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crazydrake

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Figured I would go ahead and make a conversion thread instead of just asking questions on different projects.

This boat has a lot of history with me. My dad bought this boat when I was 12 (27 now). We always planned on it being a console boat, used for fishing mainly. But once my dad developed MS and my parents split up, he moved back to Arkansas. It became "my boat" at some point and after years of minimal use I decided to sell it to finish paying for my wife's wedding rings. I was 22 at the time and had another fishing boat.

Flash forward 2-3 years sold the other fishing boat(which wasn't that nice anyways). Dad now lives in AR, I lived in West TN, and I need some way to hunt the flooded timber during duck season.

Long story short, the guy I sold the boat to had not touched the boat once after he purchased it. He had been sick a few years and never got to fixing it up.

I purchased the boat again in 2014 just before duck season. my plans to start the project after duck season fell apart as I took a new job in Louisiana. Now that we are somewhat settled in LA and I have a garage at the Apartment, my project has officially begun.


Alright here we go!
 

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Awesome looking little boat. Great starting point. If I were you I would start off with a grinder and a large dumpster. I stripped mine all the way down now starting fresh. I got a lot of my trailer done today. Still have to put on the winch, jack, chains, lights, nonslip pads on fenders, and bunks. Once I get that done tomorrow, I can throw the boat back on and get going again on the boat. Check out my build if you get a chance. Good luck on yours.
 
Once I got the boat back in 2014, I put a tiller on it and ripped out the console. Now an open floor plan. I was ready for the woods.

The boat is rock solid, and doesn't leak a drop. The 25 evinrude pushes it right at 30 with 2 guys empty. And about 32-33 with just me.
 

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I've made some headway recently on the tear down.

Some of the pics are loading sideways so sorry about that.


I have taken every bit of wiring out of the boat, and every bit of old rotted wood. I'm planning on going back with an aluminum floor, and also building a frame to connect from the front bench to the smaller deck at the front to make a larger casting deck for when we do fish.

It will be with angle aluminum and sheet metal as well. Hydroturf on just about all the insides.
 

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My next project is it get it real clean and start on the front deck. More pictures to come.
 
Got all the debris cleaned out today. Next is a good pressure wash.

Gotta grab some strip kleen to get the old carpet glue off as well.
 

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Now I am trying to decide if I want to run my electrical first or put in my flooring and build my deck back up. Any advice? I plan on running my wiring through the sidewalls of the boat. So putting the floor down now wouldn't be a big deal. But running my wires from the front may be a bit easier now without the front deck in place.
 
Got it pressure washed today. Also bought some Strip Kleen adhesive remover. I'll post some pictures of how well it works when I get to it this week.

Hopefully gonna buy my materials for the deck and floor this week as well.
 
The strip kleen worked great. Got all the gunk off. Now ready for wiring. This is my biggest uncertainty, as I have not done a complete wire job before.

Here is some before and after pics.
 

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crazydrake said:
Now I am trying to decide if I want to run my electrical first or put in my flooring and build my deck back up. Any advice? I plan on running my wiring through the sidewalls of the boat. So putting the floor down now wouldn't be a big deal. But running my wires from the front may be a bit easier now without the front deck in place.

If I remember right, I think I did the floors and ran the electric concurrently. As you say, some parts of it may go in better w/o the deck in place.
 
Got my switch panel in yesterday so it was time to go back to work. I really like this Blue Sea System panel. It was very easy to wire!

Friday I went and had a local shop cut and weld me a piece of metal so I'd have a little extra space for my light bar and nav lights.

Next is my nav ligJts, the 360 white light in the back, a bilge pump, and some interior LEDS.
 

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Not a ton of progress has been made. I'm in a bit of a waiting period waiting to be able to buy my flooring and the angle brackets to do the deck and floors.

I did get the LED nav lights wired, and my LED interior lights should be here tomorrow hopefully.

After that the only other thing I will wire in will be a bilge.

I was able to get out on the river last week.

Ol 88 evinrude cranks on the 2nd pull cold and pushes right at 31 mph. Plenty for me. Looking forward to getting the rest of the project done and shooting some teal in a few months.
 
Got my interior LED's installed. I'm very happy with them. The front strip will eventually be inside the front storage compartment/casting deck once it's built. For now, it's all open and ready.

Last bit of wiring is the bilge pump, then it will be onto the floor and building a casting deck.
 

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