I'm an idiot!

[JKTrevecca]

Happy New Year to all of you!

My father in law gave me cash for Christmas and since I've been wanting to renovate the boat for a while now the money be thrown into the boat. I tore into it today. Here is an album of photos documenting my tear-down. It's been fun so far! If any of you have any pointers or suggestions please share!

https://goo.gl/photos/7KKadFCFsfcLS78RA

The boat is a 1981 model and was 100% stock before I started this project. The only part of the floor that was absolutely rotted is the back right corner below where the cranking battery and old oil tank from the prior Evinrude sat. I think the acid and oil + the water destroyed that portion of the floor. The foam under the floor wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. only that back 24-30 inches on the right side of the boat and 12-20 inches on the left side had any water log issues and only the bottom 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch of foam was full of water. The last photos show where I stopped removing foam because it was all dry at that point.

My plan is to incorporate the bait tank into/under the front deck raising it up about 6-8 inches and extending the front deck back to the console to add storage around and in front of the bait tank.

I'd like to make it where the bait tank is removable in case I sell the boat but I need to ponder how best to do that for a while. Any idea's are welcome!

Also, I plan to use the area under the floor between the foam as rod storage with a hatch to access it.

The idea is to keep that back of the boat as open as possible for fish fighting but I would like to incorporate fold down jump seats and a built in gas tank vs. the two portable ones I use now.

Any good tips on where to get the best deal on exterior grade plywood + marine vinyl flooring? Or... I've thought about pre-cutting all of my plywood and taking to a spray in bed-liner place to have them coat all sides then install it. Either vinyl or spray in will let me pressure wash or hose out the mess after catching slimy bait.

I'll update more later. Here is the link to the photos from today.

https://goo.gl/photos/7KKadFCFsfcLS78RA

[aero320]

I replaced the floor in a Glastron Tri-hull many years ago. It is a big job, but you have already completed the worst part.

Use Marine plywood, not just exterior. Marine plywood has better plys with no voids. Just a little more expensive but well worth it.

Use your original parts as templates. Once the parts are cut, coat them with fiberglass resin. Put fiberglass cloth at least on the top.

You can order stainless steel flathead self-tapping screws from Graingers that will make screwing the floor panels to the frames much easier.

I like the idea of creating a lowered compartment for your bait tank. Are you sure that will be your last tank? The SBT 2's are a lot better tanks.

If you run anything under the floor, assume you will need to replace it, so incorporate ports into your design.

[notorious]

Nashville Plywood off of Church going south from 65 loop on the right before you get to Baptist Hospital has marine grade plywood, be ready to pay the price. I suggest Aluminum for weight saving, strength and add aluminum angle for additional bracing and build factors. Even bad welding is better than hundreds of screws. The transom is the most critical element and it should be the best, thickest with the most layer marine plywood you can buy.150 a sheet or more pending thickness. Saturate the wood in thinned resin until it will not accept anymore, focus on the edges as this should take a number of coats before it is covered in fiberglass layers. Each screw hole should receive as many coats to seal the wood. Use the best product you can get...no corner should be taken. Carry the raw hull and have it rhino coated, choose the large finish over the Line-X thin and smooth stuff and pay for the color you want. Make sure you scuff the surface yourself as those guys just hit it and spray. Clean the surfaces with MEK or Lacquer Thinner before you take it to them. Find guys local so you can watch and make sure it is done well. Expect 5-600 for custom color and application. The reason for heavy coating is it will hide imperfections and provide better sound insulation and allow simple re-screwing of items when you decide to change things around with little reveal. Replace all the wiring with the best you can get. Solder and shrink wrap each connection with die-electric grease on everything. The only connectors should be waterproof design to a new buss box and switches to eliminate electrical problems. When you run the wire always pull another heavy gauge full length just in case later down the road you add something. If the unit does not have PVC for the wire put it in to house all the wire, don't zip tie it until it exits the loom, wrap individual circuits separately in-case you have to pull another or replace. There should be no rush and spring should be your target. The Yami should receive a carb rebuild and Boyesen Reeds with a planed reed box, water pump and lower unit rebuild. The exterior paint is a breeze, scuff, sand, prime and shoot with single stage and your good. Have a sign shop make new graphics.

[JKTrevecca]

Thank you both for the engaged replies and advice. Aero... I understand and was planning on the resin but not the glass cloth.. can you explain why the cloth? Is it for added strength? Here is my 3rd layout drawing to scale. I like this layout the most but having the weight of the bait tank in the rear when full makes her sit low. The splash well is constantly draining on a choppy day. But... this boat was made for back trolling so it has a huge splash well. The tank in the rear plan would give me added flexibility to swap to a sb2 later if desired too. Decisions decisions...

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[JKTrevecca]

7850

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[Reel Tune]

I have no useful input, but it looks like your getting some solid advice. Please keep us updated on your build, I would enjoy watching the progress.

[Buccaneer]

Bass Boat Central.com, Boat Restoration forum has great information, tips whatever you need - http://www.bbcboards.net/forumdisplay.php?f=118

[white95v6]

Haha yea I agree. You posted about boat repair/upgrades in a fishing sub section. This website has a section just for equipment. Lol

[aero320]

Thank you both for the engaged replies and advice. Aero... I understand and was planning on the resin but not the glass cloth.. can you explain why the cloth? Is it for added strength? Here is my 3rd layout drawing to scale. I like this layout the most but having the weight of the bait tank in the rear when full makes her sit low. The splash well is constantly draining on a choppy day. But... this boat was made for back trolling so it has a huge splash well. The tank in the rear plan would give me added flexibility to swap to a sb2 later if desired too. Decisions decisions...

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You want to encapsulate the plywood as much as possible. Resin will help but resin and cloth will be much better. If water reaches the inner plywood core, it may rot.

Transoms are thicker than 1 1/2". Some guys at one of the forums place a layer of thinner material between the two 3/4" layers of marine plywood. Measure the existing transom an adjust accordingly. I replaced the transom in the old Glastron and it was a BIG job.

The Rhino lining is a good idea. They do that on duck boats. It does add weight. Smoker Craft is supposed to be a good hull. It you get discouraged by cost, go price new boats!

[JKTrevecca]

I made a complete list of everything I need to complete the project the "ideal" way and came up with about $950. Since I'm always about 10% over budget I figure 1100 bucks to do everything I want. This includes installing a 3 bank on-board charger and adding a battery. I'd like to keep it under 650 but don't want to cut any corners. I may need to do this slowly to do it right. I may run wires for the onboard charger but wait on adding that and the extra battery for a couple months.

I think I've decided on Nautolex Marine Vinyl flooring. This is the stuff that comes on the new Alumacrafts/Trackers. It looks like carpet but it's vinyl. I will be able to cover all of the horizontal surfaces for $220 with the glue and shipping included. Line-X is about $700 so that's not gonna happen on this build. I think I'll use a deck-restore product from lowes/home depot for the non-wood vertical surfaces.

Anyway... I added a picture of my mock-build up of the front end. This is VERY rough but gives me a good idea of the space and height. I am 99% set on the bait tank being up front. I'll put it into the boat in a semi-permanent fashion in case I want to upgrade tanks or sell the boat.

This is a fishing forum and my thread is about my boat but I know a few of you so it's fun for me to share. Feel free to move this to another forum heading if it's a problem TK. Not trying to hi-jack the fishing section at all.

-- Jason

[commdd]

dont worry a minute about posting in this section, very interesting! keep us updated. a much better thread than a stringer of fish that were "released".

[notorious]

JK how high do you plan on your front deck? Small V hulls with a deck are very tippy and a few swells just right and your all wet and forget big water... where V's excel. Make the front deck as low as possible if nothing else. I want you to have the best boat you can have. The on-board charger is nice, however wire laden. Electronic interference will play hell on high end electronics therefor run as many wires on the opposite side of the boat as possible and plenty of shielding. Run trolling circuits by themselves. I re-wire every boat I get new or used.

[Heiny57]

Great thread, will be watching.

[aero320]

JK how high do you plan on your front deck? Small V hulls with a deck are very tippy and a few swells just right and your all wet and forget big water... where V's excel. Make the front deck as low as possible if nothing else. I want you to have the best boat you can have. The on-board charger is nice, however wire laden. Electronic interference will play hell on high end electronics therefor run as many wires on the opposite side of the boat as possible and plenty of shielding. Run trolling circuits by themselves. I re-wire every boat I get new or used.

I agree with Notorious on the front deck height.

[JKTrevecca]

Worked from about 4:30 - 7. Got the back two pieces of decking cut. I used the old piece to make a template for the hole for the bait tank. Photos updated to the original link showing tank in the hole cut out of old decking.

The deck height will be higher but much lower than I was originally planning. With the tank recessed into the floor, the deck will be about 10 inches below the top of the ride rails. I've stood on the very top rails before and didn't feel un-stable so I may be crazy but I'm not worried about it.

Gotta run for now. Have a good evening!

[JKTrevecca]

Been working out of town all week. Got home about 430 today. Spent time with the family and put the kids to bed then went to the garage for about 1.5 hours and finished cutting/routing the floor with the hole for the recessed bait tank.

My replacement vinyl flooring material, epoxy resin, and seat base arrived thanks the fed ex man. The flooring glue should be here tomorrow. I need to grab some 1 inch grip 3/16 rivets at Fastenal tomorrow.

I hope to be laminating the floor on all sides with epoxy this weekend.

Can't decide if I want the rivets to be under the vinyl flooring or drill through it and install the rivets through the vinyl flooring. Thoughts?

Here are a couple pix. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.

[JKTrevecca]

made some progress today after church --- updated about 35 photos here. it's taking longer than I'd hoped but I'm nearing the point of taking it all apart, coating it all in epoxy and wrapping it in marine vinyl then installing it permanently. still need to plumb in the bait tank. I'm wanting to plumb water into and out of it. thinking about how to do that most efficiently and haven't settled on anything yet.

https://goo.gl/photos/7KKadFCFsfcLS78RA

[TNBronzeback]

Coming along nice! gonna be like a brand new boat when your done! nice work!

[JKTrevecca]

I picked up 5 all aluminum storage hatches with frames + an aluminum frame and teakwood lid for a floor compartment yesterday off of a junk bass boat and a rotting run-about. Gotta earn the green stuff right now but I'll try to post pix later tonight. The lids are actually bigger than I thought but they will work. I'd rather have larger than needed openings than too small openings.

[aero320]

Lookin' Good!

[JKTrevecca]

Thanks for the encouraging words. This has turned into a much longer process that I'd hoped but I'm trying to do it the right way.

Started to coat the new floor with epoxy. Did two coats on the bottoms and sides. I'll flip them tomorrow and do the top side. I pre-drilled all of my rivet holes so epoxy would flow down into the holes to water proof those too.

Bob.. Question for you about the bait tank. I'm considering (maybe once I'm done with the majority of this project) making an external filter that is gravity fed like a SB2. Do you think a drain in the bottom of this tank that flows down, then over, then up through a stand pipe in a 5 gallon bucket, then down through the filter media and pumped back into the tank would work? I need to pay my dues over at striper soup and get Shawn's opinion on it.

Also - For those of you with side console boats. How high off the floor is the bottom of your steering wheel and how far back from the wheel is your captain's chair? I'm considering raising the console on this when I get to that point but I'm curious what your measurements are. I'll check on a new boat at BPS too.

Here are a couple pix of the epoxy.

[aero320]

Thanks for the encouraging words. This has turned into a much longer process that I'd hoped but I'm trying to do it the right way.

Started to coat the new floor with epoxy. Did two coats on the bottoms and sides. I'll flip them tomorrow and do the top side. I pre-drilled all of my rivet holes so epoxy would flow down into the holes to water proof those too.

Bob.. Question for you about the bait tank. I'm considering (maybe once I'm done with the majority of this project) making an external filter that is gravity fed like a SB2. Do you think a drain in the bottom of this tank that flows down, then over, then up through a stand pipe in a 5 gallon bucket, then down through the filter media and pumped back into the tank would work? I need to pay my dues over at striper soup and get Shawn's opinion on it.

Also - For those of you with side console boats. How high off the floor is the bottom of your steering wheel and how far back from the wheel is your captain's chair? I'm considering raising the console on this when I get to that point but I'm curious what your measurements are. I'll check on a new boat at BPS too.

Here are a couple pix of the epoxy.

The answer to your filter question is yes. My boat has a 29 gallon oval baitwell in the rear of the boat on the starboard side. The aeration system was simply a pump at the bottom and a nozzle at the top that was tilted in order to create water rotation in the tank.

I found a rectangular plastic container online that fit in the storage area on the port side of the boat and was easily accessible. I ran a large flexible tube from the opening at the bottom of the baitwell (where the pump was mounted) over to my filter container. It was plumbed through the container wall, and connected to a "standpipe". The SBT 2 standpipe is made of 1" PVC. The water flows from the baitwell through lower tube, then into the standpipe. The water flows out of the stand pipe into the container. A pump in the container connects to the aerator head and returns the water back into the baitwell. This completes the flow.

The differential between the water level in the baitwell and the standpipe is critical (I think it was 4"), in order to keep the flow moving correctly. If the standpipe is too tall, the pump will pump the filter container dry. You will also want to inject air bubbles into the return water stream. A Dannco venturi is probably the best, but would need to be below the water level in the baitwell. Instead, I used the sprayer head that is used in the Blue Water tanks. It is a plastic fitting with a tube. It mounts through the existing aerator hole in the baitwell (above the water line) and has a tube that projects into the water about 5". There is an air hole in the top of the fitting that injects air bubble into the stream. It works very well and that would be a good choice.

Once you have the water flow established, then you will need to address the filtration. The SBT 2 uses a rectangular "stack" that is really a compartment that surrounds the standpipe. Think of it as a compartment within a compartment. The stack compartment is full of filter material and there are holes in the bottom of this compartment that allow the water (after passing through the filter media) to return the outer tank and get pumped back over to the baitwell.

I ended up using a filter unit from the Creek Bait tanks that holds a 1" thick filter pad vertically. It is easier to service than the polyester filter material and the pads can be reused for a long time.

There is one other consideration. When things are working well, water flows through the system and the water level in the filter compartment stays level. It will drop when you first turn the pump on but will stablize. Now lets say you fill the tank with shad. As the shad purge, the filter material will clog up and the flow of water through the filter stack will drop off to the point that the water level in the outer compartment will start falling. Then, eventually the pump will remove all of the water from the outer container and the water to the baitwell will stop and your shad will die. It is easy to tell when the filter starts clogging, because the water level in the filter stack will rise. You will need some way to allow the water to bypass the clogged filter unit so that the water level in the outer compartment will be maintained. In the SBT 2, this is controlled by the height of the top of the filter unit compared to the baitwell water level.

Hope this explanation helps.

[JKTrevecca]

This helps a TON actually. I have a dannco from a VERY old blue water tank that was given to me with the dannco already in it. The tank is literally falling apart.

Here is my idea. Have a drain in the bottom of the Grayline with flexible hose/pipe connected running under the floor, over to a storage compartment beside the tank. (like your portside compartment) Have a 90 degree elbow from under the floor up through the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket (or something like that) connected to a 1" stand-pipe cut off an inch or two (will need to experiment for correct flow) below the water line in the grayline. Filter compartment like a SB2 surrounding the standpipe but elevated off the floor of the bucket so the filtered water capacity is sufficient for the pump below to not immediately run dry. Then, have a through-hull livewell pump installed in the side-wall of the bucket near the bottom. Connect a hose from the pump that runs back into the tank. Here is where I'm unsure of myself.. Should the dannco go right off the pump or as close to the discharge in the tank as possible? Or would it even matter? Make sense? Thanks for brainstorming with me on this. As I've typed this, It occurred to me that a 5 gallon bucket wouldn't be the best solution. I would need something with a lid to prevent excessive sloshing of water. Gees... This is why the SB2 is better! But... I think this could work and give me the best of both worlds. The smaller footprint and insulation of the grayline with the filter and single pump design of the SB2. BTW... I used your filter design for months and it works great but the flow became restricted so quickly because the filter compartment was so small that my baits became starved for oxygen. I've seen Shawn has a design similar to yours but with a standpipe and gravity system. I think he uses about 8 - 10"PVC with a standpipe running up the middle of it. Have you seen that one?

The answer to your filter question is yes. My boat has a 29 gallon oval baitwell in the rear of the boat on the starboard side. The aeration system was simply a pump at the bottom and a nozzle at the top that was tilted in order to create water rotation in the tank.

I found a rectangular plastic container online that fit in the storage area on the port side of the boat and was easily accessible. I ran a large flexible tube from the opening at the bottom of the baitwell (where the pump was mounted) over to my filter container. It was plumbed through the container wall, and connected to a "standpipe". The SBT 2 standpipe is made of 1" PVC. The water flows from the baitwell through lower tube, then into the standpipe. The water flows out of the stand pipe into the container. A pump in the container connects to the aerator head and returns the water back into the baitwell. This completes the flow.

The differential between the water level in the baitwell and the standpipe is critical (I think it was 4"), in order to keep the flow moving correctly. If the standpipe is too tall, the pump will pump the filter container dry. You will also want to inject air bubbles into the return water stream. A Dannco venturi is probably the best, but would need to be below the water level in the baitwell. Instead, I used the sprayer head that is used in the Blue Water tanks. It is a plastic fitting with a tube. It mounts through the existing aerator hole in the baitwell (above the water line) and has a tube that projects into the water about 5". There is an air hole in the top of the fitting that injects air bubble into the stream. It works very well and that would be a good choice.

Once you have the water flow established, then you will need to address the filtration. The SBT 2 uses a rectangular "stack" that is really a compartment that surrounds the standpipe. Think of it as a compartment within a compartment. The stack compartment is full of filter material and there are holes in the bottom of this compartment that allow the water (after passing through the filter media) to return the outer tank and get pumped back over to the baitwell.

I ended up using a filter unit from the Creek Bait tanks that holds a 1" thick filter pad vertically. It is easier to service than the polyester filter material and the pads can be reused for a long time.

There is one other consideration. When things are working well, water flows through the system and the water level in the filter compartment stays level. It will drop when you first turn the pump on but will stablize. Now lets say you fill the tank with shad. As the shad purge, the filter material will clog up and the flow of water through the filter stack will drop off to the point that the water level in the outer compartment will start falling. Then, eventually the pump will remove all of the water from the outer container and the water to the baitwell will stop and your shad will die. It is easy to tell when the filter starts clogging, because the water level in the filter stack will rise. You will need some way to allow the water to bypass the clogged filter unit so that the water level in the outer compartment will be maintained. In the SBT 2, this is controlled by the height of the top of the filter unit compared to the baitwell water level.

Hope this explanation helps.

[JKTrevecca]

Getting there.. SLOWLY. Here are a couple pix. Several more have been uploaded to the album you can access via the link in my original post.

The seams and rivets (most of em) of this boat are so easily accessible right now so I decided to re-seal them all while I have the boat apart. I used a graphite infused epoxy called "Coat-It" which, as I understand, is the same as a better known product called "Gluvit".

I pre-drilled all of the holes in the wood floor slightly larger than my rivets, then put two coats of epoxy on all sides of every piece. Then I sanded the top side of the epoxy because there were a few drips/globs that dried hard. Sanding Epoxy makes me realize how tough this stuff is. I also thought the contact cement would better adhere to the epoxy sanded vs. glossy. Anyway.. I wrapped the first two pieces of floor in vinyl and got them installed. I shot some Lexel caulk/sealant into the rivet holes as extra insurance before installing the rivets. The edges of the floor will be hidden by trim pieces once the build is complete (hopefully by next weekend... my wife's patience is running thin http://forum.tinboats.net/images/smilies/eusa_naughty.gif ).

I think I'm going a little over-kill on the weather/water proofing especially since this boat lives in the garage but I figure if I don't have time to do it right the first time, I definitely won't have time to do it again and I'd prefer to not do it again.

I'm in town for work this week so I should be able to get a couple hours of progress in a couple nights after the kids are in bed.

[Alphahawk]

Looking good. Just curious if you are over on the tinboats forum.


Regards

[JKTrevecca]

Alpha - Yes. I am on that forum. I'm basically copy/pasting my posts to a thread over there. I don't know any of those folks though but it's a very helpful forum for what I'm doing right now. How about you? Are you over there?

[Alphahawk]

Alpha - Yes. I am on that forum. I'm basically copy/pasting my posts to a thread over there. I don't know any of those folks though but it's a very helpful forum for what I'm doing right now. How about you? Are you over there?

Yeah....I don't post much at all over there. I got a lot of good info there on the company I chose to get my boat from. I think it is mostly for folks doing rebuilds. A lot of good info there. I admire someone who is doing what you are doing though. Going to be nice to fish out of boat you build yourself.

Regards

[aero320]

This helps a TON actually. I have a dannco from a VERY old blue water tank that was given to me with the dannco already in it. The tank is literally falling apart.

Here is my idea. Have a drain in the bottom of the Grayline with flexible hose/pipe connected running under the floor, over to a storage compartment beside the tank. (like your portside compartment) Have a 90 degree elbow from under the floor up through the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket (or something like that) connected to a 1" stand-pipe cut off an inch or two (will need to experiment for correct flow) below the water line in the grayline. Filter compartment like a SB2 surrounding the standpipe but elevated off the floor of the bucket so the filtered water capacity is sufficient for the pump below to not immediately run dry. Then, have a through-hull livewell pump installed in the side-wall of the bucket near the bottom. Connect a hose from the pump that runs back into the tank. Here is where I'm unsure of myself.. Should the dannco go right off the pump or as close to the discharge in the tank as possible? Or would it even matter? Make sense? Thanks for brainstorming with me on this. As I've typed this, It occurred to me that a 5 gallon bucket wouldn't be the best solution. I would need something with a lid to prevent excessive sloshing of water. Gees... This is why the SB2 is better! But... I think this could work and give me the best of both worlds. The smaller footprint and insulation of the grayline with the filter and single pump design of the SB2. BTW... I used your filter design for months and it works great but the flow became restricted so quickly because the filter compartment was so small that my baits became starved for oxygen. I've seen Shawn has a design similar to yours but with a standpipe and gravity system. I think he uses about 8 - 10"PVC with a standpipe running up the middle of it. Have you seen that one?


I believe Shawn's new design was created to keep Skippys alive. It encourages them to swim in the circular area around the filter.

If you want to use a separate filter compartment, make sure it is the same height as your Grayline.

You might want to consider using an Ocean Clear cannister filter. The units hold about 2 1/2 gallons of water and the lid seals with an o-ring. You would drop a pump into the Grayline that attaches to the top inlet of the filter cannister. A return hose would then return back to the tank and have a Dannco attached to the end. You could even make a plate that fits on the filter ledge on the Grayline. The plate would have a tube that extends the pump into the bottom of the tank as well as a tube with the Dannco.

The cannister can contain a number of filter materials. I have two of these, one with filter disks and the other with charcoal.

Your filter clogs when newly caught baits purge. This usually occurs in the first hour in the tank. The same filter clogging happens in the SBT2 also. You have to watch the filter material and clean the filter frequently at the beginning.

The clogging problem on my Grayline filter unit is easy to remedy. Place a small section of PVC pipe in the filter compartment. Size the pipe link so that it is just above the water in the filter compartment when the pump is running. When the filter starts clogging, the water level in the filter compartment begins to rise and will then spill over the top of the bypass tube. This keeps plenty of water to the pump until you get a chance to clean the filter.

I will try to post a photo oh the Ocean Clear filter cannister.

[aero320]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160119/17a241595ef96b9c325c70d0e0ab4c0e.jpg


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[JKTrevecca]

Updates... floor is done. Finishing the deck layout and cutting holes for hatches79477948

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[JKTrevecca]

Progress has been slow but I picked it back up this week. All of the deck pieces and framing are are cut, bathed in 2 coats of epoxy resin, painted the sides that aren't wrapped in flooring material, and fully installed into the boat. Tomorrow will involve installing the vinyl onto the aluminum hatch doors, re-assy of the console, wiring, and then it could technically go into the water. I'll still need to do my side storage pieces which I've cut but can't decide how I want to best utilize that space. I updated about 30 pics into the album here ( https://goo.gl/photos/7KKadFCFsfcLS78RA ) but also attached the most recent status photo into this post.

I hope all of you are doing well!

[jaybird]

That's coming along nicely

[commdd]

very nice! that looks excellent.

[aero320]

Jason, you are going to really enjoy that boat. You have done an excellent jib!

[agelesssone]

When are we going fishing in it?

[JKTrevecca]

Couple updated pix.

[Reel Tune]

Wow, it's really coming along well. Thanks for the update

[SalmonDaze]

I keep coming back to this thread . . . Great build; you are probably about done; final pics? :)

One question on the tank; I can't seem to find the capacity here; did you say 35 gallons somewhere? If that large, does it have baffles? I wonder about the momentum of water carrying to one side in a turn or in rough water. Looks like it's pretty low to control center of gravity; but with about 300 lbs to control; baffles would help mitigate an unbalanced load, at least a bit.

[JKTrevecca]

For all practical purposes, the boat is done. I'll upload some pictures later today. My camera battery was dead last night. I finished it last night after work. I was super excited and my 6 year old was too. We threw the life-jackets, paddle, and fire-ext into the boat along with my son's new fishing rod he got for Christmas that has only been used once since then. He's begging me to stop and get McDonalds so we can eat on the boat like was always used to. It was almost dark and I just wanted to make sure she floats and all systems were working as intended so I told him we'd eat after the boat test. That didn't temper his excitement any at all. Nor did it mine.

I pull up to the nearest boat ramp and he begs me "can I get in the boat while you put it in the water daddy?". I agree and put his life-jacket on him and tell him to sit down while I'm backing the boat up. Plug is in and everything is ready. I back him down the ramp until the back half of the boat is in the water, hop out of the truck to release the winch, hop back in the truck to back him the rest of the way into the water. I can tell the boat is floating so I stop and get back out of the truck.

In all my excitement, I had not only released the winch, I had also disconnected it from the boat. So... my 6 year old son and my boat are ever so slowly drifting off into the middle of the cove as I stand beside my truck in absolute disbelief. It takes a couple seconds but as soon as my son realizes what is going on he enters full on panic mode. He rushes to the front of the boat, nearly jumping into the water as he reaches both hands out trying to get to me while fighting the urge to scream like a girl.

After about 7.2 seconds of thinking "how can I fix this without swimming?", I surrendered and remove my wallet, shoes, belt, and pocket contents proceeding to take the polar plunge and swim about 25 feet to my son's rescue. Luckily... the boat started and I proceeded to re-load it onto the trailer and go home while my son was shaking in fear.

I laughed it off and tried to get him to trust that everything was always okay in hopes he wouldn't be hesitant to fish with daddy next time. The jury is still out on that but as you can imagine, I still had to face mommy and explain why I was dripping wet with blue lips and near frost bite when we got home. Luckily, she's cool and thought it was hilarious but after laughing, I did get a "suggestion" to never put our kids in the boat while backing it into or pulling it out of the water. Fair enough.

So... I really am an idiot.

Pics and boat details will come later. Have a great morning everyone.

[TnCreekMaster]

I keep coming back to this thread . . . Great build; you are probably about done; final pics? :)

One question on the tank; I can't seem to find the capacity here; did you say 35 gallons somewhere? If that large, does it have baffles? I wonder about the momentum of water carrying to one side in a turn or in rough water. Looks like it's pretty low to control center of gravity; but with about 300 lbs to control; baffles would help mitigate an unbalanced load, at least a bit.

I have a similar problem I own a 95 stratos walleye boat and the live well is huge its like a 50 gallon I could put a 4ft striper in there lol but I find that when I do fill it full and avoid a slack tank the boat lists to the port side so I usually only fill it half full but then comes the problems with making a hard turn and the boat starts to porpous on me. Would baffles help in my situation?

Thanks
TnCreekMaster

[TNBronzeback]

glad everything worked out for the better, aside from taking a swim!
im looking forward to the pics! that was quite the overhaul you did!

[SalmonDaze]

I have a similar problem I own a 95 stratos walleye boat and the live well is huge its like a 50 gallon I could put a 4ft striper in there lol but I find that when I do fill it full and avoid a slack tank the boat lists to the port side so I usually only fill it half full but then comes the problems with making a hard turn and the boat starts to porpous on me. Would baffles help in my situation?

Thanks
TnCreekMaster

The laws of physics, as applied to hydrodynamics and nautical engineering, are beyond my areas of expertise (but only by a parsec or two) :o.

However, I can tell you that in my two previous boats I had baffles in my fuel tanks (80+ gallons each); and the control of "sloshing" was not huge; but noticeable. One of those things that allows you greater "peace of mind" than if not installed. If you've ever been in one of those "OH $h_T" moments when you thought you might have to . . . oh . . . I don't know . . . go swimming in 45* water after an un-tethered boat ;) you realize how nice it is to NOT be in that position.

Great story Jason. But I don't think you'll need to worry about backing the boat in with the son on-board. I doubt he's too traumatized; but I guarantee you're going to have a life-long advisor of how NOT to launch the rig. :D

[gordonc615]

wow ! that's tremendous work

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[jaybird]

Great story Jas. Glad it end well and you can laugh about it

[JKTrevecca]

Aside from a few details like a vinyl snap-in cover that needs to be sewn for the gas tank/battery compartment under the splash-well and some hatch lid pulls, my re-build is completed. I added about 50 additional photos to the album you can access here. https://goo.gl/photos/7KKadFCFsfcLS78RA In reviewing the photos I noticed the clear sealant fully penetrated the floor rivets as you can see in the under-floor photos showing the bait tank plumbing. Also, I noticed that my LED strip lights have at least 1 screw going through them from the storage hatch frame hardware. Oops!

Since the last update I painted the boat portion of the inside of all of the storage compartments, added LED strip lights (they are white but appear blue for some reason in the photos) to all interior storage compartments including the bait-tank, completed the re-wire for all of the remaining accessories and running lights, and finished the rear and side storage compartments. I also cleaned, re-caulked, and painted the splash-well, plumbed the bait tank in, and wired in the trolling motor etc. Nothing is ever 100% done in my world but I'm calling this completed.

She's not a brand new boat by any means but I'm pleased with the overall outcome of the rebuild. All in all, I spent a little more than $720 on the project which is about $220 more than I had hoped to spend but a lot less than a new boat. I'd like to add a 3rd battery and a 3 bank onboard charger later this year but that will have to wait for now.

I'm eager to fish out of the boat and see you guys out there soon. The march striper run on the Cumberland is right around the corner! Thank you for all of the encouraging words over the last 7 weeks.

I almost forgot. SalmonDaze. The bait tank is 30 gallons with no baffles. I'm not sure about the sloshing and it's impact on the handling of the boat but I'm sure that compared to the tank sliding around like it used to before I re-built this boat I'm sure I'll adjust to any handling issues that exist moving forward with the tank semi-permanently mounted. I know that I'm eager to find out! I'll try to add some action/on the water shots soon before abandoning this thread and leaving you all alone with boat building threads.

[Heiny57]

WOW ,,,,,really nice job. Can you come to Franklin and fix mine?

[SalmonDaze]

Awesome work man!!!

[Alphahawk]

Nice job.......congrats on the completion.

Regards




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[TNBronzeback]

Looks great! i love that marine vinyl floor!

[jaybird]

nice job. Look forward to occupying that passenger seat as some point

[notorious]

Super accomplishment, I know I was so happy after completing the building of my last boat as I presume you are. Funny story about the maiden launch...lol. Thought I would have to do some swimming myself. I like the LED lights as I added them to my rig last year...nice touch.

[JKTrevecca]

Thank you for all the kind words of encouragement. I'm ready to fish!

[agelesssone]

OK, one last piece of advice if you are prone to casting your son adrift in 40 degree water.
One word...Ulterra!
With the touch of a button, you can deploy the trolling motor, stay dry, calm the child and save the fishing trip/boat ride.
Of course you have to remember to power on the Ulterra before you launch the boat.....and make sure the remote isn't in the boat when you launch it!
Possibly give the boy some lessons in starting the boat, trimming the motor, steering the boat?
I have salvaged a few trips by letting the youngsters drive the boat on the way back to the dock. You can imagine the look on their face when they are entrusted with the operation of the ship!

[commdd]

Great job! that boat looks ready to go.

[blink]

Great job!
I tore down and decked out a 12' aluminum v-hull a few years back and it was quite a job so i can just imagine the work that went into this one.

The Kreg jig is such a great thing. If any of you dont know about it, look up pocket hole joinery right now!