My Complete 14ft Semi-V Boat Project

Hello all,

This project started back in May when i was looking on craigslist for a boat for the summer. After a couple weeks i came across an add for a 14ft aluminum boat and motor for $200 bucks. My dad and i went to go check it out and it turned out to be quite the bargin. It was a old 14ft Blue Star with a 20hp suzuki, 2 old fuel tank, 2 trolling motors, and a motor stand.






My dad and i wanted to turn it into a little fishing boat. We started by cleaning it out and putting a new transom on it. I also found a nice trailer on craigslist for $250.






In the mean time we got the 1986 suzuki running for $225. The motor just needed a new fuel pump, impeller, and other basic maintenance. once the motor was returned it was time to take her for the maiden voyage.






The boat let in a lot more water then i liked but she stayed afloat. the next step was to put a deck on the boat. i didnt take to many pictures of this but you will get the idea as the project goes on. I also picked up 2 seats at bass, a deck stand, and rotatable seat at bass pro shop for $100. We took the boat back out for a 2nd run but conditions were less than ideal. Winds were 20 + and the water was white capping.






What I planned on doing next was put in a non skid coat, and carpet the deck. the non skip paint was $80, carpet $25, and stuff to put both in was another $60. I'll let the pics do the explaining.
I had to rivet some holes in the boat.




Washin it out



Next i put 5200 on all the rivets and a little extra on the ones i knew leaked. Then i primed it and applied the non skid paint.






After the non skid paint was in, it was time to carpet the deck, this will give you an idea of how we made the deck.











This would conclude the major work we planned for the boat. There are still some things i would like to do before the spring like add lights and other touch up work. But here is the boat for the most part finished. Fortunately there are no more leaks!












This turned out to be a GREAT father/son projected and i loved every minute of it. I would say i put about 80 hours and about $1200 into it. Im sure ill post plenty more info as the thread grows, thanks for looking.

AND Thank you to Tinboat.net, it definately aided in all my ideas!!!

nice man i like the final product a lot and i even got a few ideas from what u did here thanks...i got a question for ya whats the weight capacity of your boat? im just trying to get a feel for what im doing

Very well done

How wide is it? and how stable is the front deck?

cwilley1 and bandgeek1263

I do not know the weight capacity of the boat, i could not find anything about the boat online. i believe it is a 1446 if im measuring it right??? i have taken it out 3 times, 2 of which had the deck on it. The boat has been pretty stable, i am able to stand around the edges of the deck and feel safe it will not tip.

jirwin6985

We considered that, so we spray painted over the steal. it is only used to hold the deck together and not support the deck. so the wear on it is insignificant.

1446, is the beam 46 inches? or is that the width at the floor?

Ya good point, that could be a good day project later on.

Its 46 inches at the floor. it feels comfortably wide.

thats an awesome setup, great work

Woah - really fine lookin' boat.

.... and I love, love, the water. Beautiful water.

Nice looking rig! 8)


......and that's one heck of a long, wide boat ramp! :shock:

Great work on her, I bet she enjoys it as much as you did! You have far more patience with 5200 than I do!

Moderator, ya i think the lake was 42 feet below max. Arizona didnt see much rain this summer.

Rat, i didnt think that would turn out to be such a tedious task, i just wish i had known the loose rivets. but on the other hand... no more leaks.

Thanks for the compliments

Great Job on the boat. =D>

Not sure if you realize it or not, but your motor is a long shaft, and your transom height is made for a short shaft. You could raise your transom, (other guys on here have pics of doing it) or keep it in mind if you ever replace your motor. I'm not sure how much difference you would notice in the performance. Ideally, the cavitation plate should be level with the bottom of the hull. That said, I 've used a long shaft 7.5 on my 12ft v-hull boat myself and it's almost dead even (in terms of top speed) with a 5 hp short shaft. Not sure how much of a difference it would make when you move up to a 20hp. The only thing I don't like about using the long shaft on mine is the prop being that much closer to rocks/stumps and also make is that much harder when pulling the boat on the bank.

What's your opinion of the not skid paint?

Brine, we noticed that when we got the boat but werent about to go looking for a new one for the price we got that one for. other than efficiency, do you know of any structural complications that may arise from that??? i definately know what you mean about worrying aboat the lake bottom with the long shaft, so im hoping that doesnt come back haunt me.
As for the non skip paint, so far so good. but itll take a couple years to see how it really stands up.

Nope, don't know of any problems you may get from it. I've heard of some situations where the motor is spraying water into the boat, but not sure at what speed you see that happen. Wasn't a problem for my little motor. I'm curious about the non skid....not so much the longevity, but after applying it...do you have any inital feedback?

Heck of of a nice find and great job! Freaky to see a lake in the middle of a desert... but is it ever a nice setting. I would love to visit out there one day. (And not just because it has been -20f for the past week and a half!)

One question; what is that?


Grounding block?

Brine, so i threw a primer coat on the bare aluminum and which you can see from the photos. i got it from home depot and it said it was an aluminum primer. dont remember the name. then i started applying the none skip paint. after the first coat you could still see throught. it took 3 coats ( pain in the *** ) before it looked good and clean. after the 3 coats, i still have a pint or so left over for touch ups. what i like about it is that after it dries, it still feels rubbery. so i dont think flaking will be a problem unless the primer is no good. while working on the deck, i did drop a drill on it which took a dime sized chip out of it. but it was simple to touch up. so in conclusion, the non skip paint leaves behind a good gritty/rubbery finish.

Cprince, thank you. desert lakes are definately unique in their scenery. as for the picture... we are still working on the electical system. what you see there is a wire from the battery in the front of the boat, to the electric starter on the motor. that is just a tacky/temporary connector between the 2. i am going to fix that up while i am on winter break.

Ahhh... I see... I was thinking maybe transducer or something! Smart fix for the connecting block. You are lucky to be able to do a mod with your Dad! My Dad cant stand fishing... or boating... he is 65 and plays video games and watches South Park!!!

Keep up the great work and I look forward to more pictures of the desert mod!

Craig

ASUAviator said:

Brine, so i threw a primer coat on the bare aluminum and which you can see from the photos. i got it from home depot and it said it was an aluminum primer. dont remember the name. then i started applying the none skip paint. after the first coat you could still see throught. it took 3 coats ( pain in the *** ) before it looked good and clean. after the 3 coats, i still have a pint or so left over for touch ups. what i like about it is that after it dries, it still feels rubbery. so i dont think flaking will be a problem unless the primer is no good. while working on the deck, i did drop a drill on it which took a dime sized chip out of it. but it was simple to touch up. so in conclusion, the non skip paint leaves behind a good gritty/rubbery finish.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Hope it holds up for ya. Again, great job on the build.

nice job. you and your dad will be able will have lots of years enjoyment out of that.