etindoll
Active member
Looks great it will be very nice when you finish.
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Benjineer's Lund S-16 Mod
- Thread starter benjineer
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benjineer
Well-known member
benjineer
Well-known member
Got my console built, flotation in, and the floor down. Well, I'm not completely done with the floor. It's not behaving right in one of the front corners. I let the sheet be bigger than the space I had for a flat floor. I intended for it to just float up the sides a little in the front corners otherwise I'd have a gap for stuff to get under the floor. The sheet I bought was thicker than my original plan, and it didn't bend so easily, and I also didn't get it centered. I may have to cut some off. Not sure because I ran out of rivets and didn't finish. I sure don't want to pull it back up and start over.
benjineer
Well-known member
Here is the front of the floor where I wanted to roll the edges up. As I said, I was afraid I might have to remove it and cut some off the right side, but I managed to beat in into subjection with a 4lb hammer.
benjineer
Well-known member
Here it is with the side bars laid in. I plan to cover them with plywood and maybe attach to the hull in a couple more places underneath. This is a gamble because I'm not sure they will be sturdy enough if someone sits or steps on them. If it don't work, I'll have to try something else. I don't really want to go to side boxes with the console. I don't really have enough room for that unless I offset the console to the right and only walk around the left side. It would work, but it's not what I really wanted. 
benjineer
Well-known member
This thing is taking forever, and it's getting hard to find time to work on it. Not to mention it's 100 degrees outside. I abandoned the plan for the side rails for now and removed the middle seat brackets/braces. I just can't make up my mind what to do with that part. I'm thinking now I want to add some vertical braces similar to Dave Shady's S-18 and stick standard rod holders on them. I might even get them welded on. I'm anxious to get it back in the water and see how it does, so that comes later. 
I'm working on the small rear deck now. I mirrored the side that already had a board running from the bench to the transom, and I'm adding support for a hinged lid. I plan to put 2 pedestal bases on the bench for driver/passenger and maybe 1 in the middle to fish from. Next, maybe I can do some more painting and get started on the wiring.
I'm working on the small rear deck now. I mirrored the side that already had a board running from the bench to the transom, and I'm adding support for a hinged lid. I plan to put 2 pedestal bases on the bench for driver/passenger and maybe 1 in the middle to fish from. Next, maybe I can do some more painting and get started on the wiring.
benjineer
Well-known member
Updates. Repainted interior. Carpet in, back deck finished except for hinged lid. I'm going to carpet just the lid after I get it sealed up with paint. It's only primed in the pic. You can see I've got all the holes cut out in the console. I'm almost ready to start wiring which is going to take a while. I want it usable by this weekend. Family camping trip.
benjineer
Well-known member
Getting closer. Sorry about the low quality cellphone pics. I'll get some with the good camera when I'm done. Finished most of the console wiring last night. I hope to finish the other end this evening and maybe even go for a test run.
benjineer
Well-known member
We went out for a little ride yesterday evening. It was like a totally different boat. It was very comfortable to drive and easy to move around in. I ran it standing up with my extension handle also. That was pretty comfortable as well. I don't have my GPS and depth finder hooked up yet, so I didn't check the speed. I don't think I lost any since replacing the 3/4 ply with 1/8 aluminum and adding a battery. I've also raised the motor up about 1 to 1-1/2". The cav plate is still slightly below the bottom of the boat, but it's about as high as I can go without adding a bracket of some kind. Hopefully I'll get my electronics running by this weekend and get some better pics and a report. I've got a 25qt marine cooler that fits snugly under the rear deck. I'm planning to plumb it for a live well. I'm not sure it will keep a limit of bass alive, but I think it will be fine for night tournaments or just fishing. It should also work well for minnows or live shrimp.
benjineer
Well-known member
Now that I'm almost done I decided to review my spending :shock:. I've spent a net of about $3450 since I started this thing a year ago. I did some horse trading with the motors and already had a few things I used, so I have more in it than what I spent. Here's what I estimate I have in it.
$1000 - Boat and trailer
$1950 - Motor
$600 - Trolling motor
$300 - Aluminum
$1050 - Other materials, accessories, etc.
$4900 Total
I might as well say $5000, since I have a couple more seat brackets to buy, hinges for the rear compartment, and a few other odds and ends. I have paint to do the outside when I get time. I also have a fish finder to mount on the trolling motor.
$1000 - Boat and trailer
$1950 - Motor
$600 - Trolling motor
$300 - Aluminum
$1050 - Other materials, accessories, etc.
$4900 Total
I might as well say $5000, since I have a couple more seat brackets to buy, hinges for the rear compartment, and a few other odds and ends. I have paint to do the outside when I get time. I also have a fish finder to mount on the trolling motor.
benjineer
Well-known member
Hit 24 GPS with just my little boy and me. I think raising the motor helped. I don't know that I can expect much more from a 16ft boat with a 25hp.
benjineer
Well-known member
jasper60103 said:
Finally got to use it in that capacity. Trolls down to about 2.5mph GPS. Any slower, and I can't keep it running. Caught a few speckled trout out of it last trip. Only one was caught trolling, but I have some learning to do. I covered about 25 miles and burned very little gas. That makes me want to rethink having a permanent tank that size.
The boat will run in some pretty shallow water, but not 4". I hit a sand flat going about 20, and I think I've messed up the prop hub. After that, the motor would speed up every now and then and it felt like I wasn't getting traction. I'd like to think I didn't cause it all myself. The prop had a couple of good dings and the skeg was bent a little when I got it. I guess I have an excuse to buy a stainless one now.
jasper60103
Well-known member
benjineer said:
It must be nice getting out on the boat this time of year. Ice fishing season is under way here, LOL. Anywho, sounds like it performs well for you. Just be more careful. I like the way my 30hp motor sips gas too. Only used two 6 gallon tanks last summer. In fact, I run left over gas in the snowblower during the winter.
Did you cut or fabricate the trolling motor diamond plate yourself? I was thinking if I had a flat bow cover like that, I could move my trolling motor to the bow. My existing bow cover is thin and kinda curved or bow shaped.
Btw, your rig turned out really nice. Enjoy. =D>
benjineer
Well-known member
Yeah, it is nice. I hate being cold. It got down to about 25 here last night, but lows are around 40 for the rest of the week. I cut the plate with a jigsaw and folded it on a pressbrake where I work. It bounces a little with the weight of the trolling motor. I think maybe a carpeted piece of 3/4" ply might work better for some shock resistance. The brackets holding the plate up are .060 and have some flex the way I'm using them. I've thought about just adding something to support the head of the motor when it's stowed.
jasper60103
Well-known member
benjineer said:
Yea, I was thinking I could size it so it sits on top of the gunnels, and add 3/4" ply underneath for more support. Screw it down to the gunnels. You think it would be solid?
Anyway, yours turned out great. Thanks.
benjineer
Well-known member
I considered putting mine on top of the gunnels, but it would have looked unfinished that way. My sawing job was not the smoothest either. If it were aluminum or wood wrapped in carpet, I think it would look fine on top. I've seen a few done like that. If I were to pull mine off and go back with carpeted wood, I think I'd keep it inside the gunnels. I just like the look better. So far, I'm not completely satisfied with the below deck storage and the bow in general. I may find myself redoing it all this summer.
jasper60103
Well-known member
benjineer said:
Yea, I see your point. The cut edges wouldn't look that good. Thanks. -jasper
Love it! Twin 9.9's! Always wanted to do a twin set up. Nothing better than having a spare. What type of performance do you get? I also emailed you pics of my transom as I am having problems uploading photos directly to site.
Ben the difference between a cast and stainless prop is stainless is not as forgiving. You run the risk of more damage to lower unit rather than the wheel. Buy the hub and have it pressed. So i take it you did away with twins and have a 25 now?
