Monark 1648 Mod

[NoahsArk]

Well, here goes nothing.

I have been searching for a boat project for a while and happened across this site. I have gotten many ideas from all of the great project and pictures posted by members, and thought I might give it a try. This is my first boat mod and the first time using a forum, so I figure d I'd give them both a try.

About the Boat:

Purchased this Monark 1648 yesterday with a new trailer and without a motor. Came with a foot pedal 40 lb TM, Lowrance sounder, battery, and 2 anchors with cranks. I will be using a friend's 10 hp Johnson short shaft until I find a motor that I want to buy. Overall goal for the boat is to have a comfortable and efficient fishing rig, but also something that I can use for sandbar camping. I live on the Mighty Mississippi in southern Wisconsin, so large access to both fishing and camping. My initial thought is to extend the casting deck, re-do the wood decking, create some storage in the middle and rear bench, and create a platform on the rear to fish from as well.

The boat is water-tight, however, I purchased it from a guy that removed a trim bracket (not sure if that is the technical term) that the motor attached to. So my first priority is to seal the holes left by the bolts in the transom. I am thinking that I can get replacement bolts with metal and rubber washers, seal the inside with marine grade caulk, and snug the bolts down to seal the holes. I am trying to avoid replacing the transom, as that was just recently replaced.

Pictures of the boat and the transom below, and I welcome any questions, comments, or suggestions that any of you have!

Thanks for reading!

 

[Andy Taylor]

Nice boat. It looks just like my 1648 Landau. I would replace the bow stop with something flat. A carpeted 2X4 works well. There are many pics on this site.

 

[pjcalla]

Looks exactly like my boat. I'm currently putting in an aluminum frame and decking. I'm hoping to finish it up in the next few weeks.

As for an outboard, I used a '79 Johnson 15 last summer on a lake, and it pushed me, wood decking, trolling motor, battery, gas, some gear, etc. 18.6 mph top speed on phone GPS. If I were to guess the weight, it would be around 400lbs., plus the weight of the hull.

I thought that was fast enough for me, so I traded an extra trolling motor for an '83 Johnson 15hp that I'm currently working on getting tuned up.

My goal is slightly different than you, as I'm not going to be using it to go camping. I do plan on running it in the White River near my house, and the lakes in MI and IN. Combining the relatively light weight of the 15hp, aluminum frame and decking, and distributing the weight correctly should allow me to get into real skinny water for fishing, which is my main goal.

Good luck.

 

[NoahsArk]

Andy, good idea on the bow stop. I have seen them on here, and will most likely get something put together in the coming weeks. I am sure I could find an "L" shaped bracket to replace the roller and mount the 2x4 directly to that. I may call a metal shop or look at a hardware store.

I got to work a bit today on the transom holes. I purchased some carriage bolts, rubber washers, and some form-a-gasket sealant. I sanded and cleaned the aluminum for a flush surface, and the carriage bolts seated nicely into the aluminum. I sandwiched the rubber washer between layers of the form-a-gasket. I am not overly confident that this will work as I was not able to get the bolt snugged down very tight without the rubber gasket starting to lift up around the edges from the force. My original thought was that the bolt and rubber washer would create a water tight compression seal. The form-a-gasket was more of an additional precaution. I will let the sealant cure a bit and try to tighten the bolts some more. Backing the boat into the water and testing it will be the next step, if I am happy with the result.

If I can't get the bolts water tight, any suggestions on a sealant or epoxy to use with the carriage bolts and eliminating the rubber washers completely?

 

[rscottp]

Looks like it should work. Are the bolts SS, if not they should be to prevent corrosion? Most people use use 3M 5200 for sealing up stuff.