Great Republic getting a complete restoration

Tinker

Hello all,

So last year I bough Great Republic and hauled her from Vermont out to Bellingham. I asked for some advice on here on who to use to restore her and decided to go with Jesse at Bitter End Boat Works. I appreciated Jesse's enthusiasm and understanding of what I wanted to do with Great Republic. When complete, I feel I'll have a vessel as good as any off the show room floor! That might be a biased statement, but I do know I'll have a unique ride that you can't get off the show room floor. It sounds like the fiberglass work is getting complete this week and then it's time to put her all back together. Some of the work includes: pulling i/o and rebuilding transom, rebuilding/fiberglassing back deck, installing a new PDR full width transom bracket and hanging a new Yamaha 4 stroke main and trolling motor, all new wiring, new electronics, new barrier coat and bottom paint, new stainless radar arch and railing, rear helm, autopilot, DR mounts, raw water wash down, rear helm with Garmin… and the list goes on. I'll post some pictures soon. The plan is to have her done by the end of April in time to slay the prawns! Stay tuned…

-Travis

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 9:52 pm Post subject:

So glad to see you doing this to what always struck me a a great boat. If I did not have my 27 I would have bought her and done the same thing. Are you going to use the old engine bay for storage?? How much room with there be? are you going to make the floor flat over the old motor hold? Please post photos of everything before and after.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:26 pm Post subject:

Travis-

Very, very, interesting project!

I would also love to see you document the restoration in photos and text!

What would also be revealing, after you reached the end of the restoration, is a rough accounting of how the final cost worked out against your initial plans and expectations, if that's not to personal.

Getting involved in such a project is taking on some unknowns and "unexpecteds", and such an accounting could serve as an invaluable example to others embarking on such an adventure!

You're a brave soul, and we all wish you good luck and good fortune! Laughing

Joe.

thataway · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 12:52 pm Post subject:

Fantastic! If I was younger and in better health, I would have been competing with Tom for that boat. I agree that she deserves the upgrades. You will have a fantastic boat when done.

Please do put a lot of photos--before and after. It will be an inspiration. Also tell us why you made the changes, and what you expect.

Thanks!

PaulNBriannaLynn · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:30 pm Post subject:

I'm very excited to hear the Great Republic is getting a restoration. I drooled all over pictures of the boat when we were looking for our C-dory, but didn't have the juevos to take on he project ourselves. Please post photos as the project progresses. This will be a beautiful boat once completed and your right, it will be one of a kind.

I hope to see you out on the water this Spring, your boat will be hard to miss!

Jazzmanic · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 4:06 pm Post subject:

Tinker · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 8:56 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the interest. I've got an album set up now and as Jesse sends me picture updates I'll add them to the album. By the way, I wish I was out in the Northwest right now playing on my boat. It will only be a high of -6 in Iowa tomorrow and after 18 years of living in Iowa I still haven't developed a love of ice fishing!

-Travis

journey on · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 12:22 am Post subject:

That's going to be a dynamite boat. However, the question is what was the Great Republic's neighbor in Iowa?

As for ice fishing, I admire you're determination to stay in Iowa for all those years. Forget the ice fishing.

Boris

Foggy · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:57 am Post subject:

Tinker · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 8:12 am Post subject:

[quote="journey on"]That's going to be a dynamite boat. However, the question is what was the Great Republic's neighbor in Iowa?

That is a Vashon Pocket Troller parked next to Great Republic. Fun little boat. It was a tough decision to sell it so that I could do the restore on Great Republic. In the end, I wanted a larger boat better suited to sport fishing.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:31 am Post subject:

[quote="Tinker"]

Montana Kev · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:04 pm Post subject:

Travis,

Great to see someone is redoing this boat. Laura and I had looked at this boat online when it was for sale and talked about how this would be our dream boat restoration if the timing was right. Looking forward to seeing your photos and hopefully seeing you on the water in the future.

Kevin

Jack in Alaska · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 9:50 pm Post subject:

Tinker,
Congrats on becoming another ProAngler owner. I also drooled over, schemed, dreamed about buying that boat, bring it to Alaska and go fishing. What stopped me is I already have a ProAngler and the 1st mate did not want another. You have a great boat and you will like how it handles and performs.
Mine has the motor bracket on the transom with a 200 Honda 4 stroke and a 9.9 Honda 4 stroke trolling motor. It performs great with that power but I think it would do well with a 150 or 175 also. Mine came with the 200 so........it has a 200.
My boat is a walk around cabin so the cabin is not much wider than the one on a 22' but several feet longer.
Good luck in your restoration project and pictures would be great.

Jack in Alaska

Tinker · Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 9:41 pm Post subject:

Jack- I went with a 200 HP Yamaha. Mostly because I got a great deal with less than 25 hours on it. I was a little bit worried that I might have wished for more HP, but I'm glad to hear you think 200 is more than adequate.

The vessel had been treated with great care by the 2 previous owners so I feel I had a great platform to start with. Definitely worth the trip from Vermont back to the NW. Hope to have some pictures to post soon!

-Travis

Jack in Alaska · Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 9:48 pm Post subject:

Tinker,
My friend up here who also has a 26' ProAngler has a 250 hp Yama on his boat because he blew up his 200 and there was only a 250 available. He is a charter and needed to go now.
It is definitely too much engine.