Country Dave’s Lowe 1752 modification/restoration project.

[Country Dave]

What year model Lowe is that? I have owned several over the last 30 years and never had one with a rotten transom. Very good boats and that model is an excellent platform to use for nearly anything!

Good morning gentlemen.

Tnriverluver the title and HIN plate say it’s a 1999 1752. Thanks for the info; I agree the boat is stout for sure. I really like it, Lowe makes a good product. =D>

Gator I do a little fly fishing, I have a pretty good 8 weight rod but when I’m sight fishing I usually use spinning gear. I take some black drum in Ponce Bay from time to time but rarely anything that big.

Ok well I have my wood, aluminum and a couple of hatch cover on order. Everything should hit early in the week, probably Tuesday. So this weekend I will finish my 1448 and put it up for sale.

I want to continue to move forward with this build. I feel like I’m making some good progress I just have to be patient.
The next step is to make the cut outs for the hath covers at the side boxes and remove foam. Don’t want that stuff catching fire when the sponsons get welded on. I will also be cutting my wood and aluminum for the transom.

 

[Badbagger]

Dave, once you start to think forward to flooring and paint, have a look here: https://www.sarasotalinex.com/

Owners name is Brian. They have pretty much perfected putting down Linex on tinboats. I've been back and forth with him on doing the SeaArk interior. Right around $1300 but it's an 1872. I've researched it to DEATH being my anal self and pretty much cannot be beat. I've got a ton of photos of boats he's done (tinnys). He does a lot of high dollar Yellowfins and others worth well over $100,000 and I've got up with those folks and they're very happy with the work and product. Going with a white hull and beige/tan Linex. It's hot nuff fishing the flats and not wanting to make it worse with a dark color paint or interior Linex.

Jest a thought for ya

 

[Badbagger]

Should have noted that there are a good number of shops doing Linex BUT, Brian's shop put years of research and a lot of money into perfecting it... they just released a new product for use and it's da shitz for tinnys. About $13 a square foot.

 

[Country Dave]

Thanks for the link Bad b,

I rolled out bed liner/Herculiner on the floor of my 1448. It came out pretty good. I’m going to do the same for this project but not for aesthetics. I just want something that’s going insulate and protect the floor pan other than the thin coat of paint that’s on it now.
It also makes the boat a little quieter. I’m going to raise the floor but just a few inches, just to make the floor level and give me a little room for rigging.

But that’s a little bit down the road. Once the transom and sponsons are done she gets flipped over and spanked with a couple of thick coats of steel flex epoxy on her bottom, sponsons and transom. :LOL2:

 

[Country Dave]

This is what happens when moister gets trapped against aluminum, even worse in salt water or high salinity environments. The wood must have been wet for some time.

That’s why I’m not a big proponent of foam insulation of any kind.
I had the same thing happen on a center console boat I had. The foam around the aluminum fuel talk trapped moister and pitted the tank so bad it starter leaking fuel.

If I flip this boat over I’ll have worse problems than not having a little foam floatation. :LOL22:

 

[Badbagger]

Not a purty site :LOL2:

 

[Country Dave]

Not a purty site :LOL2:

Yep not purty. ](*,) All good though, when I’m done it will be better than the day it came off line. I’m so glad I decided to pull that cap.

 

[Country Dave]

Ok I received my 4x8 sheet of 3033 0.125 today woowho. :lol: Wood and hatch covers tomorrow then full speed ahead.
I should have the transom done by the end of the week/weekend. Hey that’s redundant. LOL
I should have enough 0.125 leftover to at least start on the sponons. Going to make some templates out of something first” Not sure what” before I start cutting the panels for the floats, pontoons, sponosns whatever they’re called.

 

[Badbagger]

Looks good and BTW, they are called "thingamabobs" :shock:

 

[Gators5220]

Ya I hear you, well black drum are on the flats only on the coldest months in Florida so basically January and Febuary. But I have a friend that moved to Michigan and used to live here, now he fly fishes for Carp, which are a lot like sigh fishing for Redfish, so that's where I'm going this summer!

 

[Country Dave]

Looks good and BTW, they are called "thingamabobs" :shock:

LOL Thats it, thingmabobs. Gator we have grass carp here in most of the local canals but they don’t fight very good, in fact there pretty lethargic.

 

[Bass n flats]

Where and how much was the sheet aluminum?

 

[Country Dave]

Where and how much was the sheet aluminum?

Town and country aluminum in Fort Lauderdale FL. I have and account with them through a friend $110.00
(954) 970-9999

 

[Bass n flats]

Good deal, I'm looking forward to your build I've got the same boat just 9 years older. I'm trying to reconfigure my decks hopefully you can help the creative process

 

[Country Dave]

Bass and flats I like your rig. Cool mods. 8) I’m going in a little different direction with mine. Trying to keep it as light as possible. Not using a bunch of wood, not going make it a full deck like a bass boat.

 

[Country Dave]

Good deal, I'm looking forward to your build I've got the same boat just 9 years older. I'm trying to reconfigure my decks hopefully you can help the creative process

LOL I don’t know if I have enough creativity for myself. But hey anything I can help with just let me know.

 

[Bass n flats]

Mine has changed a bit since then. All aluminum supports and I'm removing the wood decks for aluminum. I'm trying to come up with a good medium for both bass fishing and flats fishing.

 

[Country Dave]

Mine has changed a bit since then. All aluminum supports and I'm removing the wood decks for aluminum. I'm trying to come up with a good medium for both bass fishing and flats fishing.

Ok cool, that’s my first love as well. Don’t get me wrong I love largemouth but there’s something about the flats and it keeps calling my name. I would fish everyday if I could.

 

[Bass n flats]

Have you decided on your fuel capacity and battery placement?

 

[Country Dave]

Have you decided on your fuel capacity and battery placement?

Good morning Bass and Flats,

Yes sir for the most part I have. Two moeller 12 gal tanks in the aft compartment right in front of the transom. 24 gal will be a good safety net, the 115 Yamaha four stroke sips gas and it’s not like I’m going to be running it wide open anyway. :LOL2:

One Delco voyager deep cycle marine battery in the center under the front deck for the 12 volt trolling motor. One Delco voyager deep cycle marine batter under the center console.