Boat #3 - Beginner Rebuild

[Scallen2112]

My wife just shook her head, turned, and walked back inside without a word.

Boat#3 (is it even possible to have too many boats) wont be ready to fish for at LEAST a year, probably more. But, the build will be fun - especially since I have never done this before. Looking for ideas to make it a totally custom fishing machine that is a cross between a center console and a bass boat. So, what's your favorite feature you have seen in a small center console?

 

[baddave]

baitwells w/access from both ends / walking space/ rod storage /room for a big tackle box and still have walking room/ sonar w/ gps/gps trolling mtr is super cool/ on board battery charger/raw water wash/ all stainless steel hardware if you think you might bay fish

 

[Ihunt]

A bigger trailer? Looks too small.

 

[Jim Baker]

Trailer definitely needs new bunk system at the least.

Horizontal Rod Storage. Accessible battery storage up front for trolling motor. Easy access fuse panel. Platforms front and back. As much storage as possible for the necessities like PDFs, tool box, Flares, ETC.

 

[Scallen2112]

A bigger trailer? Looks too small.

That was just to get it home. It is now sitting on wooden cradles for the rebuild process and the trailer is for sale on Craigslist.

 

[Scallen2112]

Trailer definitely needs new bunk system at the least.

Horizontal Rod Storage. Accessible battery storage up front for trolling motor. Easy access fuse panel. Platforms front and back. As much storage as possible for the necessities like PDFs, tool box, Flares, ETC.

I am going to change the layout for platforms front and back, like a bass boat. I was a mechanical designer before I retired, so once I get it hogged out and start the transome, I am going to play around with it on Autocad and see how many feature (that I think I am capable of building) I can stuff into it.

I think I can get three rod tubes per side running into the front deck. I may or may not put a few on the side of the console.

I am going to have to figure out how to build front and back decks with waterproof lids that will drain around and away when I hose and scrub it down (like I had on my bass boat). Not going to be easy, as I will probably have to mock it up in wood, build a mold, and then lay it up with a foam core.

I have a 32 gig thumb drive for the PDFs....

 

[Ihunt]

Good luck

 

[Jim Baker]

I am going to change the layout for platforms front and back, like a bass boat. I was a mechanical designer before I retired, so once I get it hogged out and start the transome, I am going to play around with it on Autocad and see how many feature (that I think I am capable of building) I can stuff into it.

I think I can get three rod tubes per side running into the front deck. I may or may not put a few on the side of the console.

I am going to have to figure out how to build front and back decks with waterproof lids that will drain around and away when I hose and scrub it down (like I had on my bass boat). Not going to be easy, as I will probably have to mock it up in wood, build a mold, and then lay it up with a foam core.

I have a 32 gig thumb drive for the PDFs....

Vertical holders on the CC look good going down the road but stored rods get in the way when fishing. MHO.

 

[Scallen2112]

Vertical holders on the CC look good going down the road but stored rods get in the way when fishing. MHO.

Yeah, I've snagged a couple casting in my day, so probably not. This is why I don't like T-tops on smaller boats.

Got a good bit done today. Got it off of the trailer and onto supports. I will build a front full cradle when I start working in that area, but for a while I will be concentrating on the stern as I rebuilt the transom.

Yeah, I would say it's time for a new transom

That's one big block of foam!

Got most of the structure removed in the back, and almost ready to start tearing the transom apart.

 

[Lukikus2]

My favorite feature on a offshore boat is a high transom.

 

[Scallen2112]

My favorite feature on a offshore boat is a high transom.

It's not going to be offshore ( I have a Hydra Sports 2500 WA for that), but I was thinking about raising the transom some. I'm not a big fan of those deep cutouts. I think it was set up for a 20" shaft motor, so I guess I could rais it 5" and use a 25.

 

[saltysenior]

My favorite feature on a offshore boat is a high transom.

mine is a secret compartment to hide a fish 1/2'' short

 

[Scallen2112]

mine is a secret compartment to hide a fish 1/2'' short

LOL...that would have to be a BIG compartment. I swear, all the trout in this system are 13-1/2" long.

I'm working on the plans in AutoCAD while I tear out the transom, floor and stringers, so that by the time I get the transom rebuilt I will know what I am puting in the rest of the boat. I'm actually thinking about adopting a feature from a G3 aluminum boat:

This is the seat in the up position

And this is when it is lowered down to increase the deck

I'm thinking of doing one more in the middle with dry storage and a fish box to the sides.

 

[Steve762us]

How do you keep track of the weight of
proposed additions, vs freeboard?

 

[Scallen2112]

How do you keep track of the weight of
proposed additions, vs freeboard?

The layup I will be doing on stringers, decks and components will be two layers of 1.5oz CSM and two layers of 1708 whetted to approximately 1:2 by weight. That brings the layup to approx 12.7 oz (0.8 lbs) per square foot. The plywood is approx 60lbs per sheet or 1.875 pounds per sq.ft. So 2.68 lbs (say 3 even to be on safe side) per square foot of glass covered plywood.

That's 36 lbs per cubic foot, where water is about 62 lbs per cubic foot. That will work into positive flotation and how much foam I will need. My AutoCAD layout tells me I have 68 sq. ft at the waterline mark on the hull. Looking for inches of freeboard, 68 sq. ft. converts to 5.67 cubic feet per inch x 62 lbs (water) = 351.54. So for every 350 lbs I add, the boat will lose an inch of freeboard. Right now I have 22.5"

I will be watching it, as I also have to calculate the foam.

 

[Steve762us]

Oh, I'm concerned you may be jumping into this
without considering the ramifications.

The 22.5" current freeboard is at lowest point
(presumably the transom), yah?

How about motor--going to larger, or from 2S
to 4S?

 

[Scallen2112]

Actually, the 22.5" freeboard is from the water mark left on the hull in it's previous configuration, which was about at floor level, and no, that is measure on the sides. I am raising the transom from 20" to 25" which will put it 8" lower than the gunnels. The boat was rated for a 150, but I will be putting a 90 or maybe a 115 two stroke back on. The center console will be shrinking, but I will be adding a rear deck. The floor will be raised 3" with the accompanying increase in foam. The 115 Etec I am looking at for it weighs 390 lbs, so I have to make sure to design in 6.5 cu.ft. of foam in the rear as well to achieve level flotation if swamped. Yeah, I'm not just loading it down without thinking about it.

 

[Steve762us]

I think a lot of older boats were 'transom rated' for 2S motors, where the Coast Guard came up with their max-hp figures (somebody school me if this is wrong), and the 4S is a lot pudgier, hp to hp.

You probably already got it in the mix, fuel/tank weights, and baitwell--15 gallons is about the lower useable limit, with good
aeration/exchange. On the baitwell, if you can rig it to pump/fill
on plane, is a useful feature, to help keep shrimp alive.

 

[Scallen2112]

Trying to find a way to put a poly fuel cell under the floor, and still have the stringers I need and drainage to the bilge, and routing for all the lines to the motor, and pump, and wells, and..... i think I need a bigger boat.

 

[Steve762us]

Sometimes options can give
you a headache.