Old Guy Comfort Boat

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gah319

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Dec 8, 2013
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Location
Vinton, IA
Well I cannot say that this is my first boat rebuild. It is my first time posting what I am doing and giving a running commentary on what I am thinking. The boat I have is 14 feet long by 5 feet 8 inches wide, the floor at the widest point is 49 inches. Made by the Quachita boat company Arkadelphia, AK in 1974. As much as I would like to blame the previous owner on the old build it does not help as I have had this boat for 25+ years. The first build on this was done with 2x3’s and 3/4” green treated plywood. The decks were covered in green AstroTurf. With HS and College football games, camping with the Scouts, excessive work hours, and tending the livestock the boat was just sitting in the back yard for a number of years. The last registration sticker to have made it on the boat was for 2007. Needless to say the decking finally rotted away.

So for the new build: framework done with 1.5” aluminum angle, ¾” BC plywood for top decks, 3/8” ply for the floors under the decking. I am going to call this the Old Guy Comfort Boat. I want the seats to be based at 16 inches. This allows for easier standing after being seated for a while. The bow and stern will both be decked. Stern deck will only be 36” while the bow deck will be about 6 foot. I want to put in rod storage on both sides along with storage under both decks. Seating will be for 2 people, but more often than not it will just be me.

Power for this is provided by a 9.9 Mercury I bought 25 years ago. It has always started on the first or second pull. The TM that I had, was a bow mounted Minn-Kota. I have rebuilt the foot pedal a couple of times and it is now past repair. So the new TM is a Minn-Kota power drive with the i-pilot built in. I did say I was going for “Old Guy Comfort”.

Current progress is: Boat is in the garage (minor miracle), tires have been replaced on the trailer, everything has been stripped out of the inside of the boat, new transom has been glued and cut. Currently working on dry fitting the aluminum framing. This is going to be a slow build as all of the major tools are in the basement. So measure twice, cut long, fit and recut. Oh and the outside air temp has not been over 30 degrees in about 3 weeks. Going to be a long time before I can paint so not even thinking of sanding. Leak test will not work as it would just turn to ice.

Will post some pictures once I get that figured out.
 
So, welcome aboard mate. Good to have you aboard. Where do you hale from? I'm from Dallas/fort Worth area. Sounds like we have the same boat basic. I have an Alumacraft 14X48 MV with a '57 Evinrude 18hp motor. Have not made any mods on it yet but I have been collecting part and material for it. I see that you are going to use aluminum bracing on your deck extension, same as I. I will be looking forward to you post of your boat. Make it soon. BrazosDon, later.
 
The plywood you want is BCX. The X means it's exterior rated, Just don't use pressure treated wood.
 
A few pictures of what I have to work with.
 

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Welcome. I'm an old guy also. I understand about that "standing up thing" :LOL2: :LOL2:

Looking forward to seeing your project. I have a 1648 with a 9.9.
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=336832#p336832 said:
BrazosDon » Thu Dec 19, 2013 10:49 am[/url]"]Question for lckstckn2smknbrls, is that bcx corrosive or not on aluminum?
It is not.
Pressure treated wood uses copper in the process. It is the copper in the wood that reacts with the aluminum.
 
Looking forward to your progress. I too have a Ouachita, a 16DSV semi-vee. Mine was inherited from my uncle when he passed many years ago. If I have my way, it will get passed down to my daughter when I go. I had to do a lot of work to mine too, as it had been in my uncle's back yard for many years before he passed. You can see mine in my signature link if you wish. 8)
 
So over the last week I have gotten the rear bench frame work built. Making the measurements and then constructing in the basement. First made the front cross member and then the second. Placed both in the boat and measured for the distance between the two. Connected the two end connectors to the front section. Placed both back in the boat and riveted the second section section when I was happy with the fit. Take it all back in and finish. The plywood in the pictures are just for the mockup. The storage area will have a opening of 14x16. I think I will make the lid so that it opens from the seat to the side instead of front to back. The area under the seat I plan on filling with flotation. Full set of the pictures can be seen at the link below.
 

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Working with the aluminum is a learning experiance. First make sure that you have a "good sharp high tooth count blade". The blade I started with has been on the chop saw for years. I make about 6 or 7 cuts with no problems. Then all of a sudden the saw with attached bench jumped up about five inches. The blade lost about 5 carbide teeth and then bent and stopped very suddenly. :? I have hit my thumb with a hammer before, this time it was hit by the angle alum. and the saw base from the bottom instead of from the thumb-nail side. #-o The chop saw now has a funny sound when spinning, think I bent the shaft. So this saw goes out to the barn and will be used to cut the scrap wood out there. The new chop saw has a hold down clamp so I don't have to hold on to anything but the saw handle. [-o<

I am using 1/8 inch thick alum. The two cross members for the lid to sit on are now 1/4 inch below the height of the framework the top sits on. Should I add another 1/4 flat piece to bring the frames all to the same height? How about the pieces that are 1/8 inch low. Add a spacer for them also? With wood I would have used a mortise to connect them.
 
This weather is just killing me. Step out in the garage and there the boat sits. Look at the thermometer and it is never above 20, usually around zero. Bundled up on Saturday and spent about 2 hours sanding. As cold as it is sanding is about all I can do and two hours was all I could handle of the cold. Still hope to have the boat useable by the time the Crappies start biting. Might not be complete, but should be able to float and fish.
 
I picked up a set of five 7" x 1/16 thick masonry cutoff wheels at Harbor Freight for 8 bucks that I used to cut aluminum. They did not fit the arbor on my cutoff saw but did fit and work well on the table saw. As for the hatch opening I would make sure all four sides are the same height for the lid to fit properly.
 
For flotation I am planning on using the pink foam board between all of the floor struts under the plywood sheeting. This will be about the same square footage as one of the benches I took out. Then under the two new benches I am planning on putting the same material under the seat cavity. This will then give me the same as what I took out. The foam is light weight so where ever I can find dead air space that cannot be used for storage I plan on putting in the foam. If for some reason the boat fills full of water I would rather not have to rely on a pump to keep me afloat.
 
:lol: About time. Temperature is above freezing. Got in about 5 hours of sanding this weekend. Basic framework is done and have it back in the basement to finish putting spacers on to level the hatch openings. All the materials screws, plywood, carpet, topside paint, electronics... are in the garage or basement. Bottom paint is on order from wetlander. Hope by first of may to be close to done. Since there is about 4 feet of ice I still may be on the water for the crappie spawn.
 
Welcome! I had that same type boat only mine didn't look that good. The guy I got mine from evidently hit a tree one morning going duck hunting. The front end was bent upward and in. It looked like it had been straightened as best he could with a sledge hammer. It was still a good boat. From your description on what you have planned, sounds like you'll have a great boat when you are finished!
 
Finally the destruction of the old is finished :) and now I get to start building the new :D . All of the paint has been stripped from the outside of the boat. Most all of the deck and bench framing has been built in the basement over the winter and now I can get the wood cut to fit the framework. Then varnish, carpet, and install. So about end of May or mid June I should be out on the water. Complete set of pictures are in my album.
 

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