# 1968 K-Craft Project - First Boat 14' length 36' bottom



## TJBrown (Jul 26, 2009)

Hello everyone, i have been asking questions on here about my project for a bit and finally decided it was time to share my progress with the forum. This is my first boat and to be honest, i didnt have a clue up til this point. It has been a learning experience. The boat is a 1968 model but the registration did not have a Manf. I have done some searching and it looks like it could be an old K-Craft. So i will do with that lol. 

I found the boat on Craigs List and gave $100 for the boat. Guy didnt know alot about it but said it was a fair shape with a few small leaks. We made the transaction and off the the house i went. Here it is....

Boat rails where bent up and and had alot of dents





The Transom was shot




The Bottom was cupped pretty bad and you can see one of the crappy angle aluminum patches they applied that failed.




More Pictures of the Cupped Bottom from the inside




More of the Cupped Bottom, and the Black Tar they used to patch holes. Failed as with the other patches.


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## TJBrown (Jul 26, 2009)

Getting the boat sound. I Started out with getting the floor, rails and everything else back straight. ALot of pounding with a dead blow hammer. Got it all straight

Before




After





I put the boat on horses and filled with water. Lets just say there was more than a new slow leaks. Two angle aluminum patches on the bottom rails leaked big time. I ended up getting on a creeper and marked all the leaks in the aluminum and the leaky rivets. I ended up with 12 leaks and about 20 rivets that needed to be re-bucked. I removed the two patches and found that it looked like the boat took to direct hits by a 38. I took the boat to my dads and spent about 5 houts TIG welding all the cracks and applying patches. Here are two of the patches










I re-bucked all the rivets that i had marked and filled with water again. No Leaks! Perfect


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## TJBrown (Jul 26, 2009)

Next on the list was the transom. The original was 1" so i got a piece of 3/4 Ext Ply and a piece of 1/4 Ext Ply and Tite Bonded them together. Thompson'ed them the next day and and installed into the boat with all Stainless Hardware


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## TJBrown (Jul 26, 2009)

The Bow Step was shot on it due to them using it for a jumping platform of something. It was really bent up and broke all the original rivets and they redrilled and put in Hollow Rivets. While i was welding the cracks, i filled in all the rivet holes except for the originals. I decided i would just build a wood deck for the front as i have seen done on here many time. Started with the framing.






Them decked, Glued the Carpet, and installed a Bow Light Base for night fishing.


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## ober51 (Jul 26, 2009)

Good work - coming along really nicely.

Question, did you put exterior ply on the transom? I might have read it wrong, but I thought you said you put that and regular ply together and water sealed? If so, it may not be a big deal, but exterior ply has copper in it that could corrode the aluminum. I'm sure it will be fine, but just wondering.


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## TJBrown (Jul 26, 2009)

I did not use pressure treated but regular exterier grade plywood.


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## ober51 (Jul 26, 2009)

TJBrown said:


> I did not use pressure treated but regular exterier grade plywood.



You said that, I re read, sorry  

Still looking good!


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## TJBrown (Jul 26, 2009)

Thanks! I am hoping to get the Back Deck going this week so i can get the running lights working. I have been really wanting to run some Yoyo's.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jul 26, 2009)

TJBrown said:


> Next on the list was the transom. The original was 1" so i got a piece of 3/4 Ext Ply and a piece of 1/4 Ext Ply and Tite Bonded them together. Thompson'ed them the next day and and installed into the boat with all Stainless Hardware


The way the transom is set up with the angle on the sides and the shape of the knee braces and a few other things it looks very much like my 1971 Wards Sea King. I have no idea who made it for Wards.


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## TJBrown (Jul 26, 2009)

I noticed by your signature that you own a 71 Sea King. Do you have any info on hp ratings / weight ratings and what not? My sticker is MIA and would love to have some info.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Jul 27, 2009)

TJBrown said:


> I noticed by your signature that you own a 71 Sea King. Do you have any info on hp ratings / weight ratings and what not? My sticker is MIA and would love to have some info.


Sorry mine is missing too. I added an 1"x6"x48" Oak board when I replaced my transom and I run a Mariner 25hp motor with out trouble.


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## TJBrown (Aug 5, 2009)

Worked on the back deck a little this week and can finally pretty much put a check mark next to it. 2x4 (Thompsons Water Treated) construction with 1/2 ply and covered in Indoor outdoor carpet.


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