12' Klamath full makeover

TinBoats.net

Help Support TinBoats.net:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

callelk

Active member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
Hi all, been prowling this site for years and have recently purchased an 89 all welded 12' Klamath. My boating background includes 130+ MPH Alcohol V Drive runner-bottoms, Glass Ski Boats, 20’ River Jets and recently we are doing a lot more RV’ing so a Porta-A-Boat has been my fishing partner. I like the Porta-A-Boat but it is a little wet in even the smallest wind waves and my wife is afraid of it so a 12’ that can double as a car-topper was the only route that made sense.

Below are the as purchased photos. I moved the boat back 6” on the trailer to allow for dropping the tailgate and added a way-too-big winch but it was on closeout for $12.00 so it will work.

1.jpg


2.jpg


I will be removing the seats etc., sanding and repainting....
 
I know I am getting old but I could not believe it was becoming so hard to the lift a boat that is advertised at 150# or so. It’s not. After drilling out the rivets holding the seats I found all of the polystyrene that was wrapped in plastic was waterlogged to the tune of about 20# per block so 5 waterlogged blocks = 100# additional weight.

As it is fall, pool noodles are out of the question so I am thinking polystyrene wrapped in Tyvek and then tapped. I will be using 10-32 rivnuts to secure the new wood so I can access the floatation at any time to check how it is holding up.
 
Thank you, and yes as I like to troll for trout and salmon on our lakes here in Idaho. Right now I have a 5HP Tohatsu that I used on my Port-A-Bote but I am keeping an eye out for a larger engine. I'm thinking an 8HP or at most a 9.9 2-stroke to keep the weight down and still troll at 2.0-2.5 mph.
 
Your Klamath and Tohatsu will make a nice rig; be sure to post pics as you progress. At one time I had a 'rude 6hp on my Gregor and it was perfectly acceptable. A 9.9 will up the performance significantly, retain good trolling speed and let you access most hp-restricted lakes. Mine was good for just under 2 mph at the low end and a bit over 19 mph with me and all the gear. Total package weight and weight distribution make a huge difference on a 12 footer. Have fun.
 
Keep us updated on your modifications. I have a 12 footer as well might get some ideas from yours.
 
Hey,

Have you done anything else to the boat ?

Where did you find the boat ?... Sure would like to find one like that!

Thanks!
 
Nice looking 12 footer with a clean slate to work with... Mine is 12' also but nothing as nice as yours is..
 
WPS said:
Hey,

Have you done anything else to the boat ?

Where did you find the boat ?... Sure would like to find one like that!

Thanks!

Found it locally on Craigslist. Don’t see many Klamath’s outside of Northern California and after looking for a Gregor H123 here in Idaho I all but gave up and resigned myself to the fact that I would have to travel to Central California to buy a boat. Valco’s, Western’s and other riveted boats are relatively common here but I wanted a welded boat only because my dad had an old, old, Ward’s riveted aluminum that leaked about a gallon per hour when I was growing up. He sold it and bought Klamath and it was a great boat for striper fishing in the Delta and lake fishing in Northern California. Anyway, I guy moved here from Southern California and bought a pontoon boat and the Klamath had to go. He originally wanted an outrageous price but a week later I guess he got desperate with winter coming on and became a lot more reasonable.
 
Sorry guys, I travel for work so I may be gone for 3-4 or 5 days at a time.

I finished sanding and started to paint but the weather got windy and cold so that is on hold until this weekend when it will be in the upper 70’s. Started installing the Rivnuts which will make it easy to remove and refinish the seats to keep them looking good.

6.jpg
 
Additionally, I drilled holes to mount the cockpit lights (upper center of seat frame). I am using a gel lawn mower battery and want the charge to last at least a week for my Lowrence Elite 7 and LED’s will be the ticket. I will be using an 8 LED strip at the front of the rear seat and 4 LED strips at the front of both center and front seats. In the rear bilge area will be a round 3-LED light. I have not decided on running lights yet and because it is a car topper, I may just use the clamp-on LED type. I will wire and stub-off for permanent lights just because….

8.jpg
 
Glad to see you back at it!

Thanks for the info too!... Sure can't find one of those boats in this area!
 
WPS said:
Glad to see you back at it!

Thanks for the info too!... Sure can't find one of those boats in this area!

Mostly jon boats in your area I would guess. Klamath's are built for big, deep rivers, bays, sounds, estuaries, etc. Our local lakes get afternoon wind waves to 3' so a "V" is popular as it is the only way to go if you want to stay relatively dry in those conditions.
 
Started to test fit the new wood last night.

7.jpg


Will sand the edges to allow room for the West Systems epoxy and varnish.

4.jpg
 
Forgot to post a photo of the electrical raceway(s). 1/2" electrical conduit G-Flex'd into place with clamps and I used a heat gun to give it a permanent bend to match the hulls contour.

10.jpg
 
OK, need a little help from you folks. I need to mount my battery box securely but as it is a welded boat I have no idea what I should do. Can I epoxy aluminum angles to the floor with footman loops attached to the outside? It has to be easily removable and light as the boat will do double duty as a car topper.

Also, have some 1 1/16 hinge. what are the best screws to use in ply?
 
Y_J said:
Depends on the thickness of the ply.. What ever it is make sure the screws are Stainless Steel.


Stock was 1/2" and that is what I replaced it with. I found some photos and I think i'm good with the exception of the latch. Any recommendations on brand/model. I would love a $75 flush latch but there has to be something more reasonable out there.
 
Another question for all of you tin boat guys that run transducers on transom saver type mounts. The bottom of my transom is 90 degrees along bottom and then angles to 75 degrees. The 90 degree is tapered as it follows the 6 degree dead rise from +- 2" in the center to 1/2" at each end. What I am trying to do is mount my transducer plate as I have a 2 transducers and a tolling indicator speed paddle wheel that I need to install and adjust. if I install it along the straight edge, it will be 1" to 1/2" above the bottom of the boat and I'm not sure I can lower the transducer or paddle wheel enough. I could be wrong though.
 

Latest posts

Top