Project Lowrider: From Backwater to Battle-Ready

By Matthew Grimsley | Outlaw Land & Flight Co.

Some boats you sell.
Some you build.
And then there’s one you keep.

This is Lowrider—an 18'6" Cobbett hull born for the flats, beat up over time, but built with more heart than polish. I picked her up with a vision: to transform this weathered custom into a lean, fish-hunting machine—perfect for guiding two guests across the skinny water of Northwest Florida, chasing reds, trout, and gigging flounder under moonlight.

This blog is my working journal. Not just about restoring gelcoat or rolling KiwiGrip. It's about breathing new life into a boat with soul—and getting her ready to earn her keep as the flagship of my new micro-charter service.

I'll document the process as it unfolds:

• Fiberglass repairs, epoxy work, and fairing

• Rebuilding the deck layout to stay flush and fishable

• Rethinking storage and weight balance

• Outfitting her with a poling platform, trolling motor, and simple electronics

• Painting and branding her with the Outlaw name she’ll soon wear with pride

Expect honest progress, setbacks, tips I’ve learned the hard way, and the real work behind making a small boat a serious guide rig.

Whether you're a fellow angler, a gear junkie, or just someone who loves seeing an old vessel rise again—welcome aboard. This is just the beginning.

Project Lowrider – Entry #1: First Cut, First Fix

First Repair: Soft Spot on the Rear Deck

1. The Damage:
   This was a deep blistered patch with old water intrusion. You can see the corrosion and rot right down to the fiberglass mesh—a telltale sign of saturation over time.

2. The Grind:
   I opened it up wide to find the edge of solid glass. Prepped the area with a good taper using a flap disc until the structural grid held firm. No fluff left—just bare honesty.

3. The Fix:
   Mixed a batch of epoxy peanut butter with West System 404 high-density filler, laid in a few staggered layers of biaxial mat to tie it all back in solid. The green cure here means we’re locked in. One cold beer and one cure cycle later, she’s stronger than before.

4. The Vision:
   This is just the first patch in a series of resurrection acts. Every scar tells a story—and this one’s now sealed in epoxy.

I’ll keep updating this build journal as we move forward. We’ve got a long way to go:
✅ Deck layout rebuild
✅ New nonskid coating (Kiwigrip or TotalTread—jury’s out)
✅ Console cleanup and rewire
✅ Gelcoat refresh
✅ Poling platform, trolling motor, and rod storage
✅ Branding her with the Outlaw bird up front where she belongs

And then—she’ll be ready to earn her name on the water.

Next up: fairing and primer, then sanding the top cap down for new grip and color. Stay tuned.
– Matthew

Project Lowrider – Entry #2: Grind Time

By Matthew Grimsley – Outlaw Land & Flight Co.

Some jobs look small until you get into them.
Boat rehab ain’t one of them.

Lowrider’s non-skid was in rough shape—cracked, spidered, blistered in spots, and flaking around every screw hole like it had been laid by a blindfolded woodpecker. So we started grinding. And grinding. And grinding.

Deck Work: Old Gelcoat, Spider Cracks & Screw Hole Mayhem

• Step One: Grinding Down Old Non-Skid
  We hit every bad patch with the grinder and flap disc, revealing the honeycomb core underneath. Every area with delam or failed adhesion got chewed down until we hit clean, dry glass. No sense in painting over cancer.

• Step Two: Spider Cracks & Cross Marks
  Anywhere the deck had started to fracture from flex or impact, we ran the Dremel deep into the cracks to open them up. Crosses mark each repair point. These will be faired smooth before primer to avoid any ghosting through the topcoat later.

• Step Three: Hole Patrol
  Whoever rigged this trim before must’ve had a phobia of loose parts—there were screw holes every 2 inches in some spots. Every one gets filled and faired Outlaw-style. No shortcuts here. This boat is going to be sealed tighter than a bank vault.

What’s Next:

• Fairing the entire top cap smooth

• Sanding and prepping every repair

• Rolling on TotalProtect primer

• Then: gelcoat the entire topside white, followed by KiwiGrip or TotalTread non-skid in a clean modern pattern

Every step matters in a job like this. You skip one, and it shows forever. But when you do it right, it holds.

This ain’t just a cosmetic refresh—it’s a resurrection.
This girl’s going back to work.

—

Stay tuned for the next update where we lay down fairing compound, block sand everything flat, and get her ready to take on her new color.
– Matthew

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.