1988 17' Sylvan Scout Conversion

First let me take a minute and thank everyone for the previous posts and insights provided by this website.
The saga that follows next is my conversion of 17' 1988 Sylvan Scout.
This mod is being done on fairly tight budget. So if you see me cutting some cost corners, please keep that in mind.
My fishing buddy and I decided to retire my old 12' SeaNymph and get something bigger. Two months of searching Craigslist and this is what I found.

For $1,000 dollars, it included:
- a rusty trailer with poor wiring, both taillights broken, and tire so dry rotted I was afraid towing it home
- a running 1989 25 HP Mercury with electric start, steering wheel and controls
- a horrible peeling paint job, they painted over the carpeting, really?
- a severely rotted transom
- All the floor boards completely rotten (making for easier removal)
- a Hummingbird fishfinder with severed powercord, I'm highly doubtful of this unit functioning
- about 50 pounds of mud and yes, that is moss growing back by the transom

Regardless, I think she is beautiful or soon will be. Most of the investment will be recouped by selling the 25HP Mercury this spring. I've got a 40 HP Suzuki tiller that will serve us, but most of the lakes we fish are electric only and can't even have a gas motor attached to the boat.

The goal is to have the boat ready to fish by spring. So this may take a bit depending on how Cleveland weather cooperates.
Goals : gut, rewire, repaint boat and trailer, deck top of seats the entire boat, install one fishfinder (maybe two if one with boat is functional), install livewell, built in tackle box drawers. Boat design is not yet complete.

So yesterday was first day of work on the boat. Gut and clean.
I've tried to keep picture size small.











Floor, engine, steering wheel and controls removed, and boat powerwashed (though you can barely tell). New trailer lights and new trailer wheel. Total time spent = 7 hours.


More updates to follow.

Do a leak test before you start framing it in.

Definitely will do. I already know I have a small leak from the bow area. Saw it when we pressure washed it out.
I plan to put the trailer up on jack stands and jacks to keep weight off wheels while putting water in the boat.
How full do most people add water when leak checking?
In a 17' boat, weight will add up very fast. I'm assuming a couple inches deep should be plenty, planning to fill close to old waterline on side of boat.

Your pics are too small.

Congrats on your new toy! Nice size boat!

So the boat is almost finished. I didn't take very many pictures. Will have to check my camera at home, upload and do a build review. But my buddy just texted me these pictures from our second trip out on the water with modified boat. Figured I'd put them up with a little bit of additional information.
Everyone has been helpful on answering my questions along the way.

There are 4 below deck storage access hatches (by front and rear seat).
The middle hatch is for the livewell access.
The hatch pulls were made from the strap off the old trailer winch.
The two rear hatches allow access to the batteries and were hinged using an aluminum piano hinge taken off a storm door.
Due to tongue weight on the trailer (the wheels are set very far back) and not normally utilizing an outboard, all three of the batteries are mounted in the very back of the boat.
I'm going to be selling the 25hp remote steer outboard that came with the boat and have a 40hp Suzuki tiller that can be put on if we ever want to fish larger lakes that would require a gas motor.

Boat is extremely stable, even being decked ontop of the seats.
I still need to get my anchor guides off my old 12 footer to put on the new boat.
Please excuse the bow line laying all over the deck in the pics.
Additionally, had the tape measure out to measure from mounting surface to waterline for determining proper shaft length for a new trolling motor.
If you look close, you can still see the sawdust from the pilot holes on the middle deck as it was just mounted. Took it out the first time to ensure the livewell wouldn't overflow or slosh around with the middle deck not installed.

Current build consists of:
3/4inch plywood, decked over the seats.
Transom was replaced with a double layer of 3/4" plywood
2x2 bracing
All wood was treated with SparVarnish
indoor/outdoor carpeting from Home Depot (very closely matched the seats)
2 gallons latex porch paint from Lowe's (mixed to matched the seats)
Igloo Outdoorsman 100Qt cooler for livewell, fed by Attwood 500gph aerator pump thru PVC spraybar
62lb, 24v Motorguide bow mount
28lb transom mount MinnKota (looking to upgrade, but already had it)
Hummingbird 798ci sidescan sonar
SeaSense 4 switch fused panel
SeaSense 800 gph bilge pump, with built in float switch
SeaSense bow and stern lights
3M 5200 sealant on all thru hull connections and bottom rivets
Noco Genius Gen3 onboard 3 bank 30 amp charger
3 everstart marine deep cycle batteries from walmart
6 AWG wire for trolling motor
The seats were gotten from Cabela's during a clearance sale last year and are mounted on inexpensive adjustable height pedestals with swivels.

Good looking conversion and nice color scheme =D>