Razorback
Active member
This is gonna be long... sorry.
I've lurked for a couple of weeks since I discovered the site, and now I'm ready to dive into some mods.
I've been around boats my whole life, but never really worked on many. I have a pretty decent "how-to" knowledge with most things, but I want to do this right.
Bank access is very limited where I live, so I picked up this 14/42 semi-v boat and trailer last year for $300. Got a old used TM for $50 and made up a small front deck to mount it on, along with a basic plywood floor. Using a folding camping chair, I fished with that setup all last year. It had one small hole in it that I JB welded, and now I can fish for 12 hours straight and not have a drop of water in it when I leave the lake.
Came across a great evinrude 9.9 for $300 back in March, and after a little carb work, new plugs, and a fluid change, it runs like a champ and pushes this little boat pretty well.
I've made some small mods along the way, such as new minn kota 45lb TM, new wheels/tires, new winch, used seats, side bunks, etc. A couple of days ago, part of the front deck broke loose in heavy wind while running the TM on 5, and that has ended my fishing until I get it fixed. I want to do it the right way, and while I'm at it, do a few other things. I just threw the deck and flooring together using lumber I had laying around, and didn't seal it.
My plans: The boat rides fairly high in the water and isn't all that stable. It's ok with just me, but with 2 people in there it can get pretty exciting at times. For that reason, I won't be doing a raised deck. I'm just going to to an updated version of the front one, sealed and carpeted, flooring, and a rear deck that will allow the use of the motor with the seat still in place. (see pic of seat and motor). I'll cut out a section of the existing rear bench and put a hatch over it for added storage. (there's no foam in it) I'll also be replacing the transom wood and adding some bracing to it. As far as the trailer goes, I'm needing to put new/longer bunks on it to support the transom and ease loading/unloading, and new wheel bearings. I'm not going to worry about painting, since it's already in such rough condition and I also don't feel like dealing with it or spending the money on it. The lakes I fish in are really stumpy anyway, so paint probably wouldn't last long.
First Question: Can anybody tell me what brand/model this boat is? It doesn't have an ID plate, or any stampings on the transom. That decal is the only thing on it, If you can't tell in the pics, it appears to me to be a double S.
Second Question: Because the boat is so small, I really want to remove the center bench to open up the floorspace. What do you guys think about the support of the boat? Will it weaken it too much? Keep in mind that if I do this, there will be a full length floor consisting of plywood and 2x2s bracketed/riveted to the floor/sides. I would think that would help stiffen it up some. I guess if it didn't work, I could always just rivet the old bench back in.
Third Question: Anybody know a good place to get bunk brackets CHEAP?? The old brackets aren't useable, and I'm just not going to spend $50 on brackets. I've looked at all the hardware/automotive/home improvement stores around and haven't found anything that will work. I've been thinking about using some uni-strut and c-clamps to make my own adjustable brackets.
4th Question: What about hardware for mounting the decks/floor/framing? Will the galvanized stuff at lowes work, or do I need to find something else. I've seen a lot of builds on here that use it. In the pic that shows the bow, you can see where the rivets/welds ripped loose under the stress of the TM. That piece doesn't seem to add much support anyway, so I was thinking of ripping it out and decking all the way to the point of the bow. Under the existing deck is a small bench seat. Can I rip it out? I really want the storage space, and am pretty sure that my framing/decking will be a lot more sturdy than that flimsy seat.
5th Question: How are you guys attaching your carpeted decking to the framing? Are you just screwing through the carpet and trying to hide the screw heads or what?
I'm gonna have more Questions, that's just what I can think of for now.
Thanks again everybody, I know this is really long, and even I hate reading long posts. :mrgreen:
The decal is hard to see. That spot in the middle is a white "S", with a black "S" right beside it.
You can see a little of the front seat under the plywood, and the cracked aluminum on the upper right corner.
Here's where the rivets and welds broke loose. Thinking of ripping this out and decking all the way to the front.
Want to remove this center bench.
See where the tiller hits the seat? I have to remove the seat and sit on the bench to run the motor, and off-setting the seat isn't possible b/c the boat is so tippy. Going to deck the entire back area and move the seat forward about 6"
I've lurked for a couple of weeks since I discovered the site, and now I'm ready to dive into some mods.
I've been around boats my whole life, but never really worked on many. I have a pretty decent "how-to" knowledge with most things, but I want to do this right.
Bank access is very limited where I live, so I picked up this 14/42 semi-v boat and trailer last year for $300. Got a old used TM for $50 and made up a small front deck to mount it on, along with a basic plywood floor. Using a folding camping chair, I fished with that setup all last year. It had one small hole in it that I JB welded, and now I can fish for 12 hours straight and not have a drop of water in it when I leave the lake.
Came across a great evinrude 9.9 for $300 back in March, and after a little carb work, new plugs, and a fluid change, it runs like a champ and pushes this little boat pretty well.
I've made some small mods along the way, such as new minn kota 45lb TM, new wheels/tires, new winch, used seats, side bunks, etc. A couple of days ago, part of the front deck broke loose in heavy wind while running the TM on 5, and that has ended my fishing until I get it fixed. I want to do it the right way, and while I'm at it, do a few other things. I just threw the deck and flooring together using lumber I had laying around, and didn't seal it.
My plans: The boat rides fairly high in the water and isn't all that stable. It's ok with just me, but with 2 people in there it can get pretty exciting at times. For that reason, I won't be doing a raised deck. I'm just going to to an updated version of the front one, sealed and carpeted, flooring, and a rear deck that will allow the use of the motor with the seat still in place. (see pic of seat and motor). I'll cut out a section of the existing rear bench and put a hatch over it for added storage. (there's no foam in it) I'll also be replacing the transom wood and adding some bracing to it. As far as the trailer goes, I'm needing to put new/longer bunks on it to support the transom and ease loading/unloading, and new wheel bearings. I'm not going to worry about painting, since it's already in such rough condition and I also don't feel like dealing with it or spending the money on it. The lakes I fish in are really stumpy anyway, so paint probably wouldn't last long.
First Question: Can anybody tell me what brand/model this boat is? It doesn't have an ID plate, or any stampings on the transom. That decal is the only thing on it, If you can't tell in the pics, it appears to me to be a double S.
Second Question: Because the boat is so small, I really want to remove the center bench to open up the floorspace. What do you guys think about the support of the boat? Will it weaken it too much? Keep in mind that if I do this, there will be a full length floor consisting of plywood and 2x2s bracketed/riveted to the floor/sides. I would think that would help stiffen it up some. I guess if it didn't work, I could always just rivet the old bench back in.
Third Question: Anybody know a good place to get bunk brackets CHEAP?? The old brackets aren't useable, and I'm just not going to spend $50 on brackets. I've looked at all the hardware/automotive/home improvement stores around and haven't found anything that will work. I've been thinking about using some uni-strut and c-clamps to make my own adjustable brackets.
4th Question: What about hardware for mounting the decks/floor/framing? Will the galvanized stuff at lowes work, or do I need to find something else. I've seen a lot of builds on here that use it. In the pic that shows the bow, you can see where the rivets/welds ripped loose under the stress of the TM. That piece doesn't seem to add much support anyway, so I was thinking of ripping it out and decking all the way to the point of the bow. Under the existing deck is a small bench seat. Can I rip it out? I really want the storage space, and am pretty sure that my framing/decking will be a lot more sturdy than that flimsy seat.
5th Question: How are you guys attaching your carpeted decking to the framing? Are you just screwing through the carpet and trying to hide the screw heads or what?
I'm gonna have more Questions, that's just what I can think of for now.
Thanks again everybody, I know this is really long, and even I hate reading long posts. :mrgreen:
The decal is hard to see. That spot in the middle is a white "S", with a black "S" right beside it.
You can see a little of the front seat under the plywood, and the cracked aluminum on the upper right corner.
Here's where the rivets and welds broke loose. Thinking of ripping this out and decking all the way to the front.
Want to remove this center bench.
See where the tiller hits the seat? I have to remove the seat and sit on the bench to run the motor, and off-setting the seat isn't possible b/c the boat is so tippy. Going to deck the entire back area and move the seat forward about 6"
