Earl's 1436 Tracker Mod

[Earlo]

Howdy,

I'm brand new to this forum and have found it an invaluable resource my boat project. Lot's of great ideas and boats on here. I got a Tracker 1436 on 12/26 and have managed to get all the structural stuff done. Next is carpeting and wiring, but will try to get the thing in the water next weekend (weather permitting) to check stability before permanently screwing everything in place. I want to add a carpeted floor as well, but am still curious as to whether it should be attached or not. If not attached, do I run the risk of it flying out of the boat while on the highway?

 

[jasper60103]

sorry, I had to delete my post. It didn't apply. Welcome aboard and enjoy your mod !

 

[FishingBuds]

welcome aboard mate 8)

you should be fine on the decks not flying out, mine don't and its close to what you did, you can compare them with yours of my link at the bottom. agian I think they will not fly out.

Nice looking project too

 

[cali27]

Your off to a great start, looks really good!! As far as the floor flying out, I have the same boat with carpeted floors and I don't have then screwed down. Never an issue

 

[Earlo]

Your off to a great start, looks really good!! As far as the floor flying out, I have the same boat with carpeted floors and I don't have then screwed down. Never an issue

Thanks for the replies (cali and fishing buds), that puts my mind at ease. It's been a busy week to be sure. A bit of a step backwards when I read today on another post warning against using galvanized brackets in contact with aluminum. Thankfully there are only four places where that occurs in my build and I have not drilled or screwed them into place yet. Just made another trip to HD to remedy that situation, which makes approximately 28 trips and counting.

 

[12_Tinner]

Nice work so far, very clean and professional looking IMO. I would screw everything in, just makes it solid.

Looking forward to the next set of photo's.

 

[Earlo]

Nice work so far, very clean and professional looking IMO. I would screw everything in, just makes it solid.

Looking forward to the next set of photo's.

Thanks. Just to be clear, I am going to screw the frame and seat rests in, and then screw the carpeted decks to those. My question was really only about the carpeted flooring in between the benches. I've seen where other posters have left these unattached so that they can be easily taken out to retrieve lost hooks and whatnot. That seems like a good idea, unless of course a carpeted 3' x 4' piece of plywood flies out on the highway and takes out the bus load of nuns behind you.

 

[Earlo]

Two thirds of the way there! I'm praying for decent weather this weekend to see what this thing is like on the water. I bought the boat new, and started working on it without ever having launched it. That was probably a mistake, because if there is any sort of leak or problem, I'm certain that I've voided the warranty with alterations. I've learned a lot though. Like how to persuade a toggle bolt to cooperate, and that when you drill into styrofoam, it's particles tend to scatter to all parts of your garage. I have a 1965 6 hp Johnson Seahorse that pushed my little 12 ft. jon just fine. I'm anxious to find out how it will do with the new boat. Where I fish I usually don't travel more than a mile on the water, so it should be okay.

 

[Hooky1420]

Looking good man. I second Cali's opinion on the floorboards not flying out. I've never had a problem with mine and I've taken it on the highway. I did put a flooring in mine but put 2x4 supports on the bottom because when it was resting on the ribs i found it was soft in the middle and didn't want it cracking under the weight of my body or warping from standing on it for long periods of time, especially if it was wet. That made the flooring a little heavier too, although it is easily removable if I need to get to the bottom of the boat for some reason.

You can check out my link at the bottom for pics of the flooring...

 

[BaitCaster]

Nice clean job. Let us know how she handles in the water.

 

[dixie_boysles]

If it were my boat, id cut that middle bench out and put carpeted flooring on bottom and up sides all the way beck the the back bench like i did with mine:

 

[Earlo]

Looking good man. I second Cali's opinion on the floorboards not flying out. I've never had a problem with mine and I've taken it on the highway.

Thanks Hooky. I had planned on putting some support on the bottom. And I checked out your build some time ago. It's awesome. I reference it from time to time to remind me that even though I'm spending a lot of time on my build, I have not yet gone off the deep end!

 

[Earlo]

If it were my boat, id cut that middle bench out and put carpeted flooring on bottom and up sides all the way beck the the back bench like i did with mine:

Thanks Dixie. Your rig looks great. I had minor palpitations just drilling a few small holes in a brand new boat, so cutting the bench out might resulted in a stroke. Maybe next time though.

 

[BaitCaster]

If it were my boat, id cut that middle bench out and put carpeted flooring on bottom and up sides all the way beck the the back bench like i did with mine:

Nice Job. Is that a Tracker 1436?

 

[Earlo]

Nice clean job. Let us know how she handles in the water.

Did the maiden launch on Saturday, which was fortunate because it snowed here yesterday. Could not have been more pleased. The 6 hp pushed the boat nicely and I was able to move around in the boat without fear of going for a swim. I was afraid that the front deck seat was positioned a little too far forward, but it seemed to be just fine. I sat up there in some moderately choppy water without feeling unbalanced. I was hoping for someone to come by and provide me with a nice, big wake test, but that will have to come another day. Only hiccup was I forgot to take my battery and am still unsure whether to place it in the back or front. The other pleasant surprise was that in spite of the added weight, I was able to get the boat on and off the trailer by myself with no issues at all. Next up: completing the front and rear hatch covers, wiring and lights, t. motor mount, flooring and coming up with a name for this craft. Thanks again for everyone's comments and ideas. Summer cannot get here fast enough.

 

[dixie_boysles]

VERY NICE. So jealous of the motor! I need a gas motor!

To answer baitcaster's question, no its a PolarKraft 1440. nice and wide!

I didnt know they made seats that color lol

 

[Earlo]

VERY NICE. So jealous of the motor!

Thanks. My dad bought that Johnson new in 1965. I've had the carb rebuilt, but that's about it. It's been through a lot but just keeps pluggin. Keep and eye on Craigs list, I see small outboards on there all the time. I cannot imagine buying a new one given the prices for them these days.

Here's one for you after about a three minute search:
https://charlotte.craigslist.org/boa/2151678166.html

You'll have to find the cash yourself.

 

[FishingBuds]

Yea thats turning out great, tight job so far 8)

 

[freetofish]

Wow. you really got with the rebuild...it looks great. I am glad to hear its not top heavy as you are up quite aways off the floor of the boat....great looking finished project...I do have only one question.......Where did you buy those fish?

 

[Earlo]

Wow. you really got with the rebuild...it looks great. I am glad to hear its not top heavy as you are up quite aways off the floor of the boat....great looking finished project...I do have only one question.......Where did you buy those fish?

Thanks. Those catfish came from Lake Ray Hubbard (east of Dallas). And after adding up all my mod expenses, catfish is only costing me about $98 per pound! But over time, the cost will drop.