BadMan
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- Joined
- Dec 10, 2011
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I owned a Fiberglas boat years ago. Loved it. Eventually sold it.
Nowadays, I live in a resort town with easy access to four smallish lakes. Some have horsepower limits, some have electric-only restrictions. I needed a boat again. So I went in search of a small aluminum boat and trailer as cheap as possible.
I found them for $300 late in the summer:
The boat is a 12' V-hull, listed as a 1970 model on the registration. Whoever built it has been lost to time. It had no motor--no problem, since I plan to buy a transom-mount trolling motor. Trailer is clearly home built from a Harbor Freight utility trailer. It needs proper hardware (a winch would help) and better bunks, but it will work.
The wooden seats are in bad shape. Some repairs around rivets have been made with what looks like caulk. Hardware (handles, etc.) is loose and needs to be removed and re-installed with new nuts and bolts.
I have started removing the white house paint--I assume--that was sloppily applied (as it usually is on these boats!).
Using Jasco stripper and a grinding wheel, I have nearly finished stripping the outside hull. For house paint, it was surprisingly tough to remove. Inside hull is the same.
Surprise! Under the white paint, the hull near the stern is heavily Bondo'd! Oh, well.
The transom is a solid piece of lumber that has rusted bolts used to hold an outboard. It probably should be replaced.
So, here are my simple plans:
1. Repaint and reseal rivets where required.
2. Replace wood deck seats with finished oak (which I have already).
3. Add a wooden floor.
4. Put in standard padded seats--the aft will be on one of those "no-rise" swivels so I can reach the handle on a transom-mount trolling motor;the middle seat will go on a 7" high pedestal.
5. Add wiring for lights, motor, portable live well, maybe a radio.
6. Build a battery box someplace where it will look good--maybe forward.
7. Build livewell and radio (and speakers) mounting box of some sort.
Any other ideas?
I've been calling this my "unique fixer-upper opportunity," by the way!
Nowadays, I live in a resort town with easy access to four smallish lakes. Some have horsepower limits, some have electric-only restrictions. I needed a boat again. So I went in search of a small aluminum boat and trailer as cheap as possible.
I found them for $300 late in the summer:
The boat is a 12' V-hull, listed as a 1970 model on the registration. Whoever built it has been lost to time. It had no motor--no problem, since I plan to buy a transom-mount trolling motor. Trailer is clearly home built from a Harbor Freight utility trailer. It needs proper hardware (a winch would help) and better bunks, but it will work.
The wooden seats are in bad shape. Some repairs around rivets have been made with what looks like caulk. Hardware (handles, etc.) is loose and needs to be removed and re-installed with new nuts and bolts.
I have started removing the white house paint--I assume--that was sloppily applied (as it usually is on these boats!).
Using Jasco stripper and a grinding wheel, I have nearly finished stripping the outside hull. For house paint, it was surprisingly tough to remove. Inside hull is the same.
Surprise! Under the white paint, the hull near the stern is heavily Bondo'd! Oh, well.
The transom is a solid piece of lumber that has rusted bolts used to hold an outboard. It probably should be replaced.
So, here are my simple plans:
1. Repaint and reseal rivets where required.
2. Replace wood deck seats with finished oak (which I have already).
3. Add a wooden floor.
4. Put in standard padded seats--the aft will be on one of those "no-rise" swivels so I can reach the handle on a transom-mount trolling motor;the middle seat will go on a 7" high pedestal.
5. Add wiring for lights, motor, portable live well, maybe a radio.
6. Build a battery box someplace where it will look good--maybe forward.
7. Build livewell and radio (and speakers) mounting box of some sort.
Any other ideas?
I've been calling this my "unique fixer-upper opportunity," by the way!