# Boat Build



## g0nef1sshn

So I brought the boat home to work on this weekend. Figured Id re title a new thread for it instead of it saying new boat. Borrowed a trailer to get it here so ill still need one eventually, but ill put more of the money I dont have into the materials needed first. Few pics to start this off right again.


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## king killer delete

Looks like a good start Adam


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## T-N-T

Gutted out.  Nice.
Time to get building.
Keep the pics coming!


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## DLH_Woodstock

Great start! What's your end goal?  Duck boat fishing boat both?


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## g0nef1sshn

DLH_Woodstock said:


> Great start! What's your end goal?  Duck boat fishing boat both?



duck, fish, and family cruise boat. Picked up shop vac today and cleaned and scraped the inside out some more today.


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## g0nef1sshn

got the transom out, What a pain. One screw I had to dill the head off held me up for a while. Had I drilled it out a lil more it probably woulda slid right out. This wood was wet throughout the whole thing. It did look like someone took their time to do it right too. So me and my dad are thinking it must have been submerged for a period of time or held a ton of rain water in someones back yard. funny thing is it doesnt look like a motor was ever clamped on it after its last redo job.


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## DLH_Woodstock

Looking good keep the pictures coming.


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## g0nef1sshn

next thing up Im thinking will be prepping for painting. A lot of washing, scrubbing, sanding and grinding. Need to fill it with water and look for leaky rivets. I want to do the paint before the wood work to keep it lighter.


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## g0nef1sshn

my plan for this weekend..... hopefully. Or atleast get started on these steps.

1] scuff sand entire boat with a sanding sponge to ensure it is smooth
2] scrub boat with soap and water and rinse well
3] wipe down THOROUGHLY with white vinegar and let dry
4] paint Rustoleum (thinned out some) with a good natural bristle brush - two coats. Let dry well and then wet sand LIGHTLY with 400 wet and dry paper. Tack off dust etc with a clean cotton rag and paint thinner, then brush on third and final coat with very clean brush

Since this will be a hunting boat and ran into sawgrass/brush and everything else on the water, these are my next steps. the outside of the whole boat is white now, Ill be goin for a green, brown, or tan on the outside. Im hoping to get it off the trailer and start sanding away this weekend. Maybe even today.

Majority of the white paint is on it pretty good. Only small areas where I can see it is bubbling/peeling. So I will be hitting those areas good and feathering out. Ill probably hit around every rivet good too. Ill post pics if I actually get to it. Two little girls under 3 keep me tied up pretty good on the off days.


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## Gaducker

use a foam roller and your paint will turn out much smoother.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Movin forward*

One man operation. while girls were nappin and wifes out on shopping time, I got it out, off the trailer, flipped on its new temporary trailer and got one good wash in by the time the girls woke up. Now ill let it dry and get back in dad mode.


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## g0nef1sshn

Gaducker said:


> use a foam roller and your paint will turn out much smoother.



Good point, the whites brushed on (real noticeable). It woulnt hurt to atleast have a smoother look in the end. I took those steps off another boat forum. Ill probably use those steps, may change the products.


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## g0nef1sshn

Just an FYI in case anyone was wondering, This boat is a 1977 Starcraft Super Sport 16 ft according to the title I got with it. Rated for up to an 85hp. I would love to put a 60hp merc tiller on it, But ill probably end up with a lower hp used motor to start with a kicker mounted as a back up.


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## mlandrum

love it ---- love it ----love it!!!!!!


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## g0nef1sshn

*supplies*

picked up some stuff today... also few picks of the aluminum back side of the transom. Need to do some research on the best way to take care if the pitting.


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## mose

Look at "Lab Metal". Google it. People love it


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## g0nef1sshn

mose said:


> Look at "Lab Metal". Google it. People love it



will do. thanks


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## rnelson5

I will 100% give you an "A" for effort and dedication!! It will be Inesting to see the final product!


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## g0nef1sshn

So I got some sanding done on the hull and the back of the transom.. This work has made me think that I am going to pick up some paint stripper and go that route. Next days off I hope to experiment a little with the stripping process. The two other pics are holes toward the bow right in the keels. There is a whole in each keel. Alittle research and I found that these were intentional for the keels to be able to drain i guess from the factory and are meant to be there.


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## g0nef1sshn

Messed with some paint stripper, I think this is gonna be they way to go. Just gonna take some time.


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## g0nef1sshn

The rear half minus my test from last night I did the "cover with plastic" method and I think it worked better then not using it on the half towards the bow. But, I did not pre-sand the bow area so that could be a factor. I sanded the rear half with 8o grit. So on the rest I think I will pre-sand with the 8o and cover in plastic. It was that noticeable. Gave it a good wash with dish soap before throwin it back inside the garage (HOA).

2 1/2hours worth of work takin it slow with a few beverages.


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## g0nef1sshn

Got the transom done yesterday


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## g0nef1sshn

I got more of the right side hull paint off, I have to work this weekend so I wont have too much time to work on the boat until Mon/tues. Here is a few pics of what the interior may be looking like with that splashwell removed. I have to hurry up and get this bottom done so I can start the sides and get into designing the interior.


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## tsharp

Very nice Sir! My hat off to you. I repaired many boat in my time, the reward is after the first trip.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Trailer scheduled for pick up Monday*

Garage is 19' deep, trailer is 18'7. tight fit. I dont have to worry about a motor for a little while so its gonna work fine for now.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Road Trip*

Headed to Augusta tomorrow to pick up trailer at Cabella's meeting spot. Hopefully I don't spend too much once inside to check it out 

and a lil progress has been made....

the whitish splatter lookin spots im guessin are resin spots from old primer/paint. The outside hull I sanded tonight. You can see the difference in the pics.  I Also played with the 3M sander disc I have on the side I still have yet to strip. I think I will use the paint stripper first. Its more steps, but a lot less work I think. My trigger finger is numb from the drill.


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## g0nef1sshn

Brought that trailer home today. Its nicer in person but a heavy son of a gun.

Picked up some marsh tan pant while at Cabella's also. Think I am gonna go with that as the base instead of brown.


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## g0nef1sshn

*ready to resume...*

need to rearrange garage again. But its still in operation mode. Ill add a tarp to cover the trailer so paint stripper wont hurt the trailer coat.


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## g0nef1sshn

gettin closer to paint time.


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## MudDucker

I hate to say this, but with that deep of a V, that boat is going to rock when you try to move to shoot.  It should ride rough water well though.


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## DSGB92

Awesome work! Keep it up and you will have you a nice boat!


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## rnelson5

Was the tape still on the doors at Cabelas when you came up??? They had a bunch of guns stolen.


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## g0nef1sshn

MudDucker said:


> I hate to say this, but with that deep of a V, that boat is going to rock when you try to move to shoot.  It should ride rough water well though.



It shouldnt rock at all really, hunted out of my dads 14ft v hull my whole life, we never had an issue. We shoot sitting 90% of the time.


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## g0nef1sshn

rnelson5 said:


> Was the tape still on the doors at Cabelas when you came up??? They had a bunch of guns stolen.



On Monday? I got there around 1100 and didnt notice anything. It was open for business.


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## g0nef1sshn

*uh oh, I started the sides.*

well, I couldn't help myself today guys. after cleaning up the rivet line of death you see there in the first pic, I tore into the side. I was only gonna sand that part, but might as well do it all. You can see some blue in there in the side shot too. looks like another layer of some paint to deal with. This side hull was harder to strip. But I didnt pre sand yet, and I used some napa aerosol stripper and aerosol kleen strip. The napa stuff was ok, but kleen strip kicked its butt.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Got a lil more done tonight,*

I wanted to finish this side. But I figured Id be nice to the neighbors.


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## flatsmaster

Its coming along great gOnef1 .... nice trailer to


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## MudDucker

g0nef1sshn said:


> It shouldnt rock at all really, hunted out of my dads 14ft v hull my whole life, we never had an issue. We shoot sitting 90% of the time.



I too have hunted out of V bottomed boats, but your experience may vary.  The stringers may help too.


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## king killer delete

MudDucker is right. But I had a LOWE 140V for years that was a good stable boat , that did not rock when you moved around in it..


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## g0nef1sshn

*coming along.*

Man is this some labor. But it is getting there. Im getting tired of the smell of paint stripper. Cant wait to get this thing painted and flipped so I can get to the interior. 

Got one side finished and the other started.

Aint forgot about ya killer. Once its flipped ill be over with it for the blind build.


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## T-N-T

Awesome Job!

PM sent.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Man its almost there....*

Ok got 98% of this thing done. I wanted to paint two weekends from now but I forgot we have friends comming to visit. So it looks like ill be hitting all the small detail stuff like each rivet for paint left overs and seams and what not. I also want to fix these two corrosion areas.

Looks like Ill be flippin it over to leak test it and bring it over to Killer's for a blind fitting before paint. 

I have to get it flipped so I can pressure wash that inside clean so I can return that pressure washer I borrowed too.


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## g0nef1sshn

well since that thought crossed my, I broke my back and went out and flipped it on over. Looks good on the trailer right side up. Now next free time itll get a good hosing out and filled a bit with water to find and leaking spots.  I think thats all the work for today.


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## BrownDog20886

Look into aluminum etching primer.  Most automotive paint stores carry it.  It will help get a better adherence of the paint to the hull from what I understand.  I also suggest reading the tutorials for boat painting in Lock, Stock and Barrel's website.   Are you using the Rustoleum oil based marine paint?  If so, you can spray it on with a Wagner Power Sprayer or equivalent if you have one around.

Nate


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## g0nef1sshn

BrownDog20886 said:


> Look into aluminum etching primer.  Most automotive paint stores carry it.  It will help get a better adherence of the paint to the hull from what I understand.  I also suggest reading the tutorials for boat painting in Lock, Stock and Barrel's website.   Are you using the Rustoleum oil based marine paint?  If so, you can spray it on with a Wagner Power Sprayer or equivalent if you have one around.
> 
> Nate



I have a more detailed thread going on Iboats forum. Ive been going cross eyed reading all their aluminum rebuilds. I did pick up some self etching primer but im gonna need a few more cans now that I stipped the whole thing. The paint I have is the hunter's brand bought at bass pro and cabella's. Im just gonna be rolling it on. There is a method called roll and tip. Ill be studying that right before I go ahead with the paint.


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## rnelson5

That paint job is going to be worth A LOT of money with the time you uave invested!!!


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## BrownDog20886

Awesome.  You are working too hard to have it start to flake after on season.

Roll and tip works great.  I just hate painting, so once I accepted that I only wanted a workboat finish, I jumped at the chance to hose it down with the Wagner.  To be honest, once you include the time it takes to clean the oil based paint out of the sprayer, it didn't save me much time, but I also didn't have to contort myself to paint every nook and cranny of the interior.

Nate


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## g0nef1sshn

BrownDog20886 said:


> Awesome.  You are working too hard to have it start to flake after on season.
> 
> Roll and tip works great.  I just hate painting, so once I accepted that I only wanted a workboat finish, I jumped at the chance to hose it down with the Wagner.  To be honest, once you include the time it takes to clean the oil based paint out of the sprayer, it didn't save me much time, but I also didn't have to contort myself to paint every nook and cranny of the interior.
> 
> Nate



I havnt even pondered painting the interior yet . That may just be the one area I skimp on for awhile. The grey non-skid in there is in good shape. Its all the green that was brushed over the original blue and over bare aluminum that will require the most attention.


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## g0nef1sshn

rnelson5 said:


> That paint job is going to be worth A LOT of money with the time you uave invested!!!



The time involved is the fun learning part. They dont have a avatar on here for whats going to happen if I dont do the prep right and the paint job turns to garbage. 

Monetary value of primer and paint and stuff ( not stipping solevants) probably gonna end up around 150$-200$. with rollers, paint, primer, sand paper, and the little things. 

Im probably at 20 something plus hours of involved stripping/washing and shuffling this thing in and out of the garage. whats the going hourly wage on that?


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## BrownDog20886

I rationalized that while I couldn't afford what my time cost per hour to make my boat, I actually knew nothing, so ultimately I think that I ended up owing myself money somehow or another.

Nate


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## g0nef1sshn

washed the inside this morning and filled'er up for the leak test.........   and there are a couple. Might get to messing with them tomorrow.


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## g0nef1sshn

got some more work to do. Looks like ill learn riveting, got patching to do before paint.


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## g0nef1sshn

Thought I put this up already, so if it shows twice My puter messed up.

Picked up some toys today, I have to remove the transom knee brace to address the leaks. Riveting 101 coming soon. And I learned something about clecos. Temporary rivet holders. pretty neat things. Probably order the kit tonight at work.


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## bkl021475

Looks like you may need a lil of this here jewel


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## flatsmaster

gonef1 .... You are staying after it .... Have u done this before or a learn as u go deal ??? Anyway it's come a long way that's for sure


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## g0nef1sshn

Ill skip the flex seal, I havnt read anything real good on the as far as tin boats. 

I did make some progress today though.


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## g0nef1sshn

flatsmaster said:


> gonef1 .... You are staying after it .... Have u done this before or a learn as u go deal ??? Anyway it's come a long way that's for sure



Its a learn as I go thing. never done anything close to this before. I get a lot of advice from the Iboats forum from a group thats dedicated to starcrafts/aluminum boat restorations.


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## g0nef1sshn

*hmmmmm.*

Whats under your transom knee brace?


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## g0nef1sshn

And now that I removed some rivets, Might as well remove a lot more and clean all that paint thats chipping on the inside of the hull.


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## Beta Tau789

I figured you'd patch it with a screen door sprayed in flex seal like the commercial, lol.


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## g0nef1sshn

Beta Tau789 said:


> I figured you'd patch it with a screen door sprayed in flex seal like the commercial, lol.


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## g0nef1sshn

My clecos came in yesterday so messed around with them. Also took some time to clean out the end of the ribs. PO used pour/spray foam and that stuff is a No No.

Also gonna remove a few more braces around the transom to clean it up good and right. Rivets are ordered and on their way in.

Im also thinking about adding a, or moving the drain plug to be more center to drain more efficiently.


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## g0nef1sshn

Finally got some more time to work on this thing.
Got the rest of the bow paint off, Took off the the transom support braces and primed/painted marsh grass tan. Thats the color the hull will be. I cleaned up the rest of the inside of the transom and played with some pop rivets too.


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## g0nef1sshn

early or late christmas? Be nice to though wife and ye shall maybe if lucky get a reward. getting primed for some riveting.


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## g0nef1sshn

And the boat registration came in the mail today and I had a cop on street stop in and fill out my trailer registration (It wasnt stolen) form for me instead hauling it into savannah's DMV place. Getting closer to blind build with Killer and almost huntable time.


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## g0nef1sshn

Primered the transom and used cleco's to put the braces back up for a test fit. Looks good. Tried some practice solid riveting too, need more practice there. 

Ill add some 5200 sealer between braces and the hull/transom, then reattach with pop rivets and cleco's to hold its secure until I get these solid rivets down. 

Got my plate for the trailer too. Now ill be all legal when this thing is done and find a motor.


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## g0nef1sshn

got some solid riveting done on the cross brace for the transom wood. the white stuff is 5200 sealer.


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## tsharp

Man you going all out! I have to say you doing a first class job, that way it's going to last. Do it right the first time you won't have to do it again.


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## g0nef1sshn

tsharp said:


> Man you going all out! I have to say you doing a first class job, that way it's going to last. Do it right the first time you won't have to do it again.



Thanks tsharp, trying not to have to do any of this over again for sure. Smoked some ringers and finished up the knee brace.

Only solid rivets left will be on the side gunnel braces after I put the transom wood in. 

Next up is sealing the inside seams with gluvit and pop riveting back in the floor braces.


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## tsharp

I repaired many boats in my time,working in the marine industry I had a chance to use many high strength compounds. One that I used on my aluminum joe boat was call iron crete is was a 2 part epoxy that was strong enough to drill and tap, I sealed many rivits with it. Also JB weld also works well. Marine tect is also very good. Strong enough to put a block of a engine back together with.


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## T-N-T

Boat is looking great!  I have not checked in in a while.  But you are on track to be ready come opening morning.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Shouldnt have slept in today...*

The two red circles are two leaks I saw from underneath after I scrubbed the inside out in preparation for gluvit. The one on the left I had marked but completely forgot about doing the the transom and knee brace stuff. Drilled it out and goobered 5200 on a pop rivet and that should be done. The red circle on the right I thought I had patched good being where it was with jb weld. Well it leaked still. So drilled that out and in goes a goobered pop rivet. Luckily when I drilled from the hole up I saw daylight and it wasnt on the inside of the knee brace like I thought it would be.

The yellow circle is the reason I slept in and couldnt get the gluvit done. There were more than two ofcourse. Might have to get rid of that garage beer fridge if this boat is ever gonna be complete.


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## g0nef1sshn

Got the first coat of glovit layed out tonight along the interior rivets. It has the garage smellin funny and heiny's wont even wash the taste out of my mouth. Tomorrow I should put the second coat down since it will be sunny out and saturday calls for rain. Im thought Id put the transom in and the deck next, but, since I already have the paint I may do that next. 

Sunday is the blind build with Killer. Looking forward to it!


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## g0nef1sshn

Got a little done today. Put the gluvit in last night and it looks to have cured by the end of today. I went out to get the transom wood and resin to seal it but the local places didnt have what I was looking for. I did get some more pop rivets and cut some aluminum strips to go on the end of the ribs for a solid surface to secure the new deck when i get to it. Also put the decking Z braces back in.


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## injun joe

Looks great. I love working on a boat.


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## g0nef1sshn

injun joe said:


> Looks great. I love working on a boat.



Appreciate it injun, its getting close to wood work and sealing time.

Once the transom and deck are in, the creative fun part will start with interior layout.

If weather holds tomorrow I should get the blind rigged with Killer Elite.


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## g0nef1sshn

Well weather was nice but had to put off the blind build for another day. Hooked the boat up to the truck anyway to see how it all looked and check lights. I have it sitting about 2 feet too far forward, but that's so I can flip it again come paint time and have it still fit in the garage. Since Im going with the marsh tan color, Im wondering how close it may match the trim on the truck.


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## GreatWhiteTurkeyHunter

One of my favorite threads to watch. I've enjoyed keeping up with your boat build. Keep the pics/updates coming.


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## g0nef1sshn

GreatWhiteTurkeyHunter said:


> One of my favorite threads to watch. I've enjoyed keeping up with your boat build. Keep the pics/updates coming.




Appreciate it GWTH!

put in or 26 days of vacation. Might get the paint and floor done if it gets approved and the green stuff is around. Paint will be first if this happens. Plan to start vaca on 11th, we will see.


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## T-N-T

Ill be waiting on the 11th to see the progress.

Nice work


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## Chase4556

Man, nice work. You could pass as an airframe guy in the army with how those rivets look. Very nice job. Looking forward to seeing it progress.


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## g0nef1sshn

TopherAndTick said:


> Ill be waiting on the 11th to see the progress.
> 
> Nice work



Sounds like vaca is a GO! I work 24 hours this thurs. then off till the 5th of June.

So today I picked up (2) 2x4x12 rough cut cedar boards to replace the bunks. Then I double guess if its the right kind of cedar. Any opinions on this? I only need them 10' long. I've read some say it dries and cracks fast, others I read say you need red cedar? I don't know. They weren't that much so I dont have to use them. I just know the the newer PT is bad for aluminum wether carpeted, or the hull is painted.  

Also picked up 1 sheet of ACX ply to maybe get the transom wood figured out. Ill be painting the boat first, but I figure this will give me time to get it cut and sealed while the paint is drying anyway. 

Ordered the large flange rivets to put the deck in also. went with the 3/16th's with the 1" grip pop rivets.


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## g0nef1sshn

Chase, I think ill stick to keeping a boat from leaking before building aircraft lol. I know them guys work under some strict guidelines from the videos I watched before I jumped into the transom.


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## Beta Tau789

I'm looking forward to a seat in this boat this winter, I just hope the ducks will be there...


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## g0nef1sshn

Beta Tau789 said:


> I'm looking forward to a seat in this boat this winter, I just hope the ducks will be there...



You will have a seat for sure! We just might need your motor


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## g0nef1sshn

Made a cardboard piece fit then cut some wood today. Still need to do all the rest though, got two pieces that fit in there.


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## g0nef1sshn

Just went beast mode. Couldnt wait for the friend to get here so another one man operation. Leverage is the key and only pulled one hamstring . Momma went shopping and the girls were napping. Boats flipped and ready for some rivet paint stripping, washing and painting!


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## g0nef1sshn

Managed to hit almost all the rivets with some paint stripper and nylon wheel to clean them up good before paint. Went out and picked up 4 more cans of self etching primer also. A little impromptu thunderstorm has slowed me down now. But a did get a delivery of the rivets Ill use to hold the deck down.


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## g0nef1sshn

Passed on a donor boat for a 65hp merc for 250$ (boat/motor/an trailer). Talked to the son this morning and it sounded too far gone even for the motor without knowing previous salt water use. So I went to tybee island for a couple morning brews and walked the pier. Nothing biting ofcourse. Passing on this one leaves a chance for a new or newer motor down the road. Not to mention I really didnt have room for it to begin with and it would have took the next 2-3 days to strip, discard, and hide the trailer from the HOA.

Got the vinegar/water (50/50) wash down complete and a coat of primer on. Im going to leave the hull bare as I will not be in salt water and I am curious about the self protection aspect once it forms its oxidation coat. I can Always paint it down the road. I did prime where I redid the transom knee brace hull rivets though. Thats the only part of the hull that will be painted.

Pics will be up later.


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## g0nef1sshn

time to let it dry....


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## g0nef1sshn

Well, I am home with a sick little kid today so Ill be getting out to sand during naps. Already got one half and the transom done. The primers I used said sand with 400 grit paper. I had 220 and 600 on hand. So I made a choice to go with 220 first and that was the wrong answer. It just dug too deep and scalp the rivets. So once I swiched to the 600 it was smooth sailing.


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## g0nef1sshn

Got the boast sanded yesterday. Today I've been getting some paint rolled on. So far I am liking the color. The quarts of paint were gummed up so it took some shaking and stirring to get it right. I stuck with an iPad so pics will be up once I get the laptop back from the wife who's working a lil bit.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Got Color to it!*

Mom went out on girls night but I got some done before hand.


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## g0nef1sshn

Got the other side done. I still need to hit some areas with a brush. But I am happy with how it has turned out. Ill do touch up tomorrow. Both girls should be at daycare and the admiral will be working. I like it when its just me and the dog!


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## Bambi

You've got some talent my friend! Looks good


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## T-N-T

I'm waiting on the camo!  It's my favorite color!


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## g0nef1sshn

TopherAndTick said:


> I'm waiting on the camo!  It's my favorite color!



Probably gonna leave it this color for a little while. I gotta think long and hard on how Im going to paint saw grass. I want it to turn out good and probably do it more free hand then use stencils. Trying to come up with a one of a kind thing.


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## g0nef1sshn

If im not huffing paint stripper or gluvit, Its Spar sealer! Put a thin coat on each side and let it soak a bit then hit a hefty coat on it. Ill let that dry up a few hours. Made sure to hit all the edges too. I know I still have to cut out where the motor will go, but atleast the sealing will be done except where I cut. Went ahead and made a stool for some friends of our little one while I was out there. I made one for our girls and they liked it so itll be a little gift when we see them this weekend.


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## T-N-T

Your motivation to not sit on you couch is inspiring. 

Keep it up!


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## g0nef1sshn

TopherAndTick said:


> Your motivation to not sit on you couch is inspiring.
> 
> Keep it up!



Its been too nice ouside to be inside.

So I was busy again today, not many pics for it but got a lot done. I decided to cut the transom pieces and get them smash glued together with clamps and tite bond glue. When I do this transom again I will do this step before sealing next time. So they are sandwiched together and clamped for the next few days. Also flipped the boat back over and it looks better upside right. Put a few nicks in the bow paint, but whatever its a hunting boat.

Scary part of today- I brought my dog outside when I went out to wipe dripping glue from the transom sandwich. I usually keep her on a rope, but this time it was a short trip out and she usually sticks to the front yard. This time she ventured across the street? So when I whistled the "where are you, come here" whistle, she happily ran back over right in front of a car and was hit. The poor girl that hit her was a mess, it wasnt her fault it was mine for not have her leashed. Luckily this woman isnt one of the people that fly down my street and was able to stop without the tires going over her. She was knocked down under the front bumper and dragged roughly a foot. Anyhow, I ran my pups to a vet for a check up and shes just got a scratch or two and her lungs sound fine to the doc. Im gonna get it when momma gets home. It could have been worse.


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## g0nef1sshn

Here's a few pics once it was all put away. And the old girl seems to be doing fine. Shell probably feel it more tomorrow but the vet gave us some medicine to help her out.


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## T-N-T

Glad the pups OK!  That sucks.  But it could have been Way worse.


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## g0nef1sshn

TopherAndTick said:


> Glad the pups OK!  That sucks.  But it could have been Way worse.



Ya coulda been real bad. I still feel bad for the girl that hit her. she felt horrible which made me feel bad because there wasnt anything she could do. She was already actually doing the right thing by following the speed limit and not texting which is probably why our girl is still here. No more freebee days with out a rope in the front yard thats for sure.


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## g0nef1sshn

Caught a cobia today for dinner offshore in fl for dinner. Yummm. Not in my boat though.


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## g0nef1sshn

Late pics of fishing. before boat left. and dinner before the grill.


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## g0nef1sshn

Had to do some tweeking and cutting on the transom to fit the end caps and some more sealing. Back from Fl so hoping to knock some more out.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Its bolted on, who has a free motor?*

Man I was little nervous taking the drill through it, but it worked out. I go a little crazy with the 5200 white stuff, but it will all be painted again. I added some plates to the eyes on the back for some extra strength too.


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## T-N-T

Resembles a boat again.


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## g0nef1sshn

That it does TnT. I brought it over to the metal fab shop this morning. Have to bring it back and drop it off wednesday to get the transom cap made for it. Between now and the I am going to try and get the bunk redone. I may bring it to the boat ramp at Kings Ferry to do the swap out. That will be the first time I get to put it in the water and she her actually float.


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## g0nef1sshn

Slapped on some spar since its laying around. Lets see how long these buggers last. I lapped the spar on top and sides. It soaked in that stuff. these are cedar 2x4's. Maybe they will last years, maybe not. Carpeted only the top and sides also. I have the wood grain looking like a rainbow (best description i can think of). I read somewhere the moisture will drain out instead of pool in the wood (picture upside down rainbow?)?


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## g0nef1sshn

These are a little out of order but you can see that the middle support has a 3/4 inch gap from the original boat it was designed for. I took some semi sealed pieces from the transom, cut them to fit, and dipped them in the spar to soak it up. I skipped using the ramp today so I wouldnt be half way into and run out of power, the right tools, or any other of murphys tools in his trick bag. so the new bunks are on, even, and only took about an hour and change.

The controls I brought back up from fl, not sure exactly what im going to do with them yet. Probably sell eventually once I have a motor.


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## g0nef1sshn

this is the fill piece for the gap.


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## g0nef1sshn

Had a lil fun today. I scrubbed the top gunwals with the 3m pad. Then busted out the aluminum primer (not SE'ing) and sprayed the rear port half with it. To my surprise it was white. But ok. Then im thinking, well Ill leave the rear half primed and try no primer on the front half. Let it dry and see what happens. I got bored after the bunks and this is a hunting boat so messy ugly paint will eventually be the end coat. As long as it sticks and doesnt peel I am good. (Sorry to those who love them to be prestine) I also sprayed around the bolts and two eyes in the transom. My top gunwals for now will be brown since i have that paint. I sprayed black over the bolts and eyes on the transom. Ill repaint the transom tan but leave the eyes and the plates they are on black. It looks messy but should clean up nice and hopefully have a good stick to it.


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## T-N-T

Now all that is left is finishing.  Congrats!


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## g0nef1sshn

still a little overspray, but I cleaned up the back end and painted the rest of top gunwal. Painted some of the port side trim to see how it looks and I think I like it.


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## g0nef1sshn

*And its messy again....*

Got some work done today before dropping her off tomorrow for the transom cap. 6 more total bolts through the transom. 4 holes were already there (4 white smeared bolts below aluminum rectangles). Then I drilled a hole between each of the 4 old drains for the splashwell (2 new holes to cover 4). 5200'd those pates on and bolted center covered them pretty nicely. There were 5 more 1/4 inch holes in the transom skin so I filled those with a little JB weld. It will get all cleaned up once I have it back. Added plates both sides because those two below them started sinking into the wood and I didnt like that feeling. I aslo put 1 inch SS lag screws in the z brace. I didnt 5200 on the inside, but I did bead the top with it to help keep water out. I know I make a mess of that stuff.


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## g0nef1sshn

dropped the boat off this morning for the transom cap. in the meantime, here is an emrgency back up idea......


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## T-N-T

I dont get it.


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## g0nef1sshn

Made my new HIN plates today. I know the number already so according to DNR website its my responsibility to replace within the guidelines.


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## g0nef1sshn

My face is burnt from the sun and AC went out in the house. However, My my boat is home and floor is cut with only one miscalculation between the bow piece and mid section. You can see the gap in the pics. I cut a piece to fit and will knuckle them in snug with under piece supports. I think I will build a bench seat over that section now.  Picked up blue and tan outdoor carpet also. I might go with the blue on the deck and tan on all seat boxes and stuff. Got some sealer for the wood and glue for the carpet also. Now for waiting till next next weekend to hopefully getting more done!!

Transom cap was about to get started but I told them Id call and schedule another drop off when I get the floor in. No sweat there. Got more painting to do and the motor will be the last thing anyhow.


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## T-N-T

Blue gonna be a good color to hunt with?


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## g0nef1sshn

TopherAndTick said:


> Blue gonna be a good color to hunt with?



HaHa, I know but Im thinking from up high the water is blue, and with all the high speed camo in the boat and the blind and yeti coolers most will be covered anyway.

And when im fishing there will be a color other than tan brown and green.


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## g0nef1sshn

So tonight I used the remainder of spar I had and had bought a new gallon to use instead of the thompsons water sealer stuff. I have 1 to 2 coats on each piece and plan to get more on the deck sections tomorrow. Its not really pic worthy but I plan to have all the sections sealed this weekend to include the pieces I will use to join each section together. (I have not cut those yet.) But its in the plans. There is a family of little girls and a wife here though, so it might pointless to plan. Some of yall might know what I mean.


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## flatsmaster

Boat is coming along nice .... Way to stay after it


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## g0nef1sshn

flatsmaster said:


> Boat is coming along nice .... Way to stay after it



Thanks flatsmaster! Trying to get it done. Progress slowed a bit when I got back on my Mon-Fri schedule at work.

Heres all the pieces sealed with Spar urethane instead of the thompsons.


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## g0nef1sshn

A bow section of wood was rotten and yesterday i pulled it out by hand, so today was the prototype rebuild. Because of the design of the boat, to rebuild it to factory spec I would have had to disassemble more than I wanted to. So instead of one board running across, I spit it and have two now supported by a new added piece of aluminum angle tied into the original supports. The wood isnt sealed and it could be a cleaner job. But now that I know it works, the next time I redo this piece it will be cleaner.

The lighting in the pics is kinda crappy.


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## T-N-T

Getting closer.  So is duck season.  Keep it up!


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## g0nef1sshn

TopherAndTick said:


> Blue gonna be a good color to hunt with?



With this artistic rendition, It might actually look alright. Still have to figure out how I want my rear seating options.


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## g0nef1sshn

Man what a pain. I feel like im rushing and im forgetting things. I had the foam in and nice. Then forgot that the pieces that tie the sections of the deck in wouldnt work. So took a lot of the foam back out. Then putting the deck in to secure, And I forgot to mark were I had to drill through the ribs and z brace. Plus measure how far off the bulkhead to drill.  Im at a pause now because the admiral is shopping and im home with the kiddo's. Next weekend is a 4 day weekend for me, So hopefully its full of sunshine. Too bad im too tired during the week to get a few hours in every night. 

Good news is that its still getting there a little at a time. I shouldnt be in a rush because I dont even have a motor yet. But the sooner it's ready for one, the less Ill feel like I have to be outside doing something.

I think Ill be filling the seats I decide to go with full of foam also. Wethere they are boxes or full benches. Probably leave enough space for batteries and fuel tank though in some of it.


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## g0nef1sshn

ok, Made up for lost time. got 2 pieces in. the rest will probably have to wait till next weekend.


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## g0nef1sshn

The bow is in after some fighting. I didnt cut the ribs out like most so there is slight elevation to it. Im ok with that, im even thinking about a larger front deck and cutting that one thats up there out to do it.

Can you spot the "OOps" the drill shouldnt have felt like that moment in the second picture?


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## g0nef1sshn

Carpet is down, I know its blue, Looks like water from above right? also covered that front 2 piece on the bow too.


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## g0nef1sshn

next chance I get to go out im cutting that front deck out. Have to open it up to plan what exactly I want to do up there.


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## g0nef1sshn

Ok, front deck out and new cut for fitting. Plan is small deck for now to have more open space. the little one woke up from nap, gives me a break to stop and think of possible motives for the under space. Im thinking just more foam for now.


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## g0nef1sshn

front deck is on, if it sinks it will be a bobber now! a few more screws needed but its solid!


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## g0nef1sshn

Got both side walls cut, glued and carpeted. Hoping to finish up some inside paint tomorrow and get these secured in.


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## g0nef1sshn

Got more paint in, and a few large flange rivets to hold it in. I have to pick up a few bolts to finish it up. Got my teething small one home with me today though so maybe next weekend! Also still need to do some touch up paint with a brush, And I still need to get that front deck secured down more, but I thinking that one through some more.


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## ghadarits

g0nef1sshn I commend your effort at restoring that boat.  You've done a great job on every little detail.
I sure hope it pays off big for you because you've put in the time and effort.


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## g0nef1sshn

ghadarits said:


> g0nef1sshn I commend your effort at restoring that boat.  You've done a great job on every little detail.
> I sure hope it pays off big for you because you've put in the time and effort.



I appreciate it Ghadarits. Getting to the nitty gritty detail stuff now. Like seating. 

My plans for seating changes daily. New idea is two boxes in the rear. two boxes semi middle, and small bench towards the bow. still thinking about this all.


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## tradhunter98

Have you thought ab making it center console?


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## g0nef1sshn

it has the space for a center console but I like using a tiller motor because I feel like I can have more control over throttle and turning in the thick vegetation of South Florida. I saw a console for sale locally that i can put in it for storage and a front facing seat, batteries and radio and stuff. That might be an option.


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## across the river

Looks good. Just a note. The styro foam in the nose isn't going to help you, and is only adding weight to the boat.  Since you have a bunch of small pieces in there, those pieces aren't going to displace very much water.  I would doubt it would even hold the front end up if it sunk.  I would take it out all together, but if you are set on having some type of floatation in the even of the boat capsizing, then the pieces need to be solid to maximize the water displacement.


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## g0nef1sshn

I agree, ive thought the same on the displacement aspect, but some is better than none, that foam isnt much weight though. The front may change still. The larger sections of foam i have i didnt want to cut for there. I was saving them for larger pieces under what ever boxes/ seating i go with.


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## carver

looks great,I've enjoyed the build


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## across the river

g0nef1sshn said:


> I agree, ive thought the same on the displacement aspect, but some is better than none, that foam isnt much weight though. The front may change still. The larger sections of foam i have i didnt want to cut for there. I was saving them for larger pieces under what ever boxes/ seating i go with.



What exactly is the foam for?   Foam in the hull does absolutely nothing for you from a floatation standpoint when using the boat, because it does nothing to increase the displacement volume of the boat.  If you and I have identical boats, and your's is filled with foam and mine has none, mine will sit up higher in the water than yours.  If we dump 20 gallons of water in mine and twenty gallons in yours, mine is still going to sit up higher in the water, because the foam is only additional weight at that point. Decoys float, but if you have a couple of hundred in the boat, the weight of the decoys will make the boat sit lower, not higher.  The only time foam will help you is if the boat gets a big hole in the bottom, or somehow takes on water until the water from the lake starts pouring over the sides and the boat is essentially completely submerged.   However, it only helps you at that point if you have enough foam in it to displace enough water to support the entire weight of the boat, motor, foam, battery, etc….. If you just have a little bit of foam, it is still going to sink just like it would if it had none.  In your case, since the foam is loose and not sprayed in, the wood floor and boxes  will have to be strong enough to support the weight of everything, without breaking, detaching, or having the screws pull out.  It is your boat, so I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I just want to make sure you understand that foam isn't going to make it float better.  If you are set on putting foam in it, PM me the weights of the boat and motor and I can give you an idea of how much foam you are going to have in it to make it unsinkable. I will help however I can. I can tell you though, that it will be a lot of foam.   Theres a reason those pieces on the bottom of floating docks are so big.


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## g0nef1sshn

across the river said:


> What exactly is the foam for?   Foam in the hull does absolutely nothing for you from a floatation standpoint when using the boat, because it does nothing to increase the displacement volume of the boat.  If you and I have identical boats, and your's is filled with foam and mine has none, mine will sit up higher in the water than yours.  If we dump 20 gallons of water in mine and twenty gallons in yours, mine is still going to sit up higher in the water, because the foam is only additional weight at that point. Decoys float, but if you have a couple of hundred in the boat, the weight of the decoys will make the boat sit lower, not higher.  The only time foam will help you is if the boat gets a big hole in the bottom, or somehow takes on water until the water from the lake starts pouring over the sides and the boat is essentially completely submerged.   However, it only helps you at that point if you have enough foam in it to displace enough water to support the entire weight of the boat, motor, foam, battery, etc….. If you just have a little bit of foam, it is still going to sink just like it would if it had none.  In your case, since the foam is loose and not sprayed in, the wood floor and boxes  will have to be strong enough to support the weight of everything, without breaking, detaching, or having the screws pull out.  It is your boat, so I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but I just want to make sure you understand that foam isn't going to make it float better.  If you are set on putting foam in it, PM me the weights of the boat and motor and I can give you an idea of how much foam you are going to have in it to make it unsinkable. I will help however I can. I can tell you though, that it will be a lot of foam.   Theres a reason those pieces on the bottom of floating docks are so big.



I see your point, jump in a pool. Then jump in same pool with a pool noodle between your legs. I bet you float better even though technically you weigh more with the foam 

The foam isn't to help the boat float higher or better, simply in there to "help" in the event I take on water. I've seen a chart on the foam/weight thing on another forum. And Ive seen someone break down the pink foam in some form of a calculation to describe how much of that floats what weight. 

This stuff is a mere added help to get me to a shoreline worst case scenario, not to fill the boat with water and think it's going to hydroplane. I appreciate your offer to help out. Figure the boat around 1200lbs loaded people, gear, motor and all. I'll try and find the other info I mentioned.


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## g0nef1sshn

Floatation calculations, or what will it take to float your boat ?
December 22nd, 2009, 03:24 PM
I needed to figure out how much floatation to put into my Grumman I/O that I’ve been redoing. I read the USCG rules, but found that the answer wasn’t there, at least in a way that helped me when I was standing in the insulation aisle at HD.

So I did some math, that I thought I’d share with others, that is pretty practical.
May seem like one of those math quizzes, but it does work…

Fresh water weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic ft, so one cubic foot of foam will float 62.4 pounds. (I’m not going to consider the weight of the foam in these calculations because it would have a minimal impact.)

So, if I want to know how much foam I need to float my 3.0 OMC I/O setup, the first thing I need to know is how much the drive train weighs. I asked here, and a got a couple of different answers, but the average estimate seems to be about 650 pounds.

How many cu ft of foam would I need? 650/62.4 = 10.4 cubic feet.

What do you do with the 10.4 cubic feet?

A 2” thick x 24” wide x 8’ (96”) long foam board is 4608 cu in.
Divide cu in by 1728 to get cubic feet.
4608/1728 = 2.7 cubic feet per board.
To get to the needed 10.4 cubic feet, you need 10.4/2.7, or 3.9, which rounds up to four 2” boards

So, 4 two inch boards will float by drive train.

I guessed that the rest of the aluminum boat weighs in at 400 pounds.
To float 400 pounds I need 400/62.4 = 6.4 cubic feet of foam
6.4/2.7 = 2.3, so I need another two and a third 2” boards, for a total of 6.3, to float the whole boat.

Now 2” foam won’t fit everywhere, so here’s the numbers for the other foam boards at HD.

2’ thick is 2.7 cu ft per board
1.5 inch thick is 2.0 cu ft per board
1 inch thick is 1.3 cu ft per board
¾ inch thick is 1.0 cu ft per board.

That all sounds good on paper, so what did I fit in my boat?

I put absolutely every bit of foam I could in the back of the boat to try to level float it if things ever went that bad. I had a bellows rip on another boat one time and man the water comes in fast. I can’t think of another thing that would put that much water in the boat except tearing the bottom out of it.

In total I got four 2” boards, one 1.5 inch board, and four ¾ inch boards, for a total of (4*2.7)+(1*2.0)+(4*1.0) = 16.8 cu ft, which will float (16.8x62.4) = 1048 pounds

With 650 pounds for the drive train, plus 400 pounds for the boat, brings my guess for the total weight to 1050 pounds. Pure luck, but it looks like I’m right on the line.

The USCG goes into a discussion about things that float in the boat, that if tied to the boat will keep it from going to the bottom, like seats, trapped air in fuel tanks, trapped life preservers, and some help from things that also help like the wood (decks etc) in the boat.

An empty 10 gallon tank is 1.3 cu fit, which will float 1.3*62.4 = 83 pounds
Guessing a seat would displace about 10 gallons, having 4 bigish seats probably more, that’s 330 pounds, which puts me comfortably over sinking (assuming my weight estimates are decent). 

Now for the money part of it….

The pink foam at HD cost about $5.18 per cubic foot ($14 for a 2” sheet)
The blue buoyancy billets cost about $11.5 per cubic foot at the local lumber yard ($89 for a 7’ x 20” x 8’ piece).
Poured in place foam is $13.25 per cubic foot, based on a 8 cu ft kit for $105

I replaced the transom in my boat because of the original poured foam trapping water against it. The poured foam also trapped water in small pockets against the deck, and prevented the water from moving freely in the bilge to the pump. The slow moving water didn't clean the stuff out from between the ribs etc, making it trap even more water, adding to making the decks soft. All strikes against pouring again (at least in my opinion). The money part is obvious.

The moral of the story, based on my boat, get every bit of foam board you can in the boat and you’ll float the boat in a worst case situation, for way less than half the price of poured foam, with none of the poured foam issues.


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## g0nef1sshn

Across the river, this is a pretty neat document. Either way, i have plenty of time until i get a motor, so i will be getting more foam to put in the sidewalls. You started a good discussion that made me look back into this information. http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/assets/builders-handbook/FLOTATION.pdf

I havent read it all, but i liked where it shows dry wieghts and submerged wieghts for perspective.


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## across the river

g0nef1sshn said:


> I see your point, jump in a pool. Then jump in same pool with a pool noodle between your legs. I bet you float better even though technically you weigh more with the foam
> 
> The foam isn't to help the boat float higher or better, simply in there to "help" in the event I take on water. I've seen a chart on the foam/weight thing on another forum. And Ive seen someone break down the pink foam in some form of a calculation to describe how much of that floats what weight.
> 
> This stuff is a mere added help to get me to a shoreline worst case scenario, not to fill the boat with water and think it's going to hydroplane. I appreciate your offer to help out. Figure the boat around 1200lbs loaded people, gear, motor and all. I'll try and find the other info I mentioned.



Your pool example proves my point.  If you put the noodle between your legs you have greatly increased your water displacement compared to the additional weight of the noodle, and therefore you have more buoyancy.   If you take any empty boat and fill it up with noodles, life jackets, higdon foam decoys, or air filled pool floats for that matter, you aren't displacing any more water than you were before, so you are only adding weight inside the boat.   The boat will not float higher, it will float lower.  If you are trying to keep the boat from sinking when swamped (the water inside the boat is at the same level as the water outside the boat), you need enough foam to support the weight of the boat itself.   If the boat and motor are 1200lbs, then you will have to displace  roughly 145 gallons of water which will be about 20 cubic feet of foam.  This doesn't take into whether the foam will absorb water, the weight of the foam itself, or anything like that, so it will likely be more form than that.  The foam will also have to be secure to the boat in some manner.   If you stick it under a floor or box that isn't heavily secured, then the pressure from the foam is just going to pop the box out.    The foam also needs to be positioned to keep the swamped boat level, so it doesn't capsize.  That is why I was saying the foam in the front probably want even help because the water likely wouldn't reached that point unless the boat was capsized.   I'm not trying to argue, just help.  There is a lot more to it than just sticking some foam )or 5 pool noodles which I have seen) under the floor.  If it isn't done right it will only cause you to burn more gas when running, and it won't keep you from sinking in the event that you poke a whole in the bottom.  Again, let me know if I can help.


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## flatsmaster

You have really stayed after ur project .... Looking good


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## g0nef1sshn

across the river said:


> Your pool example proves my point.  If you put the noodle between your legs you have greatly increased your water displacement compared to the additional weight of the noodle, and therefore you have more buoyancy.   If you take any empty boat and fill it up with noodles, life jackets, higdon foam decoys, or air filled pool floats for that matter, you aren't displacing any more water than you were before, so you are only adding weight inside the boat.   The boat will not float higher, it will float lower.  If you are trying to keep the boat from sinking when swamped (the water inside the boat is at the same level as the water outside the boat), you need enough foam to support the weight of the boat itself.   If the boat and motor are 1200lbs, then you will have to displace  roughly 145 gallons of water which will be about 20 cubic feet of foam.  This doesn't take into whether the foam will absorb water, the weight of the foam itself, or anything like that, so it will likely be more form than that.  The foam will also have to be secure to the boat in some manner.   If you stick it under a floor or box that isn't heavily secured, then the pressure from the foam is just going to pop the box out.    The foam also needs to be positioned to keep the swamped boat level, so it doesn't capsize.  That is why I was saying the foam in the front probably want even help because the water likely wouldn't reached that point unless the boat was capsized.   I'm not trying to argue, just help.  There is a lot more to it than just sticking some foam )or 5 pool noodles which I have seen) under the floor.  If it isn't done right it will only cause you to burn more gas when running, and it won't keep you from sinking in the event that you poke a whole in the bottom.  Again, let me know if I can help.



I agree with you.

I just want to make sure you know my intent is not to make the boat float higher in the water by adding foam. I am sure some people in this world would think that though. 

Im not reading your comments as argument either. You made me re look into the whole foam install aspect as it is and since I have time I can slow down some and do it better. Probably not perfect but better. 

I understand that if the boat did sink that any foam inside will "lift" what is holding it too.


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## rnelson5

g0nef1sshn said:


> I agree with you.
> 
> I just want to make sure you know my intent is not to make the boat float higher in the water by adding foam. I am sure some people in this world would think that though.
> 
> Im not reading your comments as argument either. You made me re look into the whole foam install aspect as it is and since I have time I can slow down some and do it better. Probably not perfect but better.
> 
> I understand that if the boat did sink that any foam inside will "lift" what is holding it too.



There are 100% people in this world that believe adding foam to the inside of the boat makes it float higher. I was going back and forth with a guy on another forum about it just last week. He swore up and down that it helped....... I asked him if i added 300 pounds of weights inside his boat and then swapped it out with the same amount of foam would it sit different in the water........ He truely believed it would. You could NOT convince him otherwise.


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## g0nef1sshn

I have found a layout build from a guy on another forum. He did a great job with it.

Before and after of his. It will take me time though. I like that the rear seat is a movable base. And I wont need to two pedistal seats.


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## g0nef1sshn

Havnt done much with this project lately. Trying to source out what I need in terms of aluminum for the building and rivets needed. I did find out my class for work is now from mid october to the end of november though. Looks like this season starts me in December. Ill update again when there is progress.


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## g0nef1sshn

ok, now class in next march. this means ill be here for this season.I dont think ill have a motor by then because I have bills like every one else. So ill hunt out of the kayak this year. IF I can borrow my dads motor i will be good, But we will see. When the build continues I will update! I check often so keep the info comming!


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## g0nef1sshn

finally got some more paint to get the transom repainted. also still have to plan how I am gonna use this aluminum on the transom. still at it guys, but work and funds have it slowed up a bit.


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## injun joe

Shoot man, you should be proud of what you've accomplished so far. It looks great.


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## king killer delete

You have done a great job on this boat. Adam


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## g0nef1sshn

Thanks for the props guys. I am pretty proud of it. Researched camo methods last night at work and picked what I wanted and went with it. I think it turned out pretty good. I was supposed to use small tube/pipe, But I went with tape. Only half done so far.


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## g0nef1sshn

got the rest of the outside finished. Ill probably cover some of the transom with more aluminum, but I had to do it to see how it looks. Im out of tape and green rattle can so thats it for now. Once I get more supplies im doing the inside the same way to wrap it all in.


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## T-N-T

Sure doesnt take much to break it up.  Its shaping up to a fine boat!


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## g0nef1sshn

Thanks T&T, This is the first camo paint job on a boat I have attempted. But the more I look at it and knowing what I did, I think I can get it better with a little more attention to detail. Im gonna play some more and get a 3D look out of it. 

Plan is to add some large palm type stenciling and make that fog/haze look wrap in and out of the lines a little more.


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## g0nef1sshn

got top side done, im hoping to be able to get the inside done today or tomorrow.


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## g0nef1sshn

Got the inside done. Not much I can do to it now until I pull it into some cover and get an outside perspective of how it will actually look. The areas I plan on hunting eventually the most is the sawgrass in south florida so I think it should blend in fine. (plus the added palm branches we use to help out. 

still need a motor though. Thats the biggest purchase I need but dont really have the means at the moment so looks like its hunting out of the yak again this year.


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## tsharp

My hat off to you, you doing a fine job. I also started a new boat from a drawing if you look under the thread on boat etc. look for new built you see my boat that my son and I is building. Keep up the good work!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tsharp said:


> My hat off to you, you doing a fine job. I also started a new boat from a drawing if you look under the thread on boat etc. look for new built you see my boat that my son and I is building. Keep up the good work!



Thanks Tsharp.

I tried finding your thread but couldn't on boatetc.

think I found it now.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

So I typed this whole long thing, thought I hit post and its gone. Now here the long story short. In theory I may have on tap 1K for a motor. So...... Im thinking find a project boat with battery, trollin motor, fuel tanks, Etc, Etc... That way I can strip the boat, get what i need, and sell what I dont need back out and save cost. 

Only thing is I want a tiller minimum 30 hp for temporary use. 60 HP is Ideal.

Who here hunts with a side console in thick vegetion and the console works fine? The lay out is open enough i can use a side console motor, there are alot more of them available up to 85hp as a console and hard to find a straight fresh water only higher hp tiller motor.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Also, so my dad has a 88 yamaha 90 hp spare/parts motor w/out a lower unit. I may have roughly 1k towards sometthing else used. Dad wants his spare unit to sell with his Hewes flats boat and matching good motor. Understandable. right? BUT, what do yall think about that motor on a 16 SS if I put the Splaswell back on? 

Looking for opinions from those whove gone before me on this.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

For those that take kayaks or layout boats out with you in your main boats, do you just lay them in there or do you have them mounted/braced in some way?

Took some more pics of it out in the sun too.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Called a guy about a 60 hp rude today, hope to get eyes on next day or so to see it up close. Aslo emailed a guy about a free boat he wants out the yard. Potential parts boat, but no motor or trailer with it. So id have to strip it and drop at the dump with my trailer. We will see....


----------



## tsharp

Man-o-man what a great job! When I had a bass boat my front seat and back seat were in line so I built 2 small goal posts. and weld a 3/4 x 6" bolt on the bottom. 3/4" is the size of the hole on the mount. I just put them where the seats would go and put my pirogue on top and strap it down, it worked for me.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Passed on the rude, and missed the deal on the boat. So I started stripping the paint on the splash well. Didnt take too long. After stripping the hull of the boat, I got this technique down! Next is prime and paint. Also going to figure out a way to put it back in with a lot of added/extra support so I can stand on it when needed. After this is painted and installed I think itll be time to start making a console. Ive seen some cool ones made out of truck bed tool boxes.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

washed with vinegar/water, primed, wet sanded and painted. All out of the tan now. Ill let it dry a few days now before messing around with the fitting and what not.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

I ran outa tan and lighter green rattle can that I thought I had, but I placed the splash well in this morning with the clecos and got to playing with what i had, Black and a darker green. I have an awesome plan for my rear deck too now. Kinda hard to explain without doing it, so we will see if I ever get to it. If you can picture it though, it will be a door that covers the front of the splash well, that I can lift and slide back over the top of the slplash well when needed ( with braces) then pull back out when not. Might even have seat supports left/right/center for higher rear deck seating. Its a thought but i think I can make it happen. (if this is bold print font, sorry)


----------



## g0nef1sshn

*Rear deck progress.*

Pic heavy guys, but you should get the idea with out me typing a whole lot. Removable rear deck for standing/push poling around.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Just some more pics.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got a few more things done last night and today. I put the transom brackets on with SS lag bolts and washers. put a little 5200 to help keep water from seeping in too. Dabbed some on the back of the brackets to help hold a tight stick also. Then I glued some carpet down on the platform. I didnt seal it though so no telling how long it lasts. It would be easy to rebuild and seal at a later date. Then I added a 2x4 with carpet to the center to help support the weight. That isnt sealed either so I expect to redo it in the future. This thing is solid. Also screwed the million splash well screws in with ss screws and washers.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

heres the center brace.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

here it is all back together. next step is to reverse sides of the walls and recut them to fit back in. But I need more large flange rivets to do that. I might wait to do it to see if I end up with a tiller or console motor again though. that rear deck is a good seat if I can get a tiller now....


----------



## tsharp

Looking good my friend. If you had a aluminum welder you could of welded a 1/4 x3x4 angle across that way you would of not needed a center post. But you are doing a good job!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Thanks tsharp, i wish i had the welding know how and equipment. Might need to start researching how to do it and get some training on it. Do you have any experience with the alumiweld stuff? Its like an aluminum rod and a torch the binds aluminum together like a weld? Would that work putting aluminum square tubing together for a sub frame of a duck blind or would rivets be better? 

I know scissor blinds are fairly easy to do with conduit, but im really wanting a removable hard blind. Ill try and put pic up sometime today of what im thinking.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

here are a few examples that keeps my brain spinning on how to achieve this. Of course this wont be an overnight or by this season type of undertaking.


----------



## tsharp

It's called Tig welding, I only did it once but just to try it. It's great for very light aluminum.  You can bend square tubing in a tubing bender just a little tricky. The last picture of the duck blind looks real good to shoot out of.


----------



## Beta Tau789

hey man, I can weld medium/heavy aluminum if needed. I wont promise it will be pretty though....


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Beta Tau789 said:


> hey man, I can weld medium/heavy aluminum if needed. I wont promise it will be pretty though....




Sounds good. Once I can accumulate some materials and have a plan,we can give it a go. Might be awhile for that one though.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tested my lighting out today. tried a 9V but it didnt work, so I tried my battery charger when my dad said use that. I did and still nothing worked. After taking apart the entire stern light assembly last night and finding nothing major I gave up and then noticed a sign samack in the middle/top that read no juice until hooked to battery. What the? So I went to bed. Woke up in the morning called and told my dad that an he says oh yeah, them new ones suck because of that, lol. So a little more youtube research  and the 9V worksout fine for testing these lights. Most of yall might know this already.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

There a similar models to mine that have enclosed foam boxes under the splash well on the sides. Im going to use the rest of the foam I have on hand to do the same. Not sure how Im going to close it in yet though. I will either use aluminum or wood though. Got one side started last night. Also used 5200 to do the seams of the splash well and painted over it along with the added alum. angle. I used regular aluminum primer (not self etching) on the front of it to see how well it sticks. Seems good to go for now.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

this is what other models come with. Since I didnt get as much foam under the deck as I thought I would, doesnt hurt to put it here, other than lost storage.


----------



## humdandy

Nice!  I bet you spent more on beer than the repairs.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

humdandy said:


> Nice!  I bet you spent more on beer than the repairs.



 havnt kept track of that budget, but i would probably have a motor by now if I used water as a motivation tool. .


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Got the rest cut. only thing now is I am back in the tiller vs remote steer topic. I will need to cut more foam for the cables to go through the hole for them. But thats not a real big deal. Just didnt think about it before going with this route of added foam. I can make it work either way.


----------



## T-N-T

Haven't checked in on you lately,  but glad I did. 

Looking great!   Hope you stumble up on a good motor soon.


----------



## Chewbaka81

Boat is looking good.  Great work!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

thanks guys!

Motor search is still in full effect, funding is another story at the moment. But I am still getting some done in the mean time. Got one side of the foam boxed in place. Almost get to HD today to get a few things to have to start on more seating options. Maybe ill get there tomorrow.... Also did two hog shoulders this past weekend a neighbor brought up from florida. Started too late on Saturday, but finished off by braising on sunday and turned out awesome!! The backstraps on the other hand had a weird texture to them and were tossed. Im thinking they were freezer burned from his trip or something.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

one started on electric smoker and the other indirect heat on charcoal side of the grill.


----------



## Beta Tau789

and where is my invite?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Beta Tau789 said:


> and where is my invite?



lol, had to make sure I could get it right first. there aint as much fat on these wild ones as there are in the store suppy chain.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got some bench seat work done today. May still try and cut out the middle to make a slide in piece. That way there are two side boxes with seat, and/or a complete bench if needed. I plan on completely sealing these in spar urethane to make them last once I get all the pieces right.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

and a few more...


----------



## T-N-T

BAcon wrapped pork on smoke.  Good gracious. 

Also, I see a problem with your build,  you might need to start over...
Your seats dont match,  the ducks are not going to fall for that.  You are pretty much screwed.  Sorry.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

TopherAndTick said:


> BAcon wrapped pork on smoke.  Good gracious.
> 
> Also, I see a problem with your build,  you might need to start over...
> Your seats dont match,  the ducks are not going to fall for that.  You are pretty much screwed.  Sorry.


HhsahahaHaha,

You must be a duck to notice the seats. with our fat butts in them as long as our cammo matches the seats dont matter. Im still curious about the blue decks


----------



## rgillham

The boat is looking great. Good job!!!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

thanks RG,

Todays project. Seal the wood for the bench. I went with thompsons since I had it instead of spar which I would have prefered. But I will do several coats and paint it. Probably carpet all of it too if I have enough on hand.

Also cutting some aluminum to make a dry area. At this point im not going full bench. Ill figure a way to make this area as deep as the boards going across. Working on the fly is kinda fun.

Having underneath the bench open will help put longer palm fronds/branches in the boat as well too.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Done for today. I still need to figure out exactly how i want the lid to open and close. Also need to box in the sides to the inside of it. Im happy with the way it turned out so far.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got the sides to the inside of the bench done. Wasnt supposed to be so much 5200, but the cap came off and thats how it turned out. with the lid down it doesnt matter anyway.


----------



## T-N-T

That seat storage is going to be really handy.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Got the bench done yesterday. Didnt go fancy but it works just fine. Seats are bolted on too.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Ok guys next planning phase:

Finish cutting, boxing in foam in the rear and getting more capet to finish that.

Now as I think motors and what not, 24V vs 12V. What should I need? (Could end up with older pull start or newer electric start motor.
- trolling motor eventually, maybe, down the road but not immediate
- running lights obviously
- probably some sort of internal hull lighting with red/green/white light
- Stereo 4 speaker marine am/fm/usb standard one
- bilge pump ( should I go auto/manual or both)?
- fish/depth finder eventually kinda like thr trolling motor
- No livewells planned in this one

What are your thoughts guys? Am I forgetting anything here?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

for those of you lighting the inside of your hulls, what are you using to do it? Ive only used running lights and flashlights for the inside, but i want to be able to light my inside on this one. prefering red green and white options.


----------



## Yotes

Cigarette lighter for spotlight/GoPro charger/battery charger? I mean if you got rechargeable batteries and had a attachment so you could charge batteries for your mojos on your way out that would be sweet.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

ive seen those Cigarette lighter adapters in some pre-made switch/fuse panels. Its surley a good option to consider! even if not in the panel I know it can be added.


----------



## jritchey65

g0nef1sshn said:


> for those of you lighting the inside of your hulls, what are you using to do it? Ive only used running lights and flashlights for the inside, but i want to be able to light my inside on this one. prefering red green and white options.



I bought a green LED rope light off of amazon to light the inside of my boat.  They are 16ft long and only about $10 a piece best I can remember.  Ran one up each side and it lit it up really good.  They have a "stickey" backside but i added some silicone just to make sure they didnt come off.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

jritchey65 said:


> I bought a green LED rope light off of amazon to light the inside of my boat.  They are 16ft long and only about $10 a piece best I can remember.  Ran one up each side and it lit it up really good.  They have a "stickey" backside but i added some silicone just to make sure they didnt come off.



Ive been lookin into those!



Happy Veterans today to those out there serving of have serverd! I got some duck scouting done this morning and then came home and got what I could done to the boat. I happened to have just enough carpet on hand to finish boxing in the stern end foam and cut out an area incase I end up with a console for good measure. Im still researching how im going to do the lights. I cant believe there are some out there for 500$. Ill strap 3 dollar harbor freight flashlights to the bow before I spend that!


----------



## T-N-T

Lookin good.
I have yet to do any camp on my boat.  Soooo  I better get to it.


----------



## BandedWoodie

*Lights, lights, lights*

http://www.mudmotortalk.com/mmt_v2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12884

This is what I did for lights on the front and they work great after 4 years.


----------



## Beta Tau789

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ0ROZS...olid=1I4BCPEZCGZ0B&coliid=ILGZKBSR2RZQ0&psc=1


look into this deal on lights, I tested them out during gator season. I ran two of them for 8 hours on a deep cycle battery and they where just as bright when we got to the ramp as when we left, and plenty of light for cruising.


----------



## Beta Tau789

http://www.amazon.com/16-4ft-Flexib...&sr=8-7&keywords=led+tape+lighting+waterproof

As far as interior lighting, this would be my recommendation, the tape light is available in multiple colors also should you desire. I would recommend making sure it's the "waterproof" version being your using it for marine.


----------



## T-N-T

BandedWoodie said:


> http://www.mudmotortalk.com/mmt_v2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12884
> 
> This is what I did for lights on the front and they work great after 4 years.



Nice.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

BandedWoodie said:


> http://www.mudmotortalk.com/mmt_v2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12884
> 
> This is what I did for lights on the front and they work great after 4 years.



That looks likes an awesome idea. Just not sure if I want to get that involved. But it is definately an option to try and I thank you. 

Beta, I see those led strips are used alot, but I think I want more of a actual light than the strips. time will tell. here are my updates far....


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Got my weed prop getter installed also....


----------



## Beta Tau789

Do we need to start you a gofundme account for a motor?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

gofund me would be awesome, but I aint askin no buddy fo nuttn, if I cant get it on my own. Song is better than my typin. 

Not much been going on here, got some "oh shoot handles" to find a place for. had to get in the attic too sohad to pull the boat out and cleaed her out of the usual garage clutter. motor hopefully comming in the next few months. got my last aluminum sheet back in it too, need to get her back to the shop to try and get the transom cover made.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Ok, so I spent 5 bucks on a cheap hole drill thing and the bit tip broke on the first drill attempt. I did pre-drill a hole first too. So the bit tip breaking really shouldnt have broke like that Its just the deal with cheap stuff. Ill clean up the small angle piece and attach it to the knee brace with pop rivets when I have some more time. I liked how all I had to do was remove 5 screws to get that corner foam section out. only took 2 mins to do.

The exit cover was white. scuffed it with some sand paper, hit it with a primer and dusted in black spray paint. we will see how that holds up.


----------



## tucker80

Man it sure has came a long way from the start!! You've done an excellent job


----------



## tsharp

Coming along very good. Remember do it right the first time so you don't have to do it again later. I put my new built on hold till after the hunting season. We did put it on the trailer.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tucker80 said:


> Man it sure has came a long way from the start!! You've done an excellent job



Thanks, its slowed down but comming along!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tsharp said:


> Coming along very good. Remember do it right the first time so you don't have to do it again later. I put my new built on hold till after the hunting season. We did put it on the trailer.



Saw its on hold T, i stop in there every once in a while to check up on it. 

I shoulda got a different bit but i knew where these were at so i dont mind fixin a lil paint. Just glad it wasnt polished!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Got some work done today. ordered a switch panel, when that gets in ill start running the wires and planning where exactly it will go.

Bilge is in but the base is still curing to the hull. Added "oh shoot" handles for the riders. Added some tie down points and start filling the seat with goodies. Ones getting wrapped and goin under the tree soon though.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

I put my girls down for a nap and went out to think about blinds. While sitting in it, two holes in the top sides were bothering me so I grabbed the box the held the old fishing rod holders that came with the boat. All 4 were white so I scuffed them up and painted them brown. Then I saw a roll of camo gorilla tape and went and was able to wrap 2 of them. came out nice I think. I sealed the tops of the two of the sides with a lock tight sealer and sprayed over in black. More touch up paint to do when I pick up more colors than black.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Added a few more rod holders. Gonna seal some wood and reenforce them a little more before they are final. A friend got them out of a garbage in on his street almost a year ago and brought them up to me. putting them to use now!

Also got my switch panel in!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Guys, hear me out on this, been up for 30+ hours cause of work, but sitting out in the boat thinking blinds, I looked up at the garage door. The tracks and wheels are something I have been thinking how I could use in a blind as a rail system instead of scissor style. I know my bow curves in, so the front of the blind would have to remain square to work right.

For general idea sake picture a rail system that slides from the stern to the bow. Up from the back to the bow and back down. Two removable rails on the port and starboard side when not in season. would have to have it cut to fit and able to secure on the bow to hold tight. Bascally picture your garage door as a blind, minus the power needs and fabric instead of aluminum? 

am I crazy here? look at your doors and the way the wheels attach. I think its plausable. feedback welcomed! Patent in the mail soon


----------



## g0nef1sshn

also got these done.... shouldnt fall over on the chair anymore now.


----------



## tucker80

I hear what your saying about the blind, but I'm not sure how practical it'd be. I think simpler may be better. Seems like as the hull flexes while under use it would cause the tracks to start getting out of line making the rollers bind up. Have you thought about using bimini hardware to help keep everything contained to the sides? That way each side would be independent of itself. Just a thought


----------



## Beta Tau789

I still say a scissor style is the best. If it ain't broke, don't fix it....


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Yea the scissor is good, just thinkin outside the box, have time to do that till theres on motor on the back of it.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got a little touch up paint done today, not the same brands of before so a lil off color.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

First gift card purchase from the sis in law, 2 way radios with 20 mile radius and emergency alerts. These are for when hunting with buddies in kayaks or other boats. faster and easier than cell phones!

2nd card (bass pro) from in laws got the boat a first aid kit for those unkown situations!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

few more pics while boat was out today putting Xmas stuff back in attic.

Next up i think is splash well drains getting back in.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got the splashwell drains in. I did it like the PO did with PVC. I put them in flush on the inside and a lip with another ring on the outside. Quick dry 5200 all over the place. Then I cut the plate I had covering the two holes to now only cover one. Used a fostner bit to drill through the transom.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Not much done lately. Added some pouches though. Put two inside the bench, and two more that I can flip in and out as needed. Probably gonna use to hold shells, cell phones, bino's and things.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

trolling around the web for blind ideas and came across this setup on another site. I think its a pretty awsome way to go. Same boat as mine just a longer version. And I think killer deletes blind methods somewhat modified can make this work!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

heres a couple more..


----------



## Beta Tau789

Don't forget cup holders


----------



## jritchey65

Would that be vinyl material or cloth material? Seems like if you used cloth material something or similar and it got wet, moldy or sun bleached and rot (if its exposed to too much light)... I know you probably on the coast a lot (based on your location) so I know you deal with high winds often so I would either cut some holes in that cloth or use some mesh material.  Just throwing some words out there...I know youve probably already thought about everything I just said.


----------



## Beta Tau789

Ripstopbytheroll.com that's the material you need....


----------



## Core Lokt

Pretty cool stuff right there


----------



## g0nef1sshn

jritchey65 said:


> Would that be vinyl material or cloth material? Seems like if you used cloth material something or similar and it got wet, moldy or sun bleached and rot (if its exposed to too much light)... I know you probably on the coast a lot (based on your location) so I know you deal with high winds often so I would either cut some holes in that cloth or use some mesh material.  Just throwing some words out there...I know youve probably already thought about everything I just said.



His was a vinyl material. That ripstop site is pretty nice too. Pricing the type of material ill need looks like it would run me 200-250$ in just the fabric. 

You posed a good question, i didnt really think of the sail it would be in the wind. But id like it wind and water proof.


----------



## jritchey65

g0nef1sshn said:


> His was a vinyl material. That ripstop site is pretty nice too. Pricing the type of material ill need looks like it would run me 200-250$ in just the fabric.
> 
> You posed a good question, i didnt really think of the sail it would be in the wind. But id like it wind and water proof.



I figured it was probably a vinyl material...I like the old army mesh netting for pop blinds on a boat but you have to be careful with them because it tears easy and its pretty much toast once it gets sun baked one good time and dry rots...but if it gets wet, it dries out fairly quick and doesn't hold much water like burlap does.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Ive used that old military camo netting for years, that stuff catches and hooks on every thing. The newer style stuff isnt as bad. 
http://ripstopbytheroll.com/collections/a-tacs/products/1-9-oz-ripstop-nylon-a-tacs-fg

Im thinking this stuff for a first go. Request sent to the boss lady for a bday gift.


----------



## jritchey65

g0nef1sshn said:


> Ive used that old military camo netting for years, that stuff catches and hooks on every thing. The newer style stuff isnt as bad.
> http://ripstopbytheroll.com/collections/a-tacs/products/1-9-oz-ripstop-nylon-a-tacs-fg
> 
> Im thinking this stuff for a first go. Request sent to the boss lady for a bday gift.



Yea that stuff gets caught on everything...Ive never seen that ripstop stuff until this thread but it looks like it would do pretty good.  May have to look into that for myself next time I need some.


----------



## Beta Tau789

Since you never got a trip in this boat this year, here's the new blind with the rip stop, it is too dressed with some die cut leaf camo and a little military netting. Shock cord was added to the bottom to keep it from blowing in the wind as its water resistant and wind proof, which is nice for poor weather.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Looks good beta! Ill be attaching the bottom of rip stop just like the guy did in that open water grey boat  few posts back. they can be attached like pop rivets are to the boat. Im still thinking how I will do the top around the poles.


----------



## jasper181

where do you get the big hinges?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

jasper181 said:


> where do you get the big hinges?



the ones for the bench lid? those were from Home depot.


----------



## jasper181

g0nef1sshn said:


> the ones for the bench lid? those were from Home depot.



Sorry, I meant have you been able to find the hinges that hold the material up. I saw the original thread and his were custom made, I wasn't sure if you have found something similar.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Got ya, His post said something like they were or similiar to hopital bed. Its nice how his curve to fit the fold right. I havnt looked into those yet, im still working the supplies and tools for the camo material.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Camo should be on order monday. I looked for awhile for tjose hinges or similiar parts like it with no luck. Shouldnt be too hard to make something like it that will work. Now i have to plan the amount of snaps ill need, the tools to do it, and the strip of adhesive to bond the fold and melt it together with a heat source (iron).


----------



## g0nef1sshn

jasper181 said:


> where do you get the big hinges?



Closest thing ive found that might kinda work are the hinges for the ladders that lock out. Ill be figuring a different way for it. Maybe even scissor style in the back and pole system in the middle and front.

Have to get over to killer's place after season and figure it out.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Added a pic of the grass I usually hunt in Fl over a pic of the boat painted. Gonna load it and see if it looks like it did here. I think I got my idea pretty close. Also got my semi scissor blind idea worked out, but that will take a little more work to draw up and put here. when its waiting time between projects its draw and plan time.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

15 yrds of this ordered:

PU coated 1.9 oz ripstop nylon in A-TACS FG® (foliage/green) camo pattern. This fabric has a PU coated back with DWR face finish and is non-breathable/waterproof. Typically applications include tarps, ponchos, tents, or any application where a relatively lightweight, durable waterproof fabric is desired.

45' and 60" wide


----------



## g0nef1sshn

I will need more material, maybe for the anniversary, but... here is a sketch I got from another boat trolling more of google. Its not to scale by any means, and 90% concealment and cover is the goal. This is a sketch for the frame work idea. More practical than the garage door rails I think. But I still like that idea too.

The rear deck and bow are not covered in this. Its half a scissor rail from port to starboard. Probably a larger pipe than the rest of the pieces. A small scissor front wall will pop up off that with two center supports. And a small scissor roof will fold forward.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Ever see a Vhull with pontoon rails/walls around it? Well you might if the seller does hold onto these for me until Friday! He said no problem. Plans might have already changed for the blind. Its a complete set of them for a 20foot pontoon boat. How exactly I am going to do it is not known yet. I need to get the measurements and all first. There will probably be some modifications needed. This will cut cost down of needing more Ripstop material.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

So i picked up the pontoon walls and might even have a lead on a motor now to pick up next weekend. have some cleaning and planing to do now. 

The plan for now is to paint the same scheme as the boat. The pic with the curved piece I may try and figure a way to do shock hinges like a topper lid to have a flip top roof? 

anyway I have some more fun to work on now!

Ripstop stuff came in too!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Sitting on the bench seat is head level/view through the top wall and the top of the rail. If  can work it right it can be a floating concealed island if needed. pretty excited in working this part of the project.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

played a little today. wet sanded one wall to get it clean and primed some and painted alittle. have to pick up some more paint.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Got one wall painted today. Once I figure out how to get it mounted Ill do the rest of the cammo for it. Then Ill do the other side.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got a little carried away tonight....


----------



## Chewbaka81

That looks awesome.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Thanks chewy, 

Got the mounting brackets started and need to pick up some more hardware. I riveted angle to the walls and bolted them through the gunnel so I can remove if needed.

Ill probably figure out some more mounting for the inside for added strength when trailering around. I dont want this to go anywhere on the highway.


----------



## tsharp

I think you on to something good that we may see on many duck boats now. You should of put patent on it someone going to steel your idea and make millions on it. I really like it no wet camo grass or anything whipping you in the face while riding to the hunting hole.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tsharp said:


> I think you on to something good that we may see on many duck boats now. You should of put patent on it someone going to steel your idea and make millions on it. I really like it no wet camo grass or anything whipping you in the face while riding to the hunting hole.



No patent yet, millions would be nice too! I like it cause it will cut down on the wind and a roof will keep me dry!

got some more done today...


----------



## tsharp

I'll tell you what I really like your idea! You can hide from the wind and rain. If you have kids they will enjoy it more also.


----------



## tucker80

Wonder if you could hinge the sides to fold down while trailering and be able to fold them up and lock in place once on the water. Either way, that's an awesome way to go. Thought anymore on the top?


----------



## Beta Tau789

add some weatherstrip to the bottom of the pontoon panels and it could help keep any splash out. I like the hinge idea as well. looks great though. Maybe add a tuna tower to scout from. lol


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tucker80 said:


> Wonder if you could hinge the sides to fold down while trailering and be able to fold them up and lock in place once on the water. Either way, that's an awesome way to go. Thought anymore on the top?



I dont think i could get the walls as sturdy if i went the hinged route. The wall i did first im pretty confident isnt goin anywhere while driving. I have a few ideas for the top. Might use the doors i have from the pontoon on hinges or do something with conduit. Not sure yet on that one.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Beta Tau789 said:


> add some weatherstrip to the bottom of the pontoon panels and it could help keep any splash out. I like the hinge idea as well. looks great though. Maybe add a tuna tower to scout from. lol



Theres already a lip around the gunnel that should keep the water out. I dont know about the tuna tower, but maybe a drone landing pad would work!


----------



## Woodsedgefarm

Here are some similar blinds for ideas.

Fixed
http://www.gatortraxboats.com/boat-models/gators-camp/gators-camp-boat.html

Foldable 
http://explorebeavertail.com/fliptopblind.html

Home made 

http://www.duckhuntingchat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=47094


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Thanks for the links woods. I keep bouncing between the first and 2nd one. I gotta get the boat back out this weekend and walk around in it more to get a better idea of how i can make either of those work more.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Put backing plates to the mounts. They all went under the gunnel. the front two brackets hit the same plate. Have enough camo a little more 1 1/2 times. Walls are solid now!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

pic heavy, sorry a fun day today.... woohoo im 34!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

last update, think I did them backwards....


----------



## Chewbaka81

Happy Birthday!


----------



## Deerhead

Looks GREAT!  However all you need now is a GON sticker


----------



## tsharp

Coming along nicely. Your first trip out I know you going to say I should of done early.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Deerhead said:


> Looks GREAT!  However all you need now is a GON sticker



who needs a sticker when you got a perm. marker


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got a little yellow added to the paint scheme. I know GA is dead and woody, but where I plan hunting in Fl is still alive.

Also started on my wiring and switch panel work. Turns out I need to get or make some bus bars. Im not that electrically inclined but im learning through research and other forums on how to do it right!


----------



## WOODIE13

Round the blind down a little, sharp corners will get picked up, but that is just me.  Nice rig


----------



## g0nef1sshn

WOODIE13 said:


> Round the blind down a little, sharp corners will get picked up, but that is just me.  Nice rig



How do you mean roundit down? Im still in the new build phase and Im always down for ideas from others! Next pic is how I am thinking of wrapping the bow. Red is up, yellow is stowed and black is how they will connect. Camo will wrap around and snap on.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

getting the switch panel done. The panel came with the boat and was originally mounted for the throttle control.


----------



## Core Lokt

Man, you sure have come a long way with this boat. Looking good!! Enjoyed following this project.

One thing to keep in mind is with those perm sides you are creating a wind catcher. Make sure you have good anchors or stog poles in high winds


----------



## jritchey65

Yea a bus bar is great to have when you have multiple switches.  Keeps all the different wires separated, neat, and easy to get to.  Gets to be a pain when you have 6 different wires connected to the battery terminal...

Your boat is looking awesome...I love that idea of using the pontoon panels for a blind, ingenious to say the least.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Core Lokt said:


> Man, you sure have come a long way with this boat. Looking good!! Enjoyed following this project.
> 
> One thing to keep in mind is with those perm sides you are creating a wind catcher. Make sure you have good anchors or stog poles in high winds



If wind gets to be to annoying to deal with the plan is removing the solid walls and adding some kind of mesh walls. That wont happen for awhile though.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

jritchey65 said:


> Yea a bus bar is great to have when you have multiple switches.  Keeps all the different wires separated, neat, and easy to get to.  Gets to be a pain when you have 6 different wires connected to the battery terminal...
> 
> Your boat is looking awesome...I love that idea of using the pontoon panels for a blind, ingenious to say the least.



have to clean it up some, but runnings and bildge are wired in and working. 

I have 4 led lights should be arriving wedensday to get wired in. they are the ones beta tau has on his boat I hunted in with him the last weeked of the season. They worked great and were bright.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Added lock nuts to the wall bolts so things dont shimmy loose one me. And got the panel more organized. left extra wire so I dont run short on repairing connectors and clips and things. Battery clips are temporary until I get an actual marine battery to use. frees up my hands instead of holding the wires on while testing things out.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

who said let there be light??


----------



## g0nef1sshn

got my 4 lights in. You see 5 in the pic because of copying and pasting where Im thinking of mounting them. Thats one of the pontoon doors. Im thinking between making it permanent or removable. OR, put the door in permanent and making a bracket to hold all 4 lights removeable?

Whats your thoughts? I kinda like the idea of a grab bar up front.


----------



## Deerhead

g0nef1sshn said:


> who needs a sticker when you got a perm. marker



Another custom touch!  Looks great!


Sorry if I missed it...  where did you get the LED lights?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Deerhead said:


> Another custom touch!  Looks great!
> 
> 
> Sorry if I missed it...  where did you get the LED lights?



Got them off amazon. 18W cree leds or something like that. Might not last 10  years but they didnt cost my soul either.


----------



## WhiteStoneGuy

I've been following this post since you started your project. I've been with you up until the pontoon sides as a blind. Why did you go with a permanent fixed side for a blind? Won't this make visibility difficult when traveling and hunting? Help me understand what you are envisioning. I think it will be difficult to see when hunting unless the ducks are overhead. It will also be difficult to make shots on decoying birds. When hunting with a boat blind I prefer adjustable sides so I can set the back side level with the top of my head and the front side level with my chest. What level does your permanent sides reach when sitting in your boat? Maybe the pictures make them look taller than they really are.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Lol, i see your point. The pics make it look taller than the are. Ill have to get pics of me in it for more perspective. Sitting in bench seat my head is between the top wall and top rail. 8 bolts each side and the walls come off. The idea is total concealment with little effort for duck season and maybe mutliple rod holder for crappie. Its really a fun idea to experiment with and like anyblind will likely be modified or removed? over the years. Shooting seated will not be good. Gonna have to stand unless i end up chopping the top rail or cut off the bottom wall. Just having fun with it really.


----------



## Beta Tau789

Looking great! I found that spreading the lights worked better than a narrow angled approach. They are classified as "flood" not beam.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Beta Tau789 said:


> Looking great! I found that spreading the lights worked better than a narrow angled approach. They are classified as "flood" not beam.



Glad you gave me that tip before  mounting them all close. Ill keep two up front and I put these on the sides now. Itll be a two switch set up.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Getting it all wired in.


----------



## rnelson5

Whu not just put the lights directly on the flat part of the bow?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

rnelson5 said:


> Whu not just put the lights directly on the flat part of the bow?



To elevate them to keep reflection off the bow. I didnt want the to far forward near the running lights.


----------



## Beta Tau789

figure out your "plane" angle and "float" angle and position the lights somewhere inbetween.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Beta Tau789 said:


> figure out your "plane" angle and "float" angle and position the lights somewhere inbetween.



will do that when I get a motor


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Im working on wiring issues. First go when I turned running lights off the leds doubled in brightness. A suggestion was made to run a second ground up front to the bus. Tried that and now when running lights turned on and off one led out of the two on a switch goes out. Im running 14 guage wires. 

Next step is to put battery back on charger. (thought it read fully charged when I started this). Also need to get a voltmeter to learn some more electrical theory and possibly buy a heavier gauge wire for the grounding run. 

Granted this battery is an older one dad had laying around. But I have some work to do.


----------



## jritchey65

g0nef1sshn said:


> Im working on wiring issues. First go when I turned running lights off the leds doubled in brightness. A suggestion was made to run a second ground up front to the bus. Tried that and now when running lights turned on and off one led out of the two on a switch goes out. Im running 14 guage wires.
> 
> Next step is to put battery back on charger. (thought it read fully charged when I started this). Also need to get a voltmeter to learn some more electrical theory and possibly buy a heavier gauge wire for the grounding run.
> 
> Granted this battery is an older one dad had laying around. But I have some work to do.



Just sounds like your running light are pulling a huge load off the battery.  Led bulbs dont pull much at all but when you combine them with the running lights then it pulls a good bit.  As for the the extra ground wire shutting one light off Im not real sure on that, sounds like its breaking the circuit somehow though.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

There is something with the running lights. I had them wired wrong to start I think in the front. But tonight I redid alot of the ground connectors to the bus bars and things got better. Still need to get a multimeter to check things out and keep on working out the issues.Kinda nice to have something to do since the build itself is almost complete.

I can connect wires and all, but when it comes to amps, volts, draw, and things it is a learning curve. And I know from work that bad grounds can make things haywire and non working.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

still messing with the wiring and things. Got a multimeter and started testing the connections too. One thing that helped me figure out is the battery i used to do all this is pretty much shot. 

So Im looking for a deep cycle marine battery for all the accessories. What are you guys running in your boats?

I plan on a 24v system eventually. 1 cranking battery and one deep cycle for the rest.

What batteries do you all like that run your boats like this? do you break bank for a 200$ one or do the 100$ range work fine?

I dont have a trolling motor, but its not out of the question in the future. So I would like to be ready for that power needed also.


----------



## kevbo3333

I've got a $90 one that's been going strong for 4 years. I got it from a locally owned battery shop here in middle GA


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Whats the brand and specs kev?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

picked up a battery today. Spent Monday - Saturday out in the woods playing Soldier so im back at it today. Already reconnected everything so far so good as far as I can tell. waiting till dark to make sure its all good to go!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

new good battery = working lights all around..


----------



## rnelson5

I am sure your neighbor over there loves you lol.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

rnelson5 said:


> I am sure your neighbor over there loves you lol.



They will be ok, it wasnt toooo late yet 

I was tightening down the lights and had one bolt snap, oops.

also added some more paint. I finally founf the green I was looking for again. 

Not much more to do other than build a battery box and find me a motor.....


----------



## WhiteStoneGuy

I recommend some heat shrink tubing or some tape for those butt connectors since it's a watercraft.  Looking good overall


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Probably going to be taped up real good this go around. If it holds and works fine i plan on heat shrinking the connections in the future. I have the stuff to lube the connections to the switches also. I have to change some of them out for some better ones before i do that also.

I have to add a inline fuse right off the battery and then its pretty much play with the camo idea and find a motor. But if all goes as planned i have a 6 week class at the end of this month and more than likely moving after that. So money might be more wisely spent with that unless something pops up i cant refuse.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

No motor still. Going to have to store the boat outside while we list our house to sell. made a tarp support frame. Hopefully after moving I can get serious on the motor hunt again. 

Not moving far. I should be moving bases from Ft. Stewart to Hunter Airfield this next week. So I will still be in the Savannah area anyway.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Might not have to be paddling around this year! My dad should be going to scoop me up a 1995 40 hp merc tomorrow. I had to order a tiller handle off ebay for it that wont be here for a while, but at least this boat should get wet this year! Hope it all works out! this is the motor.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

It official. Dad picked it up today. Probably bring the boat down there 4th of july weekend to put it on.


----------



## Drwthomas

How did you upload these pictures? I'm trying to post about my new rig and I can't seem to upload pictures. Thanks


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Drwthomas said:


> How did you upload these pictures? I'm trying to post about my new rig and I can't seem to upload pictures. Thanks



I take most with my phone (galaxy) and email them to myself. the phone gives me the option to email them small/med/large. I choose small. Then I download them from my email to my desktop. When your posting, scroll below your post before submitting it and you will see something say manage attachments. click that, browse to where your pics are and select the one you want. And upload them. For some reason I can not do all the above directly from my phone though.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

*tiller arrived*

I was a little worried about this ebay purchase from Israel but it arrived this week down in Fl at my parents place where the motor is. I was going to throw nice new rubber on my trailer and haul it down there 4th of July weekend to put in all on the boat, but, our house now needs a new HVAC system. There goes my tire money. I wanted new tires because I dont trust the ones on it for a 600 mile round trip at 70 MPH.

So I will head down there and work on connecting the tiller and figuring out how to add a key start and additional tilt/trim switch and haul back up here to Ga to put it all on the boat. Its getting so close to splash time!


----------



## king killer delete

will the good ship lolly pop float marine?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

king killer delete said:


> will the good ship lolly pop float marine?



I hope so. I just wish now i had got an aluminum trailer instead of a nice "like new" painted steel one so i wouldnt have issues launching it salt water down the road. Once the motor is on and all good the search to trade,sell, buy an aluminum one will start!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

*heres my power*

1995 40 hp 4cyl 2 stroke..

any pitch/prop ideas what would work best with this tank?


----------



## MudDucker

Best to put the boat on the motor and then test different props.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

MudDucker said:


> Best to put the boat on the motor and then test different props.



Good point Mud.

I have her hooked up ready to go south to put a motor on. This is the first time it has been uncovered and all the work has been out in the rain. Not sure how I feel about that yet. 

Put two new tires on today and the spare seems legit so off to add some horsepower this weekend.


----------



## tucker80

Have you had it on the road since putting the sides on?


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tucker80 said:


> Have you had it on the road since putting the sides on?



Yep,trailers fine! I think the plates I added under the gunels helps a lot with that (and the lock nuts added). At highway speeds today they didn't even appear to shake in the mirrors. And with the rain and wind stayed right behind behind me with no problems. The trailer itself isn't exactly on the light side either, which I think helps out a lot, but i already want to get/trade an aluminum one now so salt water will not be an issue.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Still have work to do. But the motor is on and back in Ga. Havnt had it in the water yet. I need to get a new gas tank, wire the key ignition in, and do some work on the tiller handle. I wasnt an exact match as far as bolting on. I think it was miss labeled on ebay. This is probably the tiller for larger 75hp plus models.


----------



## tsharp

Did you try it yet? Can't wait forever!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Nope. And its driving me nuts. Just had to get uniforms for my kids school. Gas tanks are expensive too, so im waiting to drop money on that and a few other odds and ends. I put in for vaca time at the beginning of August so im hoping that will be the time i actually have this thing in the water.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Picked up a 12 gallon tank, muffs and 2 stroke oil this week. Going to bring her home this weekend and try and get this thing running up the river!


----------



## kevbo3333

Smart move with the larger gas tank. Those 6 gallon units are over rated! I have a six gallon tank and keep a VP gas can in my boat if I plan on going somewhere im not as familiar with.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

kevbo3333 said:


> Smart move with the larger gas tank. Those 6 gallon units are over rated! I have a six gallon tank and keep a VP gas can in my boat if I plan on going somewhere im not as familiar with.



Ya, i went with the 12 because my dads boat has a 6 gallon. And on the long okeechobee days after hunting plus scouting it getsvon our minds. His is a 35 hp, since this is a 40hp i figured it would be better to go larger on fuel capacity.


----------



## Dr. Strangelove

Wow! Just read through the whole thread, great build, hope you get her in the water soon!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Dr. Strangelove said:


> Wow! Just read through the whole thread, great build, hope you get her in the water soon!



Thanks! And might be this weekend. Just had it running in the driveway! But i have some things to work out with connections to the ignition. Might only do a ramp test at the dock and not a full out cruise. But i am getting closer!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

*This is the long story of this afternoons shenanigans....*

The long story is I had bought the fuel line and ignition at west marine while in Fl 4th of July weekend. Today my fuel line is no where to be found? It had the whole kit (filter, fittings, kitchen sink). SO, I bite the bullet and go to bass pro and buy two ( merc fuel line kits). One for a spare on impulse. Get back home after Savannah rush hour all happy and go to put it all together and what happens? The new bass pro fuel kits do not come with the fuel line connector to the tank like my original NEW $$$$$$$$$$$ west marine one did. So I butchered one set to drop the line in the tank. But Wait it gets better. My dads neighbor and friend had a small bucket of random gas line fittings/connectors from all his boats over the years. ONE happened to fit and click to the motor so he let me have it. The new "mercury" outboard gas line fitting would not connect at all to the motor. So I had to cut that fitting off and attach the gifted one on. But when I did that I did not pay attention to the primer ball and hooked it all up backwards. Meanwhile the admiral is mad about a lost new gas line and the run to bass pro to buy something that is probably in the garage somewhere ( Her dad recently visited and helped organize things). He is a very smart guy and would remember seeing one in there new in the package so maybe it got stolen while the door was up during the day? thats my thought now. so after all the running around, by the time I get to testing and trouble shooting things my kids are going to bed and a new noise outside wont help that. 

Tomorrow is another day my friends. Stay thirsty![/B][/B][/B]


----------



## Dr. Strangelove

I feel foolish giving you advice after reading your build, you obviously know what you are doing, so read this as "preaching to the choir". I'm sure you have already done this, but here goes:


Go to the manufacturer's website and put in the model and serial numbers of your outboard. Make sure you have the correct ID (inside diameter) fuel line, and get the correct part # for the terminal connector to the engine.
After determining you have the correct ID fuel line, order/buy locally a NEW, correct terminal connector. 
Assemble your new fuel line, making sure the connections are airtight. Leave the fuel filter off for the first test run, you have a new tank and lines, right?
After the test run goes well, add the fuel filter back if you feel like, unless there is already one on the engine.
Assemble the "spare fuel line" with the "gifted" terminal connector and store it somewhere in the boat. If the engine runs well with an additional fuel filter in-line, add one if you like.

After having lived on the coast in FL for some time, most of the problems I've seen with outboards trace back to leaky fuel lines or poor connections at the terminal end with the engine. The spring/springs in the terminal connector (or at the tank) wear out over time and it starts to leak/suck air.  

Make sure the bulb pumps up tight and holds pressure, it's good practice to keep a spare bulb or entire fuel assembly aboard. 

Again, I'm sure you know all this, but I don't know that I'd trust a who knows how old terminal connector on an older engine. A new one is cheap compared to what you have put into the build, and takes out one more variable should you need to troubleshoot.

Have fun! I'm jealous!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

*It finally happened!!!*

She got all wet! Thanks to a fellow local hunting friend stopping by to help with the test run she got in the water and ran a few miles in the Ogeechee. There is still some work to do and tweeking with things, but its fishable and huntable finally!


----------



## tucker80

Congrats!! Sure has came a long way!! 
Now time to make the memories on the water instead of the garage.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

tucker80 said:


> Congrats!! Sure has came a long way!!
> Now time to make the memories on the water instead of the garage.



Thanks for the picture tucker! Took the wife and kids for a small ride this morning and they had a blast. Now on to planning all the little stuff. I want to sell this tiller handle and get the right one. But it works for now.


----------



## maconbacon

Man that is awesome! 

You've got more handiness in your pinky than I have in my whole body! I feel accomplished simply patching small dings in the fiberglass on my boat


----------



## The Flying Duckman

Nice Job!


----------



## MudDucker

Looking good!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

maconbacon said:


> Man that is awesome!
> 
> You've got more handiness in your pinky than I have in my whole body! I feel accomplished simply patching small dings in the fiberglass on my boat



Im scared to work on glass so hats off to you on that one! I think thats harder and more challenging actually.


----------



## Core Lokt




----------



## g0nef1sshn

Core Lokt said:


>





closing on our house soon, so no updates for a bit until this goes through, then have to close on the house we have an offer on. So if you been through this you know the work and investment involved. As in not spending any money as much as possible!


----------



## g0nef1sshn

*Dog sitters?*

Closing on new house the 31'st. Cant move in until 72 hrs after. Need Dogs watched from 30th till the 4th maybe? Local vet where ours go will run close to 400$ for  that time. Anyone know someone in the savannah area that can watch a 3 yr old chocolate lab and 5 month old black lab at a better dollar? Both get along with other dogs, neither are fixed. Any help appreciated.


----------



## Chase4556

g0nef1sshn said:


> Closing on new house the 31'st. Cant move in until 72 hrs after. Need Dogs watched from 30th till the 4th maybe? Local vet where ours go will run close to 400$ for  that time. Anyone know someone in the savannah area that can watch a 3 yr old chocolate lab and 5 month old black lab at a better dollar? Both get along with other dogs, neither are fixed. Any help appreciated.



GAH! I would in a heart beat, but sadly I'm in the 'Stan. I need your 5 month to wear a hole in my wifes heart so I can get a pup. We have used Barks over on 95, and Club Fido off 17. Not sure if the pooches need to be fixed or not to go there, nor do I remember their rates, but I highly recommend both. 

Good to see you got the boat finished up and in the water. I've been following this since the beginning. I'm at Hunter as well, we should get together and do some hunting.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Chase4556 said:


> GAH! I would in a heart beat, but sadly I'm in the 'Stan. I need your 5 month to wear a hole in my wifes heart so I can get a pup. We have used Barks over on 95, and Club Fido off 17. Not sure if the pooches need to be fixed or not to go there, nor do I remember their rates, but I highly recommend both.
> 
> Good to see you got the boat finished up and in the water. I've been following this since the beginning. I'm at Hunter as well, we should get together and do some hunting.



Thanks chase. Friends of ours we didnt think would be able to them both can. Thats a big help.

When will you be back? I should be here for this season, but may be in your shoes from the sounds of it by the next one.

As long as i can fix the tiller issue we can link up. If not, i wouldnt take it out unless theres another boat out for the first few trips for insurance and safety reason.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Also, I am trying to get this for the next project. Pre 1972 Starcraft Islander 22 fter. Needs a complete restore head to toe! On the list of things to do...


----------



## Chase4556

You thought the current boat was a project... that will be a project.


----------



## g0nef1sshn

Chase4556 said:


> You thought the current boat was a project... that will be a project.



Ya, and a  big one at that! If it happens ill start a build in the everthing motorized side of the forum. This one would be back to original and better, not a hunting boat. We will see.....


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## g0nef1sshn

99% packed in uhaul and storage. 100% by tomorrow night. Moving is work. But no hoa, flood insurance, and parking boat where ever i want is worth it! Plus schools going from 3 of 10 to 9 of 10! Thats is ofcourse if closings all go as planned Wedneday. Busy month and no time to fix the tiller. Its killin me!


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## g0nef1sshn

Closing went great and started moving today!! A lot more to go, then  new tiller to make this thing right. Loving the new hood! And still close to the water.


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## Chase4556

g0nef1sshn said:


> Closing went great and started moving today!! A lot more to go, then  new tiller to make this thing right. Loving the new hood! And still close to the water.



 good to hear


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## g0nef1sshn

Have another tiller handle headed in at the end of the week and another line up on another one that has newer features i may pick up. Both are the right style i believe so i should be good to go getting out on the water this year feelin comfortable. I should have a few trips out on the water the next two weeke s!


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## g0nef1sshn

Testing out uploading from the phone. See if this works....

It worked. Had to email pics to myeslf as small. Then redownload them and upload from the file not camera/images.

Messing with blind ideas. Still have about 12' of uncut ripstop left. This set up has 2 spots to pop up in. I think i can cut another piece to have a third spot too. This will be gettin tweeked as the time goes ofcourse.


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## g0nef1sshn

Got the new tiller on. getting ready for a ride this weekend to test it out.


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## g0nef1sshn

It works! Sorry about the quality of the video, its hd on my phone. 



Trying this embed thing. Lets see if it worked


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## g0nef1sshn

hang in there with me. Im new to youtube. try this one instead. Not sure what I did through my phone really, but it worked. 

if it is still fuzzy, while you watch it click the setting on the youtube video and select a higher res. World of difference. Ok, I should be done for the day......


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## g0nef1sshn

Dropped old girl at the mechanic this afternoon. Ill update when she is back at the house.prayin for the best!


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## king killer delete

What's broke?


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## tsharp

I was thinking when I was going to go take a ride with you, but now I have to wait. LOL You did a excellent job my friend!


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## g0nef1sshn

king killer delete said:


> What's broke?



Waiting for the mechanic to tell me. Hit something under waterbon ther opener. Sputtered out and died.


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## g0nef1sshn

tsharp said:


> I was thinking when I was going to go take a ride with you, but now I have to wait. LOL You did a excellent job my friend!



Thanks T. I had 2 ok test runs with the wrong tiller handle. Bought the right one. Had a good scouting day the week before season. Then on the opener i hit something headed back to the ramp and it went bonkers. When its back right we will go cruising!


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## g0nef1sshn

Between mechanic, iboats, and a mercury facebook fan group i got the motor running again! Did compression check and it came back good. Bought some new plugs and spark tester. All 4 cylinders had spark so i put new plug in cyl 4 the mech said wasnt firing. It fired up faster than ever!

Problem is i saw water commin through the plug threads! It wasnt alot but it aint right either. So thats the next thing to figure out. Other than that she idled smooth and was music to my ears. For now....


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## welderguy

g0nef1sshn said:


> Between mechanic, iboats, and a mercury facebook fan group i got the motor running again! Did compression check and it came back good. Bought some new plugs and spark tester. All 4 cylinders had spark so i put new plug in cyl 4 the mech said wasnt firing. It fired up faster than ever!
> 
> Problem is i saw water commin through the plug threads! It wasnt alot but it aint right either. So thats the next thing to figure out. Other than that she idled smooth and was music to my ears. For now....



Cracked head? Leaking head gasket?


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## g0nef1sshn

welderguy said:


> Cracked head? Leaking head gasket?



Gonna try the gasket. Ordered on last night.


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## Dub

I've really enjoyed reading this thread and seeing what you've done with this 'un.


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## g0nef1sshn

Thanks Dub. Heres some more enjoyment that should go to the misfortune side. 

Some reason i couldnt check into stewart this morning. Dont know why. But it got light out so i went and watched river. Didnt see ducks amd didnt here shootin. So i go to napa to get 2 more plugs and pb to soak the bolts ill be taking out. Plus a socket to tighten my prop back up so i dont have to always borrow one. With tail gate down and kayak in the truck i backed into a sign. A concrete pole kinda sign. Get out to look and i see a piece of plastic is cracked. No biggy. Get home and i got the wrong socket. Take kayak out and actually look at the tail gate and its way worse than i thought. So i forced the mother shut so i still have a back up cam to use knowing i cant open it again. Go to the store sign owner because i didnt think it was that hard of hit and let them know. Their concrete pole i A OK. tail gate not so much. Then i exchanged socket for the right one. About that time wife calls said she forgot holliday party food at the house for her work. So i go off on a 3 hour tour to drop food off and take her car in for oil change. 

Back home meow. With a cold aluminum can and more just callin my name.


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## g0nef1sshn

Thought i had ratchet big enough for the socket.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Ft Polk bound*

packed up and leaving GA, vaca in Fl then off to Ft Polk, La for a few years....

Will update with new boat things as they happen! I appreciate everything this forum has done for me the last 3 years! made great friends and had great hunts with them. Good luck this year to everyone!


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## MudDucker

g0nef1sshn said:


> packed up and leaving GA, vaca in Fl then off to Ft Polk, La for a few years....
> 
> Will update with new boat things as they happen! I appreciate everything this forum has done for me the last 3 years! made great friends and had great hunts with them. Good luck this year to everyone!



Safe travels and best of luck to you!


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## Barebowyer

Be safe and enjoy your new locale...


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## king killer delete

I get you trained and then you leave.


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## Chase4556

Enjoy it. Louisiana is a great place for hunting and fishing. Keep us updated on your hunts and other adventures with the boat.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Long drive*

Got a house in Deridder,La. 3 lakes to the west and the coast to south. And much more. Still learning the place.


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## g0nef1sshn

Headed toledo bend in the morn. With a gun ammo and a fishin pole. Might do more fishin since its a first visit. But never know. Gotta feel it out. 

Have an invite on a boat this weekend. And wife says maybe we can swing new motor in Feb for my bday. Fam is always first but if its in the cards we will see....


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## g0nef1sshn

Only saw a few ducks. Probably woodies and the resident geese. No fish caught either. But learning the cove i was in taught me check weather a lil more. Wind picked up and i called it quits before id have a hard time crossing back over the cove. Still fun gettin out. Yall Ga peeps be safe and good luck in the morn!


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## g0nef1sshn

Big update tomorrow. This venture will be complete.


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## g0nef1sshn

*Complete (again)*

To those that followed along, here she is again. A 2015 new out of the crate 60hp command thrust. Hoping to get her wet this weekend! 

Only things left are trollin motor and depth finder. But for I call it done!


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## tucker80

Nice!!


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## b5fish

That merc is a beauty! Great way to polish off your build. Hope you let her rip this weekend!


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## g0nef1sshn

*Splash 2.0*

Had all my girls out for the weekend. Not much fish caught but the ride was nice!

Splash number 2.0! Its been a long ride that is for sure. Now to search for some more projects. But I do still need a bow mount trollin motor and a fish finder!


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## g0nef1sshn

picked up a hook 5 w/ lake pro couple weekends ago. It was missin parts so returned it and went back out this weekend and came home with the Lowrance hook 7 with lake pro. Hopin for a summer full of fishing and scouting the boating side of Sabine NWR!


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## g0nef1sshn

returned hook5 got a hook7. did a DIY bracket till I splurge on a ram mount...


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## g0nef1sshn

Newest update. Now an owner of a house in Louisiana in Deridder. Also got the boat out for its first hunt with 3 fellow Ga friends that came to shoot for awhile. although this lake didnt get us to shoot this day. We saw plenty of woodies and few big ducks. It was its 2nd official hunt trip after the motor blow out on its maiden voyage hunt in GA. Couldnt have had better company! Some of them may have more pics to add. My phone was crap most of the trip.


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## Beta Tau789

Always enjoy a good hunt with friends


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## g0nef1sshn

Toledo Bend Labor Day.


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