2001 Voyager Updates & Modifications

[lennyzx11]

After noticing a crack in the bow of my boat and reading through the posts here, I've decided to upgrade my boat to be more user friendly to the user. Which is me! Any and all comments are welcome.

Here's the closest picture of the factory version I could find on the Net. There's not a lot about these boats for some reason.


Here's what I have currently.



The crack that started this..



And of course my repair till I get to the welder!


And here's a transom shot. I only loaded it off the edge of the bunks in order to leave room up front for the welder to work. It's normally about 2 inches in from the ends.


I'll be updating as I go along with the future posts. All Comments and critiscism welcomed.

Lenny

 

[lennyzx11]

It looks like I might have the hang of posting pics! I was worried about that.

Here's one of the first things than I wanted to get changed.

The Driver's station is crammed to close together for even my 5'8" butt! So I wanted to open it up a little. I couldn't get my knee or leg between the seat and the steering wheel whn moving in or out and my feet wouldn't make the angle necessary to get under the console. You big guys would have caught he**!

I'm looking for suitable rivets to put it back in if anyone has a source that can be installed at home.

The original Seat & Console area.


The seat is riveted in and inset into the deck floor so I'm not moving it yet. so, everything else gets pushed forward. I'm waiting to rivet the console back in until I flesh out the front deck ideas I want to put in.

I've moved the Shifter assembly forward, and the console mocked up. cleaned up the control cables and wiring into a neat bundle along the inner edge back to the motor.

Now there should be room for a cupholder for my BudLite. Imagine a Boat without ANY place to set a beercan! I couldn't believe it. I sure thought that was one of the Coast guard requirements.
Lenny

 

[lennyzx11]

Ordered Carpet from Home Depot online today for free shipping and approx 125 bucks. Sicnce I have to wait a few days for it, I decided to tackle the Front deck.

First things first. Removing the old Carpet. I started this with some trepidation as I had read the horror stories of getting it off if glued. Luckily, mine was not glued but stapled with about a million staples. I found the best thing for me was an ordinary claw hammer to remove the staples by running the claw under the edge of the carpet on the back and few pliars attacks on the stubborn ones made short work of this.



Then with the boss watching over the proceedings with a wary eye, I set up for cutting the hole out.

We have to fight over that space, I get it when trolling and he gets it when we are moving. One of the reasons to extend the deck!


Cutting the Hole with a Circular Saw from the top just to the corner.


Finishing the corners with a Sawzall. I have to hurry. It's nearly 5 oclock!


Found my Measurements by measuring the hole and adding the width of a 2x4 (1 1/2") on each side. I wanted to make it sturdy in case of stepping on and cutting the deck open there could weaken it. Also gives more to nail to.
My situation was a little unique because I was working around to existing aluminum braces and the hull of the boat and didn't want to modify them. I used 3/4 ply on the bottom. 2x4s on the sides and 1x3 (roughly) on front and back.
After getting the Box built by screwing together with wood screws, I then trimmed it flush with the table saw on all sides. This was for two reasons. One was I didn't have quite enough room at the front to get the whole depth of the 2x4 and 3/4" bottom. Second was after built there might have been a little bit of error in the various sides.

But you'll never know after running all edges through the table saw set at the lowest ones height!


Then I added the front edge which stuck up to be flush with the top edge of the deck and had the top edge angled at 45 degree to give the cord to the pedal some strain relief. I cut the mitered 45 with the tablesaw.


Screwed everything temporarily to the deck to check it out. Looks like it'll work !




A pic of the height now of the pedal. At first I was going to make it flush, but with the pivoting of each end going up and down, I changed it to this in order to not have to push it below the level of the deck with the foot.


Here's a shot of the measurements for my particular one.


Now to flesh out the drain which will be a hose down to the hull to let water run back through the bilge and contemplating moving the trolling motor plug into the box to allow the connection there. I'll wait till the carpeting stage to look at that part.

So there it is, I had everything laying around the shop so the 100 bucks it would have cost me will buy beer and if I hate it, I can use the very materials it's made of to make it a hatch or close it off completely restoring a flat deck. I am thinking about making a plate to cover the hole up maybe if the pedal is moved out on the deck in some situations.

Lenny

 

[basstender10.6]

Looking good man! That is a dream fishing machine

 

[redneckfisher]

nice boat! i might look into these boats and get one.

 

[lennyzx11]

Thanks for the kind words. The boat was fine but I just wanted to put in a couple of my ideas of what would be good for me.

Yesterday was off to pick up wood and carpet adhesive to start building the center deck. Spoke to a local welder who agreed to weld up the crack this afternoon for about 50 bucks. I can weld but don't have access to a Mig/Tig to do it. Worked a couple of hours on the center deck setup but now trying to decide which is better.

Here's the area I'm considering decking over.


Now I've got to make a decision on whether to inset the center deck. Like this...



That way would save the weight of a couple of 2x4s that I will have to use to raise the deck but the best thing is the lip would keep stuff (and maybe me) in the boat. That boat seat mount in the center is solid and the same height (close) to the side covers so laying the plywood across all of them would make for an easy framing job.

Then here's the other way I'm looking at.



This way would allow me to just barely squeeze in a rod locker for storage along the port side for a few rods with PVC or golf club tubes through that aluminum bulkhead. I have to stay up about 3 " from the top though to go under the braces inside the front and the hull rising up from the bottom. It looks close but I think a 6'6" rod will fit to the outside and 7' toward the middle. I'm leaning more torwards this way. What do you guys think?
I may cover that trolling motor pedal hole up though eventually. That big flat expanse of deck does look good. That hole in the middle of it may not be as well thought out as it should have been. I'll test run it before I carpet.

Won't get much today done since it's off to the welder and back with an appt later this evening. Let me know what you guys think about the deck height decision.
Lenny

 

[baseball_guy_99]

I like the idea of the whole front being flat. I guess because I grew up fishing out of my dad's Ranger that has the whole front decked like that.