# Sylvan 14 Seabreeze - Let the Mods Begin! ^COMPLETED^



## TheMaestro (May 4, 2012)

Not only do I really enjoy following peoples mods on here, I think almost equally are the stories that go along... So, here begins mine...
I have always wanted to try fishing, even as a kid..but growing up nobody in my family fished, neither did friends, and nobody had any kind of boat. So flash forward a number of decades and I finally went about reading and learning how to fish and spent last summer shore fishing and pond fishing. The best part was that my little girl and my wife also 'bought in' and it became a family thing! Upon renting a cottage last summer, included was a 12 alumnum, but no motor just oars. We took it out fishing on the lake and loved it. I knew at that time (and my wife did too, probably before I even realized it!) that my next step would be to o get a boat of our own...That is was last August and since then Ive spent time researching boating, going to boat shows and even getting my operators license which is mandatory for any size motorized boat here in Canada. I also realized that I wasnt going to be able to afford a new boat, so I began following our version of craigslist called kijiji. For 2 months I spent hours looking trying to find something, maybe a fibreglass runabout, maybe just a square back canoe, maybe a plastic Jon Boat from Canadian Tire...Then one day, I came home from work and when I checked kijiji,there was a 16' Princecraft, with pedastal seats, fish finder, VHF radio, anchor, 25Merc....and trqiler too..all for a ridiculously low price of $800. The posting was 
11mins old, so I called immediately. When I said I was inquiring about the boat, the guy started chuckling and told me I was like caller 50 and that someone was already on their way cash and in hand.. He told me the boat was from an estate he just inherited and that " I guess I underpriced it"!!!!!! NO KIDDING!!!
I was quite bummed and moped for days how this one slipped by. Then a week later I saw a 14' Sylvan with a 9.9 evenrude and tilt trailer..I knew it was mine....So after some mild negotiating, we reached a mutual price and I went to get the boat...oh wait, just the small detail of getting a hitch on my Rav4 put on...ok, a few hundred dollars later it was installed...Now on to getting the boat...
I went tl get the boat, about an hour away, met the guy, very decent fellow, could easily be a 'Modman' like you guys as his garage was a workshop, complete with Harley.. So he fired up the evinrude and it was good to go. We closed the deal and hooked up the boat to my Rav and away I went...first time trailering....stopped a few times to check on things, and she made it home safely..Here's what she looked like at his place:







So I got her home, and I thought Id like to add some clampon seats...oh and maybe a floor of sorts..so I youtubed how to put a floor in an aluminum boat and thats when I saw it....The youtube promo video for tinboats.net.... Wow! I knew right then I wanted to do that too!....stay tuned....


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## gillhunter (May 4, 2012)

Welcome to Tinboats!! Looks like a great boat. Looking forward to seeing what you do with her.


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## atuck593 (May 4, 2012)

Yeah... welcome! You have a great boat to start with and mod it to fit your needs.


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## TheMaestro (May 4, 2012)

Thanks for the welcome, Gilhunter, atuck593 

So as I started looking at tinboats.net, I decided I wanted to do a full on modification.. But before anything, I wanted to get the trailer checked over, as I knew the tires at least needed replacing. Now, I teach at a local highschool and the custodian is an avid fisher/ boater and he helped me do my research and learn about fishing and boating. He also told me that our auto tech shop does the maintainance on his boat and several other staff, so he told me to bring it in. After speaking with the auto folks, I realized that they did a lot of quality work on cars and boats, so I brought mine in too..
I asked for new submersible lights (the originals were mismatched and the wiring wasnt clean), new tires, new winch and to generally check over the trailer. I also brought the boat in mostly to show my custodian friend... Here's what the trailer and boat look like as they were at the school compound..










Well, it turned out the bearings werd also shot and the tilt mechanism was frozen, and the hitch wouldnt stay in the locked position without finicking with it. Soooo, the trailer and boat were at the school for the last 2weeks getting fixed. Today I finally got to bring it all home, so thus far the trailer has received: all new 12" tires, new bearings and seals, new winch, new lights and wiring nicely routed, new hitch, new fabricated fenders all welded on, and the tilt was restored to proper working order. AND, they fabricated some posts to mount the spare tire! Total cost? Just parts! As I spoke with the tech teacher, he showed be a cutlass theh were restoring for a guy in the neighbourhood who just came in off the street and asked if they would take it on as a project. I learned they LOVE to do this as it is a real world application and improves ties with the community.... I would urge anyone to ask their local school if they could with hour stuff too (if they have a shop)! 1st stage of the mod complete, just have to paint cosmetically on the trailer....:y


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## jasper60103 (May 4, 2012)

Hey. That's nice looking boat, motor and trailer you got there, and looks like you're getting off to a great start. I bet it was worth the wait? Congrats.


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## TheMaestro (May 4, 2012)

I thought the wait would be unbearable, but it allowed me to read every mod on herel incl v hulls and jons and even the plastics  I picked like 15 mods I really liked or parts that I thought were things I could use. The two weeks let me come up with plans, changes and allowed me to ask a few questions of the Modmen on here. Its become an obsession! I think about ideas then search on here to see if others did them and how they did. Meanwhile, Ive picked up items like tremclad paint and a fitted boat cover all coincidentally on sale... So my parts supplies are being amassed.


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## TheMaestro (May 4, 2012)

Bluwood.

Have you guys heard of Bluwood? Very new product, like pt wood, but non toxic, rot resistant, mould resistant, bjg resistent and no chemical interaction with any metals including aluminum... They are using it in the rebuild from Katrina.. Its originally a canadian process and is available in plywood, 2x4, 2x2, etc..
Here's a link
https://www.bluwoodcanada.com/


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## TheMaestro (May 5, 2012)

So I visited Lowes and spoke with the guy about bluwood. Its not designed for applications where the wood is submerged in the water all the time. But it is designed to be exposed to the water and dampness and according to the fellow i spoke with, its like a cross between exterior grade and pt wood. It just cant be submerged. I priced it out and a 4x8 x 1/2" is about $5 more than regular ply. The 2x2's are 70 cents more per 8' length.I think Im going to use it on my mod.


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## fishingmich (May 5, 2012)

Hey Maestro, completely unrelated question. I've seen that Canadian citizens need a Boater Safety card to operate a boat in Canada. What about visitors, do they need the card also? W'ere planning a trip to the French River and I wasn't sure if I needed one.


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## TheMaestro (May 5, 2012)

Hey fishingmich! The french river looks like an awesome place, lots of pike, and very beautiful, hope you enjoy  As for boating, if you have an american operator card, youre good. If not, and if you are going to be in canada for less than 45 (fourtyfive) days with your boat then all yiu need to have with you is your id that shows you are American. If you are renting a boat here, a temp permit is automatically included with the rental. If you are here over 45 days, then you either need an american operators card or the canadian one.... Hope that helps!


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## fishingmich (May 6, 2012)

Yeah that helps a lot. I can't wait to get up there. I would like to fish the Upper French but it looks like we're gonna fish the Delta area. My buddy and his son are diehard musky guys so thats where they think they hve the best chance to catch a 50"+ fish. It looks a lot more scenic on the Upper French and I can't wait to go. Maybe me and my son son can go for 3-4 days before our big trip. We've got a bunch of guys from work going, so I'm trying not to "rock the boat". No pun intended! I'm hoping I can get my build fisnished before its time to go.


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## TheMaestro (May 8, 2012)

Ok so I started today by removing the outside transom plate. I originally thought it was plywood, but it turned out to be some composite material, almost like formica, but stronger. I dont like the look of it, so Im going go replace it with aluminum diamond plate. While I was at it, I removed the corner braces/pulls as some of the screws were stainless, while others were rusty bolts. Luckily, they werent seized.. I also removed the screws holding the braces on the bench seats. I want to leave the seats, but the screws were rusty, so I want to replace them with stainless. They were not cooperating so I used my dremel clone to shear them off. Interesting that the nuts used were furniture nuts, most likely because its difficult to reach under with a wrench or socket. I doubt these are available in S.Steel, so Im not sure what I will use.






My daughter managed to actually remove one of the bench bracket/support screws!



Here are the furniture nuts:





Im ziploc-ing all used and removed screws, bolts, nuts etc and labelling where they came from so I can use them for measuring reference. An old container holds all the ziplocs.


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## TheMaestro (May 10, 2012)

Went to Lowes to pickup S.Steel screws, nuts and washers. They actually had S.Steel T-nuts (furniture nuts) so that was a good find. It surprised me just how expensive a few bags of njts and bolts are when they are S.Steel..... Im keeping all the receipts for the whole build and Ill post that at the end of my buiid...But it does start to add up!


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## TheMaestro (May 10, 2012)

Today I spent a few hours sanding to prep for paint. The boat has a decent coat of paint on it that will serve as a good base for adhesion. I also spent some quality time with a hair dryer and goof-off getting the old decals removed... Not as bad as I thought.
One of the most fun aspects of this mod is working with and teaching my daughter about using tools. She feels really good about contributing to the build and its also teaching her pride of ownership. Its just good father/daughter bonding time 




Ive also been using some scooter boards I borrowed to place under the stern and bow to move the boat around the garage and driveway without dragging it.




Removing decals





I had my school shop weld me up an outboard motor stand for $25


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## TheMaestro (May 10, 2012)

This weekend Ill be painting the inside of the boat (grey) and once it dries, Ill start the outside, whit with a red stripe. When its dry, Ill put her back on the trailer and begin the build. Im basing my build around Sgt. Stiglitz's, ChitownBasser, and Utahbasser's mods. As I stated previously, ill be using the new product bluwood for the build


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## TheMaestro (May 12, 2012)

After powerwashing,I let her dry then wiped her down with acetone....




Ok, here's the inside painted grey...I spray bombed it with tremclad, but I'll be rolling and tipping the outside........shoulda used a mask.... I was kinda goofy after I was done... :shock:




Amazing how paint and cleaning can make things so much nicer.


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## TheMaestro (May 14, 2012)

Busy painting this weekend and today. Finished the white on the boat, leaving room before the gunwales which I will do in a red accent stripe. Also finished painting the trailer and making some new bunks and priming them.


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## TheMaestro (May 16, 2012)

Well after 14 total hours of prepping and painting, Im finished with the painting stage of my mod. Im very pleased with how it turned out and Im looking forward to the build portion of my mod over the next 4 days. 

Chitownbasser mentioned in his build that the green frog- brand masking tape was worth the cost when painting lines, and I would have to completely agree. Its worth it compared to the no-name green tape when doing lines. The no name is fine for general masking, but it will bleed, the frog tape is very clean.

Here's the final hull paint job:


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## moberg12 (May 16, 2012)

Looks awesome!!


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## TheMaestro (May 16, 2012)

Thanks! I see youre making good progress with yours. I remember doing a double take when I first saw your plans with the breakdancing area :LOL22:


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## moberg12 (May 16, 2012)

TheMaestro said:


> Thanks! I see youre making good progress with yours. I remember doing a double take when I first saw your plans with the breakdancing area :LOL22:



Yeah I'm getting close, I need to upload my pics and update my thread. Who knew that break dancing joke would end up following me around :mrgreen:


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## TheMaestro (May 19, 2012)

Well after a full day and a bit, the framing and the 'decking/storage' is all done. As you can see I used bluwood throughout, and I used hurricane ties with the 2x2's. The bluwood (as I siad before) is a new product, non reactive with aluminum, rot proof, bug proof, mould proof. 

Next step is to carpet everything. 

Ive been wrestling with what to do for a floor since I first was on tinboats.net. I was set to do a wood floor, but after the framing and wood deckng, I really didnt like the idea of raising my floor and trying to brace it. So change of plan, to something I saw a while back and really liked. Im going to use a 1/2inch vulcanized rubber horse stall mat. Its thick enough to give me a smooth floor, but flexible to conform to the curve of the hull. I will also glue carpet to it, givng a soft underfoot feel. Basically just like wrapping carpet on a woodply floor. The underside of the rubber is grooved so I can orient it for water to travel to the drain, plusnI can remove it if need be to clean/dry

Here are the pics


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## MTord03 (May 19, 2012)

Nice looking rig! Keep up the good work!


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## TheMaestro (May 20, 2012)

Another long day... I began by carpeting one section, then the adjoining section, trimming.the wood pieces to fit with the carpet, then the next adjoining piece, trimming, and so on untill I made it through all the pieces all fitting together..(more or less...I understand now how other 'modmen' on here can see their own mistakes....Im also seeing my mistakes and uneven cuts, but my family tells me it looks good..)

Youll notice the finishing pieces on the original benches dont extend all the way down, allowing some of the original bench tin to show...I like this look over complete carpeting to the bottom, so thats why i did it that way...

The side compartments are hinged and open up, as well as the gas tank side ofnthe stern deck folds up.

I havent yet put the floor in...Im going to check out all my matting options some more...

Oh and the boat seat is one of three Im putting int...its just there for show...

Phew! Im WIPED!


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## TheMaestro (May 21, 2012)

So my next steps include buying and installing a hatch for the bow anchor storage area, as well as one for behind the captains chair in the stern. Im going to either fabricate or buy some rod holders too. And finally decals/lettering.


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## jasper60103 (May 21, 2012)

Looks very nice and clean.
Btw, I use the same kind of boat seats.
They're comfortable and good value for the money.


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## TheMaestro (May 21, 2012)

Hey thanks! The seats were on sale for 30% off, so the price was good  Now I have to find somewhere in canada that sells hatches...


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## fool4fish1226 (May 22, 2012)

Boat looks great =D> , I really like your layout, Let us know how it fishes


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## Ictalurus (May 22, 2012)

Looks good man =D> =D> =D> =D> 

Be sure to hide the list of receipts from the wife though :LOL2: :LOL2:


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## TheMaestro (May 22, 2012)

I know....i have the receipts in a pile, but I havent totalled them, im not sure I want to know either! I remember reading sgt. Stiglitz build and him saying these little tinnies add up....BUT its still cheaper than buying new, and at least we can all say our builds are truly 'custom' :beer:


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## TheMaestro (May 28, 2012)

Im having a tough time deciding whether to install boat seats at the bow, middle and stern. Whem I mock them up, it looks cluttered and its very difficult to move from stern to bow. Most of the time my 'passengers' will be my daughter in the middle and my wife at bow, but I will need to move around to help them. Now Im thinking of just having a 'captains' chair at stern, and leaving the others empty with just cushions for comfort... Any thoughts would be appreciated! :idea:


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## jasper60103 (May 29, 2012)

I can tell ya, I tried it for a while w/o seats. On long trips having a chair to rest your back is nice.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 1, 2012)

Finally had time to work on the rig again, and its getting closer to being done. I decided to line the insides of the storage compartments with carpeting. This will deaden any objects that would otherwise rattle against the hull. While I was at it, I also lined the inside of the lids with a marine vinyl that looks likes cloth:







I also decided to carpet the inside of the stern compartment that will house the gas tank but also has what I call the 'glovebox' area:




I also lined the cover of this area as well, and cut out a hole for my vent to help with gas vapour. Im going to use a simple heating floor vent that I will paint grey or black with Krylon Fusion. I tried using valspar, but it didnt take.







I also got some deck plates, a larger one for the other side of the stern and another for the bow. I will also paint these to match. When I install them Im going to attach a ripstop nylon stuff sack to the deckplate flanges to create storage.







Finally, after thinking hard about my seating, I decided that mounting the swivel boat seats I bought was too cluttered and not flexible enough for moving around. Id like to be able to sit in different areas, and I realized that even shuffling over to the port side meant not being able to sit in the swivel which I would have mounted on the starboard side. So, after searching, I decided to go withnthese deluxe stadium seats which are very comfortable, strong and I can put them where I want or just fold them up and not have them in the way:


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## TheMaestro (Jun 2, 2012)

Finished mounting transom diamond plate on the outside and plain aluminum plate on the inside. Also installed a ribbed ruubernlining on top of the transom to protect it there too.

All deckplates and gas vent are painted, and Ill be installing them tomorrow.


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## Johnzsmith (Jun 3, 2012)

You do very nice work, I really enjoy the look of your boat.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 3, 2012)

Johnzsmith said:


> You do very nice work, I really enjoy the look of your boat.



Thankyou  I based the layout off Sgt. Stiglitz's build.. His is awesome.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 3, 2012)

So I finished installing my deckplates with drybags. I got the idea from what kayaks use for storage. I didnt use traditional hatches because the cheapest hatch I could find either via shipping to Canada (eg from Great Lakes Shipping or Cabelas) of even ones from the local marine supply store were @$90 each. So,the deckplates were $10 andthe drybags also the same each.I like the results, and now I have real dry storage, plus stuff isnt rattling in the bow. I didnt put a dry bag in the stern, as that deckplate is larger and i may just leave it as starboard stern access.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 3, 2012)

Chitownbasser was the first mod I saw here that incorporated cargo netting as added storage on the seat 'bulkheads'. I decided to use that idea and I ran into the same problem he did, and im sure others too....Most cargo nets come in one size...TOO BIG. Smallest most common size I found at Lowes, Canadian Tire, HomenDepot and Walmart was 48" x24"... So after visiting all these places, I bought one with the idea of modifying it to give me 2 usable cargo nets.

When I got it home, I saw that its basically a net with a bungee cord as its frame, and four hooks to hook it in your cars trunk. I removed the clips and cut the net and bungee in half giving me two 24x24 pieces.I then un-weved the bungee cord out of the net and re-weaved in to make the new frame and 12x24, which is the size I needed. I tied the bungee ends in a knot, cut the excess netting carefully and then used a small butane torch to seal each frayed cut of netting. This took about an hour as it is tedious and requires some planning and manipulation of the net.

I then attached the cargo nets using insulated (rubber coated) electricians staples that I hammered in. Finally, I used some 3M outdoor clothtape I had to create a smooth edge where I cut and heated the netting.








This is where Im at with all my progress:


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## fishingmich (Jun 3, 2012)

Hey Maestro! Could we get a close up of your net Job. From what I can see it looks pretty sweet!


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## TheMaestro (Jun 4, 2012)

fishingmich said:


> Hey Maestro! Could we get a close up of your net Job. From what I can see it looks pretty sweet!



Here's a couple of closeups of the cargo net I modified:


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## TheMaestro (Jun 9, 2012)

Ok, so Ive been working on some finer details as well as the install of my floor. First some details....I realized that my deckplate covers need to be secured so that they dont go overboard when they are removed...Using what amounts to bathtub chain and secured it to the lids and inside the stoarge areas using round electrical terminals and s.s screws. I gave myself 2 feet of chain just so the lids didnt have to be close to the openings, thus giving me more flexibility:


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## TheMaestro (Jun 9, 2012)

Next up were the rodholders... I saw a post here where someone used 1 1/2" pvc 'Y' , so I spurged the $1.21 and bought an ABS one to fiddle with and see if I could adapt/mod it...Much to my surprise, when I test fitted it to my ideal location, it worked like a charm! I can have my rod vertical or off to the side, AND when its off to the side, the friction holds it in place so that if I had a bite, the rod wouldnt go flying out. 3 s.s screws and some drilling, and Im totally happy with the end results:


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## TheMaestro (Jun 9, 2012)

And finally, my floor. First let me say that what I wanted was a lightweight, durable, nonslip floor, and I didnt want to feel the ribs on my feet through it. I also wanted to keep the floor as low as possible. To get a level floor, I would have had to raise the floor 4". That was not ideal, so a frame and as out. I was going to use a 3/4" rubber stall mat, which would have conformed to the curve of the boat and strong enough to hide the feel of the ribs. However, when I went to see the mat,it weighed 90lbs, and Id need 2, so thats like an extra persons weight in floor mats!
Well after much research and store visits, I came up with the soljtion. Very lightweight,sturdy, comfortable and easy to remove for cleaning and drying out the hull. I found a 5/8" closed cell commercial grade antifatigue mat designed to be non slip. Its like the consistency of memory foam, so not squishy like a sponge,but like its viscous slow squishy. Alone, it fits perfectly and is heavy enough that it wont move or blow away.Alone, when I step on it,it greatly reduces the feeling of the ribs, but that gave me an idea....
I bought 1/2" polystyrene insulation board (non absorbent) and I cut it and laid it in between the ribs. When I overlayed mat,it basically gave support enough to make the ribs not felt at all! And since its so easy to remove, any water that may be trapped after a day on the lake can be easily drained/cleaned afterwards. The foam is thin enough to concorm to the curve of the hull,yet it strong and doesnt get squished, especially with the mat on top.
The mat has a great look to it, complete with grooves and subtle yet effctive textured surface. I sprayed it wet andtried it with shoes and barefeet and sandals and its absolutely noslip.


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## Fudoshin (Jun 10, 2012)

Great work, job well done!


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## acabtp (Jun 10, 2012)

looking good! i like the cargo net idea, i think i will steal that for my build


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## TheMaestro (Jun 10, 2012)

Thankyou  
Today Im going to get her back on the trailer, and then its right down to the 'final touches' stage. Decals this week, some cleaning, dock lines and outfitting with the safety kit. Hoping to have the maiden voyage next weekend!

I'll post more pics on the trailer, then Im going to total and categorize my receipts and post the results.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 10, 2012)

Oh, almost forgot, Im planning on repainting the motor cowling. Does anyone have any experience with a website called Garzon Studios? They seem to be the only ones withreasonable prices for outboqrd motor decals.. Any others that you guys may have used ?


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## TheMaestro (Jun 15, 2012)

Well, tomorrow (Saturday) is the maiden voyage of "_Lake Breeze_",thats the name my daughter decided on because the model is a sea breeze, and well, as she pointed out, 'we dont have a sea, we have lakes!'
Im taking her out on a modest lake thats very calm, and Im nervous as heck! I have visions of releasing it from the trailer and it just immediately sinking #-o 
Im not sure what the 'maritime traditions' are,but if its allowed, wish me luck!

My next post willhopefully be pics from the lake [-o<


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## TheMaestro (Jun 16, 2012)

What an incredible day on the lake today as "_Lake Breeze_" took her maiden voyage! After some backingup/going forward with the trailer, I finally managed to get it down the ramp. It was really easy to release her into the water. The first thing I noticed was the boat sat very well in the water, not low at all, and thats will 2 tackle boxes, rods, a cooler with drinks, 4 gallons of gas in a 6 gallon metal gas tank and all the modifications that I have added. I was really excited. There were 3 of us in the boat, my wife, my daughter and myself, and with all of us in, again, it didnt sit low at all, basically exactly the amount of freeboard it was built for.
I started her up, and the 9.9 Evinrude didnt disappoint! We cruised around at a slow/moderate speed, and it moved us well. We had to be very cautious as today at the lake there were some events going on, including dragon boat races, but the lake was big enough to accomodate everyone. 
Once we got past the racing area, I opened her up full throttle and much to everyone's surprise, the boat planed. And I mean planed!! the bow where my wife was sitting was up in the air and we were just zooming along. I used my portable gps and it clocked us at around 24 kilometers/hour, which is 15 mph. Thats with the boat fully loaded,(and Im 255lbs myself  ).
We were on the lake for about 3hrs, eventually getting to some fishing, but I had the rods stored in the boat in sections, and when we went to get them, they got all tangled and it took forever to undo... then we realized we didnt have an anchor, so getting into the shore/weeded areas where the bass were was always leading us to close. So next time, we'll have an anchor with us.

Here are some pics from the day:






I have a video of the boat in full throttle, but I have to figure out how to upload it....

Some of the things I learned from this outing and some things that I will need to address are:

1) My wife and daughter dont like using seats, they prefer the open seating style. It wouldnt have mattered if I used actual boat seats or the stadium seats, they just like the freedom of movement on the open seating. I, on the other hand, really like the stadium seat as it gave me good back support and was very comfortable. Plus, moving it just involved picking it up and, well, moving it to where ever.. So next outing, just the seat for me!

2) Water does eventually make its way into the bilge area.. I guess I knew this, but it does get we back there. There wasnt really enough to be drained by pulling the plug, more like a puddle. When I got home, 3 dish towels dried it up, and I easily peeled back the flooring in the stern to let it air dry - Im soo glad I went with my flooring idea!! 
Im wondering, though, would a bilge pump be able to suck that water up? It wasnt high enough to reach the lip of the drain, so Im not sure if installing a bilge pump would help...something to ponder...

3) There are never enough cup holders!! this is so true... my wife and daughter ended up using on of the cup holders for our bait scent spray bottle... Easy fix, as there is room for another

4) The 'Y' pipe rod holders work perfectly. Totally reccomend them, and maybe somebody will make them with a logo and charge $35 each... :wink: 

5) I decided to us the storage 'bins' I built this time to put our disassembled rods in. I think for next time, I will simple place the rods on top of my seating/decking areas and secure them with velcro, fully assembled. That way, the rods wont get tangled, and I can use the storage areas for other stuff.

6) I think I'd like to add lights, even though the latest I'll ever be out is just before dusk, they do look way cool just on the boat. 8) 

7) There were a few other folks out on the water today, some guys on Jon's and a guy in a Lund, and I they all totally were checking out my rig... I gotta order me a tinboats.net T-shirt and sticker!

Well, that's it for now. After wanting one for soo long, and months of waiting and about a month of intense build, it was really great to have that freedom to roam on the water. I can't wait to take her out again, and Im sure I'll be tweaking some more. 
Im going to do a 'photo shoot' of the boat soon, with some before pics I havent posted and the after pics....so stay tuned!!


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## jasper60103 (Jun 16, 2012)

Sounds like the family had a awesome time!
Just in time for Father's Day.
The boat looks great on the water. =D> 
Thanks for sharing your mod here.


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## ChitownBasser (Jun 16, 2012)

Looks and sounds great =D> . Looks like a success. There will always be things to tinker with, change, modify, replace. But the hard part is done and she floats. Great job.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 17, 2012)

Thankyou


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## spiderman0423 (Jun 17, 2012)

Looks good,Enjoy


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## BenFishing62 (Jun 17, 2012)

The boat looks great. I hope you continue to enjoy it with the family.


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## fishingmich (Jun 17, 2012)

Hey maestro, when you mounted your rod holders, did you just drill pilot hole all the way through the y-pipe to mount your screws? And could you post another close up of the y with the rod in it. 

Thanks
Mike


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## TheMaestro (Jun 17, 2012)

Hey fishingmich, 
I drilled a hole on the outside the size of my screwdriver diameter, and then I drilled a hole on the inside (through the outside hole) for the screw. I used 3 screws on each arm of the Y

Heres some closeups:










You can also place the rod vertically, but I forgot to take a pic of that #-o


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## TheMaestro (Jun 17, 2012)

I should mention the cargo nets were _incredibly_ useful. At the lake, we were given a map, it went in the net, so did the camera when not in use, as well as sun screen, my hat, etc. Well worth the effort!


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## fishingmich (Jun 17, 2012)

And you said that's 1 1/2" right? I bought one of those y pipes the other day and when I put my rod inthe angled side like you do in the picture, my rod won't go all the through like yours doe. I might have to get 2" or bigger.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 17, 2012)

Yes mine are 1" 1/2, but my rods are all lightweight, so the 2" was too loose (i had one kicking around from a plumbing job). Try the 2" and let me know, Im curious especially if I start to market these, I can charge extra for the large diameter :lol:


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## fishingmich (Jun 17, 2012)

Definitely. I just checked 2 different rods, one is close to fitting right and the other is not even close. Going to pick one up tomorrow after work. Where did you get the cargo net? Is that from Cabelas or just an auto cargo net? One of those is definitely going into my boat.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 17, 2012)

Cargo net was from Canadian Tire, autoparts, $14.. 24x48", then I cut and modified. Id be happy to help you with that process


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## TheMaestro (Jun 17, 2012)

Here's a short clip of the maiden voyage taken by my daughter:

https://youtu.be/zXYmdRZMpn4


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## jellio5 (Jun 17, 2012)

Not sure if a bilge would help but it's a good safety device no matter what I'd put one in it just might allow you to get back to shore if there's a problem


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## TheMaestro (Jun 18, 2012)

Here are some before and after pics of my rig:

Before:





















And dont forget the trailer........





And now the After:







Boat name decal came out nice with the Loon:




And the manufacturer name is a close match too:




Still more from my 'photo shoot':



















Next post will have all my bills priced and totalled to give you an idea of what a build like this costs...


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## Gear Dog (Jun 18, 2012)

Nice job & I like the folding stadium seats. Those are a lot lighter and easier to transport than the folding boat seats with the swivel bases.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 18, 2012)

Well, I sat down to total my receipts for my mod... It wasnt a total surprise as Ive read enough on here to have an idea..So here's the breakdown of the mod:

Wood: $90
Hardware (ties, hinges): $122
Screws and fasteners: $132
Carpet, Fabric and Glue: $154
Paint: $150
Boat Parts (deckplates, dry sacs, floor) $106
Decals: $67
Safety Equipment (oars, safety kit) $126

*Total Boat-only Mod:* $947

*Trailer Parts:* $350

*GRAND TOTAL, WITH ORIGINAL BOAT PURCHASE:* $2400 :shock: 

But I think it was worth it...........


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jun 18, 2012)

i LOVE what you did with your boat! i am going to have to steal your cargo net idea!  i love your 9.9 evenrude also! i hope to get mine looking as clean as yours! i hope mine pushes me along like yours! truely great build!


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## Mass_Bass (Jun 18, 2012)

Really like what you did with the floors. Would you have the name or manufacture site for the commercial grade antifatigue mat you used?



thanks...


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## TheMaestro (Jun 18, 2012)

Mass_Bass said:


> Really like what you did with the floors. Would you have the name or manufacture site for the commercial grade antifatigue mat you used?
> 
> 
> 
> thanks...



Easy-peasy! I found it online and the retailer listed was Lowes, so thats where I got it. I found the link for it on the USA Lowes site for you, its here:
https://www.lowes.com/pd_113086-73825-160-0700-35_0__?productId=3595540&Ntt=anti.fatigue
Thats it exactly!


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## catsmith (Jun 20, 2012)

I love what you did with the breeze. I am going to be staeling some of your ideas. The mats for sure and the netting also. You did a great job!


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## TheMaestro (Jun 20, 2012)

thankyou ! If you have any questions, Id be glad to help!


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## sharrison (Jun 22, 2012)

Very nice build. 

I just bought a 76 14' Sylvan but have no clue what model it is. Mine is 63" at the widest point up top and the transom drops down instead of being flat across.

My question is do you know what is the max HP rating is on your boat? Mine doesn't have the capacity sticker on it anymore and I am having a hard time trying to find out my specs. Found a 35hp motor locally but worried it may be too big even though this boat seems pretty heavy duty.

Thanks
Steve


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## TheMaestro (Jun 22, 2012)

Mine didnt have the capacity on it either, just the metal tag with the serial number. I called Sylvan and they looked it up for me. My guess is you might have a seasnapper. 35hp is the max on a new seasnapper, im guessing same for older ones. BUT if it is a seabreeze or alaskan, the 9.9! Call Sylvan, they are very helpful...and post a pic!


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## sharrison (Jun 22, 2012)

Thanks alot for the info, Didn't mean to highjack your thread.

I'll give them a call and give them the HIN and see what I have.

I tried to upload pics but it keeps saying the upload is currently in progress, But never finishes. I even resized them real small and still no go.


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jun 26, 2012)

so i just took another look at your build... really great work! what did you use to paint your boat? rattle can? paint roller? or actual spray gun/compressor? it looks really good how does it hold up to scratches? did you use the same paint on the trailer?


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## TheMaestro (Jun 26, 2012)

The inside is rattle can gray with a satin clearcoat rattle can, the outside was rolled and tipped on. The paint is called tremclad and its bullet proof. Its been around a along time and even as a kid I remember my dad using it for outdoorsnapplications and it lasted years. It hardens nice, doesnt chip easily or scratch. Rustoleum bought tremclad, but hasnt dared mess with it!


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jun 26, 2012)

you think it would hold up to being dragged off and on the flat bed trailer? im gonna look into that stuff! i havent painted the bottom of my boat yet cause i am on a budget and dont want to spend money on something that wont last.


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## TheMaestro (Jun 26, 2012)

I do believe it will hold up. I just dont know if you can get it in the USA. Have you thought about using the same carpet from your boat to carpet the wood on the trailer?


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jun 26, 2012)

TheMaestro said:


> I do believe it will hold up. I just dont know if you can get it in the USA. Have you thought about using the same carpet from your boat to carpet the wood on the trailer?




well the trailer is next on the list for some modifications... i am thinking about mounting a couple of wooden slats to raise the bottom of the boat so that it slides on/off easier and carpeting those slats would be a great idea! thank you... im also considering adding a crank system to pull the boat to the front of the trailer. as it is right now i cant load/unload the boat by myself cause its too heavy :/


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## Scott1298 (Jun 27, 2012)

Hey Maestro, nice build! Reading your thread for the first time, two thoughts come to mind:
1) Nothing's more fun than getting my kids out on the water! Where else can you get so much one-on-one time nowadays?
2) Somebody told me after I bought my first vessel only a couple years ago, that BOAT stands for "Bring Out Another Thousand"$$$$$

Scott1298


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## TheMaestro (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks for the compliment !

:lol: I love the BOAT acronym! I have to use that one! 
Im thankful my whole family has been very supportive, and even more thankful that my wife and daughter dont get seasick and arent afraid of water/fish etc. Its really something to spend time on the water!


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## trueblue1970 (Jun 27, 2012)

That bring on another thousand applies often lol. Its nice to play around with the jon and not have to spend alot of cash like I have on occasion with the other boat. Nice build, your boat looks great!


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## TheMaestro (Jul 1, 2012)

So we've taken _Lake Breeze_ out now a number of times, spending about 4 hrs on the water each time. It handles well, and the layout is working out well. This last outing I left my stadium seat at home to see why my wife and daughter like just the plain benches, and so I brought just a cushion, and it allowed me to sit and shift quite easily, and only near the end of our outing did I feel like wanting to lean back on something. So I may reserve the stadium seat for longer outings than 3-4 hrs. 
I still need to figure out a better system for attaching the fenders, would love a quick clip or similar to attach them to the seat brackets...Also am going to get a garbage bag from case logic that i have in my car. Simple, inexpensive and keeps garbage secure from falling out or blowing around.

I did come up with a strap system for storing our rods while trailering and when we are done fishing and want to just cruise. I was going to use velcro, but my mock up kept sticking to the carper, so I came up with this:




It holds them snugly and securly, and hasnt hurt the rods at all. Easy to get in/out once you stagger the rods.

I am so happy with this boat and mod and all the time its now giving me with my family!


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## TheMaestro (Jul 8, 2012)

Another early morning on the lake, and it was nice and cool...lots of bites, but no takers...Doesnt matter, its time on the water that counts! 

This week Im beginning the restore of the motor cowl. The body still has the original Evinrude blue/gray thats in pretty nice condition, but the cowl looks really bad against the fresh paint of the boat. I had a local sign shop that I always saw on my way to work make my boat name and Sylvan replacement decals, so I went back with the cowl to see if they could make replacement decals as close as possible in color and font to the evinrude originals on my 9.9 .. The guy took a ton of measurements and put the cowl on the scanner to get as much original reference as possible. I was really amazed at the turnaround time... one day!, and, he had found a font that was identical to the Evinrude, but the E and N had some funny tails on them, so he used some software to alter the font to make a near perfect match. I cant tell the difference. 
Here's my motor cowl now, before I start the process this week:





Here are some 'action pics' of the _Lake Breeze_ from this morning... This is on a nearby lake/reservoir...


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jul 9, 2012)

your boat looks like it FLYS!!!!  im so jealous! my boat is just too heavy for the old 7horse i have... in the process of trying to find a 9.9 or something close that will help me go faster than just a few miles per hour!


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jul 9, 2012)

also... cant wait to see how the motor turns out!


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## TheMaestro (Jul 9, 2012)

It does fly, and sometimes I think its really a 15 hp that someone threw a 9.9 cowl on....but then I check the serial number and it when I google it it comes up as a 9.9... So with all my mods, it really does zip well! And all the while during my build I was worried it would just putt putt along like a small electric..


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## TheMaestro (Jul 12, 2012)

Ok, I cleaned, removed decal gunk, sanded and primed my motor cowl. Forgot to take a pic of it primed. After primer was dry for a few days, I applied the gloss white. I then used running shoe polish/whitener to spruce up the rubber gasket which was in good shaped, but yellowed. The shoe whitener is safe for rubber and vinyl and can be touched upwithout buildup... Now just the decals to be applied!




Running shoewhitener for gasket:


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## inlovewithsurfin (Jul 12, 2012)

looking really good! it looks like i am selling my ESKA tonight and buying an Evinrude 9.9 tomorrow!  so i will be painting my new outboard soon! i hope it turns out half as clean as yours!


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## TheMaestro (Jul 13, 2012)

Motor cowl is now done, complete with decals. Here are before/aft pics:

Before:



After:


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## TheMaestro (Aug 27, 2012)

Well it's been awhile since Ive posted on my mod here, as we've been busy enjoying the summer, fishing just about every weekend on our local small lakes. We spent a nice week in a friends cottage in an area called Tobermory at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula here in ontario. The tip shares Lake Huron (on the west side) and Georgian Bay (on the east side). It was absolutely beautiful up there, and we did manage to get the boat out on the big lake in the harbor area. There are two harbors, Little Tub and Big Tub, and they are called tub because the sides of the harbors are a near vertical drop about 45 feet+. There are some sunken ships that you can see from the surface, as well as nearby islands with neat habitat.
We ventured from Little Tub out to the Big Tub harbor, and _Lake Breeze_ held her own very well, even though there were 2 foot swells at times!














Now, onto the mod again... Ive made some very _minor_ additions to the boat since the last post where I finished the motor cowl. Since then Ive added a zigzag cleat and anchor. The anchor is about 8lbs, folding type and it actually holds really well, even with 3 of us in the boat:


The anchor folds up and the rope and itself are stowed neatly in one of my bow access hatches with dry bag attachments:


I also came up with a simple system for clipping on/off our fenders using s.steel hardware:


And I used some 3M hooks and caselogic chutes for garbage. Even with a lot of wind they stay put, and the trash is kept in by the elasticized openings:





Ive also now driven through a couple of rainstorms with the boat and the boat cover that I purchased for it, and I have to say the cover works incredibly well, keeping everything very dry! It hasnt come loose, it doesnt flap in the wind, and its really easy to put on and off. Here's a link to the cover I purchased:
https://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/bro...791240P/Orion+Deluxe+Boat+Cover.jsp?locale=en

And finally, here's what the rig looks like before putting the cover on it. As you can see, we keep all our rods, tackle boxes, gear etc inside and the cover keeps everything nice and dry:



Im still wanting to purchase some Attwood LED clamp on lights, and Ive asked for a fishfinder for Christmas..  
Thats' all for now!


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## Ictalurus (Aug 28, 2012)

Maestro

Thanks for the tip on the anti fatigue/slip mat. Got one at Lowes last night, would have gotten two if they had another. They're going to line my storage areas. I looked at the mats previously, but like you had mentioned, they were heavy as all get out. These thinner gray ones work perfect. I may hit another Lowes this weekend. Thanks again. =D>


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## TheMaestro (Aug 30, 2012)

Ictalurus said:


> Maestro
> 
> Thanks for the tip on the anti fatigue/slip mat. Got one at Lowes last night, would have gotten two if they had another. They're going to line my storage areas. I looked at the mats previously, but like you had mentioned, they were heavy as all get out. These thinner gray ones work perfect. I may hit another Lowes this weekend. Thanks again. =D>




Hey im glad it worked for you too  Thats the beauty of this site, a wealth of knowledge and ideas that you can re-jig into your own! 
I definitely would also suggest the cargonets to anyone, they are so handy......


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## btkees (Mar 7, 2013)

Your boat looks great! I am in the middle of my mod. I am in the same perdicament as you were about raising the deck. So I think I am going to use your brilliant idea of insul. board and mat. Question I have is, where did you find your antifatigue mat? I seem to only find small like place mats. Thanks again for the idea and research.

Bryan


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## NextTopBassFisherman (Mar 13, 2013)

Great looking boat!! Have you thought about buying a trolling motor?


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## TheMaestro (Mar 13, 2013)

I just did get one! Im about to start a 'phase 2' of my build, with most of it electronics and some reconfiguration of storage.. Of course, it just snowed again today.... So gotta wait some more for spring to arrive.....

As for the foam/mats, all of that is from Lowes.. Theres a link above to the antifatigue mat


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## Pweisbrod (Mar 14, 2013)

Really nice work maestro. I was considering using antifatigue mat in my boat floor during the summer months for when my little girl is in there, I'm sure she and mom will appreciate it!


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## TheMaestro (Mar 14, 2013)

Thankyou  the antifatigue mats really do lend themselves well to this apolication. The trick is to get the thick mats.. You can get cheaper ones at walmart, but they are 1/2 the thickness of the industrial strength ones.. The mats cost me $35 each canadian, but for $70, i had instant floor that has held up perfectly.


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## Pweisbrod (Mar 17, 2013)

Actually, Lowe's Has a huge 20' long mat for like 100 bucks intended for use on patios. I was going to pick that up and cut it to size to cover up the anti skid I will probably be using in my boat so my kid doesn't fall and get scuffed up (10 months now, will definitely be walking by fishing season here. LOL)


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## TheMaestro (Mar 17, 2013)

Hey Ill have to check that out  
Thats so much fun to look forward to with your kid!


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## sgt tee (Apr 3, 2013)

TheMaestro said:


> And finally, my floor. First let me say that what I wanted was a lightweight, durable, nonslip floor, and I didnt want to feel the ribs on my feet through it. I also wanted to keep the floor as low as possible. To get a level floor, I would have had to raise the floor 4". That was not ideal, so a frame and as out. I was going to use a 3/4" rubber stall mat, which would have conformed to the curve of the boat and strong enough to hide the feel of the ribs. However, when I went to see the mat,it weighed 90lbs, and Id need 2, so thats like an extra persons weight in floor mats!
> Well after much research and store visits, I came up with the soljtion. Very lightweight,sturdy, comfortable and easy to remove for cleaning and drying out the hull. I found a 5/8" closed cell commercial grade antifatigue mat designed to be non slip. Its like the consistency of memory foam, so not squishy like a sponge,but like its viscous slow squishy. Alone, it fits perfectly and is heavy enough that it wont move or blow away.Alone, when I step on it,it greatly reduces the feeling of the ribs, but that gave me an idea....
> I bought 1/2" polystyrene insulation board (non absorbent) and I cut it and laid it in between the ribs. When I overlayed mat,it basically gave support enough to make the ribs not felt at all! And since its so easy to remove, any water that may be trapped after a day on the lake can be easily drained/cleaned afterwards. The foam is thin enough to concorm to the curve of the hull,yet it strong and doesnt get squished, especially with the mat on top.
> The mat has a great look to it, complete with grooves and subtle yet effctive textured surface. I sprayed it wet andtried it with shoes and barefeet and sandals and its absolutely noslip.
> ...


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## sgt tee (Apr 8, 2013)

Your boat really came out nice, may I ask you how wide is the boat(beam). Thanks for giving me that idea about the floor, We are getting up there in age and have trouble with a heavy boat, trying to keep my 12ft. as light as possibly


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## TheMaestro (Apr 27, 2013)

Ok, so Im beginning PHASE II of my mods... Im planning on adding lighting, bilge pump, transom trolling motor and extending a small area of the bow plate to mount nav lights and create some anchor storage. I have removed all my decking from last year as I need to re configure it to accomodate all my new add-ons. Im also going to change out my ABS rod holders as well as mount a new system for rod transoport.
But first, I wanted to deal with some structural issues. After 3-4 hours on the lake, there is a small amount of water between the ribs in certain areas. Not enough to be pumped out, as most of it can be dried up with a towel. I checked for loose rivets, filled with water,etc, but I suspect that its a rivet that gets 'loose' when underway and is pressured by the water. So I wanted to use gluvit to coat the inside, but that stuff is impossible to find here. I believe there's a labelling issue here in Canada, and none of the area boat dealers carry it. So, I decided to chance it and try the Rustoleum LeakSeal. I wont know how well it works until Im on the water, but I can report it was easy to apply, the spray was not gloopy and it didnt spatter. I chose the clear stuff, and you can see it drying in the pics:





The other repair Im doing is on a cracked rib that was there when I purchased the boat. Ironically, thats not where the water is coming in, and it looks like it cracked because the boat was either dropped or hit there. I got a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum pipe cut in half and it fits right on the rib perfectly. Im goint to rivet it into place when the leak seal is all dry.



And finally, here's the switch that Im going to use for my electrical. I has breakers built in, and I will use the appropriate wire and circuit breakers for the trolling motor and for the feed to this switch for the accessories. More on the electrical when I get to it..


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## TheMaestro (Apr 28, 2013)

Today I managed to brace my cracked rib with the aluminum half pipe and some 3/16" rivets. It feels solid, and I rocked the boat and the crack stayed closed. I also added a mini transom -for my trolling motor- to match my existing diamond plate transom:


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## nlittle (May 7, 2013)

Great build! Can you advise what kind/ weight anchor you have in your photo? How does it hold?
Thanks!


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## TheMaestro (May 7, 2013)

Hey thanks! 
The anchor weighs 8 lbs, and its foldable. It locks closed and it locks open. It digs into our area lakes very very well, and holds me (240lbs), my wife and my little girl in place solidly. We have soft bottom lakebeds, so i cant say how it would hold on rock except that it does need to 'grab' its grappling hooks to hold. It wont hold by its weight alone, but its not designed to.


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## nlittle (May 8, 2013)

TheMaestro said:


> Hey thanks!
> The anchor weighs 8 lbs, and its foldable. It locks closed and it locks open. It digs into our area lakes very very well, and holds me (240lbs), my wife and my little girl in place solidly. We have soft bottom lakebeds, so i cant say how it would hold on rock except that it does need to 'grab' its grappling hooks to hold. It wont hold by its weight alone, but its not designed to.




Cool, is it the same brand as the bag it looks like it goes in?


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## TheMaestro (May 8, 2013)

Yes, its from Canadian Tire.....


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## nlittle (May 9, 2013)

Thanks! 
By the way, I put in "your" PVC rod holders last weekend on my boat. Love them!


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## TheMaestro (May 9, 2013)

Ironically, Ive had to remove mine to accomodate my new layout and wiring #-o


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## TheMaestro (May 9, 2013)

Finally built my battery tray located in the bow. I used bluwood 3/4" ply and have the front half resting on a rib and the back half supported with hurricane ties riveted to the bench seat. Itsnreally solid and doesnt budge:



I just have to install the battery box strap:



Next I ran all my wiring, labelled and put in a split loom. The lights, horn, courtesy lights etc., all on one side, and 6 gauge for the trolling motor on the other. Heres my nest of wires to go to my switch panel to be located in the stern:



Ive noticed a few builds on here where people created an 'accessory rail' where they could mount items. I really like the idea, so I created my own rails to also create a channel to house my wiring runs between the seats. On one of the rails I'll install a 12v DC outlet as well as a generic mount for gps, cell phones, etc. Ive had to loose my pvc rod holders (as mentioned above), but I replaced them with some rockets. Here's the accessory rail(s) showing the channel, and then with the cover on:





Next up will be the stern switch box, connecting the wires, and re-doing the bow and stern decks with new hatch layouts.


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## Gators5220 (May 9, 2013)

Lookin sweet!


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## TheMaestro (May 11, 2013)

Finished up the back starboard accessory bar/wiring channel today, with a second set of rocket holders:




Then it was onto mounting the red LED courtesy lights under the front top half of the bench seats. The LED strips came with mounting clips, but i couldnt reach under the seat bulkheads I made to install the clips. So I mounted the clips onto some 1/2" moulding, then used epoxy tape to mount the whole thing under the seats:





Then I tidied up all my wires with 1/2" and 1/4" split loom. I then moved onto my switch panel/box which I will be mounting on the stern. I saw a build here where someone used a weatherproof junction box mounted to the transom, and I liked it. Here's the box, with my switch panel:









Tomorrow, im crimping on connectors, soldering, and mounting the switch box...and maybe install the bilge.....


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## Sgt. Stiglitz (May 12, 2013)

That design/layout looks strangely familiar.............. :shock:


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## TheMaestro (May 19, 2013)

Ok, so I finished routing all my wiring for the following:
Nav Lights
Horn
3 sets of LED (red) under the seat lights
12 V accessory outlet
Bilge Pump
Stern Light
Trolling Motor.

I routed all but the trolling motor wires to a main junction box from Lowes. I then mounted my swtich/breaker panel on it, and hid my bus bars inside, crimped all my wires, labelled all of them inside the box for future reference and then mounted my box on my transom, which is where its home will be:




Once I add my back deck Ill wire up the anchor/stern light. You can see I used split loom all the way through for a neater look and protection.

My next step was to tackle the trolling motor connections. I ran 4 gauge wire from the bow, where the battery will be, all the way to the stern. I wanted to use a connection between that and the trolling motor that was very robust both in the ability to handle the larger guage wire plus being able to plug/unplug the TM. I wont leave the TM on the boat, so the plug/unplug needs to be really good. I looked at what was available specifically for TM hookups, but they didnt really suit my need. So, in the end I used a 50amp stove type outlet, with a matching plug. Both can handle the heavy gauge wire directly, the connection is solid and very sturdy. I removed the ground plug as it was not needed, made the wide blade of the plug +, the narrow - . Luckily, the plug only fits stove outlets, so if some joker tries to plug it into a regular household outlet, its way too big... 








Now I have to re-do my removed decking as all these gadgets require new access hatches. I also am going to make more room at the bow for storage. I know Ive harped on this quite often, but I have to show my bluewood that Im using. For those of you who havent read my rants about it, just do a search in the forum for bluewood (or did I spell it bluwood?).. In a nutshell, its a new non-reactive, non toxic wood treatment that is designed to reisists rot, mould, insects, its waterproof but lets the wood breathe, it doesnt leach, and most importantly, its specifically designed NOT to react with any metals or plastics or anything. I really believe once this becomes more widely carried (Lowes carries it here in Canada) it will be the de facto choice for the tin modder. Its only about $8 more a sheet than regular ply. You'll notice my new sheets of bluewood plywood, and you can see the label says the glue is also waterproof:



Now, here is my old deck from last year. This is after a good season of use, it definitely got wet, sat (covered) all winter outside with all sorts of up and down temperatures. You can see it hasnt rotted, mildewed, nor has it warped. Its just as it was when I first installed it:



Currently, its available as 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 ply, 2x4's, 2x6's, 2x2's. I used it as 2x2 for my framing and 1/2 for my decking. The cool thing is you can buy it already 'blued', or you can buy a can of the blue and do any wood yourself. Its not like thompsons water sealer, and its not pressure treated. Its a completely new system.... Sometimes I feel I should be their spokesperson!!! I guess I just havent see *anyone* else on tinboats use the stuff


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## TheMaestro (May 20, 2013)

Finished wiring the master circuit breakers and the master battery switch today:


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## panFried (May 21, 2013)

Nice job maestro! I appreciate the good descriptions and pics on wiring. Tin is looking good.


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## TheMaestro (Jul 13, 2013)

Hello everyone, Ive been away from the forum for a few weeks as I have been enjoying fishing with my completed tin! Ive been meaning to post final pics, but when I was done (about a month ago) I was busy enjoying it. So here are the final pics and descriptions:

After all the wiring was done, I created two separate hatches in the stern, one for the gas tank and access to the TM plug:





And on the starboard stern side for storage and you can see a small cutout to access to my switches:



In between, I added drybag storage with a screw type hatch:



The next thing I did was mount rod storage holders for when Im trailering the boat to the lake. I had the rods strapped in last year, but while that was easy to do while standing beside the boat in my garage, putting the rods back in while in the boat was tedious. So what I used was Berkley rod storage holders like this:



I wanted them to be strong enough to actually hold the rods while trailering, but removable while on the water to increase seating area. So I came up the idea of using very strong rare-earth magnets that would secure the rod holders but that could be easily removed:






They are SO strong, i can lift the boat vertically holding one of the rod holders. But to remove, all i have to do is tilt it sideways and the magnet releases. Ive trailered the boat several times, and the holders dont move, keeping the rods safe. 


On the water, once the rods have been removed, I simply tilt the rod holders, and I added some washers under my 'accessory rails' and the holders store there neatly out of the way! You can see it stored in this pic under the rail to the right. 


When we are done for the day, I simply tilt them to remove from storage location and put them back on the seats and put the rods back in:



I located the battery and master cutoff switch/breakers in the bow. I wanted half the bow to be used for this, and the front half for storage. I also wanted complete access to the entire bow if I needed to make repairs, so I came up with a double hatch that can be totally lifted out for complete access. I actually stole the idea from the storage area of my RAV4 which has a similar setup. I can tell you that once in place, the weight of the whole thing keeps it very securely in place:


Battery hatch portion:


Very front Bow portion:


Completely removed:



The next thing I added to this mod was an anchor storage/nav light mount/horn mount: (the horn is inside the cubicle)



So here she is completed:









And here she is all covered ready for trailering to the lake!





Its been a great build from last year to now, and Im really enjoying just using it!


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## jasper60103 (Jul 13, 2013)

Congrats on completing a very nice build.
I like how you used magnets for mounting the rod storage.
I noticed your magnets have a threaded male stud.
Did you find them online?
Again, great build. =D>


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## fishingmich (Jul 14, 2013)

First off, this is one of the sweetest, cleanest builds on here. Nothing fancy but everything is extremely functional and that's the name of the game. I love to see that you get your kids involved in fishing too, that's awesome. Ok now, where'd you get those dry bags and screw on covers? Those are pretty sweet and I'm thinking of putting something like that in mine once I start it back up.


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## simbelle (Jul 14, 2013)

Great Job =D>


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## TheMaestro (Jul 14, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=322248#p322248 said:


> jasper60103 » Yesterday, 23:42[/url]"]Congrats on completing a very nice build.
> I like how you used magnets for mounting the rod storage.
> I noticed your magnets have a threaded male stud.
> Did you find them online?
> Again, great build. =D>



Thanks  I got the magnets, cups and highfriction stick-ons for the magnets from https://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=58750&cat=1,42363,42348


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## TheMaestro (Jul 14, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=322251#p322251 said:


> fishingmich » Today, 00:07[/url]"]First off, this is one of the sweetest, cleanest builds on here. Nothing fancy but everything is extremely functional and that's the name of the game. I love to see that you get your kids involved in fishing too, that's awesome. Ok now, where'd you get those dry bags and screw on covers? Those are pretty sweet and I'm thinking of putting something like that in mine once I start it back up.




Thankyou  Im a bit of a minimalist myself, so i tend to keep things simple and sparse.. Im very happy both my wife and daughter enjoy fishing and cruising around the lake, makes it alot easier..
I purchased the dry bags from Canadian Tire, but any outdoors place has them. The screw hatch is 8", same diameter as the bag and I got it from my local boat store for $6.99, and it comes with a rubber gasket to make it waterproof..


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## fitzman163 (Jul 17, 2013)

Fantastic job it looks great as well!


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## Scott1298 (Jul 20, 2013)

What did you decide to do about seats?


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## TheMaestro (Jul 21, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=323038#p323038 said:


> Scott1298 » Yesterday, 11:26[/url]"]What did you decide to do about seats?



Well my wife and daughter like the bench style because they move side to side, turn around, put their feet up,etc. I am contemplating a seat in the stern but really i dont find myself wishing i had one when im out on the water. I like having the openness in the stern to stand or even sit facing backwards. I do like the look of a seat, so I may eventually add one. If the sliderG5 was available in canada, id add a seat more quickly... But a fixed seat isnt what i want, so Ill wait till they market to canada ....


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## dahut (Aug 8, 2013)

beeeeeyoooootiful!


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## TheMaestro (Aug 8, 2013)

Thank you 

Just returned from our cottage vacation. Boat worked like a charm! We had a deluge of a rainfall one night, and my cover had two pools of water, so I will have to fabricate some supports out of PVC to shed the water better. Because of the pooling, the cover got pulled away from the stern, leaving it open and it filled with rainwater. Quite a bit. This was the first time I would use my bilge pump, and let me tell you it worked like a charm. Emptied out in no time, then took the boat out on a plane and flipped the bilge on to empty the rest. I remember asking on here early in my build about whether a bilge was necessary and someone in their wisdom said 'not until you need it'. Boy they were RIGHT!! Anyways, here are some pics:


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## nctlspider (Sep 22, 2013)

=D> 

Great job!


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## stomper (Sep 24, 2013)

Nice rebuild and the cottage looks beautiful. Did you get some fish slime in that boat on your vacation


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## rootbeer (Sep 27, 2013)

How did the Leak Seal work out?


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