Building the V-Bottom Skiff - Episode 41: Sea trials 

That thing plane's on the water just perfectly. What a beautiful skiff. You surely didn't disappoint us with this build Lou. Man she handles well, and I mean well, by the looks of things Lou you did a very very good job you really really did, you should be very proud of what you accomplish with this build. You nailed it bud.

Magnificent job, Lou. Thanks for taking us along!

What a beauty. I can’t imagine handling 115 hp tiller!! Love this skiff.

Wow! She was so stable and no loss of control in very tight turns. What a success! That bow and underbody work perfectly!!!

You absolutely should be proud. That skiff is everything you said it would be and more. I never expected it to be so graceful as it cuts through the water. Stunning. Congratulations Lou.

far out , man !!! … nothing energizes the soul like a well-designed wooden boat “flying” across the water !!!

Holy Smokes Lou, masterful work. Santa gets a new sleigh.

HOLY HECK! THIS IS INCREDIBLE LOU! great drone work Halsey!

115hp with a tiller! 😳 That skiff is an absolute work of art! It’s so beautiful! I’m so thankful you took us along with yet another masterclass of boat building Lou, you are an amazing person. ✌️🇺🇸👍

She turned out incredible, appears to handle that head chop really well.

Perfection! I just love seeing her in the water moving like that. For such a complex build she has a very elegant simplicity about her. Beautiful lines, clean paint, and classy brightwork. Congrats Lou!!!

Great drone pilot..... super job everyone

That 115 Hp pushes that boat just fine. I would be proud to own it.

Fantastic, she sure flies!

Excellent boat! Thanks for letting us share the build with you.

She looks so comfortable on the trial, my only advice is to keep on keeping on. Thank you for taking us on this journey and I am so looking forward to Orca

Man, have you got us rockin’ Way to go…!

Lou maybe a nice round timber support post for that right hand would be a neat addition when standing at the tiller. Something that slides into a hole so it can be removed if seated, a lot of the pro crabber boats in Australia have them, much safer mate. Keep the vids coming, very knowledgeable. Cheers from down under :0)

What a nice boat.

Lou, I remember when we were talking about this moment (taking the V-bottom skiff out for its shakedown cruise) at the Newport Boat Show and how you couldn't wait to see how she would perform. Based upon your commentary and the video, I'd say you must be pretty pleased. That was awesome and a huge "shout out" to Halsey and his fine videography. We also spoke about the enormous effort required to bring these videos to the public and as much as I appreciate all you give to the channel, frankly, it wouldn't be possible if you didn't have Halsey by your side. Thank you both for all that you do to keep us educated and entertained! Hats off to you both.

The stability is amazing as it cuts through the waves. Absolutely beautiful. You made a masterpiece!

Righteous mover! Did we expect anything less ?

Fantastic Lou. Will soon be contacting you. I’ve bought a white oak log 25 ft. Long and sawn for my flat bottom skiff. Its been drying outside now for 2 1/2 years. I have watched the flat bottom series at least 8 times Since I bought the log. I’m now drawing the skiff. Thank you Lou.

Wow, that didn’t disappoint - jaw dropping impressive, congratulations. Thanks for taking us along on the build and the maiden voyage, it was worth the wait, she’s just beautiful…..

this is one of the best you have ever build ... someone should buy it for you

Louis, WOW, just WOW! She planes, cuts and turns so beautifully. I definitely wish I had the funds to recreate this gorgeous build. I doubt it would turn out as good as yours, but if it was even close, it would be a dream to take out on the lake and just have some fun with the family or to relax and go fishing. Sure looks lime it could even pull a skier of up to 180 pounds with a motor that size, or larger with a bigger motor. Though I'd want a load in the boat with a bigger motor to feel safe before cutting her loose. I wouldn't want to be doing back flips or anything (with too much power pushing her). Matching the motor to the vessel is an important step in the calculations, after all. Maybe if you put a 302 V-8 in the front for ballast and run it back as an on-board motor to a prop shaft under the sole and out the transom with a double rudder system? But you'd probably want a heavier bottom to hold the motor and a redesign on the framing, right? But she'd flat out fly across the water, 23 foot with that kind of power "under the hood"?

This man is a one of a kind they don’t make them like this anymore! ✊🏽great work sir.

Ten out of ten for the cinematography and post-production, top marks. Who would not want one, you could build a thousand and the phone would still be ringing. Like Lou the whole build series is a National treasure. Cheers

Beautiful boat

It was exhilarating just watching Lou drive that beautiful boat. Great camera work too. I think anyone with a heartbeat wants Lou to build them a skiff like this one 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

How satisfying is to see this boat finally cutting through the waves. Excellent design and it totally shows. Lou is a National Treasure!

Awesome, looking and riding.

You're the MAN Lou, you're the MAN!!!!!

That thing just flies across the water! Looks wonderful, Louis, and looking forward to Orca!

Great job Lou!

Absolutely beautiful! I would put a small custom pilot house mid drift, loaded with spot lights and RESCUE written on the sides. What a fantastic ride! Thanks again for sharing your expertise. 😃👍

Beautiful, Lou.

I think that I shall never see A poem as beautiful as Louis Sauzedde wicked tearing through the sea Such pride! What joy, and how abundantly Fools like me parodize poetry But only one shipwright Could craft a such an exquisite inverted V

The skiff sure planes nice when it gets up to speed with no porpoising.

I wish I would have been there to watch the sea trials, Im Only 15 minutes away from the harbor. Beautiful boat, that’s a project to be proud of, love your channel. As they say life is too short to sail an ugly boat, the owner has a beautiful boat there.

Easy to see you're having fun out there after all the work. Beautiful boat.

I wondered when the day I’d see this beauty on the water! Awesome congratulations!

Starting the restoration of a St. Lawrence River Skiff soon. Will be using Total Boat products because of these videos.

simply amazing!!! Nothing in the world beats the feeling of the work of your own hands. A true genuine accomplishment.

Sea Trials - found GUILTY of being a superb piece of craftsmanship and an object of beauty - to finish the sentence - works pretty well as a boat.

Great job, an accomplishment to be very proud of.

Louis is an American treasure, just like James Taylor, Louis Armstrong & Michael Jordan. Love you man!

Lou. I can’t believe I’m seeing this now. I live in -40 Northwest Territories and I thought, for sure, I’d be waiting until Spring to see this beautiful craft afloat. Thank you for making me feel that much warmer!!!

It's almost as if she was built by a pro ... heck, it is almost as if Lou knows what he's doing! She was beautiful when she was built, and she looks even more beautiful in the water! By the looks of it she handles incredibly well. This is one more work of art from a skilled craftsman whose pride in and love of what he's doing can be felt in every episode of this channel!

A very good skiff you made sir.👊

That turned out awesome and it looks like it rides like a dream. Yes!!!!!!

She sure cuts a nice wake! This was an interesting series watching this build. The sea trial is the icing on the cake. She looks like a blast to drive! Louis your RU-vid channel is outstanding and I'm watching each episode of Orca. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

115 hp on hand… respect!

What a fun looking boat. I would hate to give it up to the client.

Fine looking skiff & it appears to handle very well. Excellent piece of work Lou.

What a fantastic job. That is a beauty.

Your are the master. I enjoy your builds.

I have been waiting the whole build to see this video! It's even better than what I thought it would be. I have learned so much from you from just this build. You can be, ... and should be ... so proud of this boat and how beautiful it truly is. BRAVO !!!

She's a beauty. Seems like a great platform for some nice outfitting.

To be a shipwright ,design and do a sea trial, turn out beautiful .IT is the best reguarde to have.

Lou, thanks so much for this video. It brought back fond memories of a 16' dory skiff my father purchased for the family back in the early sixties. Built in 1914 that skiff still had a lot of life in it for fishing and water skiing off Staten Island, NY. Your V-bottom skiff is a masterpiece of design and craftsmanship! Simply beautiful and, because of your skills , this skiff will provide the current owner and future owners many, many years of service. “Believe me my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” So says Ratty to Mole in Kenneth Grahame's classic novel 'The Wind in the Willows'.

"it's just something that I'm proud of" So you should be, it's an incredible boat and I've loved watching you build it.

man thats the way to drive a boat looks so good pure fun love to do that jealous or what great build Lou

Congratulations, what beautiful boat with terrific handling characteristics. A credit to your profession. John

Wow guys! Wowowow

I love this V bottom skiff. The high shear bow is a thing of beauty. She would make for a beautiful center console and be the envy of every other boat in the harbor. It looks like the 115HP engine is perfect for the boat. Thanks Lou for sharing this lovely craft with us, I'm in love with her.

Nice!

It goes even better than I thought. It’s been brilliant to watch this come together. I’ve learned so much. Thanks Louie.

Looks like it rides like a dream! And I would expect nothing less than a Z Z Top riff for background music from Lou!!

Marvellous. Will follow Orca build with interest. Saw Jaws at the cinema and saw my name in lights for the first and only time. Wife to be all those years ago was Lorraine and I am Gary. Still married.

Well done!

Thank you Lou, It rides beautifully, dances on the water. More than enough power with that engine.

Congratulations!! Great work as always.

She cuts the water beautifully. If anything maybe she's a little tippy because the beam seems a bit narrow. Certainly she'll be able to take on ton of people and equipment. Give her a proper weather deck she'll be able to take on Haulover Inlet in Miami.

Great drone shots made me appreciate the more traditional proportions of Lou's V-Bottom- not too beamy and a serious flare. The gunwhales look awesome and clearly make a good handhold. So jealous of the new owner!

Great job! Great design! Thanks Lou for this build!

Thats a sweet ride!

Man that skiff rides clean! No bounce in the chop. It just cuts across the top of the water which helps reduce fatigue on the coxswain/operator like a flat bottom boat does.

Great job, perfect ad.

Awesome!!!!!

Fantastic. Thank you Lou. Cheers.

Amazing my friend, I absolutely lov it you’re a amazing man and I hope I get to watch you for years to come

Some drift boats used on western US rivers have a structure that creates braces you can stand in to steady your legs mid thigh. It would seem this boat could benefit from that type device for safety and comfort. Looks like she slices through the water with ease.

It sure rides a nice plane.

Been waiting for this for this day for a long time. Great work!

Fantastic - great job Lou!!

Good job 👌👍👏👏👏

Not sure who was smiling bigger, you or us!! Always enjoy the way you relay the love, passion and knowledge of these boats to us land lovers!! Thanke

Lou you are riding a boat with no name ( like the old son ) Beautiful Congratulation .

thats a sweet skiff.

It's smooth and solid through that chop, but also spry and nimble. Congratulations!

It is a beautiful skiff!

Worth the wait, she`s certainly moves well through the water... gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

Beautiful !! Nice work.

Beauty!

Thank you for doing these videos. Just fascinating. Love the work.

Glad you got a good case of the warm and fuzzies during sea trials

I built the flat bottom following your videos and this one is next. Thank you so much!

WooHoo ... Congratulations. That was a fun project!

Perfect job!!! Beautiful skiff!!!