I want to thank everyone of y’all for chiming in during my rebuild. You have no idea how much I appreciate everyone of you! I’m back on the water now. Next I’ll redo the front deck and maybe add storage up there for my tackle. I’m going solo Saturday then I’ll see how it rides. After every trip I let the pressure off the tie downs while it’s sitting in the driveway. And I can tip the front end up a little with one hand. I have a trolling battery and a little 18amp hour sla batteries in the same box in the front just behind the deck as well as my anchor and trolling motor and that’s it on the bow. The rear bench is storage with ammo boxes. Tools , spare parts , big first aid kit , one box has head lamps , spot light and charging cords , spare prop in another. On starboard side in the bench under where I sit (being left hand on the tiller) is a 35ah sla battery for electrical mostly lights. The 6 gal. fuel tank is port side about about 18” in front of the rear bench. In the corner in the stern is a 5 gallon bucket with cast net and two drift socks. It launches easier now. During the rebuild I tried to figure out a way to lower the boat. Instead the front half of the boat was riding on a small 4-5” roller right in the middle. I put a cross bunk closer to the bow raising it just above that roller and raised the winch a little. The two times I’ve had it out both where shallow ramps. The last one was really shallow (Somerville is 5’ low) and the stern was barely afloat. I pushed it right off the trailer. And instead of the bunks being even with the stern they now stick out about an inch. My wife was with me both trips and sit midway and took the pole out from under the bow seat and sit in the very front. It’s ran good both times. I think that 40hp has a lot to do with it. Trying not to add a bunch of weight to the bow. Next I’ll be solo then I’ll know. I’m hoping it trims out faster Saturday than it used to with way less weight on the flooring. So I can keep it easy to lunch. There’s a couple of steeper ramps I haven’t tried yet but I bet I’ll be able to just crank it off.
Anyway I just wanted to say thanks. Like I said the front deck is next ( using Nautolex on it if I can not have enough carpet left over from the floor) then paint it so it doesn’t look so much like a clunker. I did test the carpet by dragging a hook across and it didn’t snag until it flipped over and then it came right out. By then it’ll be time to redo the bottom. I want to flip it over and strip it down then seal each rivet and put the toughest slickest stuff I can find. And eventually the transom. I’ll be screaming for help again.
Thank you all sooooo much! From the corrosion to the wiring thanks to y’all I won’t have to redo anything for a long time. I bet most of it outlast me and I can hand it down to a grandson. I hope I’m able to find a post where I can help someone and pay it forward.
