# Free Sears 14vfooter



## pbw (Dec 27, 2007)

Nice Co-worker gave this too me. Unsure what I'm going to do with it.



























It probably had 50 gallons of water in it when I picked her up. The decking is rotted.

:shock:


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## Waterwings (Dec 27, 2007)

Dang, he gave it to you!? Looks like you better make room in your garage for your next project. :wink:


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## Jim (Dec 27, 2007)

Man, Deck it like you did yours and sell it for a quick K if not more.


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## Waterwings (Dec 27, 2007)

Jim said:


> Man, Deck it like you did yours and sell it for a quick K if not more.



That's a good idea! 8) 


pbw, 
Did you get the title/registration with it?


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## FishinsMyLife (Dec 27, 2007)

Fishin NJ said:


> i will meet you half way, lol i will take it off your hands :lol:


If he's doin that, I think SC is closer than NJ :wink: Heck, I'll even pay for your gas


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## pbw (Dec 27, 2007)

Waterwings said:


> Jim said:
> 
> 
> > Man, Deck it like you did yours and sell it for a quick K if not more.
> ...




Going tomorrow to transfer the Title. 8)


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## pbw (Dec 27, 2007)

Did some measuring its 14 ft long, 4 ft 2 inches wide at the top.

Spec plate reads 801 pounds capacity and 10 hp motor. Owner also told me tomorrow I get a trolling motor of some sort. 

The boat is in good shape the inside looks bad in the photos due to being carpeted then sitting under a tree and collecting water. The carpet is peeling of easy. I think under the front deck is two bowling balls, wtf? I can't get them out until I remove the decking bolted two the metal bench seat. The paint on the exterior looks great!

I've got the bow of the boat about 6 ft in the air and its still leaking water out the drain hole.

This weekend I'll remove the decking and pressure wash the inside and see what I've got.


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## ACarbone624 (Dec 27, 2007)

THe bowling balls where probably to add some weight to compensate when running the outboard. I mounted my battery up front instead of adding bowling balls!


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## bassboy1 (Dec 28, 2007)

"The little boat drifted gently across the pond, exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't."

Someones siggy on another board I am on.  

People always bash these Gamefishers, but every time I have seen them, I wonder why. They seem to be solid boats, not any worse than many that I have seen.


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## Jim (Dec 28, 2007)

That is the kind of boat that they rent at the nicest reservoir here in Mass. They come with 8 and 9 horse motors, and you can rent tham all day long for $34 bucks. I think they are great boats.


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## Waterwings (Dec 28, 2007)

> I think under the front deck is two bowling balls, wtf?




yep, probably there for ballast.


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## Nickk (Dec 28, 2007)

That's sweet! I need a good boat for cheap project. Post up pics of the progress so I can learn with you!


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## bassboy1 (Dec 28, 2007)

I got a better theory for the bowling balls. 

My guess is this guy was bowling one night, and the whole night, he kept bowling strikes and spares - the whole night. He won the game indefinitely. Well, thinking that they were lucky balls, he stole them from the alley, and decided to put them in his boat, right under the deck that he fishes from, so that maybe some of that luck would transfer to his fishing, and he would be able to win the bass masters classic from a 14 foot gamefisher. But, when that didn't work, he got pissed, and gave you the boat. :lol: :lol: 

Gawsh I am bored.


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## ACarbone624 (Dec 28, 2007)

Geez....I thought I had a wild imagination!


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## Waterwings (Dec 28, 2007)

bassboy, that's a possibility, lol :lol:


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## bassboy1 (Dec 28, 2007)

I told y'all I was bored out of my mind.

Our last assignment in English this semester was creative writing. I guess it carried over. :lol:


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## pbw (Dec 28, 2007)

bassboy1 said:


> I got a better theory for the bowling balls.
> 
> My guess is this guy was bowling one night, and the whole night, he kept bowling strikes and spares - the whole night. He won the game indefinitely. Well, thinking that they were lucky balls, he stole them from the alley, and decided to put them in his boat, right under the deck that he fishes from, so that maybe some of that luck would transfer to his fishing, and he would be able to win the bass masters classic from a 14 foot gamefisher. But, when that didn't work, he got pissed, and gave you the boat. :lol: :lol:
> 
> Gawsh I am bored.



I wait for Bassboy1's comment they are always Top10!

Coworker didn't build decking he said he only used it four times. :lol:


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## pbw (Dec 29, 2007)

Okay got up early this morning to remove decking/leaves/and trash from the boat..

Those weren't bowling balls but plastic balls full of water and sand wtf? I didnt get a photo as when I removed them they fell apart into next to nothing.

Looks like at one time someone carpeted the entire bottom of the boat, any thought as to how to remove all the glue?

The decking pieces were rotted and water logged weighing about 75 pounds each!

Its a nice boat, not holes or dents really in the hull. Its light weight, does need the wood rear trans replaced. The model is 14v7.









I've got the boat under the deck on the rear of my house. I'm sure the home owners association is going to love this! (yes I know the boat is off the trailer, its to help it drain out water)
















Nice wiring job someone used small interior extension cord! can people in Kentucky not wire something correct?


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## Captain Ahab (Dec 29, 2007)

Do not worry about removing the old glue until you figure out what you are going to do - if you are putting in a deck, then you will never see the glue - if not, sand it right before you apply new glue so you have a nice clean surface.


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## redbug (Dec 29, 2007)

Darn I was hoping they were bowling balls I was gonna claim them. 
they make great structure . My 1 farm pond has around 75 sitting on the bottom. The local alley is still looking for them. I go in with an empty bag and leave with 3 new additions to my rock pile


Name with held to protect the innocent :lol:


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## Waterwings (Dec 29, 2007)

Dang, you've got yourself a nice boat there! 

Homeowners association? Cover it with a tarp and tell 'em it's firewood. :wink:


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## Popeye (Dec 30, 2007)

redbug said:


> Darn I was hoping they were bowling balls I was gonna claim them.
> they make great structure . My 1 farm pond has around 75 sitting on the bottom. The local alley is still looking for them. I go in with an empty bag and leave with 3 new additions to my rock pile
> 
> 
> Name with held to protect the innocent :lol:



I'm gonna tell Patrick Dowd at Thunderbird Lanes. :lol:


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## pbw (Dec 30, 2007)

esquired said:


> Do not worry about removing the old glue until you figure out what you are going to do - if you are putting in a deck, then you will never see the glue - if not, sand it right before you apply new glue so you have a nice clean surface.



Any thoughts on products to clean up the alum? It needs a good scrub down!


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## Waterwings (Dec 30, 2007)

> Any thoughts on products to clean up the alum? It needs a good scrub down!



The outside hull? I bought some stuff (can't recall the name) at WalMart to clean my Tracker hull with. It did well on the waterline stains, but apply it on small sections and rinse well! Basically, I think it mildly etches the aluminum, so follow the directions on any type that you may find.


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## bassboy1 (Dec 30, 2007)

As far as your question on the other board, as to what the boat is, the HIN should be right here.





I should be stamped into the transom, or into a plate riveted on the transom. They were required on all hulls after 1972. Some manufactures put them there before then, but I doubt they would put one on a low price Sears boat. You say your title says 1973, which, if it is indeed true, you would have a HIN. As Bob (tashasdaddy) pointed out on the iboats board, HINs were required the same year that capacity plates were. Now, looking at your picture of the inside of the transom, I saw a little plate on the port side. But, that didn't quite look like the plates that were required in 1972. The ones that were required, starting in 1972, are the same as the ones still required today. It should look a lot like the one you have on your Grumman. Here is a picture.




Now, if your boat doesn't have this, it has either been illegally removed, or is pre 1972. If the boat has a different style of rating plate, it is probably pre 1972. If it is pre 1972, it more than likely won't have an HIN, and therefore, identifying it is going to be a royal pain in the neck. Good luck, keep us updated, and let me know if you need help researching anything. As I said in the watering hole, I am bored out of my mind here.


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## alumacraftjoe (Dec 30, 2007)

I am new here.... have actually been lurking for a few days as I am begining to mod an old 14' alumacraft. I bought some stuff called Power at Meijer to clean up the boat before I prep it for paint (on sale for less then 3 bucks and didn't even use half of it). It is actually for mobile homes I think, but can be used on any aluminum. It did a great job. I will post some pics when I figure out how to and I have some more time.


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## bassboy1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Welcome to the boards alumacraftjoe. I saw that you had joined a couple days ago. Keep us updated on your conversion. I love Alumacrafts. 

For posting pics, start an account with photobucket. Upload your photos on there. Then, once the image is uploaded, copy the IMG code that photobucket puts under the image. Then, paste that on here, and it will post your picture.


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## Popeye (Dec 30, 2007)

I use this sites gallery, creat a folder and upload pictures to it. open the picture and right click, select properties and paste that between and you're done.


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## pbw (Dec 30, 2007)

alumacraftjoe said:


> I am new here.... have actually been lurking for a few days as I am begining to mod an old 14' alumacraft. I bought some stuff called Power at Meijer to clean up the boat before I prep it for paint (on sale for less then 3 bucks and didn't even use half of it). It is actually for mobile homes I think, but can be used on any aluminum. It did a great job. I will post some pics when I figure out how to and I have some more time.



Welcome! What local lakes do you plan on hitting?


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## alumacraftjoe (Dec 31, 2007)

Thanks for the welcome.. this site is great! I bought the boat this summer for a couple of hundred bucks and used it several times at Deam lake and the Henryville forestry so I would have a good idea of the mods I wanted to make. I plan to fish Patoka lake (river section) and any other places where I don't get swamped by boat traffic. Where do you fish locally? I have fished all over with other friends (Dale Hollow, Nolin, Rough, Ohio River, etc.)[/quote]


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## Waterwings (Dec 31, 2007)

Welcome Aboard! You've joined a great site!


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## alumacraftjoe (Dec 31, 2007)

I am going to try to post photos (before/after) of cleaning the aluminum with the power stuff I mentioned.

Before - notice how dirty bottom of the boat is - this is after power washing and I couldn't get it off.






This is after using the Power - it worked so easily I was amazed!


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## alumacraftjoe (Dec 31, 2007)

One more of the after pictures:


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## Waterwings (Dec 31, 2007)

Looks good!


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## Jim (Dec 31, 2007)

Good job man! =D> That looks real good! You can always throw a Tinboats.net bumper sticker :wink: or any decal to cover up some things too!


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## Jim (Dec 31, 2007)

Good job man! =D> That looks real good! You can always throw a Tinboats.net bumper sticker :wink: or any decal to cover up some things too!


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## shamoo (Dec 31, 2007)

Welcome aboard alumacraftjoe, that power stuff did an excellent job, let us see it when shes painted.


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## ACarbone624 (Dec 31, 2007)

A paintjob will do wonders.....Here is my boat when I bought it and after I painted it.

BEFORE






AFTER


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## Jim (Dec 31, 2007)

Anthony,
That is like night and day WOW!


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## ACarbone624 (Dec 31, 2007)

Yes it is. I bought the cheap 99 cent black spray paint from Home Depot. I cleaned the boat really good and sprayed it. Didn't take that long either. I was gonna spend a lot more on some blue metallic rustoleum but I figured it was gonna get beat up, and it did. And with the cheap stuff, I just spray over the scratches and I'm good to go!


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## Waterwings (Dec 31, 2007)

The paint job looks good! Did you use any kind of primer first, or just apply the paint to the bare metal?


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## ACarbone624 (Dec 31, 2007)

I just scrubbed the boat really well with some cleaner and stiff brush, let it dry and painted over the existing paint. Seems to be holding up pretty well.

Edit: Here is a recent pic. There are a few nicks and scratches. i painted it back in July when I bought it.


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## Waterwings (Dec 31, 2007)

I take it the NJFC decal stands for "New Jersey Fishing Club"  ?


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## ACarbone624 (Dec 31, 2007)

Its New Jersey Fish Chat....its another site I browse on...not every active though. 

I do have a TinBoats.net sticker on the other side of my boat thanks to Shamoo! Jim's gonna have to send me some more when he get them made. 

I have more things to stick them on! :shock: :lol:


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## Popeye (Dec 31, 2007)

Jim said:


> Good job man! =D> That looks real good! You can always throw a Tinboats.net bumper sticker :wink: or any decal to cover up some things too!



Bumper Stickers?


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## Jim (Dec 31, 2007)

flounderhead59 said:


> Jim said:
> 
> 
> > Good job man! =D> That looks real good! You can always throw a Tinboats.net bumper sticker :wink: or any decal to cover up some things too!
> ...



they should be here in a couple of weeks! I will let you know and I will send some out.


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## pbw (Jan 13, 2008)

Update still waiting on title for this boat, coworker had to reorder title due to water damage on it. Dang state is taking forever!


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## bassboy1 (Jan 13, 2008)

pbw said:


> Update still waiting on title for this boat, coworker had to reorder title due to water damage on it. Dang state is taking forever!



Good luck getting that back on a timely matter.....


Did you ever get it positively identified?


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## pbw (Jan 13, 2008)

bassboy1 said:


> pbw said:
> 
> 
> > Update still waiting on title for this boat, coworker had to reorder title due to water damage on it. Dang state is taking forever!
> ...



Nope. I'm going to strip the paint off the rear of the boat and hope to uncover a hull/vin number other than the 5 digit one..If it ever stops raining!


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## ACarbone624 (Jan 13, 2008)

Fishin NJ said:


> > Its New Jersey Fish Chat....its another site I browse on...not every active though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Barn sticker is on the other side next to the TinBoats sticker!


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## ACarbone624 (Jan 13, 2008)

pbw said:


> Update still waiting on title for this boat, coworker had to reorder title due to water damage on it. Dang state is taking forever!



Your lucky your not in NJ.....you might never get it back! 

It took me 2 tries and I had all the proper paperwork!


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## pbw (Feb 20, 2008)

I still don't have the dang title to this boat! This is making me sick! 


This boat maybe a tinboat freebee to someone in a state that doesn't require titles if this keeps up.


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## bassboy1 (Feb 20, 2008)

I'll take it! :lol: :lol: 

Seriously though, Ga doesn't require titles, so I have little experience with them, but if there isn't clear registration on something, we just register them as homemade. Have you thought of trying that. Most of our trailers are registered as homemade. All we have to do, is go in the tag office, tell them the type of trailer, and the estimated value. They don't inspect it, weigh it, or care in any way. Then, they just give you a 1 inch by 4 inch tag to rivet on the tongue, and the regular tag. Boats are a little different, and we haven't had to do that yet, but it isn't much harder. Plus, if you are going to do a conversion and all, you may as well register it as homemade anyway. 

If that is doable in your state, it may be the way to go.


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## ACarbone624 (Feb 20, 2008)

Jersey is 12' and under no title. No luck here.


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## Popeye (Feb 20, 2008)

Write your representative and ask for assistance.

https://www.lrc.ky.gov/whoswho/hsedist.htm

Just figure out what district in you are in and look up their address or email address. As you claim you are in Louisville and there are a few to represenatives you could even decide which one would be more sympathetic to your cause based on their publiched bio


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## pbw (Feb 27, 2008)

Ding got the title finally 1970 sears


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## Waterwings (Feb 27, 2008)

Good to hear that!


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## pbw (Feb 27, 2008)

Waterwings said:


> Good to hear that!



Unsure what to do with it. I may give it to a friend who is looking for a tinboat.  Been trying to direct him to the site for weeks.


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## Waterwings (Feb 27, 2008)

If you don't have any luck, I'll ask around the school and see if any teachers are looking for a boat. What do you want for it?


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## Jim (Feb 27, 2008)

pbw said:


> Waterwings said:
> 
> 
> > Good to hear that!
> ...



Your the man PBW! I don't care what the other members say about you :wink:


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## pbw (Feb 27, 2008)

Waterwings said:


> If you don't have any luck, I'll ask around the school and see if any teachers are looking for a boat. What do you want for it?



I want a good home with someone who is going to wear it out using it. The person I have in mind will if his wife will let him take it home 

Its going to be a like a free kitten


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## Waterwings (Feb 27, 2008)

pbw said:


> Waterwings said:
> 
> 
> > If you don't have any luck, I'll ask around the school and see if any teachers are looking for a boat. What do you want for it?
> ...



Cool! Sneak it over to his house one night, leave a note and the title in tbe mailbox, ring the door bell and run!


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## Popeye (Feb 27, 2008)

pbw said:


> Its going to be a like a free kitten




WAR KITTENS? :lol:


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## Defiant (Feb 27, 2008)

flounderhead59 said:


> pbw said:
> 
> 
> > Its going to be a like a free kitten
> ...




No just kitten's (meow)


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## redbug (Feb 28, 2008)

kittens make good bait!! I use siamese kittens in muddy water 

good luck with the boat
Wayne


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