Ok so this is a boat that was bought down the cape from Mike at Boat Brokerage Inc..Its a 1976 midland skiff..the boat had sank when I bought it and it had been mickey moused to the max with all sorts of useless holes, wires, and the whole bit.. the previous owner even flipped the boat over and layed a layer of glass right over the bottom paint up to the water line.. real pain in the ass..anyways ill walk through what I did.. hopefully it will save you some money and a lot of trial and error if you have to do some of these things.. feel free to message me if you want..
The history of the Midland boats from what I read online is that basically these guys took a wooden maine boat and made glassed the sh*t out of it and faired it down and made a plug... they made these boats for I think about 20 years mainly for inshore quohoggers and lobstemen..these things were built really light.. single hull which is real thin..despite the unbelivable lines and flare on the bow, these boats will beat the shit out of you in anything over 2ft chop..litterally feels like your bones are shaking...Anyways I did this thing over twice basically when I found this out after I put it in the water for the first time..the first year I basically unf*cked it and took all the sh*tty glass off..faired down the whole hull from the keel up.. painted it and used it for the season...this past winter I tore it apart to get new stringers in there and to re-laminate it with 2 payers of 24oz woven roving..then I had to fire a 30 gallon below deck tank..a 25 gallon above deck tank..new deck..and finally an original midland skiff console that I found in CT that I pulled apart and restored..Ill give you a play by play on most of the project.. lots of pics and steps are missing but youll get it..[attachment=12:1dxx0h70]36671_512359695961_106000889_30405221_6476063_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=11:1dxx0h70]36225_512359690971_106000889_30405220_436393_n.jpg[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=10:1dxx0h70]36225_512359621111_106000889_30405206_5398316_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=9:1dxx0h70]13445_512359601151_106000889_30405204_229920_n.jpg[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=8:1dxx0h70]13445_512359576201_106000889_30405199_5927565_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=7:1dxx0h70]13445_512359531291_106000889_30405190_6733362_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=6:1dxx0h70]13445_512359596161_106000889_30405203_8223709_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=5:1dxx0h70]34135_512359805741_106000889_30405234_5003872_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=4:1dxx0h70]33995_512359770811_106000889_30405231_7490332_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=3:1dxx0h70]34164_512507160441_106000889_30409185_5071843_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=2:1dxx0h70]34164_512507165431_106000889_30409186_6416084_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=1:1dxx0h70]36441_512359720911_106000889_30405224_4709265_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70][attachment=0:1dxx0h70]36441_512359730891_106000889_30405226_5055993_n.jp g[/attachment:1dxx0h70]

So after that whole rebuild I loved the boat and fished it all summer but I really knew that It could be better riding..the stringers had been replaced by someone previous but they were just 2x6" layed in the hull.. no glassing them down or anything..so it was just a skeleton boucing around under the deck and that combined with the already thin hull made the bottom of the boat wabble and you could feel every wave you went over..So I made a game plan and in the winter I pulled it into the garage and ripped the deck up..cut the homemade console off.. yes I had to cut it up on the boat because it was so heavy I was afraid the boat was going to tip over on the stands if I tried to throw it off the side..
after that I cut all the stringers out and ground down the whole hull with a grinder to make a nice mating surface for the glass I was about to lay down..I layed down 2 layers of glass fore and aft.. I used a 60" roll of 24oz woven roving that I got from aeromarineproducts.com.. they sell marine epoxies, glass, fillers and the whole bit..I went through 30 gallons of reichhold resin on this whole project that I got for $75/ 5 gallons off some guy that bought a bunch of it to build ATVs a few months prior that didnt work out.. really saved a buck there..
After the glassing was done I spent about $450 on Prisma Composite stringers from Jamestowndistributors.com. They are 4ft sections of glass covered foam that you simply cut to size , add deadrise converters and wet them out and they become rock solid...I used the marine lumber model that they sell .. they were 3x5 5/8".. they were one of the biggest sizes that they sell and a little over kill but the only thing I was interested in is keeping the deck height the same and since the original stringers were 2x6" these were the ones I had to use..
I layed them out to best fit the original configuation but to also fit around the 30 gallon aluminum tank that I got off ebay (yes I had to get it used because its a 5" high tank and that is impossible to find new)...now I spent a sh*t ton of time configuring these bad boys and also running a 3" pvc pipe for the wire/cable chase but once I had them cut right and the pipe run it was just a matter of wetting them out and magically it was ready for the deck..
I rebuilt this original midland skiff console that I got in CT off craigslist for $75.. just tore all the wood out of it and filled the holes and glassed on a new flange..I put it way up forward because I knew it rode better with the weight up front and I wanted to have all the deck space possible..
After the stringers I painted the whole bilge with bilge kote and ran all the cables and wires and fuel lines through the PVC wire chase...next It was time for the deck.. I used 3/4" inch exterior plywood and coated the bottom with resin after I cut them..for the deck tempplates I used 3/4" insulation boards from Lowes..I have heard of many ways to do this but I think this was the easiest..after I played around wit hthe deck I put it in laying a bunch of 3M 5200 on top of the stringers followed by 2" stainless screws..I had a big question regarding screwing into the foam stringers and you gotta buy this Prisma Trevira Mat that you wet out and glass ontop of the stringers..this stuff they have done a bunch of studies on and it has the same holding strength as 1/4" aluminum so I trusted it..
After the deck was on I glassed it with chopped strand and then shortly after gave it a coat of 1 part petitt primer..
Next was the 2nd gas tank.. a left over moeller from greatlakesskipper.com..its a cube shape and it was nice because I was able to build a box around it which holds it and the fill lines for both tanks, the 3 way valve, the fills, and the vents..and its a seat..
next was the console which sat infront of the box...I then painted the whole interior with 1 part pettit and then a coat or two of EZ deck non skid paint,,,..of course the livewell was a must.. got it from boatdepot.com for short money.. I think 150 plus shipping...

Boat is done at this point. I am glad I did it.. yup.. the boat rides 100 times better with the thicker hull, the stringers, and the 30 gallons of gas that brought the center of gravity down..the boat takes waves now no problem and it doesnt rattle at all.. I have taken it out to stellwagen twice this year and have had no problems with 2-4 footers.. no flying of course..email me if you are gonna do one of these over


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Nice Job.

Years ago I dug quohogs in Narragansett Bay and there were a few Midlands around. One of my best buds had one and we would double up in his rig when the Bay froze and they were driving jeeps to Jamestown. Chopped a lot of ice in the early eighties, and the boat held up pretty well. It is still being used in Falmouth somewhere.

Whatcha use for the spray rails?

Nice Job.

Years ago I dug quohogs in Narragansett Bay and there were a few Midlands around. One of my best buds had one and we would double up in his rig when the Bay froze and they were driving jeeps to Jamestown. Chopped a lot of ice in the early eighties, and the boat held up pretty well. It is still being used in Falmouth somewhere.

Whatcha use for the spray rails?

Wow love the history .. I heard these were used for quohogs Because they don't draw any water.. The spray rails were all broken up and I found them at bomar plastics in brockton Ma.. I just measures the profile of them and they had an exact match and shipped them right to my house.. Hamilton marine stocks them but they buy them from bomar

Boat looks great, Congrats for taking on and following trough such a big project.

Boat looks great, Congrats for taking on and following trough such a big project.

Thanks Bob I'll look for your downeast boat Project boat in the near future

Wow! Awesome job on your Midland rebuild! I really like that platinum color. I'm glad that you got this Downeast website set up for people that love these types of boats. I was impressed with how you used the foil insulation to get your template for the sole. I measured the whole floor using the center stringer as a beginning reference mark and it took forever. I will post my rebuild soon of my 20' Eastporter, but I'm getting tired tonight. Looking forward to more cool builds from others too. :D

Wow! Awesome job on your Midland rebuild! I really like that platinum color. I'm glad that you got this Downeast website set up for people that love these types of boats. I was impressed with how you used the foil insulation to get your template for the sole. I measured the whole floor using the center stringer as a beginning reference mark and it took forever. I will post my rebuild soon of my 20' Eastporter, but I'm getting tired tonight. Looking forward to more cool builds from others too. :D

Thanks Eastporter I'm looking forward to seeing that 20 footer.. Does it have the house on it or center console? Ya the template was the thing I was worried about.. I did search after search.. Some guys use cardboard but I wanted something with the same thickness as the deck so that it was exact.. I didn't want to be ripping through $35 plywood sheets unless inwas sure what was going on.. Honestly the insulation took maybe 2 hours with a utility knife .. If you cut to much off you just tape a little on etc.. the stuff is a bit pricey.. Maybe $13 a sheet but totally worth it.. You can go on YouTube and do a search for " prisma composite " and you will watch these guys throw together a whole grid in like 40 mins.. Of course all the prep work is done but still i think it saves a lot of time

Nice rebuild!!! I love seeing stuff like this come together.

Hook anything good on that bent butt?? Nantucket sleigh ride on that baby!!!!

I just acquired a 1981 midland that I'm going to rebuild this winter. Fortunately it has glass stringers so I don't have to replace those. I'm looking forward to it I think it's going to be a lot of fun. How do you like the console pushed that far forward.

Funk Masta..Good luck with that boat buddy.. I cant believe you got one with glass stringers!.. If you are going to tear up the deck I would take the spray rails off and give it a couple of layers of the 24oz glass like I did.. I couldnt be happier with the outcome of the stringers and the beefed up hull..the boat has a bow that is flared like no other and the bow sits pretty high.. when you take the boat for a ride you will see that it likes to be on a plane and it takes the seas alot better when it is pushing through instead of riding on the top of them .the weight forward is the perfect situation to put the console forward and give yourself all that deck space..I definitely put alot of thought into the weight with the 55 gallons of fuel that I carry and I filled up the boat to the brim with fuel before I anchored the deck, the tanks, and the console down and threw it in the water with the motor on it to make sure it sat correctly in the water..this is a must to make sure she doesnt list or need weight added to one side or the other or fore and aft.. once I saw her sit right I buttoned everything down and couldnt be happier with the configuration

nice rebuild. now that's a proud bow!

I have read you post on the midland. I have been seeing some for sale as well. Does it really pound that badly? How does it bale? Are the scuppers right at the water line?

Hey Jojo. I can speak for mine when I bought it and put it in the water the thing would rattle and roll but I sincerely think that the stringers that were replaced by the guy before me were not done right and since its already a thin single hulled boat it wasnt a good match..I read a lot about them and if you read a few stories guys either say they love the midland skiff or they like it but remember being on one when they were more popular and "rattling" their bones over waves.. the scuppers are right at the water line which kinda blows because obviously the boat has to be perfectly balanced or it will flood a bit..Since I did mine over and put the console forward and the 2 tanks I havent had a problem all summer and it has floated fine after the rain..I saw one in Maine for $2000 right now and there is one that has been all redone in I think delaware? (stringers and the whole bit) for $4200..let me know how you make out and ill keep you posted when I see one for sale

Jojo.. here are the 2 that I know of for sale online right now..the second one you can see on thehulltruth.com if you do a search for "midland" he just ripped the whole thing apart and redid it


http://maine.craigslist.org/boa/2567566066.html


http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/boa/2604548865.html[attachment=1:10353b2x]3na3k23o55O05V35S1b8qb2a1dfa9e492159f.jpg[/attachment:10353b2x][attachment=0:10353b2x]3nc3me3p15Y05Z15U0b9ife15f51eaf46186f.jpg[/attachment:10353b2x]

I saw those as well. Very interesting boat but I think I will continue to search out something different. Perhaps another repco 21.

If it were me I would wait it out unless you came across one for $1000 or less.. Did u see that 23 seaway that went for $1500 on eBay ? I posted it under the general category section

Thats a nice one. The thing is a new transom cost 3-5k not including stringer work. Journey's End/O'Hara sells a 20' Beal hull with stringers, brandy new, for 6k I know if you do it yourself you save $$$$ but all my boat projects seem to cut into every spring bass run. I want to stop this trend!

more pics of the layout, proud bow, and scuppers

more of deck

Hi Bill,
How did things work out after you pulled your boat? Did you pickle the motor? Were you able to save any of the electronics? Are you planning on a repower? Did your insurance company inspect it? Best wishes during a frustrating situation.

Hey Eastporter.. ya I spent the weekend rewiring everything..the whole electrical system just cooked itself..I mean everything was new this year and it was just so corroded that the connectors were just falling off the switches, ignition etc..and I mean the male part of the connections, not the female end on the wires themselves..so I pretty much just took it all apart and cut all the wires back and started off fresh with new heat shrink connectors, switch panel, battery switch etc etc

I got the thing turned over using my brothers truck and then let the water drain out.. towed it out of the water that night..got it in the driveway and just sprayed everything off and did my best to pickle the motor..problem was the sand got in everything..carbs.etc.. its an 84 engine that I got off a freshwater boat.used it for 2 seasons and its honestly the best motor that i have owned..It chews gas but I just like the feeling that if shit hits the fan (or it sinks) I can just get a new one and not be held hostage for the summer by a marina if the thing breaks in the middle of the summer..if its a new motor that I dont have the capabiliy of working on..in this case I am not going to dick around with it much..just gonna slap another one on or maybe get something new I am honestly not sure yet
I am thinking that one of the scuppers got plugged or the 3/4" bottom shot of chain that I put on the mooring might have been caught up/ to heavy or something and I also had it tied up to the ballard on the deck instead of the bow eye..wheich I think might have pulled it under at just the right angle for it to go over..next time I will definately be tying it up on the bow eye when there is gonna be some strong winds..as for the insurance .. the guy came the other day.. not sure what he is going to do yet but when I told him that there are pockets of water in the hulland in the wire chase and I ( or a marina) need to cut some vents in the deck and dry the thing out.. his repsonse? "boats are meant to get wet"... wow..i got 4, 4" deck plates today that I am going to put in.. should have been put in in the first place.I only have 1 bomar hatch in the back where the bilge and livewell pump is and a 4" plate at the fuel sender for the underdeck tank. I dont like not knowing if the weep holes in the stringers are working or not..

Thanks for the reply Bill. Good news- the motor was not new, and it can be replaced. Good news- insured Good news- rewiring is completed Bad news- you have to wait until next spring to use it again. :) Good luck with the boat. I think you are going to love a four stroke on that Midland. I was toying with buying a rebuilt motor, but with the cost being what it is- I bought new. Are your scuppers big enough? Do you have some clearance above the natural waterline at the mooring? I wonder if those should be addressed in the off season. I always clip my mooring pendant to the bow eye, and only loop the secondary line on it over my 10" bow cleat as a back up. You can splice the line into the main line to add peace of mind, but it never gets any pressure on it (unless the main line fails).

Ya I am going to be wondering what to do.. as for the scuppers.. they are right at the water line which blows. was toying with making them bigger..when I was putting the new stringers in I gave that a thought in terms of raising the deck a bit but the tallest prisma composite stringers they sell is 6" so I was basically just replacing the height that was already there..so when I have the livewell full I have to keep the plugs in or the deck is soaked .not a big deal..but I do wish they were 2" higher..

Bill, I have been reading your posts on your restoration efforts along with everything else I could dig up on the Midland 19. This evening I bought a 1982 Midland 19 off of Ebay. $859

Sight unseen :eek:

I either got a good deal on a boat, motor and trailer or my wife now has valid grounds for a divorce.:lol:

http://www.boatangel.org/photos/AG06339-1982-Midland-19ft-wTrailer-photos-Ledyard-CT/

Looks like a great project boat for the money. Have fun with her!

RK! Dude my buddy was the guy bidding on that against you.. I was on the phone with him for the last minute of the auction.. And then he was like "I gotta go" he was pissed! Haha small world..Hope he doesn't read this post.. I really was thinking about it myself then when I came to my senses I emailed it to him this morning.. That's a beautiful hull compared to the way mine was.. Plus I think that has the hydraulic pump on the motor .... .. all I know is that if you don't want it he will go Buy it

RK! Dude my buddy was the guy bidding on that against you.. I was on the phone with him for the last minute of the auction.. And then he was like "I gotta go" he was pissed! Haha small world..Hope he doesn't read this post.. I really was thinking about it myself then when I came to my senses I emailed it to him this morning.. That's a beautiful hull compared to the way mine was.. Plus I think that has the hydraulic pump on the motor .... .. all I know is that if you don't want it he will go Buy it


I have been looking for a downeast style hull in that length for a while.I was surprised it went that low. I thought it would go $1500+ based on the prices I found for these boats on previous auctions and Craiglist.

I'm assuming the stringers and transom are rotten, so I will gut it and replace the stringers, transom and deck over the winter. I'll add a splash well to the transom for the outboard.

Cosmetically I like the work boat look so I'm not planning on making any major changes other than possibly removing the cuddy . I'm gonna keep the pot hauler (it appears to be missing the jockey wheel)and make a new davit arm for it. I'll build a new console too.

I wouldnt worry yet about the stringers and the transom..funkmastabass just got one about a month ago and his had solid glass stringers.... either way the trailer alone is worth 500..the hull is in beautiful shape and ya if you want to rip that cuddy off i am sure that someone would buy it for 200..good deal.. I bought mine with no motor for 1700 and i wont even get into how many hours I put into it

RK, I've finally recovered enough from the drubbing I took on EBAY, to wish you a congratulations on that boat. That was the bidding of a true pro. I'm just happy that the winner is someone that appreciates the Midland and will put it to good use. Can't wait to see the finished product. Enjoy the build!!

RK, I've finally recovered enough from the drubbing I took on EBAY, to wish you a congratulations on that boat. That was the bidding of a true pro. I'm just happy that the winner is someone that appreciates the Midland and will put it to good use. Can't wait to see the finished product. Enjoy the build!!

To all: Sorry for dropping off the conversation, work is pretty crazy right now.

Don, you give me too much credit LOL, I was going to build a wood boat this winter but with the stipulation taht if I saw a FG boat I liked I would buy and restore it instead. When I saw the Midland on Ebay I commented to my wife that I liked it. She apparently loved it because she put a $2200 proxy bid on it without my knowledge. :eek: I suspect however she wasn't that keen on me turning her back yard into a boat building yard.


I picked up the boat on Teusday. The previous owner was the original owner. He ordered it from Midland and used it for lobster fishing between Noank CT and Fishers Island. He also used it as a pleasure boat and trailered it around the Northeast. The hull is in very good shape , It has fiberglass stringers. The deck is solid, I have gone over every square inch of it and haven't found a soft spot. The transom has a very small area of delamination and swelling under the cap on the starboard side .The rest sounds pretty solid. The plywood console is in bad shape, the steering is very stiff and the shift/throttle control is seized.
The previous owner said the 1982 engine ran well but had cold start issues with the electric chokes. I'm going to take look at the motor next week and do a compression test before I begin spending any money on the motor. My only disappointment with the motor is that it doesn't have power tilt and trim.
The trailer is not the original, He exchanged the original trailer with a buddy of his . The trailer fits the boat but the wobble wheels look pretty bad. It towed just fine going back to NY.
I'm really happy with it and with some TLC she should be an able boat again.
I'll post up dates as I go along.

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo135/velonomad/boathome.jpg

sharp looking boat. I like the helm chair. LOL

sharp looking boat. I like the helm chair. LOL

I have never been accused of being a slave to fashion, But I will try to find some white lawn chairs so I can look "Yachty" :lol:

I have never been accused of being a slave to fashion, But I will try to find some white lawn chairs so I can look "Yachty" :lol:
Only if you get the cool hat that says "Captain" with the scrambled eggs on the visor!:D

Hey Bill
When you built up the hull to strengthen it/ thicken it, What material did you use and how much? Since I don't have to replace the stringers I want to build up between them and up the sides to the deck.

Edited: I read through your earlier posts again . If I understand correctly you used 2 layers of 24oz woven roving for the bottom?

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo135/velonomad/hullbuildup.jpg

RK.. sorry just saw this.. I think its worth it if you have the time and the bucks to do it..I used 2 24oz layers of woven laid from under the gunnels down.. I forget when I got the roll.. it was a good price.. check ebay.. might have been aeromarineproducts.com..

RK.. sorry just saw this.. I think its worth it if you have the time and the bucks to do it..I used 2 24oz layers of woven laid from under the gunnels down.. I forget when I got the roll.. it was a good price.. check ebay.. might have been aeromarineproducts.com..

No problem, I am still drying out the stringers....

I found some 12" wide 1708 from Merton at a decent price. I am sand blasting the bilge to prep it so I can get away with using polyester ($120 5 gallon) for thickening the hull. I'll use epoxy for the rest.

BTW I like Aeromarine's epoxy. I used it a couple of years ago on a wood boat it was excellent to work with. Great price! even with shipping from left coast.

this may or may not have been the company that I got the 24oz woven from
FIBERGLASS CLOTH 24 OZ 60" W MOLD MAKING BOAT BUILDING | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIBERGLASS-CLOTH-24-OZ-60-W-MOLD-MAKING-BOAT-BUILDING-/220607019494?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item335d33f9e6)

I think I went through 30 gals resin..2 layers of 24 oz..stringers..deck

Next!

20ft midland (http://providence.craigslist.org/boa/3029037396.html)

Anyone?????