MY APOLOGIES TO READERS: DUE TO NEW PHOTOBUCKET THIRD-PARTY HOSTING POLICIES THE PHOTO'S ACCOMPANYING THIS THREAD ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. WITHOUT THE PHOTO'S THE INFORMATION HERE HAS LOST MUCH OF ITS USEFULNESS SO PROCEED IF YOU WISH. GREED AND MONEY AS USUAL TRUMP EVERYTHING.
I've been working for a few weeks trying to get some changes made to my new (to me) boat. I picked the boat up in February and really scored on the price. In fact it wasn't until I registered the boat and trailer that I was sure it wasn't stolen. The boat and trailer are 2008 with practically no water time. The motor is a 2009 that has never been in the water. The former owner had a 9.9 on it originally. In the fall of 2009 he replaced the 9.9 with a 25 hp Merc 4-stroke EFI. It's electric start and tilt/trim. I got a 55# MinKota and two batteries. Five grand. What a sweet deal.
Mine is like this one but without the floor.
I don't really have that much to do on this boat but I want to make a few changes. I am going to add navigation lights, interior lights, install and wire the TM, add a finder, cover the battery and gas tank, put a floor in and carpet the floor and deck. I fish catch-and-release and with artificial bait so I won't be adding a live well. Given my love of lunch and snacks, I guess I should find a spot for a cooler though. My brother came down last week and we almost finished the wiring - I still have to harness all the wires and finish some odds and ends.
You can see the mess I've made in the next pic. I had to move the rear seat mount - it was in the worst possible place, directly in front of the motor. I can't imagine why they are installed that way. Maybe I'll put a cup holder in place of the old one - or just cover it up. I needed a place for a small switch panel for the lights and decided to put it on the side of the seat (the blue 4x4 elect box you can see in the pic). It also gave me an opportunity to add some covered storage in the rear of the boat. I removed about 40% of the flotation from the rear seat but I added it back under the floor so I thought it was ok. I couldn't believe how long it took to get that foam out. I finally took a Sawsall with an 8" blade and shredded the foam and once I could get under it things went a little faster.
My brother fashioned this mounting plate for the transducer and speedo out of some left-over Sintra from my last project.
Here you can see the interior of the partially excavated rear seat with the wires going everywhere. We made the bus bar out of Sintra and an aluminum scrap. I finished getting the foam out but still need to harness the wires and cover the buss bar.
I got the foam in the floor, glued and foamed all the gaps and holes. It may not have been necessary to fill the gaps but the sound of squeaking styrofoam makes me crazy so I wanted to be sure all was firmly stuck in place. I got the pattern made for the floor and then it started raining. It's not quite 40 days and 40 nights yet, but this weekend is the opener and the boat is as you see it. I've got Friday off and it's supposed to be clear. Hopefully I can get a week's worth of work done on Friday.
Anyway, more to come...
I've been working for a few weeks trying to get some changes made to my new (to me) boat. I picked the boat up in February and really scored on the price. In fact it wasn't until I registered the boat and trailer that I was sure it wasn't stolen. The boat and trailer are 2008 with practically no water time. The motor is a 2009 that has never been in the water. The former owner had a 9.9 on it originally. In the fall of 2009 he replaced the 9.9 with a 25 hp Merc 4-stroke EFI. It's electric start and tilt/trim. I got a 55# MinKota and two batteries. Five grand. What a sweet deal.
Mine is like this one but without the floor.
I don't really have that much to do on this boat but I want to make a few changes. I am going to add navigation lights, interior lights, install and wire the TM, add a finder, cover the battery and gas tank, put a floor in and carpet the floor and deck. I fish catch-and-release and with artificial bait so I won't be adding a live well. Given my love of lunch and snacks, I guess I should find a spot for a cooler though. My brother came down last week and we almost finished the wiring - I still have to harness all the wires and finish some odds and ends.
You can see the mess I've made in the next pic. I had to move the rear seat mount - it was in the worst possible place, directly in front of the motor. I can't imagine why they are installed that way. Maybe I'll put a cup holder in place of the old one - or just cover it up. I needed a place for a small switch panel for the lights and decided to put it on the side of the seat (the blue 4x4 elect box you can see in the pic). It also gave me an opportunity to add some covered storage in the rear of the boat. I removed about 40% of the flotation from the rear seat but I added it back under the floor so I thought it was ok. I couldn't believe how long it took to get that foam out. I finally took a Sawsall with an 8" blade and shredded the foam and once I could get under it things went a little faster.
My brother fashioned this mounting plate for the transducer and speedo out of some left-over Sintra from my last project.
Here you can see the interior of the partially excavated rear seat with the wires going everywhere. We made the bus bar out of Sintra and an aluminum scrap. I finished getting the foam out but still need to harness the wires and cover the buss bar.
I got the foam in the floor, glued and foamed all the gaps and holes. It may not have been necessary to fill the gaps but the sound of squeaking styrofoam makes me crazy so I wanted to be sure all was firmly stuck in place. I got the pattern made for the floor and then it started raining. It's not quite 40 days and 40 nights yet, but this weekend is the opener and the boat is as you see it. I've got Friday off and it's supposed to be clear. Hopefully I can get a week's worth of work done on Friday.
Anyway, more to come...
