# Project 14 / 32



## Toulle (Mar 3, 2008)

I did talk about and post some pics of my 14/32 project boat last weekend. (See "Another New Member" below...) I had some problems with re-doing my mods from last year. With some input from here and other places, I have made a lot of progress.
First, I was considering a false floor I had in. I now have decided the only real problem with it was the layer of foam under it. I still need something to support it, but I think simply replacing the foam I have with better stuff, still leaving the channels open, will do the trick.
Not sure why I was thinking putting the floor back in after cleaning was so hard. Today I had it in in around 5 minutes' time.

On a dumpster diving expedition last week, I had an incredible find. I came into possession of a bit of aluminum sheet - 26" x 48" x 1/8". It was a road sign blank, I think. The stuff is just what I needed to re-do some parts.
I cut out all the old rotten floatation from inside the rear bench, and built a hatch cover out of some of said aluminum. I still have a nice bit (26" x 30") left over for whatever I do with the front end.


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## Jim (Mar 3, 2008)

Awesome job there toulle! It's really coming along nice. I like the bucket holders!


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## Waterwings (Mar 3, 2008)

Nice work, and I like the bucket holders also!


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## FishingBuds (Mar 3, 2008)

get-r-done 8)


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## bassboy1 (Mar 3, 2008)

Toulle said:


> On a dumpster diving expedition last week, I had an incredible find. I came into possession of a bit of aluminum sheet - 26" x 48" x 1/8". It was a road sign blank, I think. The stuff is just what I needed to re-do some parts.
> I cut out all the old rotten floatation from inside the rear bench, and built a hatch cover out of some of said aluminum. I still have a nice bit (26" x 30") left over for whatever I do with the front end.


Dang. That road sign material is good stuff. I have never researched the alloy, but am guessing it is in the 6000 series, due to its stiffness, and rigidity.


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## alumacraftjoe (Mar 3, 2008)

Very nice work!


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 4, 2008)

Boat looks great - now I have a question about the Green Bucket and your herpetology endeavors - are you using frogs, lizards or salamanders for bait? Or Just collecting reptiles and amphibians?

Tell us more please.


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## Toulle (Mar 4, 2008)

esquired said:


> Boat looks great - now I have a question about the Green Bucket and your herpetology endeavors - are you using frogs, lizards or salamanders for bait? Or Just collecting reptiles and amphibians?
> 
> Tell us more please.



The bucket is used to capture larger reptiles, particularly snakes. I measure, photo and later release them. It is an ongoing record I am keeping.
For example: Everybody around here tells me that cotton mouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) are very common. In 4 years of looking, I have only caught ONE little baby one, pictured below. 100's of water snakes (Nerodia ssp), though.


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 4, 2008)

Very cool stuff! I hear the same nonsense around my parts as well. From the way these idiots talk every snake is either a water moc., cotton mouth or rattler.

I have only seen one rattlesnake locally and never a cotton mouth (very uncommon in PA anyway) or water moc.

Most people do not understand that many harmless (non-venomous) snakes will have similar markings to the venomous snakes, it is a survival thing!

Anyway, glad to see that you are not hurting these very helpful reptiles. Wish more people left them alone to do their thing - eating rodents and insects!


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## Jim (Mar 4, 2008)

Awesome Toulle!

=D>


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## Toulle (Mar 4, 2008)

esquired said:


> Very cool stuff! I hear the same nonsense around my parts as well. From the way these idiots talk every snake is either a water moc., cotton mouth or rattler.
> 
> I have only seen one rattlesnake locally and never a cotton mouth (very uncommon in PA anyway) or water moc.
> 
> ...



Interesting. You should be limitted to a couple/few different species of rattlesnakes and one subspecies of copperhead in PA. Of course, range estimates like that are subject to change or be downright wrong....

Here in Coastal GA we have 3 or 4 different species of rattler, copperheads, cottonmouths and coral snakes, just to name the venomous ones. Gawd help me I love all of them, even if the cottonmouths are possibly the most mean spirited and hateful animal on the planet, other than some groups of people I have met.

Around here, some of the water snake species do look a lot like a cottonmouth, especially to the untrained eye. The banded water snake (N fasciata) in particular is like that. The old ones lose their markings and are uniformly dark brown, just like a cottonmouth. The head is also triangular - that is a very wrong way to tell a venomous snake by the way. I always hesitate before I grab one of those bare handed. That is not only because there is always something in the back of my mind that says itmay be a cottonmouth, but also because they bite as well as musk something awful.

I have been in MANY arguments with people who insisted I kill some given snake or another. In the case of nonvenomous ones, I only have to remind them that in GA it is illegal to keep or harm them, and I am affiliated with the DNR.
Did you know that the Creek Indians thought it was very bad luck to kill a rattlesnake? I sometimes suspect that as well!


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 4, 2008)

We do have a snake in South Jersey that is about the coolest animal ever - the Hognosed Snake. I woudl find them pretty often in the Pine Barrens 
_
When threatened, the hognose snake exhibits perhaps the most unusual bluffing behavior of all the snake species. This behavior begins with the snake inflating its head and coiling. It will hiss loudly and strike (with its mouth closed). If this display fails to scare a potential predator away, the hog-nosed snake plays dead by rolling over on its back with its mouth open and tongue hanging out. It may also release a foul smell. Curiously, if the “dead” snake is placed back on its belly, it quickly dies again, rolling upside-down yet another time. The snake remains in this position until it feels safe, then has a look around and moves away. The hognose snake is found in dry habitats such as fields and forest edges. It preys primarily on toads and salamanders._

They also will "rattle" their tail in dry leaves - sounds like a rattle snake!

They are awesome, I woudl run into one while trail walking and teh damn thing does all of the above, ends up on its' belly playing dead - too funny in person!


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 4, 2008)

And, since I already helped hijack this thread - I have a cool pic of the Hognose Snake on the Tin Boats Trivia Game Today



https://my.funtrivia.com/tournament/TinBoatsnet-62312.html


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## Toulle (Mar 8, 2008)

Yeah, we got two hognose sp here, too. They are the coolest of them all. When I was a kid, I used to catch them and keep them in a dry aquarium for a few days. I would put a toad in with them and, well, the toads didn't like it that much.


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## Toulle (Mar 8, 2008)

I have an old motor guide 24lb trolling motor, bow mount. I took it off the front when I first started on the boat, and have decided I will not put it back there. This is a small boat, and said motor just takes up more space than I can spare in the front. I would be tripping all over it, when I beach the boat on sandbars (a common thing) or am fishing up front.
I am considering mounting in on the tail end. I made up a bracket from some scrap sheet aluminum yesterday eve for the purpose. It would set on one side, with the 2 stroke motor to the center.
Still, with the foot control and all, it takes up a lot of space I can't spare. Besides, I doubt I will even use it much. 
There are a couple of lakes near here that are 10hp or electric only. In those lakes, I don't like using my 9.9, as it is noisy and I feel like I am ruining it for everybody. For that reason, I would use said motor in those lakes - it was a free motor, after all. When I have the $$ I plan to get a good transom mount.
Ideas?

Also, any ideas as to what to do with the little front bench? The foam under it is shot, so it will come out. 
The boat is too narrow, I think, for a real deck up there like most of you have built.
Ideas?


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## bassboy1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Put a deck at the bottom. You won't lose much stability, but having something flat to stand on will ease everything up.


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## Toulle (Mar 17, 2008)

I had the day to build new hatches for the front "deck" and rear bench. Simple - is good.


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## Jim (Mar 17, 2008)

Simple is excellent! :beer:


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## Captain Ahab (Mar 17, 2008)

Very nice - that will do the job just fine


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