THE LARD BARGE: My 1648MV NCS Duckboat.

[Pweisbrod]

I will be pulling a brand SPANKIN' new 1648 sierra and 25 evinrude e-tec with electric start home on the first of next month, so here's the project plans: simple, it's a duckboat. It's gonna be the 20" transom version, I'm very excited!

trailer:
-extend bunks for 16' boat, as well as move winch forward (done)
-repack or replace trailer bearings, bearing buddies
-repaint the whole thing. PO just sort of shlupped black paint on it, doesn't look that great.
-spare tire
-I need guide-on's for backing up. I suuuuck at backing up trailers with mirrors, being able to see the guides sticking up past my tailgate will really help. Any info on getting these onto a trailer? I could fab some steel ones, but plastic would be nice in case the boat hits them...
-replace chains with decent ones with clips

Boat-
-Camo, camo, camo.
-duck blind
-hopefully some sort of pedestal seats, at least one in the front for wifey. Info on the best way to mount these would be great as well.
-bow mount trollin' motor with foot control, good for picking up decoys and for fishing when i'm not trolling with big motor
-rod holders for summer
-some sort of carpet for the open section that is removable for fall hunting. Neomats?
-i need headlights for seeing while driving around before sunup in duck season. Ideas? I also need front and rear nav lights so folks without headlights don't run into me when mine are turned off
-switch/fuse panel for said accessories
-some sort of cooler that doubles as a mobile seat. I will probably camo one and use it just like i just described it. LOL.

motor-
-camo? do the vinyl camo wraps for outboards come off easily enough to not ruin the paint??
-Enjoy the glory that is a brand new motor with a 5 year warranty and electric start.


If I think of anything else, I will add it on here, that's all for now! Open to any ideas, especially one for a gun box, or decoy storage system. rod holders? Easily removable storage space?

Thanks!


-Paul

same boat as mine!

 

[fool4fish1226]

Nice (love the E-tech) Keep us up to date with your mods

 

[Pweisbrod]

Will do! Everything will have to be on the (incredibly) cheap, as we are expecting our first kiddo on april 18th, and we are attempting to close a loan on a house at the moment as well.

I'm expecting great things out of the e-tec, my father in law has a 60 horse remote steer on his walleye boat, he gets about 1.75x better mileage, and more power than his old johnson 60, and no problems at all in three years. Fantastic!

Wasn't there a how-to with something about a way to attach guides to the trailer? Would be interested in that.

Trailer updates soon. 8)

-Paul

 

[Pweisbrod]

Spent a few hours yesterday packing new bearings to put in the new hubs for the trailer. Fleet farm has got pretty decent prices on new hubs, mine were uglied up anyhow, so i just pulled the trigger on 'em. Pounded in new seals, one of the old ones has about 9 billion feet of fishing line wrapped around it.

I also put on "grease keepers" which are the off-brand bearing buddy. I think they'll work dandy. Nice snug fit.

I am going to pull the trailer around for 5-10 miles to make sure it doesn't explode or anything exciting like that, I will add pics tonight!

 

[KRS62]

Put a set a fog/spot lights on the back of your towing rig. That will certainly help with backing up in the dark. I also will turn the boat's Nav lights on before backing up and it helps me see where the boat is. (The previous owner of my truck put VERY DARK tint on the windows.)

 

[Pweisbrod]

My windows are tinted too.

The problem is I have a hard time backing a trailer through my mirrors, I can go as fast as anybody looking over my shoulder. The guides will give me something to look at over the top of my tailgate (slightly lifted truck, can't see trailer at all without boat on it) so I can see where I'm backing.

My brain just doesn't operate on a mirror/trailer frequency, and I'm a commercial driver for petes sake!

Thanks!

 

[pipemajor]

I had the same problem with my 1232 boat..could see over the tailgate. I used a 10 ft stick of 1" emt (thin wall electrical tubing) and bent it so the tail lights would be high enough to see where the trailer was. See my New 1232 post for pictures.

Cheers :beer:

 

[pipemajor]

Hi Pweisbrod, To answer your question on the mounting of the EMT, I used U-bolts mounted through the trailer frame. I hand bent the pipe (I am an electrician and have the hand benders) to fit just outside my boat. The u-bolts were a little bit smaller than the pipe so I forced them onto the pipe and squared them up to fit the holes in the frame. I drilled a hole in the bottom for the wiring (sealed it with silicone rubber) and pulled it to the location where my light were to be mounted. I used a J-clamp made for the pipe size (from Home Depot) and mounted the light to the pipe. I also used a piece of 12 gauge aluminum (an old parking sign I found in the canyon :roll: ) to mount the trailer light on for more support. I found that a 1" PVC slip on cap fit the 1" emt to keep rain out of the pipe.

Good luck on your Mod.

Cheers :beer:
Kurt

 

[Pweisbrod]

Thank you sir, all good tips. That will work well for me, (I have an conduit bender too) I will get on it once I get the stinkin' boat! Only a few days left to go


I need to post pics of my trailer mods, I have the day off tomorrow, so I will try to get on it!

 

[Pweisbrod]

Well, I have my boat now! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I took it out for a 20 minute shakedown run yesterday, and there are three things I want to change already:

-I need some sort of luxurious butt-pad or seat.
-I am going to adjust the tiller 20* so that it's further away from me when I'm using the main motor
- I want to get my old fart of a trolling motor fixed, and find a way to get that thing on there!


The trailer needs the bunks carpeted and sealed as well, I need to attach the new trailer chain I just got, I need a safety chain for the boat-trailer connection....


Why does everything cost money :shock:

I will get some pictures up today.

 

[tdub]

I have the same boat as you do but with a different motor. Have fun with it.

 

[Pweisbrod]

Any complaints so far? I really like it, as a duck hunter, it seems like a yacht to me. :O


-Paul

 

[KevinWI]

my duck rig......have to alter it a bit since I made the video to fit my modifications, but you may get an idea or two for your mod.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYkvPYd5lhc&feature=player_embedded

 

[Pweisbrod]

Awesome thank you! Gotta love it.

 

[Pweisbrod]

Anybody have any opinions on these?

https://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-AOI3870S
https://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-AOI9370345S
https://www.mackspw.com/Item--i-STE4220S


I need to pick up two of 'em, as well as a throw pad (since the boat is 16')

 

[tdub]

My only trouble has been where to mount both of the batteries since I added a bow mount trolling motor(I used 3/16 aluminum and closed up the front "V"). Last summer I put 1 battery near the drain, gas tank in front of the bench and the 2nd battery in front of the gas tank. It works good with just me in the boat, but when some one sits up front the there seems to be too much weight forward. I may just cut 2 holes in the bench, #1 battery center and #2 battery to the left and see how that goes. The only thing that sucks is once I cut the holes and put doors on them I'm kinda stuck with it. Other that figuring out where things should go it's been a good boat. The only bonus to putting the batteries in the bench is that it leaves the floor wide open.

 

[Pweisbrod]

A few pictures from the first outing.

Lots to do! Things I want to change: Seats, I need to find something I will really like for using in the back for when I'm trolling with the big motor, and for long runs in the boat. I am going to adjust the tiller 20 degrees out away from me so that it's more comfortable to use. (I am large.)

In order of importance:
-Life jackets/throw cushion (please provide input here, I need some good camo lifejackets.)
-tiller adjustment
-camo job
-register boat with state so I can fish out of it...
-seats that can move around in middle. I'm thinking of mounting a boat seat to a cooler. thoughts?
-blind for hunting
-who knows...

 

[Pweisbrod]

looks like this week is supposed to be record highs in MN, reaching the low 70s. I will be hitting the mississippi to try and catch... something! I will also take pics!


-Paul

 

[River]

Yellow, Red, or Blaze Orange on the life jackets. If you need them you want to be easily seen....

 

[Pweisbrod]

Thanks for the input! But this is very purpose specific. I want to be able to wear a life jacket while duck hunting, which i want to be camouflaged for. It's that or no life jacket at all while hunting, and I have a new daughter to look out for come April, so no jacket is not an option. I have a yellow one for summer fishing!

Again thanks for the input.