Howdy everyone. I'm new to the site and new to boating. I just bought my first boat from a friend after he had to relocate to another state. I got what I think is a good deal on the boat, but it was a lot of money to me. As I began surfing around, I found this amazing site. I've learned a ton and got some good ideas, so I decided to post up another mod thread and maybe some of you guys can help me out with ideas along the way.
I'm a serious waterfowler and have hunted extensively out of this boat the last two seasons. I know what she can and can't do, but now that it's mine, maybe a few changes are in order. I will use it mostly for duck hunting, running shallow rivers in eastern Montana and some occasional fishing. I do not plan on hunting from the boat itself, but rather it's more for basic transport. I like to call it my Tactical Opportunity Platform, a term I've borrowed from a friend on another site.
Boat details: it is an Alumacraft 1648 with the dry storage center seat. It has a Mercury 25 hp factory jet, 4 stroke EFI. The motor is absolutely solid and reliable. Hull weight is about 285# and the motor weighs in at 192#. This light weight makes it easy to handle and she'll run in very little water, both of which come into play in December in Montana.
For starters, I'll be adding Camoclad to the sides and transom. Then, I will probably look into adding some lights and modifying the bow deck area to make it a little less slippery for the dogs.
She runs me and a buddy and all our gear easily--it's more of a tank than a sportscar. A third person slows it down a bit, but is still doable. Four people is an adventure! Been there, did that. One thing about the jet is that it is very weight-sensitive, so everything I do (or don't do) will be dictated by weight concerns.
Thanks in advance for all ideas and advice you all may give me. So, enough intro... here's a pic to get this started! More coming soon.
I'm a serious waterfowler and have hunted extensively out of this boat the last two seasons. I know what she can and can't do, but now that it's mine, maybe a few changes are in order. I will use it mostly for duck hunting, running shallow rivers in eastern Montana and some occasional fishing. I do not plan on hunting from the boat itself, but rather it's more for basic transport. I like to call it my Tactical Opportunity Platform, a term I've borrowed from a friend on another site.
Boat details: it is an Alumacraft 1648 with the dry storage center seat. It has a Mercury 25 hp factory jet, 4 stroke EFI. The motor is absolutely solid and reliable. Hull weight is about 285# and the motor weighs in at 192#. This light weight makes it easy to handle and she'll run in very little water, both of which come into play in December in Montana.
For starters, I'll be adding Camoclad to the sides and transom. Then, I will probably look into adding some lights and modifying the bow deck area to make it a little less slippery for the dogs.
She runs me and a buddy and all our gear easily--it's more of a tank than a sportscar. A third person slows it down a bit, but is still doable. Four people is an adventure! Been there, did that. One thing about the jet is that it is very weight-sensitive, so everything I do (or don't do) will be dictated by weight concerns.
Thanks in advance for all ideas and advice you all may give me. So, enough intro... here's a pic to get this started! More coming soon.