# New member, first tin boat



## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 11, 2009)

This is my first tinboat. Hoping to do well with it. Got it for $250 with the trailer and a whole pile of stuff for it. One of the previous owners had tried to construct storage along the sides and put a floor in it but half assed the construction. Fortunately though he used aluminum sheets and angle to build them, so i have a bunch of aluminum to use in my remodel. Also came with steering console and controls, anchor, and aerators. Never took pics before I started but figured I would get some before I got too far in, so here it is stripped of the floor, front deck and storage, back to basic. Also stripped the trailer painted it, replacing safety chains, trailer jack, bunks, lights, etc...


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 11, 2009)

ok im gonna try this again...

Here's the boat....












Here's the trailer...











And the stripped junk...


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## bobberboy (Nov 11, 2009)

Looks like a good start to your project. I don't know if MonArk had dealers in my area because I have never found any used ones for sale. They seem like good boats from what I can tell. 

I like the last picture. Anyone remember the Simpson's where Homer tries to make a back yard BBQ? It ends up looking a lot like that last pic. I especially like the motor in the wheelbarrow...


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## G3_Guy (Nov 11, 2009)

Welcome Aboard! Looks like you have a great looking boat to mod there. Looking forward to more pics of the progress!


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## bandgeek1263 (Nov 11, 2009)

great deal on that combo!


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 11, 2009)

Here's a diagram of my plans for the boat. 






I'm gonna have three seats in it, one on the front deck, one in the middle on a short pedestal, and one on the rear bench. The one on the rear bench I am going to use the moveable pin base for and put two mounting plates on either end of the rear bench so I can move it to one side for steering, or the other for fishing. Also had to put in plenty of cup holders ! (LOL) Storage in the rear is for fuel tank and whatever else. I am mounting two batteries under the front deck up against the sides so I will still have some storage there too.


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## danmyersmn (Nov 11, 2009)

too bad you didn't snap a pic before you took out the storage. The framing looks like its well constructed. What was wrong with it?

If you move that pin base all the way over to the side next to the steering console won't you be limited in fishing area? Maybe put a base at the console and one in the center so that you can fish on both sides?


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 11, 2009)

The framing wasn't the problem, that's why its still intact. The problem was that nothing was even or straight, and all the aluminum sheet was cut REALLY badly. There were gaps all over the place. The hinges didnt line up so when you opened the lids they would distort badly. 

I may wind up modifying the frames slightly to suit my needs and reuse them. 

The floor they put in was an aluminum sheet with foam under it. It would have been a good idea if, 
#1- the foam had been closed cell (they used regular styrofoam, 1st rain and it was waterlogged adding possibly an extra hundred lbs or more to the boat)
#2- the floor was properly supported and flat (they just screwed it to the ribs in about 8 spots and it was bent in a slight V shape)

I am still thinking of other ways to lay out the rear bench. I want the livewell back there but still want 2 position seating. I may have to put one mounting plate on the livewell lid and brace it real well.

Let me know if anyone has any other suggestions for consideration. I am always open to ideas.


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## Nick Jones (Nov 11, 2009)

welcome aboard bro! dang dude that is one heck of a deal! the trailer looks solid with no rust and i steal can't believe you got that wide of a boat for $250. Nice job man. My first mod was a monark and it was a very good boat!. should work out nice.


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## Nick Jones (Nov 11, 2009)

One quick thing: Before you permanently mount your front deck, take it out on the water and make sure it is not too high. Someone told me to do that with my first one and I didn’t listen. worst mistake I made.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 11, 2009)

Yeah it was an awesome deal. The guy posted something like this:

14' aluminum jon boat for sale, about 5 ft wide, $250.

So I called not really expecting him to have it, but he did. I took my truck out there hoping the boat would fit in the bed because the ad said nothing about a trailer, and I figured for $250 there wouldn't be one anyway. But to my surprise, it was sitting on one. So I asked if the trailer went with it and he said yes. We aired up the tires and i paid the guy and pulled it home about 25 miles. The trailer pulls really nice too, no sway, wobble, or bouncing. 

The trailer actually folds in half where the tongue meets the frame at the first Y. Somebody had bolted on a frame that had flat diamondplate on either side about 1 1/2' by 4' and had side bunks and rollers with tail lights on posts. I liked the side bunks and rollers, but not enough to keep the huge, heavy( about 150-200 lbs) frame on it. 

Here's what the frame loked like...


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 11, 2009)

The front deck is only going to go from the front of the boat to about 3 1/2 feet back and the seat is going to be mounted directly to the deck with a swivel mount, not a pedestal. I figure that should definitely be low enough. I have never really liked sitting up high when i fish. I just like to prop my feet up and kick back. 

The one in the center of the boat will be on a pedestal that is about 15" high. This height puts the seat cushion just a little higher than the top edge of the boat sides. That is enough for me to be comfortable if I decide I need to sit in the middle and spin around.

And the rear seat will obviously be mounted to the rear bench. So the highest thing in the boat will actually be the top of the steering wheel when you fold the seat backs down.


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## gunny146 (Nov 11, 2009)

looks like a good project. where you at in central GA?


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 11, 2009)

Warner Robins. About 10 miles south of Macon.


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## Waterwings (Nov 11, 2009)

Great deal you got, and nice rig! Welcome Aboard! 8)


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## gunny146 (Nov 11, 2009)

give me hollar if you get ready to hit Sinclair or Oconee. can't wait to see how the boat turns out.


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## Hydrilla (Nov 11, 2009)

Man, I'm jealous! What a great start! Congrats and welcome 8)


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## Doug (Nov 12, 2009)

:WELCOME: Aboard. Looks like a great first tin boat to start modding to your spec's.


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## thudpucker (Nov 12, 2009)

Jeez, your whole boat project dissapeard from my mind when I saw that drawing you did.
Amazing. 
Are you giving lessons? :wink:

Is that program you are using a free download? Maybe an old Fart can still learn something new with a program like that


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## AlumaDude (Nov 12, 2009)

That deal is UNBELIEVABLE!!! SERIOUSLY... What did you pay? That is Freakin SWEET. And yes I HAVE seen the Simpsons episode where he builds the grill... Best part? When he Freaks out And JAMS the UMBRELLA in with a WAR CRY! Was that before or after he cries while exclaiming "Why doesn't mine look like that?" while looking at the box? HA HA HA! GOOD TIMES!!! BEST of Luck, Mon Ark made a GOOD product. What size outboard is in the pile?


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER (Nov 12, 2009)

Nice lookin' boat. I like the layout that you have planned for it.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 12, 2009)

Thudpucker, actually the funny thing is that the program is free. If you have Windows on your PC then you already have it. I just used Microsoft Paint and spent about an hour drawing. I had everything pictured in my mind exactly how I wanted it, so I just had to draw it. Filling in everything took the longest part of the hour.

AlumaDude, the motor is an '81 mercury 4.5hp shortshaft. Its a great little motor I got with my very first boat, which was a little too small for my taste (a fiberglass 12 ft V hull). But I'm afraid it won't push my aluminum jon upstream on the Savannah river. I like lake and pond fishing but I got an aluminum because I wanted to go set lines on the river too, and I dare not hit the river in a glass boat. So I'm looking for a 15-25 horse that I can put on the aluminum.

And yes, I concede that it was my deal of the century. A few days after I got the boat, it rained for a whole week and the boat literally filled up with water. When the rain stopped I went out to see if there were any leaks and there weren't any droplets coming from anywhere ! For $250 I was sure I'd have to rebuck a few rivets, or seal some seams, or maybe discover a crack somewhere, but I never did.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words, I just hope I can hold off on my impatience and move slowly on the construction so the finished product looks even better than the picture. 

I'll keep everyone posted...


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## Hydrilla (Nov 13, 2009)

Good use of MS Paint, I do the same thing. I have access to Photoshop as well as some CAD drawing type programs, but it's a jon boat for cripes sake :mrgreen: Just wouldn't seem right to get that fancy, lol. Good looking layout, I'm anxious to see how it turns out.


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## thudpucker (Nov 13, 2009)

I think I'm somewhat impoverished or emotionally crippled when it comes to those drawing programs. :mrgreen: 

I down loaded something and got the tutorial and still couldn't wade through it.  

I'll just look....


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## Hydrilla (Nov 13, 2009)

That's why paint is so good for this, it's like using an Etch-a-Sketch 




thudpucker said:


> I think I'm somewhat impoverished or emotionally crippled when it comes to those drawing programs. :mrgreen:
> 
> I down loaded something and got the tutorial and still couldn't wade through it.
> 
> I'll just look....


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## forced2workborn2fish (Nov 13, 2009)

good start can't wait to see how it turns out


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 16, 2009)

Hoping to get out today and get some work done on the boat. Will post pictures once I make some progress.


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## AlumaDude (Nov 16, 2009)

Ha Ha Ha!!! So I'm NOT the only person to ever fill up they're boat with rain water! I found out the same way that MY boat was LEAK FREE. It only took a half an hour to bucket out the water to the point where I could tip the boat "bow up" and drain the rest out the back!!! MAN... I'm a retard... And to think it was on the trailer too.... Glad that didn't collapse...


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Nov 17, 2009)

Mine was on the trailer too. I guess that means we know our trailers are pretty stout and don't have to worry about them falling apart ! I didn't have the tongue jack on at the time and the tongue was on the concrete so i just jacked it up with a car jack and pulled the plug. It also helped to get all the crud out of the bottom the previous owner let build up. I think it took about an hour to drain all the water out. I'm glad I'm not alone on that one. I kinda felt retarded too !


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## danmyersmn (Nov 17, 2009)

DownSouthGaBoy said:


> Mine was on the trailer too. I guess that means we know our trailers are pretty stout and don't have to worry about them falling apart ! I didn't have the tongue jack on at the time and the tongue was on the concrete so i just jacked it up with a car jack and pulled the plug. It also helped to get all the crud out of the bottom the previous owner let build up. I think it took about an hour to drain all the water out. I'm glad I'm not alone on that one. I kinda felt retarded too !



The last time I went out fishing my bud showed up at my house with water coming out of the drain plug. The boat had filled up to around 2" below the top of the seats on a mod-v 14'. We drained water all the way to launch and still had water left under the deck. I am guessing gas mileage wasn't so great on that trip


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 23, 2010)

Sorry about not posting any updates everyone. I didn't get anything done over the winter because I didn't have an enclosed shop to work in and even GA winters can be cold. We moved to the other side of town and I have a very large 2 bay shop now. I did manage to get started on the frame for the floor, and will be securing it and posting photos soon. Once the floor is in I will work on storage and building a custom fiberglass livewell for inside the rear bench (gonna take alot of photos of that so others will have a reference). Also I had someone offer to trade a 25 horse johnson with controls for my 12 ft fiberglass v, trailer and 4.5 hp mercury, sounds like a good deal to me. I sure need that bigger motor for this boat. Also planning out my electrical system. I'll make sure to keep ya'll updated regularly...


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## thudpucker (Mar 23, 2010)

I'm just three hours west of you and I haven't been outside much either.
I have a covered barn to work in, but its cold and the wind comes through it like its looking for a body to freeze!


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 23, 2010)

Bear with me here, I've got photos of a pod i made for my fish finder. Gonna post a few at a time to show the progress, it's not completely finished but I've got enough to show...

The mounting bracket for it was flimsy and I didnt want anyone to accidently bump it and break the mount, so i decided to make a fiberglass pod so the lcd would be almost flush with the surface of the pod.

Here's my finder...


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 23, 2010)

So the first (and most important) step is to tape up the item to be glassed around. If you don't do a good job, you will get the glass stuck to your unit. So put several layers of painters tape around the unit. Be sure to match the contours tight because you want a snug fit.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 23, 2010)

Next, I got a piece of cardboard and cut out a hole exactly the shape of the front of the unit. I cut it small at first so and adjusted it so I wouldn't have to do this twice. I made sure the unit only came about 1/4-1/2 inch out the bottom when facing down, this way I can still grab the edges to pull it out. I then taped the unit into place on the cardboard, making sure to get a good crease at the edge where the unit meets the cardbord.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 23, 2010)

Once everything was where I needed it, I began glassing. I used Bondo hair glass, because it builds quickly, and well... I had some leftover from a while back...

I didn't get any photos of me doing this part because once you mix this stuff you have to work fast because it dries quickly. 

Scoop out as much glass as you think you will need, make a round pancake shape with it, then squirt a solid line of hardener across the widest part of the pancake, that's how much hardener it takes. Don't add too much or it'll set up on you too quickly. Blend it together.

Make sure you wear gloves on this part because it gets messy... Smear it about 3/8 - 1/2 inch thick around the back of the unit. Make sure to squeeze it into the corners good, and be careful to avoid negative space. By that I mean, if you glass too far around the unit, you can't pull it out once the glass hardens. That = BAD. 

Then you just let it harden, and add more in spots if necessary. Now this stuff produces heat as it dries, so ventilate it well so you dont fry your unit.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 23, 2010)

Now give the glass and hour or two to harden, and pull off the cardboard and CAREFULLY pop out your finder... Ideally it should come out without too much fuss. You now have a basic pod, if you did this correctly your unit should actually "snap" into place without falling out like mine. Use a file to smooth rough edges and graduate to sandpaper, if you are really picky, you can spot glaze the imperfections with regular bondo and get it looking really smooth. I am flush mounting behind a panel so the exterior doesn't matter too much to me. If you wanna paint it just blow it off with compressed air and wipe with a tack cloth, and spray paint it.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 23, 2010)

Also yes i noticed i didnt leave a hole in the back for the cords to come through. I figured a dremel would make a nicer shaped hole than i could form by hand. Any questions, let me know.... I post a photo of what it looks like flush mounted as soon as i get it in there...


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## thudpucker (Mar 23, 2010)

that is cool. I cant wait to see the finished product. I just wonder where I could put mine. I sit in different places so I need mine to move.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 24, 2010)

If you need it to move, build a box like a mini television, flush mount it on the front, and weight the bottom down so it won't flip over. The box wouldn't need to be bigger than about 7x7. This way you can move it around with you, but don't have to worry about stepping on it and breaking it. You could even carpet the outside to match your boat. Heres a basic idea...


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 24, 2010)

very nice


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## thudpucker (Mar 24, 2010)

What a Wit. You need to be teaching R&D at some college.
What program did you use to make that Vector of the 'portable' FF?


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 24, 2010)

Again, I used Microsoft Paint. I cut out around an image of the fish finder (and rather hastily), then used the Skew tool to skew the image about 30 degrees. Then did a quick line drawing of the box around the image and filled it with gray. 

MS Paint is an extremely good program for basic drawing if you learn most of it's tools. And if you aren't already familiar with them, just play with it for a while and it's easy to figure out.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and I just didn't like the thin, flimsy plastic mounts that come with these units...


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## thudpucker (Mar 24, 2010)

Well, I've failed your class already.
I took an "internet Graphics" course at a 2 year college. They taught using Adobe-I which is a marvelous product.
However he left me with the same instructions you just did. Play with it and learn it!
I wonder what he thought I paid my money for?

In MS Paint, can you load a Photograph, and then cut around it (Clipping Mask) etc?


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 24, 2010)

When I open a photo, I open it with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Towards the bottom right of the window there is a button that lets you open the photo for editing. When you click this it imports the image over to MS Paint and it can be edited from there.

If you prefer you can just go to MS Paint, click "File", click "Open", and then browse for your photo which can get annoying. But either way it works. 

You just need to resize the image with the "Stretch" function in the "Image" drop down menu to make it more manageable first. From there you can cut out parts, skew it at angles, and change it at will.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 24, 2010)

As far as cutting out an image goes, it's really more of a "choose what part you want and manually erase everything else" kinda deal. I just use the eraser tool and try to be careful. Believe me it takes some dedication and alot of patience...


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 25, 2010)

Updates ! I spent all day working on the floors...


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 25, 2010)

More photos...


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 30, 2010)

Here's a link to the trolling motor bracket if anyone is interested in how I made it.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12833

I used a standard clamp on troller and converted it to bow mount, it's still tiller steer, but I'm ok with that.


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## Troutman3000 (Mar 30, 2010)

DownSouthGaBoy said:


> Here's a link to the trolling motor bracket if anyone is interested in how I made it.
> 
> https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12833
> 
> I used a standard clamp on troller and converted it to bow mount, it's still tiller steer, but I'm ok with that.




Boat looks good. I am going to try and fab up that bracket myself. Where did you get the alluminum from???


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 30, 2010)

Actually, it's some of a whole pile of stuff I removed from the boat when I bought it. The previous owner had attempted to fab up a floor and some storage with aluminum angle, U, and sheet, but failed miserably in his execution. So I tore it out when I got the boat, but saved it because I figured I'd use at least some of it in my rebuild.


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## DownSouthGaBoy (Mar 30, 2010)

New photos of storage. Finally starting to look like my drawing. I think I'm going to make aluminum lids for the storage, still not sure though...


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## Loggerhead Mike (Mar 30, 2010)

your rigs comming along nicely good work


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## Froggy (Mar 30, 2010)

I like it.


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## Anonymous (Apr 30, 2010)

Congrats - that's going to be a fine looking rig !


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## rtg (May 1, 2010)

Looks great!


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## [email protected] (May 2, 2010)

Wow man thats good work, especially cool for how u made the pod for the finder. Glad you showed me how to do that.


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## ATX_MATT (May 7, 2010)

How many rods do you think your rod locker will hold?


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## DownSouthGaBoy (May 7, 2010)

As long as it'll hold 3 or 4 i'm good. Should hold 5 or 6 though I figure.


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## Backwoodsr (Mar 2, 2011)

Hey buddy I was just had a few ?'s if you didn't care to answer them it'd be much appreciated. Such as: Any updated pictures of finished product?, How much was $$ was put into the boat with all the re-mod and stuff excluding price of boat,motor, and all that just wondering like on the structural work and stuff? Have ya taken it out to see how she runs and the stability and stuff? Just a few ?'s if you could help a fellow noob to the jon boat world out..lol


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## Fishin' Commish (Jul 10, 2019)

DownSouthGaBoy said:


> Here's a diagram of my plans for the boat.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How did you draw up the plans? Is there a boat drafting app or software out there? Thanks!


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## Fishin' Commish (Jul 10, 2019)

I don't know if my first message went through...Kinda new here...
How did you do the deck design? Is there a software out there for that?
Thanks!

Fishin' Commish


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## LDUBS (Jul 10, 2019)

Hi Commish. Welcome to TinBoats. Your messages came through just fine. The post you quoted is about about 10 years old. I'm not sure if the original poster is still active, and suspect that may be why you haven't received a response. 

Anyway, I agree. That drawing of the design is very cool. Must be some kind of CAD software overlayed on the boat pic, but I really have no idea what was used.


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## Fishin' Commish (Jul 10, 2019)

LDUBS said:


> Hi Commish. Welcome to TinBoats. Your messages came through just fine. The post you quoted is about about 10 years old. I'm not sure if the original poster is still active, and suspect that may be why you haven't received a response.
> 
> Anyway, I agree. That drawing of the design is very cool. Must be some kind of CAD software overlayed on the boat pic, but I really have no idea what was used.



Wow...I didn't even look at the date. Thanks!


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