# 1977 Fisher 15/38 project (updated 10/11/14)



## JMichael (Jan 23, 2012)

Here is the long winded story leading up to this whole thing. It's boring so you might want to skip it and just jump to the pics.

I hadn't really planned this but now I've got it so here we go. A buddy of mine went to an estate sale and bought a lake house. Included in the deal was this 1977 model 1538 Fisher Marine Water Rover. I told him I might be interested in it so he told me to take it home. It has a 75 model 20hp Mercury with electric start and a 40# Minn Kota trolling motor. Neither of which was working and the outboard was mostly in pieces in the back of the boat. 

I decided to tackle the trolling motor first, figuring the outboard was probably a basket case. After some initial testing, I found that there was no power getting through the foot control. I pulled it all apart and cleaned all the contacts and wire connectors. Everything tested good with my meter so I put it all back together. Yeah!!! I've got a fully functional trolling motor now. The mount for the trolling motor had the top ripped off, and they had stacked some 2x's in between the aluminum side plates and run wood screws through everything. I removed all of that and after some deliberation set about trying to fab something up. I ended up using some 1/8" aluminum plate to make a new top and back for the mount and got it mounted. 

On to the outboard. I tried to find a factory service manual but couldn't located one so I grabbed a Seloc manual from Ebay. It was a tiller model that had been converted to remote. The previous owner, in his haste to convert it, cut the tiller mount bracket off with a hack saw. #-o It was already in pieces and I didn't know how long it had been sitting, so I pulled the carb and fuel pump. I was surprised to find they looked pretty good inside, but I cleaned a little on them any ways and reinstalled them. The starter motor was hanging by it's power cable, so I pulled it off and tested it. It was working so I lubed the bendix and reinstalled it, only to find out the solenoid was bad. After installing a new solenoid it was working fine. At this point, I decided I could test the compression even if it was on a cold motor. 105 on both cylinders so I was in luck there. The insulation on the internal wiring harness was cracking pretty bad and new ones are $175 +, so I rebuilt that. The recoil starter was hanging up and wouldn't recoil. I pulled it apart and after a lot of cleaning and some lubrication, got it working good. After figuring out how to reassemble and adjust all of the remote throttle linkage, I decided it was time to throw some new plugs in it and see where I was. It fired up after several attempts, and after some adjusting here and there, I've got it starting on 2nd pull with a cold motor. 

At this point I decided it was a keeper. I go back out to my buddy's house and tell him I'm keeping it and ask him how much he wants. As it turns out, he's been eyeballing a deer rifle of mine, and that it would be a good trade. Done and Done! 

Now I'm anxious to get it in the water to see how the motor preforms, but more importantly, see what sort of shape the boat is in as far as leaks or any other problems. I got the boat registered to make it legal and took it to the river. It's a little slow getting up on plane and will only make 21mph but it's a start. During my testing I decide to go WOT at the start and discover I mostly likely have a spun hub. Now I know why there was an extra prop laying in the boat. :lol: 

If you've made it this far in my long winded first post about this boat, it's time for some show and tell.
Here is the trailer than came with the boat, that now has my 12' Gamefisher sitting on it. 







The boat is pretty heavy so I went on the hunt for another trailer. I found this for $60. Put new tires on it and relocated the winch farther forward and have a few other things to do to finish the trailer.
















Here is the overall view as it sits right now. I'll post more pics of the interior and what my plans are in a little while.


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## JMichael (Jan 24, 2012)

My cavitation plate sits ¾" below the bottom of the boat so I was thinking about raising the motor 1". Here is a look at the transom.











The transom is wrapped inside and out by 2 pieces of 3/16" aluminum plate that are welded together at the top to make a single piece. I was thinking I could pull out all the bolts (I'm replacing them with stainless anyways), and plug all the old holes. Then put a piece of 1" cypress between the wrap and the top of the transom and bolt it all back together. I think it would be strong enough but I'm open to other ideas on this if you have one. 

I'd like to turn the front storage compartment into a battery box for my trolling battery. I've been looking through the build threads for an idea on how to fab a lid for this compartment since whatever was there originally is gone. I'd like it to be flush when closed and able to support my weight if I step on it getting in/out of the boat. 











I've stripped the side panels and foam out and the floor is next. 











I mainly fish for crappie, bream, and catfish. The bream fishing has me running under a lot of low hanging limbs, so I've talked myself out of raised decks and higher seats. 

The conversion to remote controls was done using "creative thinking" #-o . I've been trying to find factory parts in order to do this properly but haven't had any luck so far. I did pick up a replacement tiller and mount bracket the other day just in case. The more I think about it, I'm tempted to just pull the remote stuff out and put it back as a tiller control motor. That would give me more useable floor space and eliminate some weight. I'm also trying to figure out a good way to eliminate those wide seat bases and go to the same style that all you bass fishermen are using but I haven't figured out how I would mount the base plate securely. 

Well that's all for now, I'm going to prowl around the other build threads looking for ideas on how to accomplish some of this stuff.


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## fool4fish1226 (Jan 24, 2012)

Looks like a good project, keep us update with lots of pics


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## JMichael (Jan 24, 2012)

I didn't get to work on it very long today, but it was a learning experience. I removed the motor, remote controls, console, seats, wiring, and all the floor. Fisher marine evidently didn't know what stainless was when they put this floor in. It was a real challenge to remove all of those steel sheet metal screws with the ¼" heads. I think I might have invented at least three new cuss words in the process. 
















The biggest surprise for today was when I started to remove the foam. As I lifted the first piece out, I couldn't believe how much it weighed. It was so water logged it was unbelievable. 






Out of curiosity, I decided to get an estimate of the weight. I weighed an 18x20x¾" piece, that came in at 5.8 lbs. It was double layered from the back edge of the front deck, to the transom. If my math is correct, that's around 185 lbs. So a conservative estimate would be around 160 lbs of soggy foam. No wonder the boat didn't run as fast as I expected on my test run. :lol: 

Next step will be to remove the trolling motor, get the pressure washer out of hibernation, and give it a good cleaning.


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## fool4fish1226 (Jan 25, 2012)

Coming along nicely


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## JMichael (Jan 27, 2012)

Going to check on aluminum angle availability and pricing today and was wondering what you'd estimate the linear footage to be. If you've done a mod that included a front deck around 4 feet front to back let me know about how much aluminum you used. I'm just double checking my math really so ball park numbers would be fine.


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## JMichael (Jan 27, 2012)

After 2.5 days of non stop rain, we finally got a day of sunshine. It took me the best part of the afternoon to locate a source for my aluminum but I finally found it. I picked up 75 feet of 6061-T6 angle for just under $1 per foot. It might not be enough to complete the job but should be enough to do most of it. I plan to clean the inside tomorrow and see about raising the transom an 1 inch.

Since I'm restricted to working outside in the elements, this is going to be a drawn out process.


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## JMichael (Jan 28, 2012)

Gave the boat a bath so I'm not getting filthy while I work on it. It cleaned up pretty good. Started the transom tear out and discovered I don't have a metal blade for my jig saw. Next I pulled the angle braces that join the ribs. These braces were put on with small sheet metal screw but some had vibrated out and others had the head about rusted off so they were tough to get out. Is there any reason that I shouldn't put them back on with rivets? Also did some measuring and planning on trailer mods. Doesn't sound like a lot of work but getting that heavy duty wrap they had on the transom off took some time. They had about a dozen rusted up bolts going through it and the thing was glued to the transom skin with silicone.


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## Jdholmes (Jan 28, 2012)

.


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## jonmac3569 (Jan 28, 2012)

I replaced mine with those same sheet metal screws. I went and bought stainless (1 size bigger than origianl since some were a little bored out) Mine were same as yours, I had some that had the heads almost totally rusted off but it took 35 years to get to that point and almost none of the surrounding metal was rusted. So I just went the same route. Also my boat is kept in the garage so I wasn't too worried about it. I definately don't see any issue riveting them back in though. Should be plenty strong.

I was glad to get the transom done. It was a a decent amount of work but I feel good knowing that all the metal behind that wood is sanded and repainted now and I replaced all the hardware with stainless with 5200 also. I was lucky my boat had been kept in a boathouse for all of those years or would've been much worse.

Boat's looking good!


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## JMichael (Jan 29, 2012)

Jonmac, did you remove your knee brace in order to replace your transom? If you did, what did you use to put it back in? Yours looks identical to mine except mine has some of that textured aluminum like your side panels over the inside of the transom.


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## jonmac3569 (Jan 29, 2012)

JMichael said:


> Jonmac, did you remove your knee brace in order to replace your transom? If you did, what did you use to put it back in? Yours looks identical to mine except mine has some of that textured aluminum like your side panels over the inside of the transom.



I did not remove mine. I was able to bend it out of the way. (with a come-a-long) I used 2 pieces of plywood, after I treated them I put them back in separately and then glued them together once they were in. It was tight and a little painful but to me it was better than taking out the kneee brace or cutting the top of the transom. Once I bent the knee brace back and bolted it to the transom, I was able to straighten it back out with a rubber mallet.


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## JMichael (Jan 29, 2012)

Got the grinder out and removed the anchor mate (factory installed with rivets) and the transom knee brace. Wire brushed the transom real well and discovered a lot of pitting (some bad enough to put pin holes in the transom). Picked up my foam and got it all cut and test fitted. Now I'm going to be at the mercy of the welder, waiting to get my transom welded up. The transom has about 2 dozen bolt and screw holes as well as the several pitting holes. It's also cracked at the top on both sides where it's welded to the gussets. What a mess.


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## JMichael (Feb 10, 2012)

So the weather has taken a turn for the worse around here and since I'm limited to working on my boat outdoors, it's limited the amount I could do. I decided to get the boat to the welder and see what he could do about the 30 some odd bolt/screw holes in my transom as well as all the pin holes from the pitting. He took one look at the transom and said it would take him 2 days worth of welding to close up all the holes. It turns out that he had a piece of scrap 1/8" aluminum plate laying around so we decided to put that on the outside of the transom. 






Next he took a piece of 3/16 thick, 1" square tubing and welded it up under the lip at the top of the transom where the wood normally runs. 






It's not the prettiest repair job ever done but I think it's stronger now than the day it rolled out of the factory and should last a lot longer than the original. And I'm definitely not going to complain since I handed him a 30 pack of bud light and drove away with my boat. :mrgreen: That part fit well within the limits of my budget build. 

After getting it home and doing a quick leak test to make sure it was water tight, I decided to work on cleaning the exterior.
I did some quick experimenting with alumabrite to water mix ratios, then started to work. It turned out that the humid overcast day worked in my favor and I didn't have to worry about the alumabrite drying on me. Here is the before and after shots, which was about 45 minutes worth of work with the mop/alumabrite and pressure washer. 











That was the end of any half decent weather for being outside working for any length of time so I turned my attention to my motor. I've torn the motor down to the power head and all it's major components. After degrease and steam cleaning on all the parts, I feathered all of the chipped paint areas on the exterior, water sanded and got the primer on. Now I'm just waiting on the humidity level to drop and the temps to rise so I can get the motor painted and start the assembly. I've picked up all the wood for my front deck, transom, and the 2x4 for building new trailer bunks. I'll start cutting and sealing the transom and bunk pieces in the next few days I hope.


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## jonmac3569 (Feb 10, 2012)

looking good!


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## byronofcapecod (Feb 21, 2012)

Thats amazing! I never would have painted if I knew that it only takes some alumabrite and a pressure washer. Nice Job!


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## JMichael (Feb 28, 2012)

The weather has been making it tough to get much accomplished lately but since it's been a while I thought I'd update my project. I removed the old bunks from my trailer and sent them off to the land fill. Used a cutting torch and a welder to modify the trailer so the bottom bunks would mount flat instead of on edge. After applying 3 coats of spar varnish to the 2x4's, I used 3M contact cement and a staple gun to cover them with carpet. Then I attached them with new galvanized carriage bolts. The modification lets my boat sit about 2½" lower on the trailer than it did before.











Next I cut 2 pieces of ½" exterior ply to size for my new transom. After 3 coats of varnish, I used F26 construction adhesive to laminate them together. Then I used a piece of 1.5"x1.5" cypress for the bottom stiffener. I glued and screwed the cypress to the laminated ply. The original piece of aluminum that covered the transom had so many holes in it I decided to make a new cover. I used some of the PVC coated aluminum sheeting that I had on hand to make a new cover. After getting it clamped in to place, I drilled the new holes and installed. The whole transom area originally had galvanized or plain steel bolts in everything so I'm using new stainless bolts in everything. I cut a piece of 3/16" aluminum plate to cover the area where the motor clamps on the inside. This piece also served to raise my motor height 1". I also put a new piece of wood on the outside of the transom for the motor mount. I mounted the bottom portion of the knee brace with some button head bolts. I'll have to cut them to length tomorrow since the shortest I could find in ¼" dia. button head were way longer than what I needed. I used Black 3M 5200 on all the bolts since they didn't have it in white. I will install more bolts and the rear handles tomorrow. 











In order to convert my motor to tiller control, I had to disassemble the motor about 80% of the way, including removal of the power head. I decided to go 100% of the way and give it a good cleaning and a paint job while I was at it. I also rebuilt the water pump with all new seals and gaskets even though it was pumping good. I knew I had a lower unit oil leak because I could see the oil during my test tank run. Turned out that oil seal below the pump was blown. I hope that's the only leak it had, but I'll find out very soon as I plan to give it a run in the test tank tomorrow or very soon. I really would like to get some new decals to go with the paint job but I've got better things to do with $70 right now than to buy decals. :lol:


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## fool4fish1226 (Feb 28, 2012)

Nice =D> looks like lots of elbow grease went into it so far.


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## hyzerbomber (Feb 28, 2012)

x2 =D>


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## spacks013 (Mar 14, 2012)

I have almost the exact same motor, did you say that you rebuilt the harness that goes to the battery from the port side of the motor cowl? I can't bring myself to pay 180 for a new one, so I was thinking about making one. Any tips?


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## JMichael (Mar 15, 2012)

I rebuilt the internal wiring harness, not the external one. I had to cut back some of the connector in order to get to some clean non corroded wire in order to get a good connection. If you start stripping your wires and find it's corroded all the way back to the pins in the connector, it's probably beyond being rebuilt.


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## Aaron Lariscy (Mar 15, 2012)

Those decals don't look bad at all I wouldn't sweat it too much at all, looks reall nice IMHO.


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## JMichael (May 30, 2012)

OK, it's been a while since I updated this build so I thought I'd try to get it up to date. I've been using the boat so much to go fishing with when the weather permits that I haven't gotten as far along as I'd like to but I have made progress. I read where some have concerns about how foam can trap water because of the lack of airflow. I decided to try to help that situation by cutting a checker board grove pattern in the bottom side of the bottom piece of foam for each section of the boat. 












After getting all my foam installed it was time to start with the new aluminum floor to cover and hold the foam in place. 











Once I had the floor in, I cut and test fitted the wood top for my rear deck. 











After temporarily reinstalling the original seats, I took the boat out on a few fishing trips. After that, I decided to install the switch, wiring, and solenoid, in order to take advantage of the electric starter that the motor came with. 






The next step was to fabricate some new aluminum side panels. I decided to use some tan colored textured PVC coated aluminum. 











A few fishing trips later, and I decided that it was time to get the rear deck built. I decided to go smaller than my initial plans since I wanted to be able to look down into the rear floor area without having to raise any hatches. I had seen in another build thread where someone had used an aluminum ladder for their framework, and decided to copy their idea since I knew where a junk ladder was. The remainder of the frame work was done with 1"x1"x1/8" aluminum angle. 
















I fabricated the front wall out of the same aluminum used on the floor. I cut a hatch for the rear section and installed the cover temporarily with an old brass plated hinge I had laying around. 
















Current plans are to make a large fold down panel in the center of the front wall which will give me easier access to whatever is under the front portion of the rear deck. I haven't decided whether I will install a center divider wall to keep the fuel tank area separate from the front, but I definitely plan on adding a back wall. 

I'm currently waiting on my new seats and hardware to arrive so I can install them. My next priority item that I want to get finished is the switch panel and wiring of the boat.


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## DVeasey (Jun 2, 2012)

Looking great! Thanks for reminding me about the aluminum ladder idea, I too had seen it on another build and nearly forgot! Now if only I can find a junk one....


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## bigwave (Jun 4, 2012)

Looking good.... =D>


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## 11B3G (Jul 15, 2012)

I just bought this same boat....(1976 though)..... How's the build coming along?

My build.... https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26730 

I just started the thread today... Have more done that what I'm showing at this point..hoping for good weather tomorrow so that I can lay my flooring...What thickness of plywood did you use on the decking and how well does it hold you weight? Thank you.


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## 11B3G (Jul 16, 2012)

JMichael said:


> After 2.5 days of non stop rain, we finally got a day of sunshine. It took me the best part of the afternoon to locate a source for my aluminum but I finally found it. I picked up 75 feet of 6061-T6 angle for just under $1 per foot. It might not be enough to complete the job but should be enough to do most of it. I plan to clean the inside tomorrow and see about raising the transom an 1 inch.
> 
> Since I'm restricted to working outside in the elements, this is going to be a drawn out process.





Where did you find aluminum at that price? I have an 20' aluminum ladder that has been sitting behind my shed for some time bc it broke so I will be using that. I would like to grab some angled stock to frame up my storage boxes though.


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## scsdiver (Jul 16, 2012)

looks great!! like the use of the ladder thats a great idea. what did you coat your rear deck with or did you fiberglass it?


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## Kismet (Jul 16, 2012)

Mike?

You've got some skills!

Very nicely done, and clean look to the boat, although I kinda like the "custom" bases currently on the boat.

I'm a bit jealous of your talents.


Be safe.


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## JMichael (Jul 16, 2012)

11B3G said:


> Where did you find aluminum at that price? I have an 20' aluminum ladder that has been sitting behind my shed for some time bc it broke so I will be using that. I would like to grab some angled stock to frame up my storage boxes though.



I haven't done a lot more to the boat than what is currently showing. I did install the new rear seat and base but it's gotten so miserably hot outside now that I haven't tried to do much more with it for now. I'll resume with the front deck early this fall most likely but for now I'm just fishing with it whenever weather permits. 

I got my aluminum angle stock at a bulk metal sales place that was located about 35 miles from my home. I found out about them when I stopped at a metal fabrication shop to see about buying metal from them. They informed me where they buy their material from and I went there. The plywood I used is ½" exterior rated plywood. I weigh over 250lbs and mine holds my weight just fine when standing/walking around on it. As long as you have adequate support/bracing under the wood, the ½ works great. 




scsdiver said:


> looks great!! like the use of the ladder thats a great idea. what did you coat your rear deck with or did you fiberglass it?



That is 3 coats of spar varnish. Current plans are to put a coat of Tuff Coat on the floor and decks once I have the front deck built. 





Kismet said:


> Mike?
> 
> You've got some skills!
> 
> ...



Thanks for the compliments. I just didn't like how much floor space the original bases took up vs. the new pin type pedestals and I like the ability to pull the post out and put the seat back in the same location but 15" lower than it was.


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## 11B3G (Jul 16, 2012)

Will the tough coat bond to the spar? I just layed my second coat of spar on my plywood...wanted to do tough coat or grizzly or something like that but a friend said the tough coat wouldnt bond to the spar. Just curious.


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## JMichael (Jul 16, 2012)

I'm not sure how well that is going to work but since it sticks to aluminum and fiberglass, I don't see why it wouldn't stick to the varnish also as long as the surface is roughed up so it can stick to it. I guess if the varnish ever peels or comes lose from the plywood that means the tuff coat will as well.


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## JMichael (Jan 20, 2013)

I haven't updated in a while because I haven't done a whole lot to my boat. I did finally install the exterior handles on the transom, and I installed a pin style base on the rear deck and one of the 2 new seats that I picked up. I also picked up the pin/pedestal hardware for the front when I get the front deck finished. 

Most of what I've done this summer regarding boats has been making mods to my brothers trailer. He wanted to replace his aging 8" 4 lug tires/wheels with something better suited for the highway. He's not mechanically inclined, so I replaced his axle, hub's and wheels with a new 5 lug 13" setup. After using that setup for the summer, he discovered his boat was too high off the ground and he was having to back down the ramp too far before his boat floated. The solution I've come up with was to switch the axle from an under spring setup to an over spring. That lowered the boat a little over 3". Next we removed the on edge mounted bunks and brackets and I welded tabs directly to the trailer to allow him to mount his bunks flat. That will lower the boat an additional 2½ - 3". He'll be putting the last coat of varnish on the new bunks today and painting them black. I hope to get the bunks mounted and then install my home made bunk slicks. I haven't taken any pics of any of this work but plan to get a pic of the final. The only problems encountered so far is that his axle is narrow enough that the tires are very close to the boat now. So close in fact that I may not have room to re mount the fenders. #-o 
I think the next thing I'll have to talk him into doing is to extend the trailer tongue so we can pull the boat farther forward so that his transom is resting on the bunks. Currently, it only comes up so the last rib between the rear bench and transom is sitting on the back edge of the bunks.


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## JMichael (Jan 23, 2013)

This is my brothers trailer after the mods. These are home made bunk slicks. We have a local factory that makes large plastic tanks (6000 gal +) and a friend of mine gave me a sheet of the plastic they make. After cutting the strips to width, I ran it through my thickness planar to make the sides smoother. After it was all finished, we put the boat back on the trailer and I could slide the boat around with 1 hand so they are pretty slick. We started adding the slicks to my trailer as well but ran out of time so we'll finish up tomorrow. Between flipping the axle to the top side of the springs, laying the bunks on side vs edge, and eliminating the bunk brackets that held the bunks above the frame, I estimate the boat rides 6-7 inches lower than before.


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## dahut (Jan 26, 2013)

Super nice.


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## Jeffrey (Jan 27, 2013)

Thanks for showing all of this. I have read so far about people using the aluminum deck plates but this is the first time I have seen a large sheet of aluminum used. How thick is the aluminum? I see that it went below a raised wooden deck, but could tis same aluminum sheet be given a non skid surface and used as a walking surface?

I also see that you either riveted or screwed it, but can't tell which?

What size angle is that?


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## JMichael (Jan 28, 2013)

Jeffrey said:


> Thanks for showing all of this. I have read so far about people using the aluminum deck plates but this is the first time I have seen a large sheet of aluminum used. How thick is the aluminum? I see that it went below a raised wooden deck, but could tis same aluminum sheet be given a non skid surface and used as a walking surface?
> 
> I also see that you either riveted or screwed it, but can't tell which?
> 
> What size angle is that?


The angle is 1 x 1 x 1/8th. The aluminum sheet is .052. The aluminum floor is riveted to the ribs. The original floor used screws and most of them had vibrated out or rusted in place. I plan on using a non skid product called Tuff Coat to cover the wood and aluminum surfaces with. It's more expensive than some other options but I like what I'm reading and hearing about it and think it will be worth the expense. Check the link.


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## JMichael (Mar 7, 2013)

Well the stars were in a favorable alignment for working on boats these last couple of days so..... OK, OK, so maybe that is a bunch of hooey about the stars but Mother Nature decided to smile on me and give me a couple of decent days for working outside. Temps in the low to mid 40's, dry, and no rain in the forecast. Between that and waiting on some material on my current job, I got to do a little work on the boat. I spent more time trying to figure out where and exactly how I was going to construct what I wanted but I'm almost there now. Anyways, I spent several hours framing up my front deck. What I've decided on so far is that I'll have a hatch on either side of the seat with the battery in the one on the left and the other will be for storage. So here's a few pics I took after I finished with the framing. 

I can't figure out a good way to put a hatch in the front half, so I stuck some extra bracing in there and will leave it closed off for now. I may go back and change that later on after I fish with it like this for a while. 






As you can see, I used parts of a ladder again for my main cross pieces. I cut the rungs out of the ladder this time and just used the side pieces because I needed them farther apart for my battery compartment.


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## bigwave (Mar 8, 2013)

Looks nice and solid. =D>


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## frenchythefisherman (Mar 8, 2013)

The boat is looking good. It looks like that alumibrite worked very nice. I was looking for something to brighten up my gregor exterior hull, I will give it a try. What water ratio worked good for you?


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## JMichael (Mar 9, 2013)

frenchythefisherman said:


> What water ratio worked good for you?


Thanks guys. I ended up using a 50/50 mix. Just be sure you clean from bottom up or you'll get streaking. Clean small areas at a time, and when you mop or rub the mixture on, don't wait until it dries before you rinse it off.


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## DOBSONFLY (Apr 27, 2013)

Looking good, and that's a great looking Merc you got on her!


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## panFried (Mar 1, 2014)

Hey JMichael what's up with the build? I am following your build and you left me hanging on last seasons finale! Did the network cancel the series?


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## JMichael (Mar 2, 2014)

What can I say except that I've been slacking with the updates.  I haven't done a lot with the boat once I got the floor installed on the front deck. I didn't get to fish nearly as much as I wanted to this past summer. Life happened and things came up that pulled me away from my project and fishing. Right now I'm struggling with what to do about my front deck hatch covers. I cut them out, but before I could get hinges attached to them, they started to cup/warp. While trying to decide about those covers, I made a cover for the forward storage area out of 1/8" aluminum. I just need to attach the hinge to that now. 

I was hoping to be fishing already this year but more life happened. We got hit with some freezing rain 2 days in a row recently and cleanup is an ongoing process. I was in the process of grinding 2 stumps this weekend when the stump grinder I'm using broke a drive belt. #-o Hopefully I'll get back on track with the boat and make some good progress this spring.

I forgot to add that through some serious horse trading, I got my hands on a 8hp merc which was basically free. I then put some sweat equity and about $100 worth of parts into that motor and had it running great. I then traded the 8hp for an 86 model 25hp Mariner. After some wiring repairs and the basic carb kit/water pump replacement parts, it's now become my main motor. A buddy wanted my 20hp merc to go on his boat so I ended up selling that one to him.


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## panFried (Mar 2, 2014)

Well the good news is... it's still freakin cold and crappy so you have time to make out this spring. I hope you get back to your decking one day as I'm working on some decking myself on the 1636 so I am checking out my references. Good luck to you!


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## JMichael (Oct 11, 2014)

Well, I didn't get to do much with the boat this spring and ended up spending most of the summer working up north. So I figured it was time to make some sort of update to my build thread. Although these pictures don't show the most recent progress, it does show more than I had before. The differences shown in this post is the wood on the front deck mostly. I know that's not a lot of progress but they need to be added to the thread sooner or later.


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## barnrundrifter (Oct 12, 2014)

Good job mike hopefully we both can find some time and fundage for our boats and them dang fish !! ;-) keep up the good work 
Matt


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