needed room to store tons of gear. Needless to say, the Islandia non-liner hatches are gigantic and can store just about anything one would desire. so far the layout of this boat has proven extremely versatile, and gives the opportunity to do a bunch of stuff from one single boat. For instance, on days when I take the family out, I can load the boat with beanbag chairs, coolers and water toys all while not feeling cramped.
Before we get any further, I want to talk about the process of making this boat more complete one should say (adding my personal touch). When I picked the skiff up from South Dade I was freaking stoked to see such a well built and bare bones platform. My wheels immediately started turning… knowing such a solid hull deserved nothing but the best of add-ons. I tried to keep things as simple as possible, but after my 20 hour service I started shopping. For starters, the hatches on this boat are double cored 3/4 inch divinycell and are pretty darn large and heavy. As of now the boats leave the factory without any gas struts or springs for lift support, and I knew I had to address this immediately. This is the only upgrade i did to the boat that I thought was necessary for safety and basic function. After much thought and careful measurements I decided to go the route of gas struts and installed 2 Taylor made 40 pound 15“ gas struts on both forward and aft hatches. This made things a lot easier because at first, the forward hatch lid would completely open all the way forward to the point that it laid flat against the deck. Initially opening a hatch lid was a two handed job and with the wrong operator could be downright dangerous. The gas struts quickly solved this problem, and now one handed opening of the lids is effortless, safe and quiet.
Now let’s get to the unnecessary accessories I mounted to the boat (starting at the bow going aft).
I splurged and got the power pole move pv trolling motor in the 45” variant. The forward deck of this boat was thoughtfully constructed and reinforced with coosa board, and mounting the trolling motor puck was very satisfying because I could comfortable fit inside the forward hatch, and I could really crank down on the installation hardware without worry. I chose the standard mounting position mainly due to the location of the coosa, but I also wanted to keep the skiff as balanced as possible. The front deck of this boat is so large and very beamy so the trolling motor heads sits completely inside the rub rail with zero overhang. The 45 inch length is perfect for this boat even with its extra free board. To power the power pole move I purchase a li time 36v 50ah Bluetooth group 31 battery. I mounted the battery in the aft hatch port side right behind the house battery. This helped balance out the weight of the side console and as well the weight of the trolling motor forward. The power pole move is pretty heavy. I believe it weighs 45 pounds. Everything they say about the move is true: it’s quiet, powerful and efficient.
I found a killer deal on a black tip emperor stool from tailwater outfitters during their Black Friday sale. I went with the Kennedy tiedowns, low profile mount, and purchased my turnbuckle from vMarine. I think the turnbuckle alone was $60 but it’s extremely beefy and really keeps the emperor stool secured in place. I wanted family and friends to be able to sit or lean into it without any concern or worry of failure. I’ve seen some of these stools in the past on other people’s boats and they use these little dainty Turnbuckles commonly seen on casting platforms, and it just didn’t sit right in my mind. As well to further reinforce the stool I used a piece of starboard on the underside of the forward hatch lid, so I could really tighten the stool down without worrying of ever crushing any core materials. It’s solid as a rock and I have 100% confidence in this stool. The only thing I might change in the future would be removing the existing hinges to replace them with the most beefy ones available. Between the gas struts and emperor stool they are under a lot of pressure, but as of now are holding up just fine without issue.
The under gunnel rod holder situation on this boat pretty much allows me to only use the port side for rod storage. The side console limits the starboard storage and I have dedicated that to my anchor stick. Port side I can comfortably store two fly rods and two spinning rods without issue, but I wanted an option for quicker storage and retrieval. I ended up ordering a low profile, dual rod holder from Boat outfitters it is open ended version with a nice plastic insert. It is very thoughtfully made in that it can accommodate inshore spinning rods, larger diameter rod butts, and even holds a fly rod perfectly secure with the design of its opening. Initially, I wanted to mount a dual rod holder to the side console, but with the slight overhang of the steering wheel the rod holder would have needed to stick out at least 4 inches for guaranteed clearance. This is why I went with the low profile, dual rod mount from boat outfitters it basically sits flush to a vertical surface. I decided to mount it on my forward bulkhead so that you can grab a rod from the forward deck or the cockpit with ease. I know the placement is a little unorthodox but overall I’m very happy with it. The only slight issue with this placement is that you can’t walk the centerline of the skiff to get on or off the front deck. You kind of have to pick one side or the other (not a big deal at all since the deck has so much room). Another great thing about this forward bulkhead location is that you can place an umbrella in the rod holder and it provides a great centralized spot of shade for the sandbar days.
Moving back to the side console, I installed a 4” balzout mount and a lowrance HDS pro 9” unit. The height of the mount and its adjustability gives me complete visibility of the screen and as well I can make adjustments while keeping my hands on the wheel and throttle. I’m very happy with the quality of this mount. It is rock solid, I like the adjustability, and think it looks cool as well.
Cass at new Moon upholstery made me a really nice double thick cushion for the aft deck. He was a really nice guy to talk with, the process was easy, and most importantly the product turned out spectacular. He does great work and uses top of the line materials. There’s a reason you see new moon upholstery on high end skiffs. I chose all white with the “smooth” finish.
In the rear hatch I copied Luis’ battery tray design, and made a second one to secure my litime trolling motor battery. It’s pretty nice being able to charge this battery and monitor the progress through their app, and furthermore I can check my exact battery level while fishing. Also, in the rear hatch I had to install a 70 amp breaker for the trolling motor, and the charging dock for the power pole trolling motor remote. Oddly enough, the power pole remotes don’t take the standard button batteries, but you stick them in a charging crate that is permanently mounted in the boat.
When building this boat with Louis gave me multiple options for engine power, although I’m a diehard Yamaha guy. I went with the Yamaha 90 sho, and I’m very happy with its performance and find it aesthetically pleasing. The mid range torque on this motor is insane and can go from 30 to 45mph really quick. Finding the right prop for this boat was a little bit of a challenge, but I ended up having Baumann propellers do their magic on my power tech PTR three blade. With the stock ptr 3 blade I was getting blow out in sharp turns and when raising the jackpkate. The newest generation of power tech cushion lock hubs is very pleasing, and there is zero clunk or rattle when slowly shifting in and out of gear or at low idle. This skiff can really scoot, but I find myself normally operating around 3700 RPMs and roughly 30 mph.
Let’s get down to real world performance numbers.. I’ve found that under normal circumstances this skiff drafts an honest 10 inches of water. The Yamaha 90 sho with a heavy cupped Baumann prop pushes the skiff 46 mph at 5900 rpm’s (almost a little too fast for me). I’m sure others with a lighter example Could see numbers as low as eight inches, especially if they went with the Yamaha f70 for power. I think the Yamaha f70 would be a great motor for this boat, and if I could do it all over I would have gotten the 70. In terms of handling characteristics, this boat has zero bow steer which is something I really like. My old whipray and B2 could throw you for a surprise when crossing certain wakes. The only thing I don’t like about the handling of this boat is that in a beam sea it is honestly a little wet which is surprising considering the massive spray rails. Oceanside on anchor or trolling motor this thing is a beast and it’s hard to take one over the bow. As Luis has mentioned multiple times this skiff rides great in rough conditions. I can cruise the icw at 30 mph and don’t have to slow down for the big boat wakes which is a major plus! I had the boat built heavy, and in my opinion it still poles pretty easily. Once you get it going it tracks very well and can spin/maneuver easily. One cool thing is that if you bottom out on the pole you can use the 12 degrees of dead rise to kind of put the boat on its side and keep on trucking.
Overall this thing is solid as a rock and Louis made me feel like I was part of the build process from the moment he started spraying gel in the mold. I’m also weirdly happy that I have one of the first builds, and that the deck and layout are a custom one off. I like handmade things, giving money to good people, and having a unique skiff. Now I’m going to attempt to post a few pictures for my first time on here
