1988 Bass Tracker TX-17 complete overhaul

[zacksimpson]

I picked up a 1988 Bass Tracker TX-17 with a 70 horse Johnson for 1500 dollars. I knew it was going to be a project, but I had the go ahead from the wife so I jumped on it. I got ahead of myself and got to work on the boat a couple weeks ago so the first set of pictures are of how it started and progress so far.

It had close to 350 pounds of waterlogged foam in it, and the delaminated plywood weighed about double what it should have.

I took it out on the water the day after I brought it home, and it sat very low in the back, and idled rough. I knew if I was ever going to use it for what I wanted (duck hunt and flats/shallow water fishing) I needed to do something about that. Plus the floor layout wasn't exactly how I wanted it. I'm still mulling ideas over for how to lay the interior out to make it do everything I want well. A few things are certain so far though. It's going to be camouflaged, and I want some kind of non slip coating on the inside rather than carpet that will just get moldy and faded. I'm going to get it in the water once it's put together and decide if I'm going to need float pods, or if I find a good enough deal on a pair I may just do it to have them. Anyways, here's the pics.

 

[zacksimpson]

This is kind of what I'm going for as of right now. Plans tend to change though.

 

[Kochy]

Love it! Check out my 87 bass tracker mv-16 for some ideas!

 

[zacksimpson]

I'm having a pretty hard time figuring out exactly that the process everyone else is using for sealing plywood to use it on their floor and decks? Also, what thickness of plywood are you guys using? I've decided against replacing the floor and casting deck with aluminum because of cost, plus I'm not really set up with the machinery to cut it properly, bend any flanges on it, or really just handle it in general.

If anyone has a metal shop they want to let me borrow for a while, I'll make the decks and floor out of aluminum

 

[huntinfool]

Depending in what you want, you can rivet aluminum angle to the side of the hull and place your floor on top of that and either screw it down or rivet it down.
Just sayin'

If that is not feasible, then going back with what you have will work. Wood decks tend to eventually rot. There are several builds on here to get some ideas. Keep the pics coming.

 

[smackdaddy53]

I'm having a pretty hard time figuring out exactly that the process everyone else is using for sealing plywood to use it on their floor and decks? Also, what thickness of plywood are you guys using? I've decided against replacing the floor and casting deck with aluminum because of cost, plus I'm not really set up with the machinery to cut it properly, bend any flanges on it, or really just handle it in general.

If anyone has a metal shop they want to let me borrow for a while, I'll make the decks and floor out of aluminum

I cut all mine with a regular circular saw and plywood cutting blade. Clamps and a straightedge will allow for perfect cuts and raise the blade up shallow to cut curves. A jigsaw and grinder help. Other than that, a drill, chop saw and rivet gun are all you need.

 

[Kier]

I am also planning a floor out of plywood. I decided on 5/8 exterior plywood. I plan on coating it with spar urethane. I think I can brace it with 2x2s to save weight. I hear some people use expoy resin. I decided to go with lite weight materials

 

[zacksimpson]

progress has been pretty slow. Got it all taken apart, and the hull is upside down. Removing stickers and prepping for paint. When I get paid again, I'll be buying some Gator Glide G4 for a bottom coat, and probably 3 inches up the side to help slide through grassy stuff and some bottom protection from saltwater. I decided on gator glide after talking to the owner of the company, he's a great guy and the customer service is awesome. 1/2 gallon will coat the bottom of a boat my size with 5 thin coats, and should outlast steelflex with the way I tend to use my boats. It's also easier to patch any bare spots with this stuff, no need to flip your boat back over to recoat. , and the G4 has more abrasion resistance, which is the way I'm going, rather than super slick as I don't go over any completely dry spots, and I'd like it to be more likely to stick.

https://www.gatorglide.com/ is the website for the stuff.

 

[PSG-1]

zacksimpson » 13 Jan 2014, 19:38[/url]"]I'm having a pretty hard time figuring out exactly that the process everyone else is using for sealing plywood to use it on their floor and decks? Also, what thickness of plywood are you guys using? I've decided against replacing the floor and casting deck with aluminum because of cost, plus I'm not really set up with the machinery to cut it properly, bend any flanges on it, or really just handle it in general.

If anyone has a metal shop they want to let me borrow for a while, I'll make the decks and floor out of aluminum

I do, and I live not too far away. Got a metal brake that'll do 1/8" material 6 ft wide.

BTW, if you check out my Triton 1650SC modification, this might give you some ideas for your front deck/casting platform.

 

[zacksimpson]

I do like that build a lot on your Triton. Now I just have to decide how much of a difference in cost it'd be between wood with epoxy and all versus aluminum. I haven't even priced sheet locally, just online from a company in MN, and I'm not going to pay shipping for a couple sheets of aluminum. The weight difference would be nice, and I definitely need to move my tank up front. That 70, plus 12 gallons or so of fuel was pretty stern heavy when I had it out, but I also had that couple hundred pounds of waterlogged foam back there too. I figure with that engine weighing 280 pounds or so, plus 12 gallons of fuel at 7 pounds a piece, plus me and my buddy riding on it plus my dog and all that foam, and two 27 series batteries we had the boat overloaded for sure. 280+84+400+40+200+110= 1114 pounds on the stern. I had about 2-3 inches of freeboard before I would have been taking water over the transom. I was trying to decide if I'd fix the weight issues by doing flotation pods on the back of the boat, or if I'd move weight around, or both.

 

[PSG-1]

For a local source on aluminum sheet, give Strand Metals a call (843) 236-4615 They will have the best prices.

Your stern-heavy situation with your boat is basically the same issue I had with the Triton. Initially, I moved both fuel tanks and batteries forward, but that made it a little TOO bow-heavy. Since I use this boat for commercial oyster harvesting, I often use tongs at high tide, and there is a large pile of oysters on the front deck before we start culling. That pile is a lot of weight, often, the bow is just a few inches above the waterline. So, with that kind of loading, moving one of the tanks, and one of the batteries to the stern was necessary.

 

[zacksimpson]

The midget bird dog says no more work today, **** winter storm. I thought by moving south, I'd be able to avoid this stuff. Oh well.

 

[PSG-1]

zacksimpson » Today, 16:29[/url]"]The midget bird dog says no more work today, **** winter storm. I thought by moving south, I'd be able to avoid this stuff. Oh well.

South Carolina's coast isn't all about palm trees and sunny beaches. :shock: It must be bad, our local Bojangle's was closed, due to the light 1/4" dusting of sleet LMAO. I bet the Bojangle's in Boone, NC isn't closed. Those people would laugh at this.

Anyhow, yep, we do get cold here in winter. In 1989, we had 14 inches of snow, right on the beach! I've actually had people in survival forums try to call BS when I tell them that it gets 20 degrees here. :roll: :roll:

Of course, they're the same ones that'll tell you they shot a deer in the eye and killed it with 1 shot from 1000 yards with their red ryder. With iron sights. :LMFAO:

 

[zacksimpson]

It does amaze me to see how many places shut down for this. The roads were slippery, but they closed school 3 days for this. I guess they're not prepared for it like other places are.

 

[PSG-1]

Just be glad the layer of freezing rain we had was only 1/4" as our electrical infrastructure here isn't even designed to handle light wind storms (why would they do THAT in a hurricane-prone area?) let alone ice storms, with the weight of the ice on lines, and then the failure to keep tree limbs cut back from the runs of power lines.

 

[zacksimpson]

PSG-1 » 30 Jan 2014, 13:45[/url]"]Just be glad the layer of freezing rain we had was only 1/4" as our electrical infrastructure here isn't even designed to handle light wind storms (why would they do THAT in a hurricane-prone area?) let alone ice storms, with the weight of the ice on lines, and then the failure to keep tree limbs cut back from the runs of power lines.

We left our house to go to my wife's grandparents house in case of power loss overnight, they have a hardwired backup generator. Growing up in WI, there was no way you'd see tree branches anywhere near power lines. Here, they don't seem to care at all. I thought for sure we'd be without power. Luckily it wasn't more like the storm they actually were calling for, it would have been a lot worse than this. And now it'll be 70 again this weekend....

 

[PSG-1]

zacksimpson » Today, 14:21[/url]"]

We left our house to go to my wife's grandparents house in case of power loss overnight, they have a hardwired backup generator. Growing up in WI, there was no way you'd see tree branches anywhere near power lines. Here, they don't seem to care at all. I thought for sure we'd be without power. Luckily it wasn't more like the storm they actually were calling for, it would have been a lot worse than this. And now it'll be 70 again this weekend....

Welcome to South Carolina! LMAO! :LOL2: Second only to Alaska when it comes to the most unpredictable weather on the planet. (maybe an exaggeration, but not by much)

 

[zacksimpson]

When I was at ft Leonard wood in Missouri we could see all 4 seasons in one day it seemed like. Weather is crazy, I'd sure hate to be a weather man.

 

[PSG-1]

Actually, I would LOVE to be a weatherman.

No malpractice insurance required like being a doctor. No liability insurance, either, like being a welder or in construction. You don't have to always be right. You don't even have to be right 1/2 the time. And even when you make a mistake, you don't get sued!

Sounds like a helluva racket, to me!