# 1974 14' Mirro Craft-Update #5 She's Done



## MTBF (Oct 29, 2015)

Hey Guys! I've been a long time "looker" on this forum over the years. Even made a name on here with a 12' boat but never ended up doing the project, renting a 14' Lund for the last 4 summers I had to find something for next season. I fish 2-4 weeks every year on smaller lakes in Northern Ontario so a 16'+ wasn't needed as I've been very comfortable in the 14' Lund WC just the 9.9 4-stroke Yamaha has always been the culprit for slow speed although reliable I told myself if I got a boat I would have double the hp or more.

A week or 2 ago a good friend of mine hooked me up on a sweet deal. It's a older Mirro Craft 14' Aluminum Boat. Has a decent trailer and a mid 80's I'm guessing Evinrude 20hp 2-stroke. Wish I can figure out the year of the boat by the name plate but it's work off and just shows the 35hp max where it was built etc.

Here are some pictures, the boat was bought under the impression I had to replace all the wood and carpet in the boat. So in March 2016 when the snow is gone I'll empty the boat out, re-make the floors and deck etc. My idea is to make the side compartment 15-17" wide on the top with the same height. Right now it barely holds 3 rods at 7 or 8" wide so growing that compartment will be job number 1. Then moving the passenger seat more to the middle of the boat. I will counter act the weight by probable storing both my battery's and gas on the right side of the boat. Well half to play with the weight balance on the water.

So after fixing the side box I want to play with the casting deck. It's ridiculously low for my liking and I don't want to stand on the top of the boat so a generous 6-8" rise of the front deck, pushing the oversized bow box back too making it just big enough for a trolling motor and fish finder. One compartment door in the deck, bow box, and side box.


I'm under the impression the main floor is sitting on layers of styrofoam so I'll have to borrow ideas on how to make the deck structure. I've seen lot's of great reno's on here if you guys think one hits the spot please share below. I know nothing about wood but have been told not to cheap out and go all out and buy Marine Grade Plywood(3/4" for my deck and main floor) I'll probably go 1/2" on the bow box and side box. About the framing what wood/cut's do you guys recommend? I see what looks like thinner 2x2 framing and I've also seen bigger 2x4 framing.

The boat will have 2 guys under 200lbs in it with the odd "boat ride" with 3-4 people. My extra 2 passengers will sit on the deck and side bow box I hope. 

*I forgot to add this is my first boat! Very excited!*

My dad ripping the little 30lb Motor Guide off the front.




Not the best picture but this boat does not have a Mirro Craft decal rather a hard plastic logo at the rear.




Inside shot, pedestals are solid and swivel bases work fine. Some new paint and they will be perfect. Seats have no rips so again some elbow grease and I got my seating taken care of already! Bow box is too big and comes down on a angle where I want a 90degree flat front on it with the triangular top.




From front to back, with some adjustments the side box should be able to take a pair of straps to hold my rods down as well as work as a tackle storage box. Just needs to be brought out more in width.




Bow needs a good clean up




The back of the boat. Kind of like the little top over the past gas tank and mini lid over the drain plug. I'd like to cut out the other side too for a bilge pump.




All cleaned out ready for storage this fall/winter




I'd like to know how all the rain water will find it's way under the flooring. Do you guys drill holes or cut notches out on the sides of your flooring? Anyway that's it for now as far as pictures. Trailer needs some paint and sanding, new winch maybe too. The motor has sat for 6 years. Needs the carb drained, good news is it turned over and we sprayed some oil in the cylinders gears aren't locked up might run it in the yard before fall do a good winterizing on it and be done.

My questions are spread throughout the post but please all advice welcome just ain't going to change my layout that's all. It's getting the building materials done right that is my main goal!

Cheers guys,

Mike


----------



## fool4fish1226 (Oct 30, 2015)

:WELCOME: Nice boat lot of good bones


----------



## Stubborn Dutchman (Oct 31, 2015)

I love that open layout! Very effecient and practical.


----------



## bonz_d (Oct 31, 2015)

Nice score! Kind of looks like a Big Fisherman or Deep Fisherman model. Is there a HID tag on the upper right outside of the transom?

Transom board still looks solid which would be a plus.

ACX or BCX ply will work just fine and 3/4" will work though I have used 5/8" in a Lund S14 DLX and also in the Sea Nymph 144 Pike Attacker that I'm rebuilding now. I find it just as sturdy and quite a bit lighter in over-all weight. 

As for sealing the plywood I have been using a Formula that was recommended on another site that I have found works very well and is very cost effective. It's one part Mineral Spirits, one part Boiled Linseed oil and two parts Spar Urethane. Then 2 to 3 coats of straight Spar.

I haven't done any work on a Mirro yet but from what I've seen on others there is not a lot of space under the main decking. Also with whatever foam you plan on adding under the decking be sure to leave a channel down the center to allow water to drain. 

When you get to replacing the carpet I have used the stuff that Cabelas carries with good results. I used and will be using again their Deluxe brand. It is 12oz per yard and is still plush enough that I didn't see bare spots when I folded it over to wrap. At 12oz it also doesn't hold a lot of water and dries quickly. I find it the best value for the money.

Good luck, enjoy and I'll watch for updates!


----------



## MTBF (Oct 31, 2015)

Taking notes, thanks for the advice buddy much appreciated.


----------



## bonz_d (Oct 31, 2015)

Very much welcomed and BTW Welcome to the Dry Dock.

Regarding your question on drainage. No need to drill holes in the deck. As long as you keep it sored with the bow high the water will run off the decking and to the back. When you re-deck this you might want to consider opening up the stern a little more around the bilge plug. That way you can wash or vacuum out whatever gets washed back there a bit easier. Also allows for some air to circulate under the decking and dry out.

Here is a link to my Sea Nymph project. 
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=39165


----------



## MTBF (Nov 4, 2015)

Boat was covered for winter yesterday. Going to take the engine off next week and get it to a good mechanic at a local marina. Needs carb drained, new plugs, oil, just a full clean and service. Decided to keep the engine in our basement for it's winters from here on out. No more -30 degree's celsius. Work will start in early to late March guys. Going to first take care of my pedestals with some sanding and paint, get the seat's cleaned up also so I'll post pictures as I buy my supplies and toys for the boat. Minn Kota and Humminbird will be seeing me soon


----------



## bonz_d (Nov 4, 2015)

Too bad you don't have a garage to put it in and then have it ready for the spring fish run.

I do most of my own repair work on my outboards. The items you mention are all simple jobs that I think you could do yourself. The carb on these engines are very simple and easy to work on.

After I found my Sea Nymph I was able to find 4 complete Springfield bases, pedestals and seat mounts on craigslist for $90.00 They are in great condition and my intention is to use 3 of them. 2 side-by-side at the helm and one in the bow while only carrying 2 seats most of the time. This way while fishing I can move one seat to the front or if going with 3 people I can add in the 3rd seat.

I see in your pictures that you seats are mounted up on an extra block are you going to do it the same way?


----------



## MTBF (Nov 4, 2015)

Yea no garage so work will half to wait until late winter/early spring. I was out today and got some prices on a new trailer coupler, winch, winch strap and safety chains...lot's more to get.

About the seat bases I think I'll do the same thing, perhaps squared out and sized the same as the pedestal's square bottom. 3/4" plywood might do a square of 1/2" on the top. Should have some scraps from my side box and bow box in the 1/2" plywood.


----------



## MTBF (Mar 30, 2016)

Spring has arrived and I finally put the first couple hours of work into the boat. My dad will be doing the rest of the interior clean up while I'll be working over the next 2 weeks. Got 80% of it done now we just need to scrape the spray foam off the sides of the boat as well as pull up the remaining foam that was glued down to the floor of the boat. The plan is to get the inside of the boat as clean as it can be. Might do light sanding on the sides as there is glue in spots stuck to the aluminum. I don't think I'll be painting the boat until end of summer or perhaps next spring. Don't care much right now for the cosmetic part just want it built and strong and safe.

Trailer is being worked on also so well take pictures when the sanding and painting starts. We have all the parts now, new lights, winch, coupling etc.. The biggest dilemma I've come across in this project is what to put over the Marine Grade 15mm wood I'm building the boat floor and deck with. I've explored fibreglassing, marine carpet, marine vinyls and although not set in stone I have talked with some guys at Line-X and think the end result will be the bedliner spray over the wood, it should give me the easy to clean/0 maintenance i want. I never sit on the floor just standing all day so the bedliner might be the way to go. I can build my boat drop it off and pick it up sprayed and done. The finished product will be a lite gray Line-X so it won't be hot to the touch.

Anyway 2 weeks well buy our 3 sheets of wood, some 2x2's for framing under the floor and lot's of hardware...jb weld to fix some holes from screws and such on the boat. Good thing is all my little stuff is here, graph, trolling motor, lights, ropes etc...just down to the rest of the building materials and some April time off.

On with the updated pictures
The carpet wrapped styrofoam sides also has a hint of wood paneling on them...like from your 70's basement i think haha.




Back corner where the gas tank use to be. Gas will be in other corner where this corner will take shape into a small cabinet with no door...slide the battery in, ill put a divider in the cabinet for my safety kit and such on the other side. Fish finder on the top and this will reduce the space that was taken up with the full length cabinet. Giving me a full dance floor in the back, room for tackle bags and my portable livewell. Hoping to pull the casting deck back another foot for added room and perhaps a spot to strap my rods down.




Back dance floor was supported with nothing but rock solid spray....




Removed the wood here is the mess. Buddy before me left no room for water to pass under the floor.




Left the boat a little cleaner but here is the last picture for now. Boat has a very deep front end should be perfect for the casting deck. Next trip well get the hose out and do some more "cleaning"




Thanks for following guys! Another update in less than 2 weeks!

MTBF


----------



## rednecknproud21 (Mar 30, 2016)

Nice to see another mirro craft on this site don't see to many of them I like how the hull is built really stout.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


----------



## MTBF (Apr 24, 2016)

Good morning guys. Got some more of the reno done last week. I'll let the pics do the explaining. Basically I have paint on the inside walls of the boat now, trailer has some paint on it and now boat will be sanded and painted on the outside. I'm hoping start of May to have my marine plywood and 2x2's for framing under the floor.

Peeling up the old foam floor. Previous owner left no space for water travel so foam was super heavy and saturated with water.








Next step if vigorous scraping and sanding. Floor's I'm only cleaning up not prepping for paint as I'll never see the floor under my wood/vinyl. Might as well save a few bucks on paint where I can.




Back of the boat.




Trailer after it lost a layer of paint.




Took these pic's right after finishing the first coat on the inside of the boat. Suppose to be a light gray, trailer will be done in white same with the outside of the boat. Hoping for decent weather again this week. I did a spray on the inside waited a hour till it wasn't tacky then did another coat and it looked great to me...Anyway hopefully it will last, it's paint/primer aluminum metal and rust paint. Regardless looks better than before!









Prior to painting we hosed the boat out real well. Found out it only leaks where the transducer screw is so that will be a easy fix. No loose rivets or problems. My boat after emailing Mirro Craft is a 1974 Deep Fisherman model. Kinda cool to know that this boat was made well before me 

Update #3 will be mid week this week!

MTBF


----------



## lckstckn2smknbrls (Apr 24, 2016)

Your boat looks great.
Marine plywood will rot as easily as any other plywood if not sealed properly. What makes marine plywood special is it is made from higher quality plies with no voids and water proof glues. You can use exterior grade plywood, it might have a some voids in the inner plies but shouldn't be a issue and is made with the same waterproof glues and when properly sealed will last for decades. 
And save lots of money.


----------



## MTBF (Apr 24, 2016)

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> Your boat looks great.
> Marine plywood will rot as easily as any other plywood if not sealed properly. What makes marine plywood special is it is made from higher quality plies with no voids and water proof glues. You can use exterior grade plywood, it might have a some voids in the inner plies but shouldn't be a issue and is made with the same waterproof glues and when properly sealed will last for decades.
> And save lots of money.



Hey thanks for posting. I was going to get exterior mahogany and seal it with Thompsons Waterproofer in Clear. Will the vinyl cement still work fine on the wood with the sealer in it? I thought the marine would save this trouble so perhaps going back to exterior is the way to go. Not up for mixing a bunch of stuff together. Hope that Thompsons Waterproofer works did a nice job on my piece of wood for the transducer to screw into.

Was going to use the marine grade dry so if I need to seal it still I hope the vinyl cement adhesive will work. Here is the link if you dont mind checking it out, I didn't find anything that says wood needs to be dry so it should work. 
https://www.jtsoutdoorfabrics.com/HH-66-Vinyl-Cement-Adhesive--128oz_p_11204.html

Cheers,

Mike


----------



## lckstckn2smknbrls (Apr 24, 2016)

The sealer I would recommend is called the "Old Timers Formula".
It's 1 part boiled linseed oil, 1 part Spar varnish or Spar urethane and 2 parts Mineral Spirts. Then 2 coats of straight Spar. 
Then a coat of paint if you need it to match something.


----------



## MTBF (May 4, 2016)

Hello again guys! Finally finished up the painting and cosmetic work on the boat. Just need to put the boat #s on and the fun details like electronics and such. Next week we will cut the wood for the floors, cut our framing etc and hopefully the following day wrap and glue the vinyl down on everything. Boat came out great in my eyes, looks nice and white has some shine to it. Trailer is nearly finished now. Going to put some tire shine on the wheels, install the new LED light kit and finish it off with a new coupling on the front. 

Trailer isn't factory perfect but looks pretty good now that it has been sanded and painted. Going to to replace the bow roller first and well do the others as they need to be replaced. Anyway on with some pictures! Next week there will be some cool changes can't wait to get the saw's out.

Trailer (still wet) but mostly complete.




Package came with a new pair of fenders, quick spray paint to match the white and on they go. Rims were cleaned and painted also...My Uncle has been with me on this since day 1 so the trailer has been his job haha. He did fine can't be happier.




Another picture




Inside of the boat got a 2nd coat. Painted the back wood seems very solid still. I don't know it's ply wood so might replace it with something fancy in a year or two.




Took the sheet of aluminum the boat came with on the bow and cut it down by hand with the hacksaw. Just wanted to make it a hair smaller took 5" off of it. And another shot of the paint on the side wall.




Outside of the boat. (Gloss White Outside/Lite Gray Inside)




Ready for bass, tackle and some fisherman! Can't wait to "build" the boat next week. 




Thanks for following guys! 

MTBF


----------



## fool4fish1226 (May 4, 2016)

Coming along nicely :beer:


----------



## DaleH (May 4, 2016)

Sweet!

Looking at your 'deconstruction' ... or should I say 'demolition' ... and I _sure don't miss those days_, haha! Good to be young!


----------



## MTBF (May 19, 2016)

Lot's has happened since the painting. My framing was put in we took as much foam as we had and filled gaps and spaces with it. The main floor is vinyled and screwed down into the framework. Feels very solid this boat. Our casting deck has been cut and placed on the framing. Next week I need to put the face pieces on the casting deck, keeping the middle open so I can slide some stuff under the deck for storage like boat bumpers, net, paddles, rain gear etc. Then we need to install the seat pedestals, build my cabinet for the back right corner of the boat, this will hold the graph and another spot for some storage then we add the "jewelry" like the trolling motor, bilge pump, etc. Used the Nautolex in Shark Gray. What a wonderful product to work with. Praying my 1/2 container of cement is ok opened yet sealed in the garage for 4 days. Still have more pieces to glue down.

Framing was Western Red Cedar 2x2's. I let my dad run with it as he seemed to enjoy doing it. He put braces across every rib measured to the height we wanted the floor to be at. Then we later supported these vertically. Everything was tacked into the ribs with small self tappers. Didn't drill a hole through the boat thankfully. We then waterproofed the framing let it dry for a week then yesterday I got the foam put in, everything 1" off the bottom of the boat. We opted for the Exterior 1/2" Mahogany plywood and waterproofed it twice. 

Dad's Framework






Main floor. Cement doing it's job for a few minutes before we flip the sheet and did the edging.





Well that dried I filled the gaps as best I could with styrophone. Left space under it for water travel but this snugged up nice. And best part it was free.





View off the deck. Still needs the trim added for the sides ontop of the deck as with the main floor's trim will be installed this week.





Deck height isn't crazy but is perfect for what I want to store under it.





Finishing touches to come next week!

MTBF


----------



## perchjerker (May 19, 2016)

looks great. Looks to be the same vinyl I used


----------



## hockeyref18 (May 19, 2016)

Great work man! Can we get a close up of the frame work if possible


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## MTBF (May 19, 2016)

hockeyref18 said:


> Great work man! Can we get a close up of the frame work if possible
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thing's aren't perfect with it but it ended up being super solid and level. Slight uphill to it for water drainage. All we had was a hand saw so he eyed the angles and made it work. Here was the start. We tacked it in to the back supports as well as the side ribs. Then added screws from top to bottom for the support legs.







The first rib is 1" off the aluminum rib. As we went forward it got gradually taller and taller.





At the bow you see that crooked triangle, we had 2 feet under that as well can't see it but you could walk on it very sturdy. We guess we added 20-30lbs. Boat was 205 dry I believe so we can pick it up fairly easy, this didn't make it much heavier. Took 5 2x4's 8ft long. We just split them down the middle.

It's been a blast thanks for the comments guys!


----------



## misunderstood (May 19, 2016)

Wow what a transformation. Nice work!!


----------



## MTBF (May 20, 2016)

misunderstood said:


> Wow what a transformation. Nice work!!



Still another 2 afternoons to put in. My dad is doing some work today cutting the face pieces for the casting deck getting them waterproofed so they can dry until Monday. Then well build the box section and the face pieces for that as well. The side cabinet and trim work on the main floor should pull the look together.


----------



## MTBF (Jun 15, 2016)

Boat is finally done! A couple weeks ago dad and I played the main floor down after filling the gaps in the framework with flotation foam. The main floor was screwed into the frame work. We needed to add trim pieces later on to hide the rib's seen on either side of the main floor. Cut some spare fence boards down wrapped them in vinyl and made it work.

The angles are not perfect in spots but she's mine! Really enjoyed working on this boat and doing it with dad was the best part.

Once the main floor was down I left a cut out for my bilge pump and access to the main plug. Hard to see in future photo's but I made a little trap door to keep from things falling into that hole. Simple but I like it. The side cabinet was measured out so I can put in and take out my 31DC battery. That battery will run the Helix 7 and the bilge pump, left a little spot for storage and we kept the wall of the cabinet out from the side of the boat so either or both my paddles and net handle will slide in behind and maximize my storage under the main deck for rain gear tackle bags etc.





Casting deck was put in next.





Seat for the passenger





New PowerDrive V2 55lb went on the front perfect. Our bow has a sheet of aluminum with 1/2" piece of wood under it for support. Very solid and riveted on.





Back half of the boat, command centre will have 5 or 6 rods on top rest will be up on the front of the boat.





Everything fits nice room to turn my seat around good position for driving etc.





In the driveway ready to hit the lake. 





Will take some "on the water" pictures in the coming weeks. Thanks to the guys that offered advice weather I took it or not was good to have a place to lean back on and ask questions if needed. Hopefully my project will inspire a idea or two for somebody's project of their own.

Tightlines! 

MTBF


----------



## perchjerker (Jun 15, 2016)

wow came out fantastic! That boat is nice and deep, I wish mine was

One question, I see there are no supports to tie the sides together. Looks like there were none in the original configuration either.

Is that correct? How sturdy are the sides?

nice job


----------



## MTBF (Jun 27, 2016)

perchjerker said:


> wow came out fantastic! That boat is nice and deep, I wish mine was
> 
> One question, I see there are no supports to tie the sides together. Looks like there were none in the original configuration either.
> 
> ...



Boat ran awesome this past week sides and floor were perfect. Boat doesn't flex much even in the 2-3ft chop we had felt very safe going full throttle.
The Evinrude brought me up to 21mph solo 20mph with my dad or uncle in the boat and with 3 people we topped out at 16mph.


----------



## oakchas (Jun 27, 2016)

looks great!

Shoulda done mine as quickly... I'm still masking for paint.... argh.


----------



## perchjerker (Jun 27, 2016)

good to hear!!


----------



## firemedic5853 (Sep 2, 2016)

Hi,

I have the same boat and am currently building the framework for the deck. I plan on leaving all the seats in and just putting in the flat floor and casting deck. My question is, does the boat seem tippy with the height of the deck you have. Reason I ask is I am doing the same height and don't want to go too far into the process only to find it will be tippy!

Thanks,

Luke


----------



## Al U Minium (Sep 3, 2016)

What a beautiful job. It looks really good in the way you have re purposed it. The wood working is one of your great skills.


----------



## MTBF (Nov 11, 2016)

firemedic5853 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have the same boat and am currently building the framework for the deck. I plan on leaving all the seats in and just putting in the flat floor and casting deck. My question is, does the boat seem tippy with the height of the deck you have. Reason I ask is I am doing the same height and don't want to go too far into the process only to find it will be tippy!
> 
> ...



Hi Luke, I'm 200lb's and my answer is no the boat is not tippy. My casting deck is find I usually stand 1ft to the left or right rarely completely to one side or the other. It felt good in a 1ft chop also prop was coming out of the water. And if you stand back from the bow one step any wave action is fine. 2 People can fish on this deck depending how you set the hook on calm days it felt pretty decent. Make the deck as long as you can I should of went another few inches longer would help when 2 are fishing up front.


----------



## MTBF (Nov 11, 2016)

Al U Minium said:


> What a beautiful job. It looks really good in the way you have re purposed it. The wood working is one of your great skills.



Thanks man it's not perfect as I said before but it was my first build and am glad I put the time in. At the end of the year she was put away fine, little dirty but I hosed/washed the boat out after every weekly trip this year. Paint held up good on the inside and out, trailer needs new tires and id like to put another Helix 7 in the boat one for the bow this time. Upgrades are necessary but I'm just thankful she did the job, motor trolled well also both the electric and outboard depending on the weather.

Here are some more pictures from the season enjoy!











Barely left the dock and got a nice smallie good shot of the boat also










Fall is here and soon winter. Won't be in the boat again until April/May sadly. Thanks again for all the advise guys!


----------



## Genevdb (Nov 27, 2016)

I have been following this thread because I have a Mirro Craft that I would like to do something similar with. Do you have the measurements you used to do this? It looks really nice!!!


----------



## edwonbass (Nov 27, 2016)

Great job! Very clean.


----------



## Bradbos (Feb 6, 2017)

How much heavier did these mods make your boat? currently in the middle of re-doing mine with a console.


----------



## MTBF (May 2, 2017)

I would say the wood's weight was 90-130lbs. Hard to say. All I can tell ya is my 20hp Evinrude 2-stroke moved me my dad 16-20 rods 2 30-45lb tackle bags 2 batteries and a full 6 gallon tank 20-21mph.


----------



## MTBF (May 2, 2017)

Got a new graph for the bow so now I'll have a Helix 7 SI GPS at the back and now a Helix 7 DI CHIRP GPS at my feet up front. Put a smaller Ram Mount in.




It was tough for my passenger to have a spot to lay their rods and reels down usually 3-6 combo's. I decided to take a few pieces of wood and put a big of a structure over my gas tank. I can still slide it in and out with ease but now there is a spot for somebody to lay there rods down on. 




With my dad or buddies tackle bag in front of the gas tank always now they got a spot to put them down. Chair misses it perfectly when turning.




Excited for summer! Put a new jack on the front of the trailer and we put nice new tires on the trailer. Last thing I want to do is replace the rollers on the trailer.

Stay tuned. This Fall/Next spring I'm going to rip out and re-do the casting deck and bow. The angles are not perfect and I want to build a livewell into the casting deck. We ran the boat with a large cooler style livewell and i only lost 1mph so it's worth putting in as Dad and I want to fish some small tournaments in the coming seasons. Do that project and find a nice 30-35hp e-start 2-stroke is the goal!


----------

