EricZ's Bass Tracker Pro-16 Build

[EricZ]

Downtown » 31 Aug 2013, 15:15[/url]"]Looks awesome, you do good work.
Have you had it on the water? I would like to see it in action!

Thanks! I had it out fishing on Sunday morning for the first time. It didn't sink, so that's good. Next time I'm out I'll take a little video and post it up.

All in all I'm pretty happy with the way the paint turned out. There are a few areas where the paint bled underneath the mask, but you have to be looking for them. From start to finish it was around 100-110 hours.

Next was starting in on the wiring. I picked up a kit from bluewaterled, that got me nav lights, deck lights, and compartment lights.

Nav Lights


Deck Lights


Pulling wires


Not gonna lie, the wiring was a few week process. Every single connection I made was soldered, greased, and heat shrunk together. My least favorite thing in the entire world is chasing down electrical problems.

Next I carpeted inside the compartments, wired in the stereo, added more foam and put in the new 12 gal fuel tank.




Then it was carpeting the interior. I really screwed up on this step. After buying 4 different kinds of carpet glue from the home improvement stores, none of them worked. Settled on contact cement for everything that had to be carpeted after the compartments, which I used the 1 gallon of alcohol based carpet adhesive that the carpet company sent me for.



New hardware for the console, and the old one got mounted on the bow. I also painted the trolling motor to match the rest of the boat.

 

[wingsnhammers]

This is a pretty awesome build. You've done a bang up job so far! Maybe one of these days I will get a chance to use my version of the WWI Navy "Dazzle" camo. Everything you have done looks professional. Keep up the good work.

 

[EricZ]

After waiting on my hatches for a few weeks, they finally showed up. I called in some favors to have all my hatches and decks laser cut and press braked out of .125 aluminum.




Then came mounting and wiring in the console.


Finished interior




Measuring the decks was next, lot of dimensions to check and re check. I had cardboard templates laser cut to make sure all the measurements were right, lot less expensive than aluminum.



For the most part, everything was good. I tweaked a few of the dimensions on the bow deck a little, and added a hole mount the trolling motor foot pedal flush with the deck.

The decks


Installing and carpeting the decks

 

[EricZ]

wingsnhammers » 02 Sep 2013, 22:09[/url]"]This is a pretty awesome build. You've done a bang up job so far! Maybe one of these days I will get a chance to use my version of the WWI Navy "Dazzle" camo. Everything you have done looks professional. Keep up the good work.

Thanks man. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Didn't intend for the build to get as extensive as it did; but do it once, do it right, right?

 

[Mojo]

This is just super impressive dude. Great work! Being a former Navy guy I'm really digging that digital camo job you did on that boat, Sharp.

 

[bigwave]

Awesome job on your boat.... =D>

 

[EricZ]

Thanks everybody!

Well here she is, all finished.

 

[Downtown]

That's looks badass. Im liking the lights on the front.

 

[Kochy]

Please keep the pics arolling, that boat is basically the same thing as mine. I like the way you did it, how much did you pay for your console if you dont mind me asking, and where'd ya get it, I might want to get it for my boat because that looks pretty bad donkey on yours.

 

[EricZ]

Kochy » Today, 20:48[/url]"]Please keep the pics arolling, that boat is basically the same thing as mine. I like the way you did it, how much did you pay for your console if you dont mind me asking, and where'd ya get it, I might want to get it for my boat because that looks pretty bad donkey on yours.

If I get outta work early enough tomorrow i'll take some pics of her on the water. I've been following your thread, and you've done a heck of a job on your boat.

The console came from ebay, think it was around 600 bucks without a helm, cable, or steering wheel. The old helm didn't fit behind the dash, so I bought a new teleflex 4.2, a new wheel and a new cable separately. Here's a link to one they have for sale right now.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GAUGE-DASH-PANEL-SIDE-MOUNT-BOAT-STEERING-CONSOLE-W-TELEFLEX-4-2-NFB-HELM-/400441040910?pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item5d3c25600e&vxp=mtr

If you keep checking, eventually one with some sort of defect will pop up for less money.

 

[Flatbotm]

Very nice job on your build! It's great to see it on the water.

 

[EricZ]

**Update**

So I haven't been able to use her near as much as I'd like, but after 10-12 times in the water she's holding up good. Not as fast as before, but a heck of a lot more solid.




Crappy cell phone pic at the landing


My neighbor does covers for a living and gave me a heck of a deal.


What it's all about

 

[jwh7399]

Amazing work. That boat is simply BAD ***. Very well done.

 

[13rannon]

Very impressive!

 

[zacksimpson]

I know no one has posted on here in a few months, but I have a pretty similar boat. Did you do the small pods because that's all that'd fit without affecting your turning, or because that's all the flotation you'd need? Your boat seems to sit pretty light in the back, which is what I'm looking for. I'm just hoping I can put bigger pods on because I have a 70 horse on mine and want to be able to get into some pretty skinny stuff going duck hunting and fishing.

 

[EricZ]

zacksimpson » Today, 16:14[/url]"]I know no one has posted on here in a few months, but I have a pretty similar boat. Did you do the small pods because that's all that'd fit without affecting your turning, or because that's all the flotation you'd need? Your boat seems to sit pretty light in the back, which is what I'm looking for. I'm just hoping I can put bigger pods on because I have a 70 horse on mine and want to be able to get into some pretty skinny stuff going duck hunting and fishing.

I was hoping to put the medium beavertail pods on, but after making cardboard cutouts I realized they wouldn't allow the motor to go lock-to-lock. With the small pods, I have about 1" between the edge of the pod and the outboard when at lock. Having the mediums would have been nice, I brought a guy fishing this fall that was 250ish and it was sitting way lower in the back than I would have liked. If I were you I'd make some cutouts and see if the mediums would fit. Hope this helps.

 

[zacksimpson]

It does help, thanks. I'm sure I'll be in the same boat as you. That 70 is pretty wide. I think I'm going to set my engine back and up some on a manual backplate to free up some room for bigger pods and get into some shallower stuff. Definitely going to make some cardboard cut outs and try em on for size though.

 

[Gators5220]

Man that's one sick boat bud, really nice work!

 

[DrNip]

What is the product you used to make the stencil on the boat? Where did you get it?

 

[EricZ]

DrNip » 26 minutes ago[/url]"]What is the product you used to make the stencil on the boat? Where did you get it?

I bought a 50 yard roll of Oracal 810S vinyl paint mask and cut out the stencils on my vinyl cutter. Here's the link, it's pretty easy stuff to work with.

https://www.uscutter.com/ORAMASK-810S-Spray-Mask-Stencil