FINISHED 1440 Alumacraft

[cjbassinboy]

Hi all,
Today i picked up my first boat! shes got a pretty new paint job, a livewell, and is prewired with running lights. I am completely new at boat ownership, and havnt done any type of boat modifications. I need to take out the middle seat, floor and carpet the bottom, wire in a switch board, connect that to a battery with a fishfinder, bilge pump, and deck lights. Then i need to deck the front 3 feet, and make a battery compartment underneath that. Then i want to put carpeted panels on the sides, and put rod holders on that. Any tips for a newbie? Also i am having trouble uploading pictures?

Thanks,
Connor

 

[johnnybassboat]

Welcome, you can search the builds for ideas and find just about anything you may want.Dont worry about pictures, just do what I do , have your wife do it. lmao :LOL2:

 

[cjbassinboy]

Well ive been lurking on the forum for about 2 years now haha im just now buying a boat! im 15 so the wife thing doesnt really apply to me! :LOL2:

 

[Driftingrz]

Get an account on photobucket and make your life easier. Then start a build thread so we can see pics. Where ya gonna be fishin in this boat? I see your a fellow georgian

 

[krisopp]

Congrats on the rig!

 

[cjbassinboy]

Thanks! I'll be fishing Allatoona, Carters, Blue Ridge, Lake Nantahala in NC, and maybe some others. i will make the photobucket account today

 

[cjbassinboy]

The first 4 are of what i wanna make it into, all the rest are my boat.

https://s1336.beta.photobucket.com/user/cjlake/library/

 

[Driftingrz]

Looks like a solid boat to buid on. Nice that it already a livewell

 

[cjbassinboy]

Im gonna have to move the livewell, or just completely take it out and use it on another boat in the future, as i am dead set on taking out the center seat. Just picked up a battery and stern light from walmart, everything works great! I will be getting parts in this week so construction will begin soon!

 

[Driftingrz]

I dont blame ya for wanting to pull the middle bench. I did my boat that way and love the space I have now

 

[Vermonster]

Hey Connor - Congrats on the boat!

Take your time is the best advice on here I can give. You've been lurking for a long time, so you likely know the basics:

No Pressure treated wood.
Aluminum is lighter and lasts longer but is more expensive than wood. It's also just as easy if not easier to work with than wood in my opinion. I cut all my aluminum angle with a jig saw (change the blade). Rivets are easy too!

Look forward to your progress!

 

[cjbassinboy]

Thanks for the tips! is the angle really worth the extra money? What kind of wood is best for decking?

 

[cjbassinboy]

I do plan on riveting everything down

 

[cjbassinboy]

Finally figured out how to pictures, reading the directions on the forum help :LOL2:
The Lucy

What i intend to make her look like!

I will be starting on wiring everything this week, hopefully get to cutting plywood over the weekend!

 

[Vermonster]

Using the Angle saves time (you don't have to treat it) and it's lighter, but if the budget doesn't permit it, don't sweat it.

I only used it for framing myself, and opted for exterior grade 1/2" plywood for the deck. I hit that with 3 coats of Spar Urethane.

Here's something I wrote up before:

Carpet Adhesive: Henrys 263 https://www.wwhenry.com/content.aspx?id=415&View=Product&cID=93&pID=84

Carpet (too many people to list)... I used these guys and just bought the basic carpet (I was on a budget) it arrived in 2 days. They will send you samples if you want too (free) https://www.boatcarpetcentral.com/ If you're fishing for cats you may want something like vinyl that cleans easier. Slimey carpet is nasty

Decking: Exterior grade plywood for floors with minimum 3 coats of spar urethane on it. The henrys 263 will stick to the Spar (it's been tested here). I used 1/2 inch ply (15/32 inch). Aluminum plate can be used for decking too. It's expensive, but you will never have to replace it.

Supports/Bracing: Aluminum angle is lighter than wood as far as supports go, but it is more expensive. Some guys use pine 2X2s and some use 2X4s. Hit them with spar urethane too. Rivets and Aluminum are easy to work with though and won't rot on you.

Sealant: 3M 5200 Coat all hardware with it that's in contact with hull. Also good for sealing rivets and seams.

Hardware: Go stainless in my opinion and coat it with 3M 5200. Use nylock nuts. Some of my original hardware was aluminum, but in my opinion it was weak - I could snap off the screws and bolts turning by hand.

 

[cjbassinboy]

I'll be getting carpet from that place for sure! Thanks so much for the good info, i really appreciate it. How should i coat all the hardware?

 

[Vermonster]

If you've got to replace any leaky rivets or if you're adding stainless steel bolts through the hull - I would coat them with the 3M 5200 Marine Sealant. Usually it can be found in the glue/sealant aisle at Home Depot. If you're going to be removing the middle seat you're definitely going to have some holes to plug. Drill the holes clean and either use rivets or stainless bolts to plug them (all coated with the 3M 5200).

 

[cjbassinboy]

well when i remove the seat, im not gonna pull any rivets out, im gonna cut with a jig saw as close as i can to the edge, then just hammer the remaining stuff flat. i do have to plug a livewell hole, should i just use the plug or something different?

 

[cjbassinboy]

Picked up all the plywood, and got it cut to roughly the shape it needs to be, tomorrow i will be taking out the middle seat and fitting all the plywood.

 

[hueydr]

If your planning on putting a livewell back in, I would remove that center seat carefully and move it forward in the tin. You will have less work to deck the front and save a bundle on parts. Nice tin to start with