# Cavman138's PolarKraft 1648



## cavman138 (Jan 31, 2010)

After viewing several different builds on here I started my project. I have a 16' Polarkraft that has a 72" beam. I scored about 110 feet of 1"x2"x1/8" aluminum tubing along with another 10 feet of 2x2x1/8 angle from a scrapyard for very little money. I have started building the front deck. Just been working on it on a couple of weekends and made a little progress. When Its done it will have plenty of storage along with a rod locker, on board charger, livewell-that I got for free, and a few other options. I will try to post some pictures soon to show you guys how its going. I got some great ideas from the guys on here. Won't be long before I finish the metal work on the front deck and move to the back. Rivets have saved my life so far. Can't wait to get started on the plywood work and move on to the final touches with the carpet. Still have a long way to go. First day of spring is the goal to have her on the water. Not sure yet if that is attainable.


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## RStewart (Jan 31, 2010)

Sounds like it will be nice. Cant wait to see some pics.


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## Bugpac (Jan 31, 2010)

Pictures, Is it a mod v? I have a polar Kraft Mod v, Havent seen a whole lot of them on here yet...


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## dyeguy1212 (Feb 1, 2010)

Rule #1 of Tintboats: Pics or it didn't happen.


And welcome :mrgreen:


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## cavman138 (Feb 2, 2010)

Here are the pics of the boat itself. Others coming


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## cavman138 (Feb 2, 2010)

Here are the pics of the front deck in progress. I have made more progress since these were taken. I've been working on it in my girlfriend's, brother in law's garage and keep forgetting to take more pics.

There ya go dyeguy1212, be patient my friend


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## dyeguy1212 (Feb 2, 2010)

Looking great.. thanks for the pics.

Whats the layout going to be like?


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## cavman138 (Feb 8, 2010)

I will take some more pics when I get a chance, then I'll be able to give you a better idea of the layout


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## dyeguy1212 (Feb 8, 2010)

look forward to it


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## cavman138 (Feb 20, 2010)

I've recently been thinking about adding foam to my boat due to the added weight of the metal, plywood, livewell, etc. Is this something I should be concerned with? I have only removed a small amount to make some more room for my rod storage and may remove a little more in the front seat to add a storage compartment. Any thoughts?


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## dyeguy1212 (Feb 20, 2010)

Might not be a bad idea. I'm not removing any from mine, but I'm adding a couple "flotation boxes" in the rear storage.


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## cavman138 (Feb 21, 2010)

What do you mean by flotation boxes?


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## Rat (Feb 22, 2010)

cavman138 said:


> I've recently been thinking about adding foam to my boat due to the added weight of the metal, plywood, livewell, etc. Is this something I should be concerned with? I have only removed a small amount to make some more room for my rod storage and may remove a little more in the front seat to add a storage compartment. Any thoughts?



Yes, you should add foam to make it unsinkable as well as achieve upright and level flotation according to USCG rags. 

The formula: 
Vessel weight / 60 = Cubic feet of foam

The foam weighs 2 pounds per cubic foot, water weighs 62 pounds per cubic foot, so the foam gives you 60 pounds of flotation for every cubic foot. So if your vessel weighs 200 pounds you will need 3.3 cubic feet of foam or, a one gallon kit. 

200 / 60 = 3.3

The specs I quoted (60 pounds of buoyancy) are for Hi-Bond foam, which is what I use, your foam may be different. 

Also, your plywood will give you some buoyancy as well, find the specs online to calculate your ply buoyancy and then subtract that from the overall amount of foam needed.


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## 270Handiman (Feb 22, 2010)

Rat said:


> cavman138 said:
> 
> 
> > I've recently been thinking about adding foam to my boat due to the added weight of the metal, plywood, livewell, etc. Is this something I should be concerned with? I have only removed a small amount to make some more room for my rod storage and may remove a little more in the front seat to add a storage compartment. Any thoughts?
> ...




I assume that vessel weight includes entire load including motors, gas, batteries, gear, and people (assuming you don't jump out of the boat before it sinks)?


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## Rat (Feb 22, 2010)

270Handiman said:


> I assume that vessel weight includes entire load including motors, gas, batteries, gear, and people (assuming you don't jump out of the boat before it sinks)?



Everything but people, they should have their own PFDs.


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## cavman138 (Mar 6, 2010)

new pictures coming shortly


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## cavman138 (Mar 6, 2010)

Here are the updated pictures of the front deck. This deck will include a rod compartment, tackle compartment and two other storage compartments. The last picture is of the rivets holding everything together along with the L brackets that I have had to cut from a piece of aluminum angle that I picked up at the same scrap yard I bought all the other metal. Rear deck update to follow.


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## cavman138 (Mar 6, 2010)

After a move from my girlfriend's sister's garage into my own garage I was able to get started on the back deck. So far I have completed the part that is going in front of the bench seat.


This is just to show you where the livewell is going


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## Waterwings (Mar 6, 2010)

Lookin' good! 8)


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## Hanr3 (Mar 7, 2010)

Yes, in fact you should add more foam to compensate for the additional weight your adding to the boat. 

Teh foam keeps the boat at surface level when completely full of water. This give you something to hang onto in case of emergency. If you exceed the foams abilities the boat will sink to the bottom of the lake and your going ot have to swim until your rescued or reach shore. In a big lake that could prove fatal, at night that could prove fatal, in cold water even close to shore that prove fatal. Teh foam is there to keep you alive in case of an accident.

If you dont add more foam you will need to reduce the amount of gaer/personal weight that the boat can safely handle, see above for why. Ths sole purpose of the foam is to make the boat float while filled with water so you dont have to swim for your life.


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## cavman138 (Mar 7, 2010)

I finished the metal work on the back deck today.





Here is the look of the almost finished metal work. I added two more spans on aluminum to the front to add some support for the plywood.



The metal work is about 98% complete. I am just going to add some pieces of 1"x1" angle in some places to add more support for the plywood. Next step is to sand this thing down and get it painted, hopefully the weather will cooperate. After paint comes wiring, plywood, carpet and then fishing time. Hopefully I can move along a little quicker now.


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## Hanr3 (Mar 7, 2010)

Actually your doing a great job. I didn't realize there was more than one page when I made my previous post. Had I seen the second page of the thread, where someone did a much better job covering the floatation issue then my lame post, I wouldnt have posted it.

However its up and staying now. :mrgreen:


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## switchback (Mar 8, 2010)

Looking great!

Now lets see a pic of the car beside the boat :lol:


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## cavman138 (Mar 8, 2010)

switchback said:


> Looking great!
> 
> Now lets see a pic of the car beside the boat :lol:



haha that's my dad's 1931 Ford Model A


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## Rat (Mar 8, 2010)

Coming along nicely cavman, the easy part is almost over... :shock:


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## Johnny5 (Mar 8, 2010)

lookin good, looks like its going to have alot of storage space


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## cavman138 (Mar 8, 2010)

Rat said:


> Coming along nicely cavman, the easy part is almost over... :shock:



Yeah I've realized this. I know the plywood and carpet are going to be a pain.


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## cavman138 (Mar 9, 2010)

Johnny5 said:


> lookin good, looks like its going to have alot of storage space



Yeah that was the plan when I started doing the metal work. I didn't want any space to go to waste. There is basically only one area that won't have a compartment and that's because I need to keep the space free in order to get my 7' rods in.


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## wolfmjc (Mar 12, 2010)

looks great! please post picks of how you are going to do the hatch frame lips for the hatch covers. [-o<


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## cavman138 (Mar 13, 2010)

wolfmjc said:


> looks great! please post picks of how you are going to do the hatch frame lips for the hatch covers. [-o<



will do. I am going to be adding some 1"x1" angle along the sides that currently only have 1/2" as a lip. That will give me a larger lip and also more to attach the adjacent piece of plywood to. I will just use self tapping screw to attach them. Just have to get to the scrap yard to pick up some metal. Since that isn't really going to hold me up right now, I have started sanding to get her ready for paint. Probably should've painted first, but weather wouldn't cooperate.


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## cavman138 (Mar 16, 2010)

Started sanding and man this is going to take some time. Anyone have any suggestions to make it easier? I am using an orbital sander with 100 grit sand paper. The biggest problem I am having is around the rivets.
Thanks for all the suggestions for everything guys. I would be completely lost without this site.


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## dyeguy1212 (Mar 17, 2010)

If you're just sanding to rough it up, I think you've made it about as easy as possible with the sander. If you're looking to take it down to the aluminum, break out the angle grinder with a wire wheel.


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## cavman138 (Mar 18, 2010)

Thanks man


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## SVOMike86 (Mar 19, 2010)

You're. Boat is looking great man, can't wait to see how it all turns out. I wish I had more time and money to work on mine, but same as you, this Hampton Roads weather is killin me, so even if I had time, I'm not sure I'd get much done. Wish I had a garage... On a different note, fishing is starting to pick up, as we've had some luck bank fishing the pre-spawn. You have any lakes out there we can drop an unregistered boat in???


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## cavman138 (Mar 20, 2010)

Unfortunately I don't know of any lakes to put an unregistered boat in. I am a minute from lake meade and lake cahoon, get that thing registered.


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## SVOMike86 (Mar 20, 2010)

Sounds good man, I gotta co-worker that fishes Cahoon. Should be fun...


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## cavman138 (Mar 22, 2010)

yeah I just can't wait to get this thing done and get it on the water.


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## cavman138 (Mar 23, 2010)

Got a craigslist special today. I posted a 'want to buy' add for a trolling motor and got a response for a brand new Minn Kota Powerdrive V2 digital 55lb thrust. It retailed for $599 now and i talked the guy into selling it for $400. He only used it twice. Sweet


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## cavman138 (Apr 11, 2010)

Ok guys, been a little inactive lately. Work is starting to get busy so I am not able to do much work on the boat during the week. So far I have the sides, front and back sanded. I need a few buddies to help me flip it over so I can get the bottom sanded and get it primed. The weather has been great, so that means when I finally get this thing turned over it will probably start raining. I can't wait to get this thing painted so I can move on to the finishing phases....wiring, decking, carpet.........FISH. This weather is killing me, its been so great and all I can do is look at this unfinished boat sitting in my garage. Oh well it will get done.


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## SVOMike86 (Apr 11, 2010)

Hey man, I'm down to help flip that thing if needed. Shoot me a message.


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## cavman138 (Apr 12, 2010)

As a matter of fact Mike, I got it flipped over last night. Thanks for the offer. 

Let progress continue.....Almost time to paint


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## cavman138 (Apr 12, 2010)

Here are a few pics of the what has been sanded so far on the boat. I decided not to sand the bottom down to the bare aluminum.


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## cavman138 (May 5, 2010)

Well I was finally able to get some work done this weekend. Got the boat primed on Saturday. Couldn't paint on Sunday due to the wind, but I did get it sanded. Hopefully I'll be able to get the topcoat on this weekend.


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## cavman138 (May 7, 2010)

So while I was sanding the primer and the primer was coming right off of the rivets and on some edges. I'm going to go over the spots that are bare again, but will the primer keep coming off of the rivets? The rivets were the easiest to sand the original paint off, I'm just trying to get this right. Any suggestions?


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## cavman138 (May 8, 2010)

More priming and painting today....pictures soon


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## cavman138 (May 8, 2010)

Alright guys here are the pictures of the first coat of the topcoat. I'm thinking I want it darker. What do you guys think? I mixed half Rustoleum Royal Blue with Rustoleum Smoke Grey. I'm thinking of adding some black to it to try to get more of a slate color. Someone once told me that this thread was worthless without pics, so here's some more pics for yall.

Forgot to mention that I sanded my primer and sanded it down to the bare metal in some places. I initially used automotive self etching primer that I put in a pneumatic air gun as you can see in the previous pics. I went back over the bare spots with spray cans of self etching and it came out really well, much smoother than the original primer, I didn't even sand it. 

What do yall think? Haha I don't want to have to make this thread 10 pages by myself :roflmao: \/ :!:


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## Henry Hefner (May 8, 2010)

It's looking sweet! Personally, I wouldn't want it darker, too dark and the sun will get it very hot!


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## ober51 (May 8, 2010)

Looks really good. The only thing about mixing colors is that when you want to touch it up, it could be hard unless you keep a fair amount of the premixed leftovers. Just something to think about.


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## Brine (May 8, 2010)

Nice =D>


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## cavman138 (May 9, 2010)

So I decided to change the color. I decided to add some black to my blue paint and by adding just a little bit I made a color that I like a lot better. One more coat to go on the outside before I can get the inside painted and start working on the wiring, plywood, carpet, etc. Thanks for the responses guys.





Thought I'd throw this in since someone requested it before. The garage looks like a mess, bit that's because the boat is taking up so much space haha.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (May 9, 2010)

I like the darker blue better.


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## cavman138 (May 10, 2010)

Thanks man


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## Rat (May 11, 2010)

I like the darker Blue as well, you could really set it off with white decals and a white spray rail. Lookin' good, a nice paint job goes a long way!


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## Loggerhead Mike (May 11, 2010)

looks great

you goin to be pulling it w/ that old ford? :LOL2: sweet truck!


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## cavman138 (May 11, 2010)

Rat said:


> I like the darker Blue as well, you could really set it off with white decals and a white spray rail. Lookin' good, a nice paint job goes a long way!



I was thinking about doing a grey pinstripe to pull in the gray carpet, my grey seats, and my Yamaha, but the white would really set it off.


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## MeanMouth (May 12, 2010)

A grey pinstripe would be killer...that's one clean looking boat!


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## cavman138 (May 12, 2010)

Thanks man


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## cavman138 (May 16, 2010)

I got some more painting done this weekend. This mod has definitely turned into a weekend project. My dad and I painted the inside and the top rail on Saturday. We took off the tape and plastic that we used to avoid overspray today and applied one final coat to the inside, top rail, sides, back and front. We already applied enough paint to the bottom so we didn't need to paint that again. 

So on tap for this week will hopefully include getting all the wiring straight so that I could potentially work on the plywood by next weekend.


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## cavman138 (May 25, 2010)

So this is the list of electrical components going in my boat. What gauge wire would you recommend for this stuff?


Trolling motor- Minn Kota PDV2 55lb 
Humminbird 535 Fish Finder
Running lights
Bluewater LED deck lights
Small LED lights that will be used in compartments
AC plug
bilge
livewell
Headlights- these will be put on a bracket so that I can remove them until I need them...any ideas for a quick disconnect?


I think thats it.

Thanks guys


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## jj97blazer (May 26, 2010)

That Ford would be sooooooo sweet chopped and slammed with some steelies and baby moons. Just kidding, well not really, but nice Ford and boat man. It's looking good.


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## cavman138 (May 27, 2010)

jj97blazer said:


> That Ford would be sooooooo sweet chopped and slammed with some steelies and baby moons. Just kidding, well not really, but nice Ford and boat man. It's looking good.



No way I'd mess up a classic. Its my dad's anyway and he's all about getting it original.


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## cavman138 (May 27, 2010)

No love on the wiring question?


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## dyeguy1212 (May 27, 2010)

cavman138 said:


> No love on the wiring question?



No.





















For the TM, go 8 gauge at minimum, preferably 6 gauge.
I used 14 for all the rest of my electrical to keep it simple, but you can use 14 for pumps and 16 for lights. I also used 14 for the fishfinder, which is overkill considering they draw next to no power. I'd say 20 gauge for that.
I don't know what kind of power your AC outlet and headlights will be pulling, so you're on your own with those.


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## cavman138 (May 27, 2010)

wow for a second there I thought you were being a real jerk haha. Thanks though, that is kinda what I had in mind, but I just wanted to get some thoughts.


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## jj97blazer (May 27, 2010)

dyeguy1212 said:


> cavman138 said:
> 
> 
> > No love on the wiring question?
> ...




X2. I'm thinking the same thing.


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## HUSKERBOATER (May 28, 2010)

FIRST OF ALL, YOUR BRACING LOOKS STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT AN ELEPHANT- EXCELLENT. 

SECONDLY- I AM IMPRESSED, LOOKS PROFESSIONAL. KEEP IT UP. I SOMETIMES WISH THAT I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A FLAT BOTTOM JON INSTEAD OF A V- AFTER SEEING THIS THE DECK AND STORAGE LOOKS A LOT EASIER TO PUT TOGETHER AND IT WILL BE MORE STABLE TO FISH OFF OF. YET THE FLAT BOTTOMS ARE MUCH MORE CLUNKY AND SLOWER IN THE WATER. HMMM


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## cavman138 (May 28, 2010)

HUSKERBOATER said:


> FIRST OF ALL, YOUR BRACING LOOKS STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT AN ELEPHANT- EXCELLENT.
> 
> SECONDLY- I AM IMPRESSED, LOOKS PROFESSIONAL. KEEP IT UP. I SOMETIMES WISH THAT I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A FLAT BOTTOM JON INSTEAD OF A V- AFTER SEEING THIS THE DECK AND STORAGE LOOKS A LOT EASIER TO PUT TOGETHER AND IT WILL BE MORE STABLE TO FISH OFF OF. YET THE FLAT BOTTOMS ARE MUCH MORE CLUNKY AND SLOWER IN THE WATER. HMMM




Thanks man I appreciate the good words. When I was looking for a boat to buy I was looking at flat bottoms and mod v's. I found this boat and thought about it for a bit. I am going to be fishing a lot of lakes that can only have 9.9hp so speed is not a big issue. Granted there will be a few places I go that I could have more hp, but for the majority of my time, speed won't matter. This boat should be super stable, which was a big selling point for me. Thanks again


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## wolfmjc (May 28, 2010)

Nice job!!!!! =D>


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## cavman138 (Jun 14, 2010)

Well progress has been slow over the last few weeks. I have run most of my wiring, not too difficult. This past weekend I worked on getting the template right so I can start working on the plywood. I am still far from being done unfortunately. I had no idea it would take me this long when I started. Hopefully I can get a lot done on the plywood this weekend. I know its going to be slow and tedious work, but it is like the last big step. I know the carpet will take some time too, but the plywood is a giant step. I need to reiterate how much everyone on here has been helpful in this entire process. Thanks guys. This really is a great site. 

No real interesting pics to post.


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## cavman138 (Jun 19, 2010)

Alright gentlemen. I was planning on starting the plywood deck today, but the lumber yard was closed unfortunately. I keep thinking about the plywood and I am wondering what size I really need. I have been planning on using 3/4" marine grade, but I have had several people tell me that 1/2" would be fine. It would save me $60 by going with 1/2 vs 3/4. Based on my build, what do y'all think?


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## dyeguy1212 (Jun 19, 2010)

If your bracing is more than 11 or 12 inches apart, go with 3/4


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## Henry Hefner (Jun 19, 2010)

If I remember correctly, my ribs are 13" apart. I used 1/2" plywood, making sure the grain ran perpendicular to my supports, and it has held up great.


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## cavman138 (Jun 20, 2010)

Thanks guys. I think I'll just stick with my original plan of using 3/4"


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## cavman138 (Jun 26, 2010)

Well I got a lot of work done today. Picked up my 3/4" marine grade on Thursday and went to work this morning. It turns out the templates my dad and I made last week were done almost perfectly, making everything today so much easier. We got both the front and back decks completed with no trouble. Hopefully this week I can get the interior compartments built out and get some other little wiring done. Carpet next weekend??? I sure hope so, I'm ready to go fishing.


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## basshunter25 (Jun 26, 2010)

Coming together nicely. What color carpet are you gonna use? I think a shade of grey would look good with that blue. Keep at it you'll be fishing soon.


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## cavman138 (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks man. 

I am going with grey, shade will depend on availability, but I'm not too picky.


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## Brine (Jun 28, 2010)

Looking good cavman.

I could use one of those canopies..... The sun has been torture to work under during daylight hours for the past several weeks here.


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## Troutman3000 (Jun 28, 2010)

Brine said:


> Looking good cavman.
> 
> I could use one of those canopies..... The sun has been torture to work under during daylight hours for the past several weeks here.




Torture is an understatement


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## cavman138 (Jun 28, 2010)

Yeah the heat was pretty bad. I'm outside most everyday, so I'm used to it....as much as someone can get used to 100 degree heat. The tent definitely helped.

Carpet ordered finally....


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## Howard (Jun 28, 2010)

Warm hear in hotlanta! If I can work in it I sure can fish in it!!


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## cavman138 (Jul 5, 2010)

Well I have gotten a little more work done this weekend. With the help from my dad and a friend, I was able to build out the interior compartments and carpet most of the interior floor. We also carpeted the wall of the rod locker and mounted the led compartment lights. We also attached the onboard charger behind the rear deck. We went into Saturday with a plan and ended up jumping from project to project. I will take some pictures to show yall what we did. We also spent a significant amount of time doing some brainstorming about carpet and hinges. 

Today my dad and I prepped the front deck for the seat pedestal, cut holes for rod holders, and built, carpeted, and installed a box that goes under the bench seat in the rod locker. Previously I had just cut out the aluminum seat and removed the foam where the rod butts will sit, so that really cleaned up that space. 

I am trying to trying to get the front deck completely ready for carpet before attacking the back deck. Its coming along slowly and looking exactly how I want it to.


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## cavman138 (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks for the compliments. I chose to use wood for those reasons. Much easier to work with than metal. Just more practical for me.


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## cavman138 (Jul 31, 2010)

I got some more work done this weekend after taking a brief break from the boat. The first pictures are of the inside compartments that I forgot to put on here, but did those a few weekend ago. I have also installed my bussbar under the front deck (sorry forgot to take a pic) and also sealed my plywood with spar varnish. 






Today, my brother-in-law and I worked getting the livewell completely taken care of. I was nervous about drilling holes in the boat, but finally just went for it. 

Livewell drain with valve






The front deck is ready for carpet, while the back deck still needs to have the cup holder cut in and the rear seat pedestal needs to be installed. Once that is completed, I can carpet the back deck and finish this boat.


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## cavman138 (Aug 21, 2010)

Just came in the house after working on the boat since 8am. I got the front deck carpeted and have trimmed my hatch covers to a point that I think they'll work. I am having a problem getting the corners of my hatches covered the way I want them. Anyone have any pics from their builds? I know someone posted some great pics a while back, but I can't find the thread anywhere. This is frustrating the hell out of me.

Will post pics in few of what got done today.


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## cavman138 (Aug 21, 2010)

As we can all tell at this point, I work pretty slow. Oh well, after 2 weeks of not working on the boat I finally got some done. Had a good friend come over for a few hours to give me a hand and it worked out well. We carpeted the front deck as I said in my previous post. Will carpet the hatches as soon as I can figure out how to carpet the corners: see above post.


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## cavman138 (Aug 31, 2010)

I got more carpeting done this past weekend. Its looking pretty sweet. I have to redo one hatch thought because I didn't get the carpet on the right way. Sealed my carpet seams up with seam sealer that worked out great. Forgot to take pics, but will take some soon.


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## cavman138 (Sep 7, 2010)

I got a little more work done this weekend. Only got to work on the boat on Monday. Saturday was spent up in Wahoo Country for the UVA game and I spent all day Sunday recovering from the long day. I carpeted and installed the piece that encloses the livewell and the compartments on either side of that. I also carpeted and installed the piece that has the seat pedestal in it. I don't know why I was worried about the screw heads showing. You can't see them at all. You can barely tell where they even went in. I got some other carpeting done as well. Its slowly coming together.


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## Brine (Sep 7, 2010)

lookin good cavman. That close up of the paint looks really good too.


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## cavman138 (Sep 11, 2010)

Thanks Brine


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## Brine (Sep 11, 2010)

To answer your hatch carpeting question from previous...

I've been trying to dig up the post that showed the right way to cut the carpet for the corner of the hatches, but I can't find it. I was 99% sure someone had posted it on here. If I find it, I'll post it up. Fairly simple process, but alot easier to show than to explain.


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## cavman138 (Sep 11, 2010)

No problem man, someone posted it on the boat house thread I had. It was a post by Russ. After seeing that and realizing that I'm an idiot I got it straight.


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## Brine (Sep 11, 2010)

and I posted this in the wrong thread... #-o :LOL2: 

well....it was the "other guys"...

https://www.bbcboards.net/zerothread?id=310502

Really good write up though.


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## cavman138 (Sep 20, 2010)

Well after a lot of work this past week, the carpet is finally done and it looks sweet. I will get some good pics of it this week. I'm coming down the home stretch with this thing. The biggest thing left is installing my hinges. I am doing something I haven't seen on here before and actually slitting the carpet, sliding the hinges in, screwing them down, then gluing the carpet back down to the hinge. I figure that way the hinges will be out of site, but fully functional. I hope it comes out right. I have a lot of hinges (10) and I feel like this is the best way to keep them concealed. Will get some pictures up here this week and will show how I install the hinges as well.


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## basshunter25 (Sep 20, 2010)

Just a thought but if you get glue on the hinges won't they stop hinging?lol And if you force it to open then you would break the glue/carpet seal and it would stick up instead of laying down on the hinge. IMO if you set the hinge as far down as functionally possible the carpet should be higher or as high therefore hiding them well. Just my thoughts.


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## cavman138 (Sep 20, 2010)

I'm not going to put glue on the actual hinge, just on the part of the hinge that is screwed down.


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## cavman138 (Sep 26, 2010)

Just realized its been a while since I put some pics up. I have been getting a lot of work done lately. As mentioned before I finished the carpet last weekend. I haven't taken the boat out of the garage so its tough to get a good pic of it. Today I installed the hinges. Just have to glue the carpet back into place. I slit the carpet, slid the hinge in, then screwed it down. It was kinda tought because of how small the hinges were. If I were to ever to redo the hinges I would have gotten hinges that were at least 1" on either side of the pin, might even go 1.5" on either side. I changed the way I wanted to install my hinges after I ordered then from Fastenal, but I still made them work. Not a lot left to do boys...... Hopefully I can get some better pics soon.


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## jcb (Sep 26, 2010)

I look and see you done a grate job,i likeing you boat very much =D>


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## summers (Sep 26, 2010)

On the live well drain, did you drill a hole in the bottom of the boat, if so could you take a shot from the bottom side to show what kind of fitting you used. I have been thinking of doing the same thing for my live well drain, but I am unsure how to complete it on the boat of the boat to avoid getting it ripped off. I think that you have done a great job with you boat it looks very professional.


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## cavman138 (Sep 26, 2010)

summers said:


> On the live well drain, did you drill a hole in the bottom of the boat, if so could you take a shot from the bottom side to show what kind of fitting you used. I have been thinking of doing the same thing for my live well drain, but I am unsure how to complete it on the boat of the boat to avoid getting it ripped off. I think that you have done a great job with you boat it looks very professional.



actually I ran a hose to the drain in the back, under the floor. That way when I pull the boat out of the water, I can pull the plug, put the hose through the drain hole and turn the valve. I think it will work out well. If that doesn't seem to work that well I'll put a bilge pump in the livewell and just pump the water out through the overflow hole.


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## summers (Sep 27, 2010)

Okay thanks for the help, I was thinking that to keep it simple I would just run a hose to the drain plug in the back of my boat and then slip the hose right out the drain plug and be able to drain the tank with out a big mess inside the boat.


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## cavman138 (Oct 11, 2010)

This past week I got a few more things accomplished. I got my front deck screwed down, worked on some wiring, and installed lips in a few of my compartments. For the lips, I used 3/4" aluminum. With the help of my dad and a neighbor, we used a band saw to cut off the back side of the angle at each end to be able to mount them flush against framework. I am pretty happy with them and feel much more confident that I have enough support underneath my hatches.


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## RiverRunner (Oct 12, 2010)

Excellent job, I have a Polar Kraft also. I love it. Keep us posted


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## cavman138 (Oct 14, 2010)

thanks RR


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## SaltyBuckster (Oct 23, 2010)

Great Job !! I also have a boat exactly like yours that I am starting to do tomorrow.You gave me lots of great ideas.I can't wait to see yours in the water seeing your big smile.I'm just interesting in seeing how comfortable you are while running your tiller motor.I can't see it right now.


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## cavman138 (Oct 31, 2010)

azslabber said:


> Great Job !! I also have a boat exactly like yours that I am starting to do tomorrow.You gave me lots of great ideas.I can't wait to see yours in the water seeing your big smile.I'm just interesting in seeing how comfortable you are while running your tiller motor.I can't see it right now.



I plan on getting an extension handle for my tiller, so that I can sit on the front of the livewell while running. 

Glad to see I could help you out with your build.


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## cavman138 (Nov 16, 2010)

It has been quite some time since I have done any significant work on the boat. My weekends have been booked with UVA football games, a Saints-Panthers game and some family stuff. Hopefully now I can put the finishing touches on the boat and get it out of the garage. All I have done recently is replace my bunk boards on my trailer, install the latches in the back deck, and work on miscellaneous wiring. Also got my motor checked out since it has been sitting for a year and the mech told me it was in great condition, practically brand new. 

What I have left:
Complete wiring
Get boat back on the trailer and out of the garage
Attach trolling motor and other accessories
Take Complete Boat Pics!
Put her on the water, if for nothing more than a boat ride now that water temps have dropped in the low 50s.


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## cavman138 (Nov 21, 2010)

Yesterday I got the boat out of the garage after my dad took some time to clean the whole thing up. It is looking good if I do say so myself. Today my brother-in-law and I finished up a lot of the wiring, including my Bluewater LEDs on the deck and in the rear compartment. Not a lot of work left. I would get it out of the garage for good, but the cover I ordered was about a foot too long so I'm sending it back and have another one on its way. 

Take a look














A word of advice. Get Bluewater LEDs for all of your deck and interior lights. The interior lights in the last pic are from Bass Pro and don't put our nearly the amount of light at the Bluewaters and don't look nearly as good.


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## Brine (Nov 21, 2010)

Nice work cavman.

The boat looks great, and thanks for the heads up on the BPS LED's


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## cavman138 (Nov 23, 2010)

Thanks Brine


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## cavman138 (Dec 13, 2010)

If the days were longer and the weather were better I would get my boat in the water. As of last weekend it is officially out of the garage and back on the trailer. I have been having cover support issues with all the rain and snow we have had. I just can't seem to get rid of the low spots no matter what I do. Since my last update basically all that I have done is clean up the wiring and buy a quick mount for my trolling motor so I'll be able to store it inside when not in use. I need to get her in the water, but the weather just won't cooperate. For all intents and purposes she is complete minus the trolling motor mount being attached as well as the depth finder. I could use an indian summer about now.


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## SaltyBuckster (Dec 13, 2010)

Verrrry Nice !!


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## richg99 (Dec 13, 2010)

Re "getting her into the water" Suggestion: Drive South until it is warm enough to do that.

Whoops....looking at the Weather Channel...you might have to drive past Cuba.

Skip my suggestion for now . Ha ha regards, Rich

p.s Great build thread. Keep it up. RG


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## TNtroller (Dec 14, 2010)

as a temp measure use a folding lawn chair to support the tarp until you figure out what you want to do.


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## SaltyBuckster (Dec 14, 2010)

In the 80's here in Arizona,heck,the fishing is just starting to get good.Come on out,lol.


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## cavman138 (Dec 14, 2010)

azslabber said:


> In the 80's here in Arizona,heck,the fishing is just starting to get good.Come on out,lol.



If only I was that close....


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## HuntOR (Dec 23, 2010)

Really nice job!


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## lucescoflathead (Dec 24, 2010)

Which boat kit did you get from Blue Water? The basic or the deluxe? Thanks Todd


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## cavman138 (Dec 24, 2010)

lucescoflathead said:


> Which boat kit did you get from Blue Water? The basic or the deluxe? Thanks Todd



I got the Deck Light Front and Rear, it is item 20 on their website. I bought a separate strip for the back compartment.


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## lucescoflathead (Dec 24, 2010)

Thanks Todd


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## cavman138 (Mar 15, 2011)

After several months, I finally did some more work on the boat. I got the trolling motor quick mount mounted finally, attached my cleats, rewired my livewell pump so that it actually works, and did a few other small things. I can't wait to get it out on the water. I'll be trying for a successful launch this weekend.


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## lucescoflathead (Mar 16, 2011)

Did you run your LED wireing inside your top rail ?


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## cavman138 (Mar 16, 2011)

No the wiring for the front two deck lights goes below the deck then into one of the tubes that runs from the front deck to the back deck. They are actually wired into buss bars below deck to keep the amount of wiring down a bit.


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## cavman138 (Apr 28, 2011)

Well boys I completely forgot to mention that I put the boat in successfully 2 weeks ago....the Sunday before Easter. I got her in the water and everything worked perfectly. I took my dad out for the first real trip since he helped me with over half of the build. We didn't catch any fish, but I was too thrilled that everything was working great. It was a great day, a little windy trying to get the boat back on the trailer... I need to make some guides to make that process a little easier. Overall I was very happy with how everything worked out. I couldn't find my camera so there were no pics, but I will be sure to take some the next time out. Spring semester is ending and summer semester is starting, but I should have time to get her out plenty. 

Thanks for all the help I received from you guys. This site was the inspiration for me doing the whole project and you guys helped me out the whole way. Thanks guys!


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## pepperrocks (Apr 29, 2011)

Boat looks awesome, you really did a good job with the details..


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## cavman138 (Apr 30, 2011)

pepperrocks said:


> Boat looks awesome, you really did a good job with the details..



Thanks man.


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## cavman138 (Jan 3, 2012)

I didn't get the boat out as much this year as I had planned, but when I did the boat worked out great. I never had any worries about balance or anything along those lines. I do need to rework the livewell, but that's mainly because I made some quick modifications to it to avoid delaying a trip. Just had a few leaks around some fittings that need to be fixed. Overall I was thrilled with how well the boat turned out. Probably moves at a whopping 10mph with the 9.9, but in the lakes I fish, you don't want to go much faster with all the stumps around. I hope some of yall were able to draw some ideas from my build as I was off of so many other people's builds. I can't say enough how great this site is.


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## fishmaster11 (Jan 4, 2012)

boat looks awesome i have to say the same about this site its great i found this site when i was overseas and as soon as i got home i jumped head first into my build witch was fun but now i wish i would have took my time to find a better boat my 1436 is ok but me being 6'4'' its like fishing on a balance beam


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## GGUG (Feb 24, 2012)

Excellent work. I have the same boat and plan on something similar but no where near as much as you did. If you are still having problems with leaks around fittings, use marine 5200 caulk made by 3M. You can get it at any marine store.


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## Gators5220 (Nov 9, 2012)

Sick boat man!


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## Gators5220 (Nov 12, 2012)

I like that rope lighting too, I'm thinking of something similar but in red most likely.


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## cavman138 (Dec 26, 2012)

Gators5220 said:


> I like that rope lighting too, I'm thinking of something similar but in red most likely.



Those are Bluewater LEDs. Not sure if they are still a sponsor or not, but their website is https://www.bluewaterled.com


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## Gators5220 (Dec 27, 2012)

Nice man, I'll look into it, again nice job on the boat, you been gettin any little fishies?


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## cavman138 (Jan 2, 2013)

Gators5220 said:


> Nice man, I'll look into it, again nice job on the boat, you been gettin any little fishies?



I wish I could say yes, but after taking a new job at the beginning of 2012 that requires me to work every other weekend and still working on my MBA, I don't get out nearly as often as I'd like. Its amazing how much time I had to go fishing when the boat was being modded, and now I have no time at all! ](*,)


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