# Mojo's 1995 Sea Nymph 1648



## Mojo (Aug 14, 2013)

Hey Tin Boaters, 
Picked up a new project boat to fix up, my brother in laws dad needed some cash to get his AC fixed and let this one go for a steal. We decided to fix her up for a river/lake boat in Central Florida. 
The brother in law has a nice bay boat we use for the gulf when we want to go chase the trout and reds but it was really kind of a beast for fresh water so now we've got this little beauty.
I've spent the last week sanding and stripping the hull to get it ready for paint, the paint that was on it was chalky and chipping like mad so it had to go. Besides it wouldn't be any fun to get a new boat and not trick it out, am i right?

So on with the pics!


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## NH-PLAY (Aug 14, 2013)

Looks good so far. Keep pics coming.


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## riverrat174 (Aug 14, 2013)

Nice work. Gotta get me one'a those flat bottoms!!! 

Lovin the pics.


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## Mojo (Aug 15, 2013)

Ok first shot of color added. Now for the 24 hour dry time wait before i can sand and shoot some more... this is gonna take a while.


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## gillhunter (Aug 15, 2013)

Looking great. It should really run shallow. What are you going to power it with?


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## Mojo (Aug 15, 2013)

There's a 20HP Merc 4 stroke under one of the blankets in the background.


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## shaggs (Aug 15, 2013)

Looking good
Keep the pics coming


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## Mojo (Aug 16, 2013)

Got some more pics for yall. It's of paint.. nothing exciting yet but I'm gona kind of use this as my personal progress log so you guy's get to see everything, lucky you!

Anyhow, waited the 24 hour dry time on the paint. Got out there this morning and sanded it down with a 320 sponge then did a wipe down and shot another coat of paint. It's starting to really smooth out and gloss up. 
I actually went out there yesterday evening at around 8pm and tried a test sand. I thought maybe I could cut some of that dry time wait out cause its in my home made bake booth. IE the garage in central Florida all closed up.. in August. (Some of you know what i'm talking about) I bet its 120 out there. Nope wasn't ready so i had to content myself with other distractions.

Anyhow.. Here's the pics from this morning.

Back of the boat.. hadn't shown that.


Close up of a nice big area.



For anyone wondering I'm just using regular ole Rustoleum paint. Mixed with Acetone before shooting thru the spray gun.


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## Mojo (Aug 18, 2013)

Update,
Yesterday I put on the third and last coat of yellow and this morning moved on to Tape'n and shooting the next color. Here's the pic's.

Tape in place.


I really wanted to go for more of a rounded look.. but none of the auto part stores had the nylon tape for making curves.. oh well it is what it is.





All masked up and the black is on.





2 more coats of black to go and I can move on to the hull color and get this thing turned over to start fab'n up the inside.


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## Mojo (Aug 20, 2013)

Pic Update.

Got it taped up a second time..



Action shot of the main color going on..



Looking at a paint time of about 4 days. After this first coat dries i'll sand it all smooth tomorrow morning and shoot it again. I'm planing on 4 coats total for the bottom so I should be able to flip this thing over next week sometime, then the real fun begins.


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## MiPikeGuy (Aug 20, 2013)

looks good, can't wait to see more


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## Mojo (Aug 23, 2013)

So the boat is finished being painted.. sort of. I got the last coat of white on this morning and just went out and peeled all the masking and paper off. 
There is a bit of overspray here and there and i'm going to have to do some touching up but I'm super happy with how it turned out.. here's the pics!


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## wingsnhammers (Aug 23, 2013)

That looks pretty dang awesome! I say that you did very well. One of these days I will actually paint a boat some color other than duck boat drab. I'm just waiting for the right deal on the right tin.


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## Mojo (Aug 28, 2013)

Alright.. been a few days. I got the touch ups done and then shot a couple of coats of clear over the whole boat. Then we put a nice coat of marine wax on it and got it flipped over and back on the trailer. Now its time to start working on all the mods to the interior.

Enjoy the pics.

All cleaned up and waxed.



Back on the trailer.


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## gillhunter (Aug 28, 2013)

Looks great!!!!!!!!!!! Really sharp job!


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## Mojo (Aug 31, 2013)

Started framing out the front casting deck / storage area. Was pretty busy on it the last two days but didn't get as much done as I would have liked... football started today so I was parked on the couch for a while.

I don't want to attach to the hull anywhere cause I don't have any solid rivets and don't want to mess up my spiffy paint job. So what I decided to do was just add vertical risers to the ribs and build off of that. A good amount of time was spent cutting them off level and making sure they matched on opposite sides. It was tricky cause the ribs are kicked back at an angle up front to conform to the hull. Anyhow It's done and its all level. I've decided that the new bane of this build is going to be cutting and drilling out brackets, I spent more time cutting brackets and drilling holes out in them and the spars than anything else.

If your going to be doing alot of rivets go spend the money and get a air rivet gun... that thing was worth every bit of money I paid for it. On to the pic's...



Put my seat mount up there just to see how it would look. Still have some bracing to do on the back rail, but i've got to figure some stuff out first.


The risers I made are just a piece of 1.5" square stock i cut one side out of then pounded around the rib with the mini sledge.


This thing is awesome!


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## Mojo (Sep 3, 2013)

Got the rod locker area built today. If your wondering why i just didn't go ahead and take out the center bench all together there is a reason. The livewell is already located there and Its got a thru hull open to the bottom of the boat and i really didn't feel like messing with it or moving it. So i just cut the left side of the middle bench out. I've left enough space for someone to sit on that bench and get their feet on the floor facing fwd. 

Also i got to shed a little blood today for the boat gods. The angle grinder with a metal cutting blade jumped on me while i was cutting out that bench and got ahold of my left middle finger. It could have been ALOT worse... wear your safety equipment yo. I got a pretty good cut but if I hadn't of had my gloves on then it probably would have taken it down to the bone.

On to the pictures.



Half a bench seat gone.


Locker framework aft to fwd.


More Locker.


Wear your Gloves! (and Eyes and Ears)


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## Mojo (Sep 5, 2013)

Last two day's have been busy. I got the back hatch/deck area mocked up and built. The only thing not done is the hinge which i'm waiting to install after i do the carpet. Blue painters tape made for a nice hinge stand in just to test it out. We also got two of the seat mounts installed and we put the outboard on so that I could check that i wouldn't have any issues opening the hatch up. Were going to drive it over to the lake tomorrow and give it a test run. I'll be sure to take pictures.

Here's the good stuff you all crave.

Couple of shots of the build.




The ghetto blue tape hinge.




Two of the seat mounts. There will be a third one in the center to put a pole in but i didn't feel like messing with it today. It's too hot out in the garage.


Seats and motor installed ready for the test ride.


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## Mojo (Sep 5, 2013)

Ok it cooled down enough for me to get out there and do the third seat mount. The other two were done this way I didn't document those so this time I went ahead and took pictures of how I braced up the underside of the bench seat. The bench is only .08 inch thick so any screws you put in it to hold your seat bases in would just strip out in no time.. it needed to be beefed up.

I can't claim I was smart enough to work this out on my own. I saw it on here on someone else's build and remembered it.. but I wanted to go ahead and post what I did in case someone else hadn't seen that one. Can't hurt to have the info be in two places.

First i put the base down and figured out where I wanted it then marked the holes for reference. Then i cut a nice sized hole out of the center using a jig saw. In the picture the left hand brace is already under the seat between the bench and the foam. The one going in is to the right. I made the braces out of 1/4" bar stock. The seat base's are 7" long so I made the brace's 9". I marked them center line with a nice big X, this is going to come in handy a little later. I also went ahead and drilled the holes out for where the rivets are going to go into the brace to hold it in place.



Slide that thing up in there.



Stick the other side in and slide it back down so you can center up the X.



Now push the brace in evenly and watch thru your holes that you drilled out for the rivets till you can see the line thats running along the center long ways. Line that up with both of your pre-drilled holes and that brace should be pretty much centered under the seat. Push down on it to hold it in place then drill on thru the brace and insert your rivets. Now that brace is nice and lined up center under the marks you made for your seat base holes. Put the base down drill your holes and put in your Stainless screws and your done!


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## Mojo (Sep 6, 2013)

Took her out for the shake down cruise today. Learned some things in the process. 

1. The motor won't idle right, I tried to adjust it out on the water and couldn't ever get it to run smooth so It's going to have to go to the shop for a tune up. I need someone who know's what they are doing to mess with it. I'm an electronics guy not a small engine guy.

2. I need a good amount of weight up in the bow. My Dad went with me and with both of us in the back It wouldn't get up on plane, as soon as he moved to the center it leveled out and we were good to go. SO that being said. He's pushing 260... i was planing on both batteries up there and the TM and assorted gear, also the framing is only half done and the decks aren't on yet.

3. It was pretty stable in the water. I'm not worried about the hight of the deck now. I got up on the framework and moved around and didn't get tossed in or feel like it was to squirrly.

4. That 20HP Merc does a good job of pushing her thru the water. The avg speed was 22 and it would jump up to 23 or so with a tail wind and some smooth water. That's plenty fast to get us to the fishing holes. I figure I may loose a couple mph after everything is in the boat but still 20 is a good round number.

5. No leaks! There was no water in the bottom of the boat after we pulled it out.

Here's some pictures.

This one is a little blurry. My Bro-in-law took it with his cell and sent it to me.



Nice Clean wake..



22 Even!


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## hotshotinn (Sep 6, 2013)

i like your boat and what your doin toit.I do have a question tho.........What did you use for support in the back of your boat to inclose the open area?Will you be able to stand onit?

OK i went back to the pictures and clicked onthem and they got bigger so i could see them better.I find out what i wanted to no......thanks


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## Mojo (Sep 11, 2013)

Got a few more things done over the last couple of days. Since the test run indicated an acute lack of weight up in the front of the boat We've decided to place the fuel tank up there. 
I've got a flat 12 Gal tank that will fit right in front of the livewell. This puts weight up front and center without screwing up my plans for storage space and battery placement.

I cut out the other side of the middle bench and built another box on the right. I've decided that's where the electronics are going to go and I'm also going to make the simple live well into something more complicated. It needs a fill and overflow along with a recirc pump. So pump and pipe'n can go on that side also.

Here's the new box.



I think I may need to turn this around so that the pick up is facing aft.


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## fla_cracker (Sep 11, 2013)

Paint looks great....

Can't wait to see what the deck turns into...


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## typed by ben (Sep 12, 2013)

great looking rig. i love your rod locker idea and your fabricated risers. my lowe has virtually the same features so this thread has been really informational. 

three quick questions:

how did you end up cutting through the foam so straight? or is it a little messy?

i see youve added an aft platform- any thought as to a spashwell? ive gone around and around about using one on my boat.

do the side rails of your front deck conform to the curvature of the hull or is your gunwale pretty much straight?


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## Mojo (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks for the Encouragement Ben,

Here's the answers to your questions..

how did you end up cutting through the foam so straight? or is it a little messy
_Actually I just got lucky! The vertical piece of foam was in there cut like that already. It just so happens that the place i decided to cut the middle bench was pretty close to where that foam was precut.
_
i see youve added an aft platform- any thought as to a spashwell? ive gone around and around about using one on my boat.
_I thought about a splash well for all of about 2 sec's. If I was running a larger motor maybe, but after the test run the other day I didn't have any issues with water coming up over the transom so I figure if any does get in the boat that's what the bilge pump is for._

do the side rails of your front deck conform to the curvature of the hull or is your gunwale pretty much straight?
_There isn't much of a curve up front. I leveled the boat based off the front deck that was already there and just ran them back level in relation to that. I did that back to the second or third rib in..can't remember; then I leveled the boat back out based on the center bench and used that reference for the right and left lockers._


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## Mojo (Sep 12, 2013)

OK Huge post incoming, lot's of pictures. 

I was super productive today, I decided to get that fuel tank situation figured out. After looking at it for a good long while I realized that I did need to turn the fuel tank around so that the pick up was facing the rear. 
After that was done I needed to decide where i was going to put the fuel fill. I really, REALLY wanted to put it on the left hand side of the boat so that when you pulled up to the the gas pumps you could fuel the boat and the truck on the same side but after looking at it and playing with the hose i realized I would be eating into my rod locker space. Moving the rod locker to the other side wasn't in the cards cause that would have made me switch the electronics bay to the other side and that would have put it opposite of where I sit while driving. Long story short I didn't want to, sometimes I get plans laid out ahead of time and just don't want to change them.

OK, so the fill is going to be on the right. Here's where the fun started. That fuel fill hose is stupid ridged. Hard to get any bends at all AND I needed to figure out a way to put a 90 deg elbow on the tank. It came pre-made with the strait up and down pipe which wasn't going to work with that super stiff hose. Ran down to the plumbing store and dude had a 1 1/2 & 1 1/4 Elbow. It was 1$ I figured i'd take it home and see whats up. It didn't fit! The gas tank is Plastic.. I've got a Heat gun... plastic gets stretchy when hot. Bam! Problem solved.

Then it was on to the fuel fill port. I wanted it outside of the boat. I could have run it strait up from the tank and saved lots of hassle but I don't want the fuel fill on the inside of the boat, too many issues waiting to happen with that. I made a nice fitting for the fuel cap and tray I had. Now it sticks out off the side of the boat and any fuel spilled will go down into the parking lot and not into my boat.

I had to start out by cutting into my nice neat framing and bracing it up. The piece that ran down the side where i wanted to put that fuel line was in the way. I had to cut out a section of it and then brace it back up in that area. I'm not sure if you can see much of it in the pictures.

Here's all the pictures.

Heat Gun in action..



90 Deg elbow in place..



Riser fabrication pictures. I used a piece of cardboard to get the curve of my fuel tray then Xfered it to the slab of aluminum. I'm also showing some photo's of how i cut it for attachment tabs.





Here's the riser in place after much bending and tweaking and cutting some chunks out of the side's with the hole saw to fit flush with the rail.



All done! I'm really happy with how this turned out. Much better than my original brain storm of doing some sort of flat box. This one has no sharp corners to get caught on or hooks to snag up in.


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## gillhunter (Sep 12, 2013)

That is really sweet. I have really enjoyed watching this project. You have done a really great job =D> =D>


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## kcatto (Sep 12, 2013)

That fuel fill looks great... Now you have made me think (why not) about this on my up coming build.... where did you get your tank? how many gallons, and the fuel tray etc...

It really is a nice fit, looks great....


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## Mojo (Sep 12, 2013)

Kcatto & Gill thanks for the Props!

Kcatto,
The tank is a 12 gal Moeller brand.. just serch for em on the web. I got that one off Ebay. The tray and the fill cap i got at a local boat store.

I'm going to go ahead and make a disclaimer here. A lot of the stuff I have for this boat was bought about 2 years ago for a project that never got started. I've had it sitting around in the attic after I moved into a new house. So, I can't say for sure where I got most of this stuff.. it's been a while and I forgot. BUT that being said Ebay was my friend and lots of it was gotten from there.
Mojo


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## kcatto (Sep 12, 2013)

no problem, thank you for the information... I just really like your fuel tray.... and the idea of installing a permanent tank never dawned on me.... keep up the good work this thing is looking sweet....


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## Mojo (Sep 13, 2013)

Got a few minor things taken care of today. Put a few brace's in, got the hatch for the rod locker built, stood around and did alot of thinking. 
Also ran out to Walmart and picked up some drink holder inserts to put in, picked up a couple of in deck rod holders to put in the back for trolling... but i'm not sure where I can actually place them. I'm thinking in the top of the back hatch, can't get too close to the sides cause of the hull angle. Meh, I'll figure it out.

Here's the pics.

The Ghetto blue tape hinge makes another appearance!



Open say's me :shock:


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## typed by ben (Sep 14, 2013)

lookin sharp as usual... do you expect that you will stand on your compartments? i used the same strike design for my lids. 

the reason i ask is that while im 170 lbs, my usual buddy is 260 and i dont want him to go stomping through my lids and compartments or worse, pulling fasteners out.


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## Mojo (Sep 14, 2013)

Thanks Ben,

Yes. I do plan on them being sturdy enough to stand on. They are all braced around the inside edge, I've gotten up on them and don't notice any give.. and i'm 225. The only one's that I forsee getting stood on for long periods are the back hatch and the large one i'm putting up front. That rod locker and the electronics/plumbing bay on the other side I see getting stepped on just when getting in and out at the dock possibly.


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## Mojo (Sep 14, 2013)

Today's progress before football.. Wanted to do something quick and easy but still make some progress so decided to tackle this issue.

I needed a tray for my trolling motor foot control. I've been looking online at them.. $80-100. Um NO. I'm sure those are really nice and they look pro and all but no. Tin Boats forums to the rescue!

I don't remember who's idea this is that I stole but I remember a thread talking about foot trays and someone brain stormed a brilliant idea to use a cake pan. It's already pressed into a nice uniform shape. There is a nice little lip all the way around it. It's almost perfect for this application. And the best part.... it was $3 at Walmart. YES!

I'm not sure if anyone ever used that idea, I don't remember seeing one done.. so maybe i'm the first. You guy's get to see the finished product.

So after making the measurements and a template for the cut out I broke out the tools and went to town. I took my time with the cut and it came out beautifully. After some grinding and tweaking that pan fit in like a glove.

Thanks anonymous Idea Guy.

Three Bucks!



Template cut and taped into place.



Action shots! It's going to need to be painted and some holes and grommets installed for the wiring but after that it's golden.


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## Flatbotm (Sep 15, 2013)

Looks great Mojo! I've got some good ideas from your build. I like that you went on a shakedown run before you finished the decking. I'm definitely going to add that step after reading your thread.


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## Mojo (Sep 15, 2013)

Got the front hatch where the batteries are going constructed today. I also finished bracing up the forward part of the rod locker and added some other bracing in random places that needed it.

I've decided that I'm going to give up some of my storage space in my big forward locker, the area from centerline to port was going to be hard to get to anyhow and now it's going to be cooler area. I was always wondering if I was going to be able to incorporate a small one somewhere since I Really didn't feel like lugging one in and out of the boat and taking up what limited floor space I do have.

So I've found my spot for it but it's not installed as of yet. Other things need to get done before I move to that but I'll give you guys a teaser pic.

Battery Locker hatch complete.



Cooler location test fit.


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## Mojo (Sep 17, 2013)

Last couple of day's I've been busy but it doesn't feel like I've accomplished a whole lot. I actually have but its more along the lines of getting stuff ready for paint and less about fabrication.

Anyhow I did get a few things taken care of. All of the hatch lids are finished, That aluminum square tube i got from the salvage yard was pretty dirty so I've been wire wheeling it down. I also got the side cut out of the livewell area so i could place pumps and nozzles. Got one of the side wall pieces up.. the small one covering the gap from the top of the live well to the deck. It gave me a chance to try out my home made sheet metal break. 

I made the break out of some steel angle a hinge and some bolts.. super easy and I'm posting a link to the plans I found online if anyone needs to look at them. I made that break for about $45.
https://www.ch601.org/tools/bendbrake/brakeplans.pdf

All topside hatches done.





Break in action. It's not going to help you out if you have anything really thick. But it did a pretty good job on this .06.



In place...



Fooling around with the live well.


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## typed by ben (Sep 18, 2013)

perfect little break for this type of work. youve inspired me mojo... pulled my boat in the garage last night and started cutting after months of planning. figured theres no time like the present. really interested to hear you moving forward with this project, as you criticize your own designs and share both points of success and tribulation.


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## kcatto (Sep 18, 2013)

This is a great thread, I have learned a lot and been inspired more.... I have my first build to start soon.... keep up the good work looks great...


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## Mojo (Sep 18, 2013)

Thanks for the kind words guys.

I got out today and did a couple of the side walls that cover up the two lockers. Got my dimensions drawn out and got to cutting. This is with out a doubt the most difficult of all the cuts I'm going to do on this build and of course I really didn't want to screw up too badly and waste any of that expensive aluminum sheeting.

First off.. they ain't perfect. I've got a few minor mistakes I can cover up, but over all it turned out good. That cool home made break I made was good for the big bend but not designed for handing all the angle's on a piece this intricate. That's what channel locks and a mini sledge and work bench are for. I got all my bends put in and got both pieces in place. I've got to do a little trimming around the top cause Like i said. It wasn't perfect.

Here's the pictures.

Both sides cut out.



Installed.


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## typed by ben (Sep 19, 2013)

lookin good. i did some espionage at aluminum boat retailers so i could steal some ideas for my own boat- id say most boats shown on this site are cleaner and more functional than a mass produced boat could ever dream of.

those bulkheads really finish off the deck nicely and help you envision the final product. that thing is going to look incredible once its skinned out.


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## kcatto (Sep 20, 2013)

NICE, and they look great from here, but of course if you are anything like most people that will take on a project like this you are over critical of your own work.... I am way over critical on my work...


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## kensho1976 (Sep 20, 2013)

That looks awesome. Wish I had a tenth of the talent with aluminum that you do. 

How much weight do you think you've added so far?


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## Mojo (Sep 20, 2013)

Thanks Kensho,

Working with that aluminum is easy. I've used nothing more complicated than a chop saw, angle grinder, drill and rivet gun.. don't let it intimidate you its easy. I'm not sure how much weight i've added Probably added less than 100lbs so far. All I know its alot less than compared to how much the same structure would have weighed if made from wood.


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## Mojo (Sep 21, 2013)

Got busy and made the framework and door for the access hatch to my electronics bay. I could have went the easy route and got one of those fancy plastic hatches you just cut an opening for but the stupid things are 60-80 bucks for a small one. Blah.. I just made it myself and it will work fine.

Here's the pics.

Back side door and framework.



Open with the trusty blue tape hinge.



Closed.. with fancy rounded edges!


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## kcatto (Sep 21, 2013)

very nice looking good!.... did you brace under your trolling motor tray and are you installing a drain in that pan?


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## Mojo (Sep 21, 2013)

There was foam under the front deck.. i just hollowed out enough for the tray to sit flush so no bracing. And yes I'm going to put a drain in it.


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## kcatto (Sep 22, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=329996#p329996 said:


> Mojo » Yesterday, 18:36[/url]"]There was foam under the front deck.. i just hollowed out enough for the tray to sit flush so no bracing. And yes I'm going to put a drain in it.




This is one of the coolest ideas I have ever seen.... I am so gonna steal it from you, just letting you know so when it shows up in my build, dont be surprised...


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## Mojo (Sep 22, 2013)

I put the hatch lock and hinge on the electronics bay door this morning. It actually took alot longer than I thought it would. I had to redesign the back of the door and remove one of the square braces and use some angle and brackets to reinforce it back up. 

Then putting in that stupid hinge. That was a mega pain, I couldn't get it in flat or it screwed up where the door sat too much and left a huge gap on the left. I decided to place the hinge tabs between the brace's and the skin. It looks alot better than stuck right on top of the door.. even if it did take alot more time to implement. 

All in all i'm pretty happy with it. I'm going to make a bracket to fit over the hole I cut in the brace for the latch to catch. That hole is kinda raggedy looking cause i couldn't get a good angle on it to cut it out. But not today.. I've done enough I think I'm gona take a Sunday afternoon nap.

Back side.. you can see that sloppy hole cut.



Front side with hinge sandwiched between skin and braces.


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## kcatto (Sep 22, 2013)

That is a very clean install.... looks great...


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## longshot (Sep 22, 2013)

Thats a nice build youve got going. I see you are from Ocala I grew up there on the SE side


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## Mojo (Sep 23, 2013)

Longshot.. Cool! I'm up near the north end by 326. You probably know some of the fishing holes that we frequent around here.  

Got the floor cut out and fit tested today. I wanted to do more but it's raining and Florida Heat + Rain= Muggy. The sweat was pouring off me and it was just too hot to mess around anymore today.

Cutting in action.



Floor fit test SAT.


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## stomper (Sep 24, 2013)

I don't know how I missed this build but I am glad that I found it. You are doing an awsome job and i like your "thinking out of the box" approach to things. I absoloutley love the cake pan idea. With it installed you would never know it was a cake pan. Looks like it was made for that sole purpose. I can't wait to see the finished product. What gauge are to skinning the side of the compartments with and what thickness is the floor.


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## Mojo (Sep 25, 2013)

Thanks Stomper,

The sides and the floor are .06 sheet. I went flimsy on the floor cause its going to have foam under it to support the weight.. the floor aluminum is just a skin over that. No need to go thick when it has support under it.

The top deck that i'm going to be walking around on with no support under cept for braces is .08, that's the same thickness as the hull and benches. 

Mojo

p.s. This Florida rain storm we've had the past couple of day's has put me at a stand still for now, I'm ready to prime and paint the inside but can't get started till this weather clears out and the humidity goes back to something less than "Jungle Mist". Oh well I've got GTA 5 to keep me occupied.


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## kcatto (Sep 25, 2013)

This whole build is very inspirational.... I will be sad to see it finished only because I have enjoyed it so much so far..... you are doing an amazing job!!


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## Mojo (Sep 30, 2013)

Back on the Job,

I had to take a few day's off. It was rainy and muggy down here and my break from the build turned from 2 day's to 5. Now I'm motivated again. 

Got out there and got the battery compartment floor done today. It's just wedged in place ATM for a test fit and to make sure the boxes were sitting right. I still need to paint the floor so I don't want it covered up yet.

I will also need to put some holes in this thing to drain out to the bilge. It's just made out of some .06 sheet turned up on both sides. I also put some angle to hold the boxes in place, after painting the tray I'll put on the hold down strap's that came with the boxes.

I tested it out with the big battery in the box. It's solid, not much of any flex at all.

Pic's


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## Mojo (Oct 1, 2013)

I was thinking I really need a Mini Console to hold some gage's and the Depthfinder & radio face. I wanted to make it so I could install it above the Electronics bay, So i started looking around and the perfect thing was laying on the floor.. Half of a bench seat I cut out earlier in the Build. All this took me around 7 hours to do. I'm slow.

After alot of cutting.. and fitting.. and rivets. I give you the Mini Console!

Starting piece.



Side view.. the slope side is the front.



Inside..



Laying out item locations.



I had to put things in the holes i cut to see how it was going to look. I like it!


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## typed by ben (Oct 2, 2013)

dont you love fitting all that stuff in there? did you make any depth finder noises? :mrgreen: 

is that console going to hang off the side of the boat? having a hard time imagining where it goes.

also what kind of radio is that? sirius/xm? never seen a double din RX that looked like that.


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## Mojo (Oct 2, 2013)

Ben, 

Some pictures to clarify you as to where the little console is going & a shot of the radio box. The little console is going on top of the electronics bay in front of the driver position. I'll be mounting my switch pannel and other controls under the console location on the bay bulkhead. 

It's a Jensen brand radio, I like it cause you put the power unit under the deck out of the weather and the face plate is entirely water proof and it came with a spiffy cover.

I think i'm gona go with this little bit of overhang to keep the panel and switches under it to keep from getting bumped.



Radio box.


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## typed by ben (Oct 2, 2013)

very nice setup.


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## Mojo (Oct 9, 2013)

Ok.. The weather around here finally cleared up enough for me to paint the interior. It was way too humid for the last week with that storm hanging out in the gulf and throwing crap our way but it finally blew out and we got some sunshine and cooler weather.

In the meantime while I waited I put some more brace's in at some locations I felt were lacking and got my Mini-console mounted on a hinge so I can swing it up and get to the inside when needed. I also put some more switch locations in it and decided my panel needed to be on the front and not below. We'll get to the console later.. right now paint pictures.

Taped and masked for primer.



Primed.



First coat of white.


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## Mojo (Oct 14, 2013)

Interior paint done! For now anyway.. got the third coat on this weekend and today I got to start putting it all together. This is where the fun really starts.

I started running wire, I also put the cooler in place and strapped it in tight, got the gas tank in place and strapped down and last but not least the live well got put back in its hole and the plumbing and fittings installed. All in all it was a productive day. 

Here's the boat porn.

Cooler...







Some of the wire run down the stbd side.



Gas tank in place and strapped down.



Live well back in place with all the plumbing fittings installed. Also the black louver above it is to vent the gas tank area.


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## typed by ben (Oct 14, 2013)

that fuel cell hold down means business

did you end up getting tinned wire? from personal experience its worth the extra bucks


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## Mojo (Oct 14, 2013)

Yea Ben,

It's marine wire, mostly 14 gauge with some 8 gauge for the battery wires.

Mojo


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## Mojo (Oct 15, 2013)

Ran the transducer wire and the rest of the stuff going to the rear in today and put in the gasket/thru hull fitting to keep them from rubbing. I also installed all the stuff in the console and got it in place ready to be wired up.

Here's the pics.

All wire run to bilge area.



Console with gauges, switch panel, finder, timer dial, and horn button.



Left side of console with radio face in place.



Right side of console with radio antenna and main power switch.


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## Country Dave (Oct 15, 2013)

_Hey man looking real good,

Tight work......................... =D> _


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## Mojo (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks Dave,

Your boat looks pretty awesome too. I'm hope'n mine comes out half as nice as your's has.

Mojo


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## Mojo (Oct 25, 2013)

Huge Picture Post Incoming!

Hey ya'll, It's been around ten day's since the last update and I've gotten alot done. Not as much as I'd like to but that's always the case. 

The main accomplishment is that I have around 80% of the wiring done! The console is wired up with the exception of the horn and LED lighting. I've also gotten the hose's run for the livewell and the main fuel line run.

Wiring.. I spent a few day's planning this out in my head then wasted some time dorking around online with a schematic generator that I ended up not using. The free ones were just not comprehensive enough and I wasn't going to spend money on one so I ended up just doing it all freestyle as I went. Would be nice to have a schematic to look back at later but whatever; I worked on electronics in the Navy for 20 years so I've got a clue and can go back and look at my work and just trace wire's if I need too.

The nifty switch panel I have has a built in fuse panel and I also added another on the door that I made earlier to access the electronics bay. The extra panel is to fuse the stuff not connected to a switch on the main panel. That was the entire reason for building that little door. I wanted to be able to open it up and get at the fuse block easily without having to contort myself like a pretzel to do it.

I also built a couple of 2 bolt terminal blocks to connect the wire forward from the battery to the motor aft and give me a spot midships to trunk off of for the console 12v source. These were just constructed out of a couple of SS Bolts and some cutting board that I sandwiched the bolt heads between to isolate them from the hull. A heat gun and some pliers made it easy to melt the bolt heads into the plastic for a nice snug no slip fit.

The hoses for the livewell, overflow and main fuel line I wanted to run under the flooring so to do this I installed PVC conduit to run the hose's thru so that they wouldn't be subject to smashing or kinking or being cut open. This took much longer than expected and I ended up having to go out and get an Air driven drill to get the angle right for the last 3 holes that would be cut in the stringer under the back bench... but we got it done and it worked out great.

Here's the pictures.

Constructing terminal blocks.








Inside the console wire done! *(mostly)



In this one you can see one of those terminal blocks to the left.. also the radio sender unit is mounted upside down to the frame above. You can see the cooling fins for it at the top. Out of the photo on the left is a negative ground bus bar. Nothing zip tied down tight yet, I've still got some wire to run.



Fuse block on the door. Its mounted on some cutting board, there is also a fuse breaker that isolates everything. Nothing here is zip tied down tight yet either.. it will look much cleaner when I'm actually finished running wires. I have one labeled Spare that i'm actually going to hook the 12v accessory plugs thru.



Decided to add 2 12v accessory plugs to the back of the console and we got a nifty little holder to mount beside it to put a cell phone that's charging or a handheld radio in. When I cut the holes for those plugs the heat made the paint bubble up and peal off. So now I've got more touch ups to do.



Water and fuel lines run into conduit. I cut holes thru the ribs for these to run underneath the floor that's going over the top of them.



Thru the electronics bay.



Out from the bay into the main cockpit.



Under the back bench.



And finally into the bilge area.


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## BayouCajun (Oct 26, 2013)

thanks for posting the progress shots, along with the problems you encounter.

I have started cutting into mine and I am getting some ideas from your work.

Cant wait to see the finished boat. But only if you post the progress before you get there.


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## smackdaddy53 (Oct 26, 2013)

Very nice build! It keeps getting better.


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## Mojo (Oct 30, 2013)

Thanks Smackdaddy and Bayou for the kind words. The positive comments help keep me motivated. (that and my Dad keeps telling me he's ready to go fishing)

Here's some progress reporting..

I got all the hose's I ran to the back hooked up to their respective fittings. I also got said fittings and pumps in place, Got everything hooked up to power back there and it's all tidy and zip tied into place. All the pumps come on when the associated switches are thrown so I'll call that a win. 

I also got the labels put on my switch panel, It came with some nifty little round ones but they got kinda screwed up somewhere along the line so I just used my label maker, I figure this way when they get faded and wore out or just messed up it won't be a big deal to replace them.

Picture time!

Long shot of the whole bilge area.



Right side of the bilge. The fuel water separator is installed and also the other terminal block I built to run the motor wires to power. The livewell fill pump and livewell overflow were installed and put thru the hull.



The thru hulls from the outside. Everything has a good seal of 5200 in place and curing.



Left side of the bilge. Bilge pump is installed on a removable bracket and the hose is run so that there aren't any kinks in it and I will still be able to open and shut my back deck hatch.



Labels are on the switch panel and everything that's supposed to have power has it. I guess I got my wire job right the first time.


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## fool4fish1226 (Oct 30, 2013)

Looks great :beer: awesome work =D>


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## Mojo (Oct 31, 2013)

First, Thanks Fool4fish! Appreciate it.

Second, Time to work on the rod locker situation.

Got to measuring and cutting the aluminum then broke out the carpet and glue and got busy! I actually didn't run into any problems with this part of the build.. amazing. I got all my measurements right the first time and the the pieces fit into place without a hitch. I'm gonna break my arm patting myself on the back so I'll just give you guy's the pictures and move on.

Homemade break in action.



Test fit. Test Sat!



Second section test fit. I decided here to make 2 seperate sections, one big long piece wouldn't have gone in easily without taking apart the frame above the locker.. I didn't want to do that so here's two pieces of locker.



Lots of glue.. this stuff is messy.



Carpet applied.



Second section glued, carpeted and end cap in place.



Test fit with carpet.





This is with the rod holders just placed where they will go when i finish attaching it all. I wanted to see how it would look. I still need to put foam between the bulkheads and under the deck before I tack everything down.


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## Mojo (Nov 1, 2013)

Hey Tinboaters,

I've been moving right along the past couple of day's. And today was no exception... busy, busy, busy.

We went out and got some foam to throw under the floor and inside all the bulkhead voids. So I'll be showing you all pictures of that, I also put the vinyl floor on the aluminum I cut and fit earlier and got to play with that stupid carpet glue some more. You just get close to that stuff and it ends up all over you.

The foam I ended up using was some polystyrene we found at lowes. It's nice cause its got foil on one side and plastic on the other so it should hold up well without little popcorns getting all over and inside my bilge. I figured out the trick to cutting it, I broke out my Dremel Multi-max and used a big drywall cutting attachment. Went thru that stuff like butter and left a nice sharp edge. 

I also put one more brace inside right up against the gas tank. My hold down strap was working good for keeping it from bouncing but there was still some side to side play going on. Now it's all wedged up in there nice and tight.

I didn't take anymore pictures of the rod lockers cause they look the same as they did yesterday except they now have foam under and around them. 

I also figured out how much buoyancy I was adding back into the boat. I used 2 sheets at 1/2" thick by 4x8 ft. That comes out to 2.67 Cubic ft. Figure 60 lbs buoyancy per cubic ft and I've added about 160lbs of flotation. Pretty good! And I've still got more to add. I'm not so concerned anymore about that stuff I took out of either side of the middle bench.

I've made more work for myself also. While putting that floor in I managed to scratch up my new paint job in a few places... Even more touch ups for me.

Here's the pictures.

4x8 sheet. $14



New gas tank brace.



Foam in the rod lockers.



Even more foam.



Cockpit foam.



Floor installed.



Drain hole covers placed over the channels in the floor.


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## smackdaddy53 (Nov 1, 2013)

Looks great man! It is great to see everyones different builds and applications for each boat. There is more than enough information and ideas on this site to do pretty any modification you can think of. Very cool! I like the idea of the foam sheets instead of the two part expanding foam due to cost.


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## Mojo (Nov 2, 2013)

Yea Smackdaddy, 

Those foam boards turned out good. The best part about those over the 2 part foam is 1. It's no where near as messy and 2. They fit flush over the drainage channels in the bottom of the boat and won't impede run off back to the bilge.

Also, I screwed up my flotation math up above. That stuff was actually 3/4 inch's thick not 1/2 so I've actually added 4 cubic feet of foam which bumped up my flotation to 240 lbs extra. Booya!


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## smackdaddy53 (Nov 3, 2013)

Very nice, i like the part about drainage and definitely less mess. I was going to build forms under my deck and pour foam but this is just all around better.


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## Mojo (Nov 6, 2013)

Ahoy Tinboaters!

It's been a fun couple of days, I cut out the holes for my stereo speakers in the back bench and ran the wires. We hooked up both speakers and they worked fine. Operation Max Volume was a success!
Managed to gouge up my paint job some more, that's par for the course. I also put in the battery compartment aft bulkhead and put the tray in place. I got all of that primed and painted and did touch ups on all my scratched up mess in the back. 

I also got the side panels cut and covered with vinyl.. no pictures of those yet, I'm not ready to put them in place. Anyhow here's the progress.

Holes for speakers cut.



They fit nice and snug. Notice the nice scratch the jigsaw gave me.



Tray and bulkhead in and locked down level.



Paint applied.



Touch ups completed.



Looking unscratched again on the corners.


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## smackdaddy53 (Nov 6, 2013)

Looking great! 
When you are cutting holes or anything with jigsaws, routers, circular saws etc, lay down some blue painters tape where the table or fence will contact the surface and thus will keep scratches to a minimum. Aluminum flakes while cutting account for most of the scratches.


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## Mojo (Nov 6, 2013)

I HAD blue tape on it.. that jigsaw is just a beat up mess. But it still works.


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## Flatbotm (Nov 6, 2013)

Damn! Mojo your boat is looking clean! I'm really liking the white. My boat might have to go white after seeing this.


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## Mojo (Nov 7, 2013)

Thanks Guys, 

Today's progress. I got the battery boxes and batteries placed in the tray and got the tie down straps installed. I also mounted the onboard charger and hooked everything up. The lights kicked on and the battery's are charging like they should. I've had it on now for around 3 hours and that thing is just slightly warm I was wondering how much heat it would generate.

I also got my side panels installed in the cockpit and the floor LED's to keep me from stumbling around in the dark. Also the speakers are now mounted permanently.

I'm going to start working to get the rest of the lighting rigged and wired so I can move on to placing the top deck on this bad boy and get done. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Installing.. used rivets to mount the tie down strap brackets.



The Battery compartment done!



Side panel installed, Deck Light & Speaker mounted.


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## typed by ben (Nov 7, 2013)

that thing looks like a surgical suite with all that white. very clean.

how do those foot lights work? thats a hell of a good idea.


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## Country Dave (Nov 7, 2013)

_Looks great bro,

Tight work...................................... =D> _


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## Mojo (Nov 8, 2013)

Thanks for the comments guys,

Ben here's a couple pictures of the lights i'm using to light up the interior. They are just some little 3 LED waterproof bars with the center light shooting strait and the side lights angled to shine out 45 deg's to either side. They aren't very powerful at all but they do cast light right along the floor where you need it. 

We closed the garage door and cut the lights and got it cave dark in there then hooked two of them up and they shine up the deck great! Not enough to blind you or ruin your night vision but enough to keep you from stumbling around.

I've got 8 of them I'm going to place to shine up the deck topside.

I got these off of Ebay found them under motorcycle lighting mods. I've seen others just like them on the net. It's got some 3m tape on the bottom and there are also 2 screw holes to perma mount them.


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## typed by ben (Nov 8, 2013)

sweet thanks... did they come with flying leads? how long?


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## Mojo (Nov 9, 2013)

Ben,

Those leads on there are 3 ft lengths. I also have some others that have 4 LED's in a cluster that i'm using to light up lockers and such.

Mojo


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## Mojo (Nov 11, 2013)

Hey All,

Got those lights I installed hooked up and wired. I didn't take pictures of the fwd ones cause they are just hanging over the side waiting for the top deck to get cut and installed but the 2 in the cockpit are done and I also placed the lights for the battery compartment in place and got a picture of them on.

Here ya go.

Cockpit lights. They Light up this area Just right. Not so bright as to blind but just enough to move around confidently.



With these lights on I can see where the glue is bubbled up under the vinyl I'm going to have to get back in there with my roller.



Battery compartment.


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## Mojo (Nov 11, 2013)

Well... I thought I was all done for the night..... 

BUT a package we were waiting for showed up with the LED's I bought for the NAV lights, and I just couldn't help myself and had to run out in the garage and install them.

For anyone wanting to know I found these at https://www.easternmarine.com/ Trailer Parts Superstore. They are 4 inch waterproof light bars 6 LED's inside with a really nice rubber base and they come with the stainless screws to put them where you want them to stay. I'll include some pictures of the lights themselves and the packaging. They were exactly what I was looking for at the best price I could find at $8.99 ea.

On to the pictures.

Light alongside package.



Here's a light, you can see the rubber base.



Mounted.



Back side. I cut off the excess screw heads with the dremel and wrapped the leads in heat shrink.. not seen the leader going to the main nav light wire.



They work!



In the Dark.



Front shot.


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## Mojo (Nov 12, 2013)

Started working on the trolling motor mount today. 

I went into this having some crazy plan that eneded up getting changed about 20 times. My Dad was over and we moved that trolling motor all over the deck trying to decide where the best place would be to mount it. It went from the side of the boat over towards the middle at an angle and back again over and over till I made a command decision and decided it was going on the left hand side.

Then I started fabricating the mount. This turned into some crazy over engineered Frankenstein monster of a mounting bracket. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I spent way to much time putting this thing together. The good news is it seems to be super solid, while i was banging on the cover skin with a 5lb sledge I realized that rest of the boat is going to get destroyed before this mount does.

On to the pictures.

I designed this so that we can put the vinyl down then mount the bracket.. there is also around 1/2 of clearance under it so I can spray the hose up under it to keep it washed out.



Underside.. I put these big tabs on it to have a place to secure it to the deck. 



Big shot of the underside. Once all of these tab's have 3 rivets in them attaching it to the deck I'm pretty sure I could use it as a crane hoist attachment and pick up the boat.



Here it is with the Skin on. I'll be wrapping that with the same floor vinyl then putting it on. It's still dirty I was too tired to wire wheel it off yet. But the Motor fits perfect on top of that nice flat plate.


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## wingsnhammers (Nov 13, 2013)

Looking very nice. I saw where you mentioned that you will go back over the floor and try to work some of the bubbles out. I have found that syringes filled with glue work very well for stuff like this. It leaves no mark and gets the glue where it needs to go.


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## Mojo (Nov 13, 2013)

Thanks Wingsnhammers,

Actually the issue isn't that there are air bubbles... those are glue bubbles. I kinda put it on a little thick. But that is a good tip to remember about getting some glue under the floor if needed. Thanks!


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## Mojo (Nov 13, 2013)

Following up on the mount made for the trolling motor I had to build some brackets for the anchor system I've got for the boat. 

It's a Minn Kota Deckmate and came with a roller system you mount on the front or rear of the boat to guide the rope in. I've got no flat areas up front to mount it directly to so we had to build some brackets of some sort to hold it on. Read the captions to follow and you'll understand better the solution I came up with.

Found the mounting location, problem is I need a flat area. None to be had so I have to make up at least 2.5 inch's of material under the rope guide.



Here's the ultimate solution I came up with. Just used some basic hand tools and a vice on my work bench to do this.



I used some 1.5 inch flat bar aluminum bent up to fit how I wanted... How did I get that nice curve in that thing? With a vice and elbow grease. I used a socket that was approximately the same size as my rail to bend the aluminum around.



Finished up with some 90 deg bends..



cut the tabs off that I used to hold it in the vice then affixed to rail..



Here are the brackets in place with the guide on top. I'll be securing them to the deck after vinyl is down. I'll also drill some extra holes in the guide to attach it as the bar was 1/2 in short in width.



All done.. the unit snugs up to the brackets and just sits over the top of them for a nice flush look.



Shot of the front deck layout and where things are going to be. I put the seat in and sat down to make sure everything was in a good position relative to fishing location.


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## Mojo (Nov 14, 2013)

Daily progress report..

I needed to make a gauge cluster to go on the front of the boat to hold the Volt Meter for the Trolling battery, a 12v plug and a switch to turn them on and off. So that's what got done today. 

I wanted the plug up front so I could use a Q-Beam up there or plug in a cell or something up front.

I decided to throw the ON/OFF switch up there cause that 12v plug and gauge are going to be powered off the trolling battery and needed to be switched so that I wouldn't get any current draw when not wanted.

Here's the pic's

Small gauge cluster box..



Inside.



Holes cut out.



Here it is finished. I took the rivets out then covered the individual pieces with vinyl then put it back together again.



Where it's going to be eventually.


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## Country Dave (Nov 14, 2013)

_Hey that came out reel good bro,

What Garmin do you have there? _


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## Mojo (Nov 14, 2013)

Thanks Dave,

It's a 300C. Nothing fancy but good enough for what i'm doing.

Mojo


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## Mojo (Nov 19, 2013)

Status Update,

Took the weekend off to go watch the Gators lose at SC. We didn't win but at least we made SC look stupid for 4 quarters of the game.. #10.. pffft. Anyhow, on to boat stuff. I got the vinyl down on the front deck and got most of the electronics installed up there. I also got the TM Mount painted and installed. On to the pictures.

This was going to be a problem. There was a pretty big gap of a channel between the front deck and the piece of square tube i put up front.. needed a way to get rid of or fill in that gap so the vinyl wouldn't get holes poked into it.



The solution was to make a long piece of angle from some flat sheet and fit it in there to give that vinyl something to sit on top of.



Here it is in place ready to be decked over.



Looking Good.



TM mount base riveted down.



Shot of the front deck with everything in place. I drilled holes for the wire's to go thru and used some hard rubber grommets to protect the cables from the sharp aluminum edges.



TM base with cover attatched.


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## Mojo (Nov 22, 2013)

Hey All,

Not much of an update.. but here it is.

We decided to paint the top rail black, so here it is all taped off and a new coat of shiny black on it.


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## Mojo (Nov 26, 2013)

A few updates,

Not a lot of major stuff accomplished but small needed things got done. It's been raining here alot the last few day's and even thou I'm working in the garage it keeps me from moving out to the driveway for space to cut sheet metal and I need it dry to apply carpet anyhow.

So what did I get done? Well, I put vinyl on the livewell cover and shined up the hinge before re-installing it all.

Got all the wiring for the horn done up and installed another switch for it up front. I had an old bigfoot switch that was used with the old trolling motors and I decided that would make a great front area horn switch .. now I can blast the horn without getting out of my seat and going back to the console when I'm river fishing.

Got the trolling motor cake pan painted and vinyl inside.. placed some small bolts for it to sit on that go thru the screw down holes in the foot control, this keeps it from sliding around in that tray when i've got it there and also lets me pick it up out of the tray and move it around on the deck if I want. I also got it all wired up to power and a hole and rubber grommet in my pan.

Wired up the front mini gauge cluster to power and tested SAT.

I also finished with the anchor install. And installed a light and switch for the livewell.

Livewell top covered.



Livewell Light and micro switch right above to the left.



Bigfoot Horn switch.



Anchor install complete.


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## Mojo (Nov 27, 2013)

Pre-Holiday update,

Got out in the garage today and did some minor things... 

There was a nice big void right behind the gas fill and in front of the electronics bay that wasn't being used so we picked up a small rubbermaid tote to put in there. The one I picked up at the store fit almost perfect in that hole. I've got a nice thru hull deck access cover to go over the top of it and we're going to use it as a rope locker.

I also put the cleats in place.. we got some of the snazzy S-type that you wrap the rope thru instead of the old style. So 2 per side front and back for that.

I got the horn mounted in place. It's a mini air horn but its a wierd shape and size and putting it anywhere on the deck would have looked akward. I also couldn't put it inside the console I built cause that big magnet inside throws the compass off by about 30 deg's. I brain stormed about where to put this stupid thing for a long time.. actually over the past month or so I was always wondering what I was going to do with it then I found the answer.. I'll let the pictures speak for my solution.

Cleats aft.



Cleats fwd.



Rope locker.



Access cover that's going to go over the locker.



Horn mounted just aft of the front seat between the 2 support braces. Fit like I thought about that all along. You'll notice its sticking up out of the deck a bit.



Solution! Vent cover.. bonus I'll get some air flow into that fuel tank void to blow thru the grill above the livewell.



It won't be a trip hazard under the front seat and so close to the mount.


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## bigwave (Nov 29, 2013)

I am going to have to find that radio. I like it, would fit nice on my glass boat.


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## DrNip (Nov 29, 2013)

Did you use 1/4" rivets?


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## Mojo (Nov 29, 2013)

Bigwave,

Put "Imarine" in google, it will find you the link to that websight. I saw one that's the same but next gen with a weatherband on that sight a few day's ago when I was xmas shopping for relatives.

DrNip, 

All the rivets in that boat were 3/16". Well all the structural, there's a few spots where I put some 1/8". Small hinges and such. A note on rivets. If your going to be doing as much as I did just save yourself the hassle and find somewhere online to get them in bulk. I have used well over 1000 of the things so far and I wish we had just gotten a big ole box of em.

Mojo


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## Country Dave (Nov 29, 2013)

_Looking good bro......................................................... =D> _


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## DrNip (Nov 29, 2013)

At the time I asked I mistook the pic of your rivet gun as a 1/4" gun. Looking back at it I realize it is the 3/16" gun which is $30 cheaper. I won't be using near the amount of rivets you did but will be quite a few. Thanks!


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## Mojo (Dec 7, 2013)

We were out in the garage again this week and I got to the step I've kind of been dreading. 

Time to cut out the top deck. I'm using .08 thick aluminum and to tell you the truth was a bit hesitant on cutting it, I really didn't want to screw it up and ruin a big piece of that stuff and have to shell out the cash to get another.

I used some thin blue foam that we had to make a template. I like this stuff a whole lot better than cardboard, it cut super easy with an exacto blade. We got it all cut out and put up top. I was proud of myself and we were only off about 1/4 of an inch on one hatch lid opening. So its not exactly to the edge on the back side of the storage hatch. I can live with that.

The sheet we had isn't big enough to make one big cutout for the whole front of the boat so it ended up being 3 different sections. I'll have a couple of seams up front on the carpet but thats not a big deal in my opinion.

We also ALMOST had enough with a 12x4 sheet to get the whole top of the boat done. I was an Inch short length ways on the very front battery hatch.. just didn't have enough. We'll have to go get a small piece of aluminum this Monday to cut that one out and then we'll have it all ready for vinyl and hinges.

On to the pictures.

Here's the blue foam, i cut it as close as I could to the curve of the side wall then used a washer and a marker to draw my line so it conformed to the curve perfect.



Putting down the biggest cut blue foam.



First major piece done.



Here's all three of the front pieces done. You can also see way in the back I got the cut out done for the bilge area cover. So we got everything done but the very front cover which was approx 5x1. Just didn't have enough.



Another angel.



Yet another..


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## Country Dave (Dec 7, 2013)

_Looking good brother,

Tight work.................. =D> 
_


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## DrNip (Dec 8, 2013)

What did you cut it and smooth the edges with?


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## Mojo (Dec 8, 2013)

Thanks Dave.

DrNip, I used an angle grinder with 4 1/2in cutting disks to do all the cuts.


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## typed by ben (Dec 9, 2013)

now shes starting to look like a fishing boat instead of a project... awesome


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## Mojo (Dec 9, 2013)

typed by ben said:


> now shes starting to look like a fishing boat instead of a project... awesome


I know, Right! I'm thinking if I push hard we can have her done by the end of the week ready for the water.

Ok so today, I had one more small area of space under the deck that wasn't being utilized so we decided to make a small Dry Box to put wallets and cell phones and boat papers and any other crap we don't want water on. 

I have lots of scrap from all the other work that went on so I made a small box and put vinyl on it then put it in the empty spot.. add another of those nifty access covers and BLAM... Dry Box! I made it 12x10 inch's and 6 inch's deep. 

Also, since the deck isn't screwed down just yet I'll tap into my interior light circuit and put another LED pod in there. I mean.. why not right??

Here's the box I made, You can see the overspray paint marks and such.. who cares its going to be under the deck.. out of sight out of mind. I also got to play with that glue again.. and I got it all over me.. again. :LOL2: 



Box in its new home right in front of the electronics bay. Look more blue tape..



Deck and Access hatch over the new box.



Access cover removed.. you can see my little box in there.


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## gillhunter (Dec 9, 2013)

Mojo, This is looking really great. Can't wait to see the finished project!!!


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## Centrarchidae (Dec 9, 2013)

The method you used to trace the shape of the hull is brilliant. Putting a marker in a washer and tracing the hull should be very accurate and easy to do. Thanks for showing that technique - I will be using it when I get to that stage.


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## Mojo (Dec 11, 2013)

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the encouragement Gill. Centrarchidae, Your welcome! Hope that little trick helps you out.

The dream of getting this thing done for some weekend fishing is getting closer to coming true. Yesterday saw alot of the top vinyl cut out and glued down then clamped in place over night to dry.

Today I had to get my box made for the main storage compartment.. that is what I mostly worked on. It's a wierd shape, not a clean cut all 90 deg angels box. The front has a slope, the sides aren't strait angles, the gas tank sticks out a bit screwing up the back end so it's not just a strait shot either. To make a long story short, I had to cut each piece separate and put it together in place. No building the box and just dropping it in. Also I had to leave the inboard box wall off till I get the top deck put in place so I can get my hands in there to bolt down the front seat pedestal. I was also waiting for this stage of the build to get the lights for the that box installed then finish my wiring job on the rest of them.

So I got all my box pieces cut out, half a box built and carpeted, the rest of the lights installed and all wired to power. Tomorrow I'll bolt in my seat and finish up the box then start laying down the rest of the vinyl.

Here's the pics.

Building of the crazy shaped box.



Let there be light!
Said I was gonna put an LED pod in the glove box.. here it is.



Drain holes and a light in the rope locker.



Half a box, carpeted and lights installed and working.



Battery locker lit up.



The rod locker has lights too!



Glove box and rope locker with covers on and lights shining.


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## Country Dave (Dec 14, 2013)

_Love the LED's 

Nice touch brother.......................... =D> _


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## Buckethead (Dec 15, 2013)

First of all Mojo this is one of the best builds I've seen on here, I love the fact you're working with aluminum and no wood. Unfortunately my build is not going as fast as yours but I'll get there eventually. I would like to know about the vinyl you're using, where you got it from and the size it is. If you've already posted this info I apologize for the redundancy. Thanks

Buckethead


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## Mojo (Dec 17, 2013)

Hey Guy's,

Thanks Dave. The LED's were a must have.. I didn't want to be dorking around with flashlights at night if I could help it.

Buckethead, Thanks Man! I appreciate the complement. I got the vinyl decking from https://www.yourautotrim.com its Nautolex marine Vinyl Flooring "Shark Grey" I'd give you what I paid but I got it a couple of years back on that project that never got started. Anyhow just go check em out and see what you can find out, I don't know if the pricing has changed and I don't want to give out any bad info.

Ok, So obviously I didn't get done this weekend like I wanted. 
First my fishing buddy Aka "Dad". Had to go on a shopping/overnight trip with my mom so it didn't matter If i finished fast or not. 
Secondly I started trimming out the hatch edges and realized that the tops I made aren't going to fit right so I have to take them apart and cut them down a bit then put them back together so that's slowing me down. I'd Like to get this done but I don't need to rush it and screw something up at this point.
Third, An old Navy buddy of mine showed up from out of town and is hanging out for few day's so I'm not super motivated to work and I'm spending time hanging out with him.

I am doing some work just not as much. I'll show you guy's the trim. I have to say it's really looking good and after the whole boat is done its going to be pretty sharp.

First.. I've got a piece of flexible rubber trim to go around the gas tank fill cut I made that cleans that up quite a bit.



Here's the trim around the big storage area.



Here's the storage area walls put up, seat mount installed and looking good.



Here's the seat in place. I admit it, I climbed up in it and pretended I was fishing for a bit. Rocked around and made sure it was mounted solid. Those bolts I put thru don't have any flex whatsoever.



Trim around the rod locker.


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## Mojo (Dec 20, 2013)

Update.

I ran into some trouble, I'm short on my vinyl and have to order some more to have a full piece to put on the back bilge deck.  

So that's setting the completion time table all out of whack... well full completion anyhow. I figure we can still fish with the bilge open.. no biggie.

Got the back bench seat covered and the seat mounts back in place. Added a few cup holders I just have to do the trim on the edges and the back seat will be done.


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## rscottp (Dec 20, 2013)

Gotta have cup holders!


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## Mojo (Dec 23, 2013)

Got 2 of my front hatches done.

The one for the cooler sits a little uneven.. sticking up a bit. Nothing to be done about it so It is what it is.


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## Country Dave (Dec 23, 2013)

_What's your time frame for completion brother? _


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## Mojo (Dec 23, 2013)

Christmas is slowing me down but hopefully before the new year. I've only got 3 more hatches to do. Unfortunately like I said earlier, I'm having to take them apart and shave them down a bit to fit right. Also waiting for the last of the vinyl to show up.


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## Country Dave (Dec 23, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=337058#p337058 said:


> Mojo » 15 minutes ago[/url]"]Christmas is slowing me down but hopefully before the new year. I've only got 3 more hatches to do. Unfortunately like I said earlier, I'm having to take them apart and shave them down a bit to fit right. Also waiting for the last of the vinyl to show up.



_All good bro, I'm in the same boat pardon the pun..................... :LOL2: 

I will be fishing out of it soon. Just a couple of little things left then out for the Seadek. _


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## Scout27 (Dec 29, 2013)

The detail and amount of work you have put into this project is awesome. What a great job of envisioning and executing on your ideas. I've done two 16'ers over the years, but none to this level. Excellent job. We're all waiting to see the finished product.


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## Mojo (Dec 30, 2013)

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Thanks Scout! It's been a long haul but its almost done.

I'm 90% done with the project the only big thing left is the hatch for the bilge area. I got the front deck finished and and some odd's and ends cleaned up and were taking it fishing tomorrow! 

My Dad has been hanging out the past couple of day's while I worked on the boat going thru his tackle and taking his reel's apart and greasing them up putting new line on and so forth. He's ready so were going to hit the lake in the AM and make sure it doesn't sink.

I had some nice vinyl Sea Nymph stickers to put on the boat. I learned the hard way that if you have already coated the outside with the super duper marine wax those things won't stick! I ruined one of the big ones so I guess it's just not going to have any stickers on the outside.

Also found out a few of my poles are just a tad too long to fit in my spiffy rod locker so I had to get a set of hold down's to go topside for the few that won't fit.

Here's the pictures so far.

Here's the monster tackle box my dad has. It won't fit in the storage locker its so dang big, So I put some SS hook catches on the sides of the cockpit so we could bungie cord it in place.



Mini sticker for the console.



Fish measuring stick right in front of the livewell. It's just a Metal yard stick from lowes that I cut down to fit and rivited in place. Bonus! It's yellow and black and matches my theme.



And the shot you've been waiting for.. front deck completed.



Anchor light mounted to the underside of the rod locker.


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## fool4fish1226 (Dec 30, 2013)

Love it - Great work :beer:


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## Gators5220 (Dec 30, 2013)

Better than factory built Mojo! Sick sled.


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## typed by ben (Dec 31, 2013)

sweet


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## Country Dave (Dec 31, 2013)

_Outstanding........................ =D> _


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## Bobsbaits (Dec 31, 2013)

Awesome job! I can only hope my build comes out half as nice as yours. I have that exact big tackle box, it is awesome but I moved mine to my garage and keep extra lures in it.


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## Mojo (Jan 1, 2014)

Happy 2014! I hope everyone had a Safe and Happy New Years Eve.  

We took the Simi-finished tin out yesterday for the maiden voyage and I've got one word to say about the boat.. Awesome! It was everything I was hoping it would be. 

First off sitting at the dock in the water the boat was level in the water. I was really apprehensive about all the weight that I put up front with the 12 Gal tank under the deck along with the batteries, TM and anchor not to mention all that .08 aluminum up top on the deck. I shouldn't have worried. It was sitting pretty and the water didn't even get up to the side chine running the length of the boat. I figure it drafts about 6 inch's with no one in it.

This boat is stable! I never felt like I was going to fall over and get thrown out. I walked right up to the edge and still had plenty of free board to the water.. I give credit to the weight I centerlined as much as possible gas tank and batteries. Spaced evenly.

The tune up on the engine was worth the money it started up and ran like a champ. All the weight I added to the front worked like I wanted and with both my Dad and I in the back when I opened her up she jumped up on plane like a champ.

After all the added decks and other weight I've lost about 4mph top speed. Before on the test cruise we got 22mph out of it now it top's out at 18. I'm happy with that. It's not the fastest boat on the water but we ran it all over the lake and put around 20 miles on her and the gas gauge needle never moved off full. That little 20 horse 4 stroke sips the gas.

We got some fishing done but unfortunately the fish just didn't want to play.. a cold front had just moved thru and they just weren't biting.  

I learned a few things about my design. I need to beef up that TM mount. There was alot of flex in it when it was set to full power. Over time I can see it stressing the aluminum, So I'll run a few bolts all the way thru the bars to the deck underneath.

I liked the Cake pan TM tray I made for the foot control but I need to modify it. Going left is no problem, when you want to go right the angle for the pedal makes it awkward to keep the power button pressed. I need to get something in there to make that thing sit at an angle and not flat. Also I need to add some rubber feet to the bottom of the foot control. It was nice to take it out of the tray when I was facing sideways but the hard plastic slides all over the top of the vinyl.

Those 2 things were the only major problems and they really were not that big of a deal. All the lights and pumps work as planned. Both sonars work great. The seats are comfortable and we are spaced far enough apart front to back that no one is hitting the other persons rod when casting.

I love that rod locker but adding the tie down straps to the top was an outstanding idea. We just put all the rods we were using at the time on top and strapped them down when we decided to move. That was handy. I'll probably just use the locker when transporting and storing.

I've only got a few pictures from yesterday. Once the boat is totally finished I'll post a nice progress series.

Last, Thanks for all the encouragement guy's. I also appreciate all the kind comments.

Underway at the speed of slow.



The speed wheel is a big fat liar! My phones GPS was reading 18. 



Pop's is happy with the new boat.



I'm pretty happy with it also. :LOL2:


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## Country Dave (Jan 1, 2014)

_That thing is bad azz. congratulations ......................................... =D> =D> =D> 

You could work on my boat anytime!_


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## DrNip (Jan 1, 2014)

Awesome. You have any pics that show the whole boat or is that when you complete the project?


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## Mojo (Jan 1, 2014)

Country Dave said:


> _That thing is bad azz. congratulations ......................................... =D> =D> =D>
> 
> You could work on my boat anytime!_


High Praise Dave.. High Praise.. thanks bro!



DrNip said:


> Awesome. You have any pics that show the whole boat or is that when you complete the project?


DrNip, Yes I'll be posting some overall boat shots when I get the last few items finished up and I call it complete.

Here's some fun stuff I found out. The flipping seat that I have stopped working the day we took it out fishing. It won't lock in the up position anymore and I figured out why. I've had that thing in my Brother in Law's boat for a couple of years and the salt air did a number on the gas cylinder inside of it. I took it apart today and it was corrosion city in there.

Here's what I found out thou by doing some online research. The gas cylinder used on the swivl-eze seats like that are the same standard one's used in most office chairs. So I went searching the web for a replacement. 

If any of you have this issue DON'T order one from one of the office chair repair web sights those people are asking insane amounts of money for them.. I guess they figure buisness's just don't count the pennies like us rednecks. For a replacement of the same size it would have just been cheaper to get a new unit.

However I did find one that was close to the same size as that one on Ebay.. for $25. SO.. 25 bucks instead of 80 for a new unit.. golden. When I say close to the same size I'm talking about length. You HAVE to have the same cylinder diameter and end taper on any replacement you buy. It's all measured in mm so break out your metric ruler and check it before you order. If you are looking for them online they usually have a housing over bottom the stem that goes inside of the base of an office chair... this is no issue that thing comes right off and you can use the cylinder inside. 

When I get the new unit I'll take pictures and show you guy's how to put this thing back together.

All taken apart



This thing and the stem are the same as in any office chair you buy. The seals went bad from corrosion and all the gas leaked out.



This was at the bottom on the inside. notice all the corrosion that fell out. There is supposed to be a small clip on the bottom of that to hold the bearings and bushings in place.. rusted away.


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## Mojo (Jan 2, 2014)

Well I stayed up late this evening to finish up some odd's n ends. I'm just about to call this project done. Were taking it out to the river tomorrow to do a little fishing and I'll get some nice over all shots of the boat for you guys to see.

Until then here's the last of the projects that I finished up today.

The little ramp I made for the foot control.



The second big vinyl sticker that I didn't mess up. I decided this would be a good place for it. Also you can see I added a net on the side to hold odd's n ends.



Back deck complete. I have nothing in there to get to on a regular basis so we didn't add hinges and just made it drop in. Its so tight of a fit there is no fear of it bouncing out.



Until tomorrow evening.


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## Mojo (Jan 3, 2014)

Ok.. It's Official. I'm calling her DONE. (mostly)

First I need to thank the whole TinBoats community, I went thru every build listed on this sight in preparation for doing this build and looked at what I liked and blatantly stole the idea! There are a lot of talented people out there who don't even know that they helped me out. I hope someone else down the road looks at what I did and finds something they can use.

Second, thanks for all the encouragement guy's. I know I didn't ask many questions but I did appreciate the occasional "Good Job and Atta Boy's" yall handed out.

Now a little advice for those of you working on your boats, Whatever you think its going to take materials wise.. it's going to take more! I used more rivets than I ever thought possible when I started this... around 1200 to date. Course I don't have any fancy welding equipment so I had to go old school.

Here's the Overall shot's that I promised. I'll still be doing a few minor things and updating those little projects and I'll also post that seat repair in case any of you would like to see it...

Once again Thanks for everything Tinboaters!

Mojo




I climbed up on a ladder for this one.. risking my life for you guys.



Ready to set sail.


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## DrNip (Jan 3, 2014)

Holy ship shap that thing is swank! That is one of the cleanest interior jobs I've seen done. Great job!


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## rscottp (Jan 3, 2014)

Your build came out great, enjoy the fruits of your labor!


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## Country Dave (Jan 4, 2014)

_Outstanding,

One of the best builds I've seen. Tight work brother................................ =D> =D> =D> _


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## fool4fish1226 (Jan 4, 2014)

AWESOME :beer:


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## bigwave (Jan 4, 2014)

Killer job Mojo :beer:


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## Humj7 (Jan 4, 2014)

Simply Beautiful !!!
Great Project.


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## Gators5220 (Jan 4, 2014)

Such a sick sled Mojo, nice work.


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## Bobsbaits (Jan 4, 2014)

Great build, looks awesome. I have to agree with your advice, takes a lot more material (especially rivets).


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## Buckethead (Jan 6, 2014)

I'll just mirror what everyone else has said, great build, congrats and as you enjoy your boat I'm sure you'll run across a thing or two you'll need to modify or change, that kind of stuff will be very interesting to hear as well.


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## Mojo (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks for all the complements guys!

As promised here's the seat repair pictures. I also did a small enhancement project that I'll share below.

Here's the new office chair air shock I got from Ebay for $25. All we want out of this thing is the chrome shock itself.



Turn it upside down and you'll find the clip holding it in.



Here's the new one along with the old broke one for comparison. Like I said the new one is a tad bigger.. doesn't make a diff just means the seat can sit higher if desired.



Place the old seat attachment back on your new post and knock it down tight with a rubber mallet.



Here is where the whole thing being put back together isn't a perfect solution. The old seat post had a spot half way thru the assembly that had a hole that you put the bottom of the gas shock thru and attached that metal clip that we took off earlier. That kept the two pieces of the seat post secured to each other. 
Now the way they made this in the factory is they put that clip on then slid it down into the middle of the post and crimped the ring in place. There is no possible way to get it back out.. or to get a clip on there down in the middle of that long post... So I just didn't worry about it.
This means that the two parts of the post are not joined together and it just sit's down inside of the post and gravity does the rest. It's not perfect but this seat isn't for riding on at speed and as long as you remember that its not secure and don't try to pick it up out of the post hole by just grabbing the seat it will still work just fine.
It does what it is supposed to do which is become adjustable again and give you a little shock cushion when you sit down on it.



Seat still works and 25 bucks and its in two pieces instead of one is still better than another 80 for a new post in my opinion.



Here's the other little project. I stole this from someone else's build... don't remember who but "Thanks Dude" We lost one of the twist off access covers when we didn't tighten it down right and it flew off while going down the highway. Hopefully this will keep that from happening again.


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## BayouCajun (Jan 13, 2014)

Great looking finish, and utility built in everywhere.

A great looking and I bet a great fishing boat.


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## DarynCashmark (May 13, 2015)

Mojo:

Wow, what a great looking rebuild. You really did a nice job. Looks, and fishes a lot better than when it was new, I am sure!

I am curious about the elbow on the filler hose of your fuel tank. Has it been working out well for you? I recently completed a boat with the same tank and I can't bend the filler hose enough at the tank inlet to keep it from being REALLY slow to fill. I ordered a length of "super flexible" fuel filler hose and it helped just a little, but still not very good. The hose curves up from the fill inlet and ends up being almost as high as the fuel inlet on the boat. I think if I could put an elbow on the tank, it would help. I am curious as to how yours has worked out for you. Thanks in advance for any advice you might have.


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## Androsyn (Nov 25, 2015)

I'm jealous! Nice Build man!


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