# 2015 Alumacraft MV 1546 DD build



## chevyrulz (Oct 20, 2014)

recently, I took home the above 2015 Alumacraft MV1546DD hull to pair with an '06 Yamaha 25 2-stroke I scored off craigslist. I've been looking for one of these motors for a LONG time now, and I finally found a near new one, for a quite fair price, short shaft, pull start, & electric start too was a bonus! So naturally, I get this boat home & proceeded to drill lots of holes in it! 6 for cleats, 7 for nav/anchor lighting, 1 for bilge, & 2 for the motor. Here's the current look before any real mods begin. I just did the bare bones minimum that I wouldn't wanna be on the water without:































below shows the bow cleat & nav light, there's 3/4" wood glued to the underside of this "duck bill" (or whatever you call the nose being flat like that), i assume this is to make your life easier mounting a trolling motor. it kinda ruined my plans for thru-bolting the nav light, but only because i bought bolts for .080 thicnkess lol. I did luck out buying long enough bolts for the cleat. this bow cleat & the 2 stern cleats are through bolted with stainless bolts, the largest stainless washers that can work with the distance between the 2 bolts, and nyloc washers. just like my last build, the plastic cleat itself is the weakest point, i cannot STAND a boat with a loose cleat & these ain't goin nowhere:










I completely copied the Alumacraft 16 waterfowler sitting on the dealer lot when I chose my anchor light & bilge exit placements. unoriginal? sure, i kept telling my self it was for the resale value, lol. I was going to stick bilge tube over the transom & call it done, but i'd need to drill several small holes to properly secure the hose that way, so i figured why not just drill one big one...anyways, if you do opt for "thru-transom" bilge exit on this hull, WATCH OUT! i hit the crossmember at the top of the transom when I drilled it (an aluminum 2x3" i think, i didn't actually measure it, but if you need height measured, i can do that 4 ya). I was 1/8" too high with my hole, it stopped me dead in my tracks with my cordless drill & paddlebit. luckly, i was able to round out the bottom of my hole with a round bit & make up the difference & still manage to cover the not-so-round hole with the thru-hull fitting, so noone who doesn't read this thread or remove the fitting would ever know! also, the attwood brand thru hull, it's too short! so i drilled my hole then had 2 uh-ohs! thankfully the local boat store stocks a slightly longer thru-hull, whew! I went with black silicone instead of 5200. i only did this for color & cost, no other reason both are adequate for the job. you can get black 5200, but noone around here stocks it in caulk tube size, and black silicone is everywhere for about 1/2 the price of 5200. I will be painting the white fitting tan (eventually). also regarding the transom. There's no wood in it. it's hollow except for the structural framing within it, which I know to be for sure at least rectangle tubing at the top, and more at the bottom with a drain hole, between there appears to be just inner & outer hull skin & air. . i don't ever forsee having to re-do this transom in my lifetime. it's beefed up for holding a heavy 4-stroke 25hp motor. i suspect this boat would hang a 40-60hp 2 stroke without blinking (try at your own risk):






on the above picture, you can see how I ran my nav light wire from under the rear deck, to the bow of the boat. i used extra leftover bilge hose as conduit for a cleaner look than the light wires just going down ziptied. I drilled a 1/2" hole (slightly larger) in the underside of the side tube (the top rail) to fish the wire through, the end of that tube dumps into the opening under the bow, alumacraft was nice for leaving it open like that. then once my wires were run, I stuck a 3/4" rubber plug in the outside of the tubing to cover the hole, mostly cosmetic, but it does help prevent water from splashing through the hole to the underside of my anchor light pole base too.






as far as pondering before drilling, i definitely spent the longest on these rear cleats. i decided this was was best for my intended use, it maximized the area to step on, allowed me to get to the underside bolts (barely), & made it possible for both sides to be symmetrical without having the stern line competing with the anchor light pole at night time, they're mounted to the rearmost & outermost point on the flat part of the corner gussets:


























the factory rear deck hatch conceals the 6 gallon attwood gas tank, and the battery, with my switches on the battery box top. i had a proper on/off/on switch laying around for the nav/anchor lights, but i opted for separate circuits entirely since I didn't want to splice the 2 circuits together. it's easier to troubleshoot on separate circuits anyway. i oriented the switches to the placement of the systems they control (left=bilge, center=nav light, right=anchor light). this under-deck area is quite large, & locates the battery & gas tank forward enough from the transom to aide wait distribution & prevent porpoising (at least with the weight of my 2 stroke motor and 2 average size people sitting on the rear bench, with the motor on the lowest trim pin, I haven't upped the trim just yet):












below, you can see that I pop riveted the anchor light mounts to match the spacing of the factory rivets. I had to either [A]find (or make) a perfectly sized washer to fit inside the underside of the pole clips for the rivet to bite on, or * I could just clamp it kinda tight on the plastic pole holders with the pop rivet gun & then break off the rivet head & be careful when removing the pole light not to rip it loose. I opted for  since the mounts were like $4, I can always redo that quite easily if necessary:











the only other thing i did was cut the blue/purple yamaha stripe off the factory sticker on the sides of the cowling, last time i did this was on a 90hp, & it was a separate sticker, but i liked the outcome so i took the razor knife to my 25 since all was one sticker, & i hate when people "debadge" their motor, lol. so the floor, the deck & the "duck bill" are waaaaay too slippery. i have almost gone down several times knowing they're slick. it's fun fooling around with my dog, letting off & flooring it, but that's getting old & I can't image them covered with ice wearing waders if i can't keep my footing during summer. oceangrip, hydroturf, seadek, or something is in the near future. also possibly a custom fab gun-box, and tempress slam hatch or 3...i need some type of storage.*


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## zseverns (Oct 20, 2014)

That one nice boat. I just got my new boat have been doing some mods to it getting it ready for duck season.


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## LeftCoastAngler (Oct 20, 2014)

Sweet rig!
My Alumacraft dealer didnt have that one when I went shopping for a tin hull....
I seen theyve changed the logo for 2015!
HowSnazzy.

Im rockin a 25hp aswell. 4Stroke tho, but still.... YamiPower my friend.


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## LeftCoastAngler (Oct 20, 2014)

15 or 20" transom BTW?
Could u snap a pic of the motor and hull sideways so i can see how low ur prop is vs bottom of boat?
Thx.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 20, 2014)

The cavitation plate is even with the bottom of the hull. It's a 15" transom but it comes in 20" too. The dd stands for drop deck, I thought I wanted the regular deck since it has a storage area under it, but when I saw it in person the storage area was so small I couldn't fit much if anything in there and most duck boats have a low front deck so I figured why not give it a shot. I like it so far. Much easier to get around in the boat with the low deck.

The hull has a funny story. Alumacraft totally screwed up the design where u put the plug in. Checkout this picture:






I was like how the heck do u put the plug in?! From the outside?? Nope it wouldn't fit, I was like don't tell me a $3k hull I have to cut it up to put the thing in water! I took it back to the dealer and he was equally perplexed, he cut that support to allow clearance to put the plug in, and painted it up nice like it should have been from the factory. I told him to be sure and send a bill to the factory lol.
He had to do it to the other one on the lot too after I left!


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## dwbiggs (Oct 21, 2014)

Will b following this with great interest...just bought the same boat a couple weeks ago and am just getting started.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 21, 2014)

so dwbiggs, did u have the same issue with the plug? & what are you putting on the back for power?

here u go leftcoast:


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## LeftCoastAngler (Oct 22, 2014)

VeryCool.
Thx buddy.


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## dwbiggs (Oct 22, 2014)

Ihavent had the boat in water yet but I thought the plug was put in from outside the boat...this is my first boat though and I know little about it. I plan on running a 23hp mud motor on it...mudbuddy or copperhead. Just bought lights last night...same cushion as well.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 22, 2014)

not on any tinboat I've ever seen, the plug should go in the inside on a tinboat so you can use the redneck bilge pump (go fast & pull the plug)

anyways, if the Alumacraft welders weren't so sloppy, there'd be no issue, I'd have simply put the plug in the outside, but the plug tube was not welded quite flush & has gobbed up weld to make up for it so it ain't round enough to fit the plug in! =D> the important welds look great around the transom & the corner gussets, etc...BUT, the floor welds, & non-structural stuff, I'm pretty sure someone learned how to use a welder on my hull. I mean literally there are spots with mig wire sticking out of some of their welds that will cut u! [-X I made sure to ask the dealer bout the warranty, he said he hasn't had em coming back with cracked welds & that they'll stand behind it for 5 years. Another funny story on this hull is where they welded the keel. I almost asked for my money back when I put it on the trailer & saw it had foam sticking out there (bottom of hull). The dealer told me they ship them on foam & that's what that was, not the foam filled floor leaking out of a bogus weld, I doubt it, the foam I saw was yellow like the in-hull foam, not white, like the styrofoam blocks they ship on...anyways, I just said ok & took my boat home. The area I'm referring to isn't in the water on plane, so it's not like it slows me down, it looks ridiculous, but it's manageable for now if it doesn't leak...and it doesn't...yet. I'll have to post a picture, it's just lazy/incompetent, trying to make too many too fast, something stupid. There's a HUGE glob of weld where the keel meets the bottom of the hull, I mean straight up horrible craftsmanship, it's not a seam, it's a giant mound of laziness, & personally, I'd be ashamed to have my name on it. Maybe that's why they're using the "snazzy" new logo? :mrgreen: I'll have to put some pictures of the atrocities they call welding on here & maybe they'll get their act together in the future. Rather than give up my boat just before I need it most, after duck season, I will try to get Alumacraft to do the right thing & take this hull back to the factory as an example of improper quality control, & fix it & send it back or something, if they won't touch it, I'll probably just grind it down myself & pay the local prop shop that welded my 1436 bow's crack to weld it up proper, they only charged me $50 to tig it up nice, not cheap, but not gouging either & the seam was top notch. Alumacraft's decision on this will decide for me which brand my welded next boat will be. Either way, I'll still stand behind them on their 1436L, that thing is built like a tank for what it is. 

Frankly, the Alumacraft welders should go visit the Alweld factory & learn a thing or 2. The Alweld hulls I have looked at have excellent attention to detail. The welds are as near perfect as you could hope for, & not just the structural ones. Anywho, the hull is definitely nice, just minor Alumacraft QC complaints I thought worth mentioning. I know it's not just the "lemon" excuse either, because I looked at 3 different MV1546 hulls & they all were the same. 2 were drop deck, and 1 was regular deck, each one had numerous "wyotech practice scrap grade" welds on non-structural seams. Prior to this hull, I never had a bad word to say about em!

enough complaining haha, as far as the grip problem, I still haven't decided on camo versus tan seadek, hydroturf, oceangrip. stuff ain't cheap!


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## dwbiggs (Oct 22, 2014)

Ha! Now I will have to look at my welds...d
Nothing jumped out when I bought it. Struggling with the floor thing myself...like seadek but not sure how long it will last before breaking down. Friend HSS Hydraturf and after a couple seasons his is starting to break apart. May just get some removable safety mat or something to try out. Trying to figure out how to install a grab bar...no side ribs to bolt it to...figure I have to go through the floor and attach it to ribs under there. Have u taken yours out? How's it ride?


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## chevyrulz (Oct 23, 2014)

Yep, I have taken it out a few times on the lowest trim pin. Just put my reg sticker & numbers on it last night. I'm about 165lbs, and my buddy weighs more than that & it jumped on plane no problem with both of us sitting in the back. it stays on plane with about 1/2 throttle possibly less, & it never porpoised once, even into a head wind at various speeds. I was surprised about that, and thought for sure I'd have to add weight to the bow, but I don't thankfully. The hull rides great, turns well, takes chop as smoothly & quietly as the 16' xpress my buddy owns, the foam under the floor really solidifies the hull & makes it feel solid over rough water & wakes. It's a fast hull for a weep channel hull without a pad (flat area center-rear of bottom of hull) because it only has 5 weep channels, some hulls have more than that, and while they add rigidity, they slow u down. this hull is plenty rigid. the placement of these outer 4 weep channels actually helps to center the boat on the trailer too, I setup my bunks to glide between the weep channels on the advice of the dealer, saved me $100 doing myself too, and took all of about 10 minutes with the Milwaukee impact gun to move each bunk outward an inch or so, lol. Next time out, I'm going to play around with the trim & the GPS speedometer app on my iPhone, I'll report back on that.

seadek & oceangrip seem more durable than hydroturf

hydroturf is softer & comes in a variety of colors & grip patterns, unlike oceangrip or seadek

I have no firsthand experience with oceangrip , but it's apparently about the same stuff as seadek under a different brand for a marginally lower price. 

hydroturf is good stuff, it seems to be just EVA foam with glue on the back, same as your surfboard grip pad, or your jetski foot area, not exactly delicate, although not what I'd call heavy duty either...& I have read some hydroturf colors deteriorate from UV rays, namely the tan on their camo, and after 1 year warranty is up, it's your problem, not theirs...decisions, decisions & then how do i finance them? :mrgreen:


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## dwbiggs (Oct 23, 2014)

Look forward to seeing the GPS results. Glad to hear its a solid hull and you had no problem getting on plane. I am kinda worried about putting a mud motor on mine...the lightest surface drive 23hp is 140lb...hope it will prove not too heavy that it causes problems. May pick up a 2 stroke later on for fishing. Going to be wiring up lights this weekend.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 24, 2014)

30mph on the 2nd trim pin with 2 of us in the back, still no porpoising & plenty of holeshot.


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## dwbiggs (Oct 24, 2014)

Nice! Picking up my mud motor tomorrow...will have to get some GPS numbers. You got any more additions planned?


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## dwbiggs (Oct 25, 2014)

Got the motor today...BTW...looked at the plug situation and I have no problem with clearance to get plug on...guess they didn't run the stringer as far back.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 25, 2014)

Looks good man, yea I figured something was up the way mine was made by the plug haha. If that stringer was shorter there'd be no issue. Lemme know how that mud motor pushes you.


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## dwbiggs (Oct 25, 2014)

The motor is on the heavy side...200lb...going to put pods on it. Dealer said there would be plenty of power to push 2 with a load. Will find out real soon.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 27, 2014)

so the back area serves a dual purpose as a cooler:





forgot my minnow keeper so had to use my actual cooler as the baitwell, put about a dozen finger mullet in there after snapping this pic:





caught an overslot red we had to throw back, then this keeper flounder:





then a nice mid-slot red:





the motor makes a decent rod holder til I install some:





nother lower slot red finished the day:





sheepshead around these pilings didn't want my shrimp, but I snagged this pic just before dark, cell phone pic with a poor photographer makes it difficult to see the shape of the perfect crescent moon:


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## BoatDawg4120 (Oct 27, 2014)

Boat looks good. Where are you fishing at?


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## chevyrulz (Oct 27, 2014)

thanks, check PM for location

as far as the build goes, I dug this out of the shed over the weekend, hopefully the leftover 4'x4' sheet of 1/4" diamond plate from my last Alumacraft build will be enough material to fabricate a gunbox from, just need to order some aluminum angle & figure out the design:


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## BoatDawg4120 (Oct 27, 2014)

Got it. thanks. Was just curious when I saw the Redfish photos.


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## dwbiggs (Oct 27, 2014)

Was curious myself...u in FL?...looks like a scene from around my area. Gun box...can't wait to see that...been considering that after I get my pods and grab bar in.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 27, 2014)

I'm envisioning something like this Triton:


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## dwbiggs (Oct 27, 2014)

How did you run your wiring from the front back? I used 3/4" pvc in between drop deck and back bench in the channel on the side wall. Fit perfect in the hole in the drop deck and I notched it to slide into small opening in the bench. I found caps/plugs on the side wall in the battery area and was able to punch through the foam to the opening at the front of bench and was able to feed wires through...worked great. Cut a small length of pvc to go through foam. Got running lights installed and cleats. Planning on putting in battery switch, bilge and switch panel this weekend. Oh, wanted to ask how u mounted the bilge pump as well.

Thanks


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## chevyrulz (Oct 27, 2014)

dwbiggs said:


> How did you run your wiring from the front back?


I ran 16ga tinned marine duplex wire inside the side rail tubing with a fish tape. Had to drill a 1/2" hole which I then plugged with a 3/4" rubber stopper plug from the hardware aisle @ Home Depot:
















dwbiggs said:


> wanted to ask how u mounted the bilge pump as well.


silicone. i put the gas tank on top it for a couple hours to dry. I sanded the metal & cleaned it first too. 



dwbiggs said:


> I used 3/4" pvc in between drop deck and back bench in the channel on the side wall. Fit perfect in the hole in the drop deck and I notched it to slide into small opening in the bench. I found caps/plugs on the side wall in the battery area and was able to punch through the foam to the opening at the front of bench and was able to feed wires through...worked great. Cut a small length of pvc to go through foam. Got running lights installed and cleats. Planning on putting in battery switch, bilge and switch panel this weekend.


I almost tried to figure out how to run them using that same channel in the side like on my last build. Your install sounds nice & clean. I didn't know there more plugs under the back deck, thanks for sharing!! I'll probably make use of this knowledge if/when I run interior lights. show us some pictures

ordered seadek samples, $4 to my door a day later:





same price for one or all colors, so I grabbed a few:















a little concerned with the durability after the pocket knife test, hmm:


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## dwbiggs (Oct 27, 2014)

Interesting about the seadek...they r about 5 miles from me...was going to check them out. Pretty clean going through the side rail...I ran lines for nav lights and two future LED lights. I'll take a couple pics of what I did.


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## LeftCoastAngler (Oct 28, 2014)

Hmmm
I was opting the SeaDek myself

#-o


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## BigTerp (Oct 28, 2014)

Have you considered anything like this for your floor/deck? Not sure if you want to paint or not, but if so this stuff is really nice.

https://www.softsandrubber.com/aspergrit.html

That is what I used on mine and I love it!! It has held up great to a full season of duck/goose hunting and fishing all summer. Easy to apply also. Just sprinkle it on in between coats of the paint of your choice. I used Parkers duck boat paint in sand tan as my base color on my boat.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 28, 2014)

how's the heat on that stuff Terp? the tan painted aluminum will just about cook bacon! Also, did you mix it in the paint first? or did you paint & sprinkle?

the largest seadek sheet is only 39"x77" according to their website at least...), which is fine for length on my 67" long cockpit floor, but it's not wide enough! the floor was 48" wide if memory serves. i reckon this means my only option is to install the gunbox first so my floor shrinks to 39" or have ugly seams or some silly looking design with gaps in it...

i'm guessing it will take about $300 worth of seadek to cover the floor, the rear deck, and the front deck of my 1546...


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## BigTerp (Oct 28, 2014)

Heat seems fine. I fished off my boat in bare feet for most of the summer. It was definitely cooler than the factory paint/aluminum. Not sure if it's from the lighter paint color or AsperGrit or combination of both. 

I sprinkled mine on. I bought the quart sifter bottle and used about half to do my floor and bow deck. This is on a 1648. I was looking at something similar to SeaDek, but was concerned about durability and ease of cleanup. My floor/deck is easy to clean. If I get some fish or duck blood on it I'm not afraid to take a stiff bristled push broom to it and scrub it off. It's comfortable on bare feet, but I have skun up my knuckles on it unplugging my trolling motor.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 28, 2014)

10-4, when I picked up some dog food today, I found some EVA foam mats with a diamond plate pattern on 'em at Tractory Supply for $20 & they're big enough to cover my floor in 1 piece at 46"x93", so $40 would do the whole boat. too bad they're black though...not sure how they'd like sun either....and no glue comes on 'em so I'd have to buy that or just use the black silicone caulk tube leftovers maybe

seadek doesn't stain from mud/blood & a stiff bristle brush wouldn't hurt it either, the only downside I can see is the cost & the durability against something like oysters or anchors...


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## Y_J (Oct 30, 2014)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/351149772920?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

This is what I got ahold of for my boat floor. When they arrived I put a couple of the mats out in the sun to see just how they would do. After 2 or 3 hours I went walking on them bare foot with no problems at all. I expected them to be hot but they were only warm. The same two mats, since then has been serving mat duty on my front door step (about a month now) and have held up pretty darn good. You get 12 2x2' mats for 48 square feet. And Shipping is FREE.

Edit: $37.99 for the 12 tile set.


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## chevyrulz (Oct 30, 2014)

thanks I see it comes in tan as well


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## Y_J (Oct 31, 2014)

chevyrulz said:


> thanks I see it comes in tan as well


Right. As I discovered after I had already paid for them, they actually come in several different colors. I would have much rather have the tan ones for the boat floor. And now that I think about it I just may go ahead and order the tan ones and use the black ones in my Portable Garage.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 1, 2014)

just ordered 24 sq ft of the tan color 3/8" thick 2'x2' gym floor puzzle piece squares for $20 shipped on ebay. should do perfectly for my 23 sq ft cockpit floor:


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## dwbiggs (Nov 1, 2014)

I bought a 4x6 rubber mat from home depot. Looks well made and cost 31.00...figured its worth a try. Just a little over 3/8" thick.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 1, 2014)

Nice, you gonna glue it down? I'm hoping I won't have to glue mine, but I suspect it might not stay in the boat going 70mph on the highway if I don't...

I'm also thinking about getting some golf bag tubes & drilling holes in the low deck for rod storage


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## Y_J (Nov 1, 2014)

chevyrulz said:


> just ordered 24 sq ft of the tan color 3/8" thick 2'x2' gym floor puzzle piece squares for $20 shipped on ebay. should do perfectly for my 23 sq ft cockpit floor:


Right on. I think it will work out pretty good on them floors.


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## Fadec (Nov 4, 2014)

Enjoyed reading this thread as I've been think about purchasing a new jon boat. I've been debating whether or not to get a Alumacraft MV1448 or MV1648 riveted jon. Now that I've seen this thread I think I have changed my mind.

Really surprised that considering the 1546 is an all welded boat its not much heavier then a riveted jon. Figure by the time I put some plywood flooring in the 1448 it would be just as heavy if not more then the 1546.

Unfortunately, my lake is horsepower restricted. How do you think a 9.9hp would perform on the 1546?


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## Va Larry (Nov 5, 2014)

How do you think a 9.9hp would perform on the 1546?

Not well.
I wouldn't think you would be able to get on plane with fishing stuff on the boat.
Biggest thing I would look at if I wanted a 9.9 to plane me and my fishing gear would be a riveted 1542. I would and did personally look for a riveted 1442 for hp restricted lakes. I would consider a 1436 if I wanted to cover some ground on decent size lake, or take a buddy and fishing gear and still hope to get it on plane.

Chevyrulz I like your boat. Interested to see how you get it all setup when your done.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 7, 2014)

Fadec said:


> Unfortunately, my lake is horsepower restricted. How do you think a 9.9hp would perform on the 1546?


fine for idling around short distances but your asking a guy that put a 30hp motor on a 1436L that's rated for a 15hp motor lol I'd never have any use for such a slow boat, I don't fish/hunt small bodies of water though...



Fadec said:


> Enjoyed reading this thread
> 
> Really surprised that considering the 1546 is an all welded boat its not much heavier then a riveted jon


thanks, glad to hear it...and yes I was also surprised when I read the various hull weights from the Alumacraft website, and I was even more surprised when I learned how heavy pretty much every other welded hull is

Got my flooring last night, gotta trim to fit but I'll get some pictures on here soon


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## Fadec (Nov 8, 2014)

chevyrulz said:


> fine for idling around short distances but your asking a guy that put a 30hp motor on a 1436L that's rated for a 15hp motor lol I'd never have any use for such a slow boat, I don't fish/hunt small bodies of water though...



I have a 9.9hp pushing my 20ft pontoon boat so I'm used to going slow. Heck a 9.9 on a 1546 jon would a speed demon to me! Lol

Fadec


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## chevyrulz (Nov 8, 2014)

Took about 20 minutes to install the floor, the material seems durable. It definitely feels great on bare feet. I didn't glue it down so hopefully it doesn't blow out of the boat on the way to the ramp! I used a razor blade and a framing square to easily cut the length & width.


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## dwbiggs (Nov 9, 2014)

What I ended up using on floor...and had flotation pods installed


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## dwbiggs (Nov 9, 2014)

Pods...


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## chevyrulz (Nov 9, 2014)

nice!


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## Y_J (Nov 10, 2014)

chevyrulz said:


> Took about 20 minutes to install the floor, the material seems durable. It definitely feels great on bare feet. I didn't glue it down so hopefully it doesn't blow out of the boat on the way to the ramp! I used a razor blade and a framing square to easily cut the length & width.


Looking good, my friend. Gives me a good idea what mine will be looking like. 
I've still got 2 of the squares on my front step with me in and out quit abit times per day and my critters (2 cats and a dog) in and out all day long and the pads still aren't showing any wear.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 10, 2014)

yea this flooring seems tough, and so far they don't stain. I had fish blood all over the flooring all weekend catching redfish & it hosed right off. I was thinking this flooring might float if I didn't glue it down & it be a problem, but it actually made washing out the boat super easy, all the trash floated under them & flowed to back. & no worries about em blowing out of the boat til I install hatches, every time I go fishing I have plenty of stuff all over the floor like fishing rods, cooler, cast net, minnow keeper, etc...lol

Anyone ever installed golf tube rod sleeves in a foam filled deck? How the heck do I put these in? I am debating on whether I can get by without a gun box or not, and I think I could so long as I have SOME type of built in dry storage storage. Which is easy, cut the hatch dig out the foam, I can handle that. Or even through a bench that's like a 1' or so wide, I could drill from both sides, & figure a way to get the foam out the way of the golf tube. BUT what if I just want the golf tubes, & no hatch, how do I dig out foam 3' back through 1.25" hole????  Even if I build a gun box, it would be cool to have these golf tubes at the end of it, either going back into the rear bench, or into the front deck, or hell, both! I am seeing these golf tubes on Amazon in both 1.25" and 1.5" but I ain't sure how to get a hole that big to go back 3' into a deck...without cutting a big hole in the top of the deck for access. I could cut the drop deck for access to the foam, install the golf tubes, some more foam to hold the tubes in place, then install a Tempress hatch in the hole I cut, but I'd rather not do that if there's an easier way. I know I could prolly buy a special super long drill bit like the ones electrician's use, but would they be 1.25" or 1.5" diameter?...I doubt it, prolly 3/4"...plus but I'd rather NOT try & drill 3' into a deck that's kinda close to the bottom of the boat, ya know? who already solved this problem & how?!


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## Va Larry (Nov 11, 2014)

I've seen a couple builds on here where guys have used metal pipe with a sharp or sharpened end to make a tunnel through the foam for the ends of their rod tubes. I remember one guy used a shop broom handle after the broom accidentally got run over.
I would think a piece of pvc pipe with a well sharpened end would work too.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 11, 2014)

Thanks Larry! I'm damn sure gonna try that before I hack up the deck, lol


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## Va Larry (Nov 11, 2014)

You're welcome, and good luck. 
Let us know how it works. I might be doing the same in the rear bench of my 1442 soon too.


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## typed by ben (Nov 12, 2014)

chevyrulz said:


> yea this flooring seems tough, and so far they don't stain. I had fish blood all over the flooring all weekend catching redfish & it hosed right off. I was thinking this flooring might float if I didn't glue it down & it be a problem, but it actually made washing out the boat super easy, all the trash floated under them & flowed to back. & no worries about em blowing out of the boat til I install hatches, every time I go fishing I have plenty of stuff all over the floor like fishing rods, cooler, cast net, minnow keeper, etc...lol
> 
> Anyone ever installed golf tube rod sleeves in a foam filled deck? How the heck do I put these in? I am debating on whether I can get by without a gun box or not, and I think I could so long as I have SOME type of built in dry storage storage. Which is easy, cut the hatch dig out the foam, I can handle that. Or even through a bench that's like a 1' or so wide, I could drill from both sides, & figure a way to get the foam out the way of the golf tube. BUT what if I just want the golf tubes, & no hatch, how do I dig out foam 3' back through 1.25" hole????  Even if I build a gun box, it would be cool to have these golf tubes at the end of it, either going back into the rear bench, or into the front deck, or hell, both! I am seeing these golf tubes on Amazon in both 1.25" and 1.5" but I ain't sure how to get a hole that big to go back 3' into a deck...without cutting a big hole in the top of the deck for access. I could cut the drop deck for access to the foam, install the golf tubes, some more foam to hold the tubes in place, then install a Tempress hatch in the hole I cut, but I'd rather not do that if there's an easier way. I know I could prolly buy a special super long drill bit like the ones electrician's use, but would they be 1.25" or 1.5" diameter?...I doubt it, prolly 3/4"...plus but I'd rather NOT try & drill 3' into a deck that's kinda close to the bottom of the boat, ya know? who already solved this problem & how?!


i used a piece of 1" conduit cut at 45 degrees. thinner wall cuts easier but will also deform easier under pressure as you turn it. you just press it in, turn it over a couple of times by hand like a drill bit, then pull it out and take the foam out of the cavity in the center. perfect diameter for the tubes, and cheap to do.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 12, 2014)

preciate the tips Ben! I'll let y'all know once I've tried it


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## chevyrulz (Nov 16, 2014)

made an anchor pin on the cheap rather than buy a premade one for $70-100...

Here's the finished product:


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## chevyrulz (Nov 24, 2014)

boat kills ducks, shot 11 between 3 of us this past Saturday

made it bout 1/2 way through building a blind on the cheap then gave up & went hunting. design took some time & thought to figure out how to make a sturdy, functional, trailerable blind without spending a fortune OR drilling holes in the boat [-X 

The only expensive part was the fancy Avery "fast grass" mats I bought for $120. The rest of the blind is prolly $30 more worth of pvc pipe, pvc fittings, pvc glue, black tape, & black zip ties. I believe it is going to be great, but I'll find out soon enough & post the details with pictures so stay tuned


update from page 7:


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## dwbiggs (Nov 26, 2014)

Cool...took my boat out on first hunt opening day...didn't have your luck though. Built my blind out of 1/2" EMT and used cheap hand clamps to attach to boat. Got some military netting and burlap for cover...will shoot a few pics this weekend. Thought I may regret using 1/2" instead of 3/4" but so far so good. 

You hunted three out of boat?


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## BigTerp (Nov 26, 2014)

I'd like to see pics of the blinds. I don't hunt out of my boat, but use it to get to hunting spots on the river (usually islands). Many times I wish I had a blind for my boat to setup where the ducks/geese like to be.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 26, 2014)

yea, 3 + a dog in this boat is easy if you trust the +2 & the dog to obey YOUR rules / be safe :wink: 

everything I could find on scissor blinds & boat blinds in general on the google was all EMT or aluminum, everyone does it but I don't like the idea of EMT in my boat for 2 reasons, corrosion & weight, then aluminum is far too expensive & still probably heavier than PVC

mine's 3/4" PVC, covered with black duct tape, rain hasn't let up all week so I haven't felt like to attaching the grass to the frame yet, didn't wanna rush it. i'm guessing here, but i couldn't have added more than 20-25 lbs for my whole blind

it's a 2 piece frame at the moment, prolly redo it as a 4 piece to make it easier to handle & put away for storage in the off season. in theory, it makes use of the front cleat & rear corner gussets to secure the blind to the boat for 75mph highway speeds without drilling holes in the boat. i'll test it out this coming weekend & report back with pictures

another way to do a boat blind on the cheap is wood & tree branches. get some 3x3 or 2x2 pine preferably a harder wood like oak, poplar, or maple or something, drill holes in it bout every 1 or 2 feet, run it around the top of the inside of the boat, & stick tree branches in the holes, the ducks don't care about the boat if it's got trees growing out of it & it's not moving, looks like they'd see it, & hunters might laugh, but I swear you'll have ducks flying right to you if there's decoys out front, that style takes a bit of time to setup though, and i'm going to super quick setup like a scissor blind or a fixed blind. my design should just be a matter of unrolling the left & right sides like you have to do with a scissor blind, except it doesn't pop up & provide that additional cover like a scissor blind would. however, mine can be propped up to allow for extra cover :lol: 



dwbiggs said:


> military netting


yep, from the army navy store real cheap! stuff works wonders for hiding the boat from ducks on a budget


& dwbiggs, defintinitely show us yours, this thread sucks lately without picture huh?? lol


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## dwbiggs (Nov 26, 2014)

Reason I got 1/2 inch EMT was save weight. Very simple scissor blind...let sides down and wrap it with a couple bungies, no issues going down highway. Blind is 10 ft...runnng from about a foot or so back on front bench to right where drop deck ends. Looks kinda funny because the blind hangs over sides up front where boat tapers. 2 of us had more than enough room. Only thing i need to work on his how to store texas rigged decoys...took up most of floor...may get a box or something. Made separate cover for motor as well.


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## chevyrulz (Nov 27, 2014)

1 bungee up front & 1 out back and it made it over the big bridge in the wind at 70mph no problem at all:






30 seconds & it's ready to hunt:


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## chevyrulz (Nov 28, 2014)

on the river:


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## chevyrulz (Nov 29, 2014)

Here's how it's attached:






I tucked the back of the frame under the corner gussets, and the front is held by the bow line. The long tubes of the frame come apart in the middle so it fits in the shed






the rear portion of the 3/4" PVC pipe frame tucks under the corner gussets nice & snug 

I ziptied the "fast grass" to the PVC frame on the left & right sides, but not across the front or rear of the frame to allow the grass to be rolled up for trailering @ highway speeds & so that I can access the rear deck hatch for refueling, switching on lights/bilge, etc...

to build the blind frame, I used:

(5) ten foot sticks of 3/4" PVC
(4) forty-five degree elbows on the front to match the contour of the bow
(2) ninety degree elbows in the rear tucked under the corner gussets
(2) couplers in the middle of the long runs on the left/right sides allow the frame to be taken into halves for storage

I will probably add 2 more couplers, one up front & one out back so I can take the frame into 4 pieces for easier storage, it's a bit unwieldy as a 2 piece frame...


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## LeftCoastAngler (Dec 3, 2014)

Hey look!
Floating grass!


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## chevyrulz (Dec 8, 2014)

hammer flat, apply cream cheese to one side, stick sliced or diced jalepeño peppers to that side, roll up, wrap with bacon, wrap with bacon again, bake @ 375 degrees about 45 minutes to 1 hour


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## chevyrulz (Jan 31, 2015)

no new mods yet, been too busy using the boat! next will be integrated storage & permanent flooring. i'm going to put one or more hatches in the boat, definitely one in the bow, but possibly a few in the front & rear deck as well. or perhaps a gunbox instead. i want to build one from diamond plate, but i don't know if i wanna add that much weight...

update on the flooring, one morning a square disappeared between my house & the boat ramp. it also was a little slippery since i didn't glue it down. ended up being more of a pain than a help so i took it out. 

i think i've decided on dark gray "b stock" hydroturf. it's EVA foam mat with a diamond pattern cut into it, & it's a 6mm thickness. the delay is the cost being $276 shipped for 5 pieces to do the entire inside of the hull including the sidewalls. i might even need 6 pieces... i am leaning towards dark gray because it will match the engine & it's cheaper than camo. I also figure gray will help resale too by not turning off fishermen who aren't hunters or any other camo haters. i'll update once i complete any mods, but here's a few more pictures from duck season in the mean time:


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## dwbiggs (Feb 3, 2015)

Wow...look forward to seeing you mods...especially the hatch in the bow, not much room up there. Looking for a place to put second battery to power a bow mounted trolling motor. Looking into a grab bar but haven't figured out a way to attach it yet...having no side ribs makes it difficult. Have you installed rod holders?


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## chevyrulz (Feb 8, 2015)

no rod holders yet so let me know how you tackle that one if you go for it

i'm hoping 3 jackets, my small dry box, and the anchor will fit up front in the nose. i ordered a dark gray tempress 11" x 15" non-locking cam hatch. i measured & it will fit nicely in place of that factory square access hatch with some love from my angle grinder :mrgreen:

also ordered me some knock-off hydroturf. i found this "black tip jetsports" stuff on amazon & it appears to be the same as hydroturf, only cheaper & in a larger size. $120 for two dark gray sheets of 39" x 78" material already with the glue on it. i had priced out hydroturf, it was affordable til i saw they're charging like 20 something dollars for shipping per sheet. screw that! then seadeck is $120 for just 1 sheet the same size as the $60 sheet of the blacktip material & Lord knows what they want for shipping, although it does come in camo...anyways, these 2 sheets i ordered should be plenty for the floor & drop deck. i figure the gray will look good by matching the motor. 

pictures to follow once installed, but here's some more from duck season:


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## NLaudy (Feb 8, 2015)

Just an idea... Here is what I did when I redid my boat. Unfortunately I don't really have a good pic of after it was done. Added LEDs for accessing in the dark.


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## chevyrulz (Feb 8, 2015)

where u get them big round hatches, & do they come in gray or black?

tell more about hull above too, did you remove the center bench & cut the rear bench or did it come like that? what length/width?

looks great!


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## NLaudy (Feb 8, 2015)

Chevy, they are 8" inspection hatches. They aren't that big but great for throwing clothing or whatever small stuff in. I got them on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I90YF9K

The boat is a small skinny water boat. It has a 25hp motor and is listed on the title as a 1542 Bass Tracker. When I got it, it was totally stripped so I had to do what I could. It has an all aluminum transom and pods. I put all the electrical in the seat and the switch panel is on back of seat.










Sorry for jacking thread. Just like sharing ideas.


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## chevyrulz (Feb 9, 2015)

post away, thanks for the details & the extra pictures


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## JustinS (Feb 9, 2015)

Cool build, are you laying down in that blind?


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## chevyrulz (Feb 10, 2015)

nope, my ghetto blind is designed to hide outline of the boat to hunt from the river bank instead of hunting in the actual boat. it works fine to hunt from the boat though, but it doesn't hide movement from the dog or your buddy as good as a scissor blind or a taller fixed blind. if you hold still, your outline won't typically spook decoying birds until they're close enough to shoot. on the few mornings when we planned to hunt from the boat, we propped the grass up on one side to hide our outline better and/or we brought palm branches to stick in the mud in front of us too. i might create a scissor blind for next season if i can come up with the $ to buy the aluminum tubing & pay someone to tig weld it up for me. not sure i want to add the weight of an EMT electrical conduit blind frame

tempress hatch allegedly arrives this thursday & the flooring shipped out today so should have those all buttoned up by this weekend or next


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## dwbiggs (Feb 10, 2015)

Built a scissor blind for mine out of 1/2" EMT. Took a chance on the 1/2" being too thin but it worked out OK. Clamp it to the boat with hand clamps. Very simple design and is very light, no welding. Lasted the season but I didn't beat on it.


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## chevyrulz (Feb 11, 2015)

ten 4 dw, maybe i'll go 1/2 emt after all

turf showed up early, & tempress hatch scheduled for delivery tomorrow. will be saturday before i have time to install it though. the "slate gray" ain't so slate, it's more gray. was hoping for darker, but o well. it's right under a 1/4" thick:






















now, do i gap or do i seam the floor?... turf is 39" wide, but the floor is 46" wide, so i can leave un-turf'd floor on the outside edges, or i can spend forever trying to make a seam to cover the whole floor....hmmmm....stuff feels durable & likely too stiff to make any sharp angles easily, so running it up the side walls or over a 90 degree bend would probably be a pain in the neck even with a heat gun. any advice from the turf laying pros around here? paging Kurt Loup!

Here's a tin boater who gapped his floor Handiman270's 1649:










& here's a the sickest hydroturf'd tin boat i've seen Kurt Loup's Duracraft:


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## dwbiggs (Feb 12, 2015)

If you are hanging heavier camo on blind may want to go 3/4...I went real light on mine...a layer of cheap nylon camo and military netting...then cut vegetation when I get out there.


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## chevyrulz (Feb 15, 2015)

Sounds good, thanks for the tips. got my floor and hatch installed:





i decided to seam the floor. was able to cut the seam free hand using a razor knife following the lines of the material. after covering the floor, there was not enough material left to run the front deck the same direction as the floor so I'm considering running the turf on the deck with the lines running left to right versus buying another sheet... definitely going to need more of these tempress cam hatches, they're great 

the floor is narrower at the front versus the back so i took my time to measure & cut the edges to match the slant of the hull side:





scuffed the painted aluminum floor with 40 grit on the orbital then cleaned it with acetone prior to installing the turf:










below shows the seam of my 2 piece turf floor in the center of the picture. 1 piece is about 39"x67" and the other piece is about 7"x67", did my best to square up each piece at the seam & match the grooved lines pattern so it hopefully looks like one continuous piece of turf on the floor: 




















I was able to fit 3 life jackets and my anchor behind the 11"x15" cam hatch in the new bow storage area. the cam latch on this hatch is great, it's nice & tight. tempress recommends screws, but i had pop rivets laying around so i figured i'd try them out & they worked great. one benefit of rivets is they make it harder to steal the hatch. i put a nice bead of black silicone down prior to pop riveting. the hatch door stays up when open, kinda lucked out on that part:





both tempress & blacktip jetsports have the same idea of dark gray, glad they match but would be nice if they were darker gray:





tempress includes a handy template which i traced out with a red sharpie, but the template they sent me was actually too small so be sure to check that first. i added about a 1/16" to the template size & the hatch fit perfectly. planned on using the angle grinder initially, but there was plenty of clearance so i cut the hole with a bi-metal blade on the jig saw after drilling a 1/2" hole at each corner:





once the hole was cut to fit the hatch, i marked the mounting holes & drilled them with a 1/8" bit followed by the 3/16" bit for the medium 3/16" aluminum pop rivets.


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## dwbiggs (Feb 17, 2015)

Nice idea with the hatch!

Went on a run with a few mudboaters Sunday on the St Johns...my first outing with guys that know what there doing...see my boat in the background on second pic


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## dwbiggs (Feb 17, 2015)

The trip was about 25 miles round trip and it got real unconfortable sitting on that bench driving the mudmotor so I think I may try cutting the center out of the bench for more leg room and adding a grab bar so I can stand. Was also thinking that I can raise the drop deck and move the battery and maybe fuel tank forward but not sure if that will work yet. Have layout much like the Alumacraft Waterfowler


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## chevyrulz (Feb 17, 2015)

yea man, a seat with a back rest would be nice for long rides, but once i get there it's just in the way... thanks for sharing the pictures. the split rear bench does give a little extra floor space for working & hunting, but i like the rear deck a lot better for fishing. gas tank up front huh? sounds like major surgery, let's see it!


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## chevyrulz (Feb 21, 2015)

installed more turf on the front deck:



























300 denier "B" sized jon boat cover from wal-mart fits the hull perfectly:


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## dwbiggs (Feb 22, 2015)

Good job...cutting to the contour of the floor couldn't have been easy. Going in for a few mods in a couple of weeks. Definitely going with a removable grab bar and getting some seadek or hydroturf.


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## chevyrulz (Feb 22, 2015)

dwbiggs said:


> Good job...cutting to the contour of the floor couldn't have been easy.


thanks, wasn't too hard to install the turf. tape measure, straight edge, & a razor blade made quick work of it. the foam is soft enough you can get away with an extra 1/4" or so. tilt the razor to bevel the cut edge so the turf sits flush against the sides. 

did a little fishing today, no catching tho










here's a couple more of the turf floor:










it's just a generic cover, but it almost looks custom made to fit this hull:



































this keeps water & trash from collecting on top of the boat cover:










here's the box the boat cover came in:





the sizing chart says this cover is for a 14' boat so I was not expecting it to fit:


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## dwbiggs (Feb 22, 2015)

Nice...like the yeti...what size is that? You happy with your motor? Looking around for a used motor...2 stroke of some kind. Don't want to be running my mud motor around in the salt.


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## Captain Kaos (Feb 24, 2015)

nice boat i have the 1546 tunnel. i like the hatch in the front i cut a hatch in the front deck just in front of the seat mount and was thinking about putting one in the front like you did.


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## Captain Kaos (Feb 24, 2015)

dwbiggs said:


> Nice...like the yeti...what size is that? You happy with your motor? Looking around for a used motor...2 stroke of some kind. Don't want to be running my mud motor around in the salt.




are you in florida i have a 98 2 stroke mercury 25 shortshaft for sale


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## dwbiggs (Feb 24, 2015)

> are you in florida i have a 98 2 stroke mercury 25 shortshaft for sale



Yep...in Melbourne...and am interested.

BTW, how do you like your boat? You just fish out of it or hunt as well? Have any pics?

Thanks


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## Captain Kaos (Feb 25, 2015)

dwbiggs said:


> > are you in florida i have a 98 2 stroke mercury 25 shortshaft for sale
> 
> 
> 
> ...




just fish i am in port richey if you want to check it out pm me


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## Captain Kaos (Feb 25, 2015)

dwbiggs said:


> > are you in florida i have a 98 2 stroke mercury 25 shortshaft for sale
> 
> 
> 
> ...




just fish i am in port richey if you want to check it out pm me


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## Captain Kaos (Feb 25, 2015)

Here's the hatch I cut in the front deck


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## chevyrulz (Mar 1, 2015)

nice, got any more pictures of that deck hatch? did you dig out all the foam? i am wondering what it looks like under my foam, i want to put in some rod holders, but i want to be sure I plumb them for drainage to the weep channels so the foam doesn't have water just sitting on it from the rod holders. i'm 1/2 way there though, i coughed up $10 for em:






















dwbiggs said:


> Nice...like the yeti...what size is that?


45 but i would have gotten a 65 if would have fit under the deck of my flats boat, too big though




dwbiggs said:


> You happy with your motor? Looking around for a used motor...2 stroke of some kind.


couldn't be happier. 

40hp Toha 2-stroke look like a good fit for this hull @ 206lbs with short shaft, power trim, & electric start
25hp eTec 2-strokes also look good at 150lbs with short shaft, manual trim, & rope start
a used Yam on craigslist would b much cheaper though... 

got me a new trailer for the flats boat:










swapped a few parts & she fit like a glove. the bow stop had to be changed from flat/skiff style to fit my vee hull, & the 8" bunk brackets had to be swapped for 10" brackets in order for the chine to clear the trailer cross members. 





i added some scrap leftover turf to the tongue as well:


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## chevyrulz (Mar 11, 2015)

I made use of the existing holes in the rear deck for the installation of 2 flush mounted, vertical rod holders. 

Here's the port side before & after:










starboard side:










this is the original hole the factory had plugged with a plastic plug:





necessary diameter traced in green sharpie after foam was removed to the depth of the rod holder:





used a jig saw with a bi-metal blade to enlarge the hole... didn't bother plumbing them for drainage because there was an inch of standing water in the hole as it sat from the Alumacraft factory designed hole with a plastic plug n it...I used a stick of 3/4" pvc pipe and a flathead screw driver to remove some foam til the rod holders just bottomed out, then attached em with 3/16" aluminum pop rivets just like the front hatch


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## LeftCoastAngler (Mar 13, 2015)

That things a fishin machine!
(LikeButton)


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## dwbiggs (Jun 1, 2015)

Finally found an outboard to go along with the mudmotor. 2006 Yammy 25 4 stroke.


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## dwbiggs (Jun 1, 2015)

Had a couple clamps not doing anything so...


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## chevyrulz (Jun 18, 2015)

Nice man, I might have to copy your rod holder idea. how do you like that 4 stroke? and will it hit 30 mph?

Next on my list is a scissor blind, Only three months to early teal season :mrgreen:


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## derekdiruz (Jun 18, 2015)

I can't WAIT for duck season, glad I stumbled on this thread now.


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## Fishfreek (Jun 19, 2015)

Nice build.... I've been looking at a Alumacraft MV 1648 NCS online since my nearest dealer is 2 hours away and was wondering how well they were actually built and looked in person. After seeing your boat I believe I will go for a 2 hour ride next weekend.

Thanks


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## GrumpySmiles (Jun 20, 2015)

Nice rig you have Chevy.


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## dwbiggs (Jun 24, 2015)

> Nice man, I might have to copy your rod holder idea. how do you like that 4 stroke? and will it hit 30 mph?



Haven't really had it out by myself and had at it...been really low speed in creeks in small rivers so far with another person along. 



> this is the original hole the factory had plugged with a plastic plug:


 
Strange...my boat doesn't have these holes/plugs. :-k 

Since then I have gotten a 12ft graphite push pole and a bimini top...


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## chevyrulz (Jul 12, 2015)

Thanks Y'all!

I actually just scooped a carbon fiber TFO push pole off a local fishing forum for $200, it's 19'6" & amazingly light weight.

edit:

found a nice red in the grass with the new push pole, love this boat!

[youtube]mNte4ZDEyZw[/youtube]


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## chevyrulz (Aug 9, 2015)

Fishfreek said:


> Nice build.... I've been looking at a Alumacraft MV 1648 NCS online since my nearest dealer is 2 hours away and was wondering how well they were actually built and looked in person. After seeing your boat I believe I will go for a 2 hour ride next weekend.
> 
> Thanks


thx, Alumacrafts r built well

just made a scissor blind for about $100 using 3/4" EMT conduit & bimini hardware.


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## dwbiggs (Aug 17, 2015)

Nice...would like to see more pics...in down position. I made my blind all one height which of course creates some overhang up front when in down position, not an issue other than lookin' a little funny. I didn't get fancy with attachment yet...has a rectangle EMT base which I then clamp in each corner with hand clamps. Worked last season pretty well.


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## chevyrulz (Aug 17, 2015)

added a few more straps to complete the EMT/bimini scissor blind. 1 man can put it up in seconds & it comes off the boat completely without leaving hardware or holes. all that's left is to attach the grass mats



dwbiggs said:


> would like to see more pics...in down position.


here's the blind frame in up & down positions:


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## Catch Release Repeat (Aug 17, 2015)

I've got a Yamaha 25hp 4 stroke myself and its hands down the best motor I've ever owned. Had it going 29 mph while on a choppy day on Lake Erie. It pushes my 1648 at a consistent 26 a couple pins up to plane out fastest. That Rod holder idea is pure genious. I'll be stealing that one.


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## dwbiggs (Aug 18, 2015)

> That Rod holder idea is pure genious. I'll be stealing that one.



Have since added drink cups to the rod holders...works well.


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## dwbiggs (Sep 9, 2015)

Had a grab bar put in...


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## chevyrulz (Sep 14, 2015)

Nice, I like the grab bar

I need to make a tiller handle extension for my 25hp yamaha 2 stroke on this 1546, prolly have some PVC laying around


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## chevyrulz (Oct 9, 2015)

Finally got the blind grass hung, damn that took a lot of zip ties! I also used jute twine, and I have to cut some loose to make flaps for the front and back, but here's where I'm at so far:


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## g0nef1sshn (Oct 9, 2015)

Dang that looks good, I would need more green where I am. Winter in S Fl doesnt turn everything brown. But that looks good!


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## chevyrulz (Oct 10, 2015)

thanks, some folks spray paint the grass mats or use other brush to break things up a bit.

Decided against cutting the grass mats & making front/rear flaps...


















ready to trailer or run down the river:













added thumb screws to the Bimini clamps:





grass mats just hang from the frame making for easy access over the gunwale with blind up:





used a heatgun and Phillips screwdriver to make holes for rivets, the nylon straps are repurposed from the boat cover:





plastic fencing used for backing on grass mats, helps 'em roll up & secure w/ bungee cords making it suitable for highways speeds:





1 of the 4 mounting points where the blind attaches to the boat:





cover still fits over the blind:


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## chevyrulz (Oct 26, 2015)

just picked up an LED light bar for the duck boat! it's a dual stack from Kohree, got the 9" that allegedly puts out 10,800 lumens. the top row of LEDs are flood, & the bottom row are spot & it has a 3 wire setup so the spot/flood can be controlled separately or turned on together. i paired it with a 3 position red backlit Rigid Industries switch & will wire 1 side to be flood lights & the other for flood+spot. i chose this particular light because of the mounting brackets & intended use. I will use it to illuminate my path duck hunting on the way to the hunting location before dawn, but also i want the flood lights to be able to turn on alone for flounder gigging. The mounting brackets slide so they can fit any existing holes, & i am going to mount it using the holes where my bow cleat is currently so i can avoid drilling new holes in the boat. the dual stack LED light is higher so it should cover more water for flounder gigging. Here's the parts & i will update once installed:


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## BigTerp (Oct 27, 2015)

That thing looks ready to kill some ducks!!!


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## dwbiggs (Oct 28, 2015)

Put these on my boat and they do a good job...rated for 3000 lumens each...your setup should light burn out thre retinas of every critter in the immediate area!


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## chevyrulz (Nov 1, 2015)

Got the light bar mounted, works great!

Ran the wire inside the gunwale just like the nav light then mounted my switch on the battery box, I can turn on the top row of flood lights alone or turn on the flood and spot together, I used a coax cable grommet where the wire goes out of the light through the deck for a clean looking install, and I didn't drill a single extra hole to mount the light because it uses 2 existing holes from where the bow cleat used to be;


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## tyler0421 (Nov 1, 2015)

I'm wanting to do the same thing on my boat. I want to be able to use one or two light bars and then be able to face them down to gig flounder. It looks like the way you have yours mounted it wouldn't shine the water if tilted down? Wouldn't it need to be closer to the edge?


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## chevyrulz (Nov 2, 2015)

tyler0421 said:


> It looks like the way you have yours mounted it wouldn't shine the water if tilted down? Wouldn't it need to be closer to the edge?


it's true my setup is more for navigating back creeks & timber swamps than gigging, but the way i mounted it using only 1 offset bracket instead of both mounting brackets, lets it rotate right, putting it much closer to the edge for stabbing flat fish :mrgreen:


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## chevyrulz (Dec 2, 2015)

Homemade tiller handle extension for $12:






Cut slits in the end of the PVC that will slip over the tiller handle throttle





Camo wrapped & ready to hunt! I cut about 6" off to make it clear the passenger and am still able to steer standing on the rear deck


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## chevyrulz (Feb 16, 2016)

boat has good duck hunting juju apparently:


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## evansjoem (Feb 18, 2016)

Did I see a coot in that picture?? SMH.....


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## BigTerp (Feb 22, 2016)

evansjoem said:


> Did I see a coot in that picture?? SMH.....
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Yep, along side the green wing teal and the hen mallard. But what's wrong with shooting coot?


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## evansjoem (Feb 22, 2016)

I was giving u shit. Out west we don't. Do eat them no biggie. They are terrible here


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## BigTerp (Feb 22, 2016)

evansjoem said:


> I was giving u s**t. Out west we don't. Do eat them no biggie. They are terrible here
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



HA!! So I've heard. Those aren't my pictures, was just curious why you were giving him a hard time about shooting coots. We can kill 15 a day in Maryland. I've never shot one myself though. Sounds like how we treat mergansers. We try not to shoot them because they taste so bad. I even tried to make jerky out of a few one time. Bad idea!!


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## evansjoem (Feb 22, 2016)

I shot a merganser when I was a kid and my dad made me eat it they are terrible!


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## g0nef1sshn (Feb 22, 2016)

Ive had a few mergs from Ga and Fl, havnt crossed a bad tasting one yet. But Coots, ill pass on. I have heard they can taste great too. probably all about where and what they are eating.


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## chevyrulz (Feb 23, 2016)

evansjoem said:


> Did I see a coot in that picture?? SMH.....


haha yea i actually did shoot that coot, he was taunting me though [-X 

normally, i don't shoot coots or mergansers because they don't eat well. they do make good dog toys though :mrgreen:



BigTerp said:
 

> along side the green wing teal and the hen mallard


that's actually a mottled duck Terp, they are definitely hard to distinguish from a hen mallard


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## BigTerp (Feb 24, 2016)

chevyrulz said:


> that's actually a mottled duck Terp, they are definitely hard to distinguish from a hen mallard



Ah, sure is. We get a crack at those every once in a great while. Looks like you had a good year? We did OK. Better goose hunting then ducks for us this year. Killed 56 geese during early goose season. Didn't keep track of the ducks, but not quite as good as years past. Our waterfowl season is officially over March 9th. Doubt I'll make it back out before then. Ready to do some fishing anyway!!


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## chevyrulz (Jun 27, 2016)

just sold her :x 

1860 on its way!


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## BigTerp (Jun 28, 2016)

Jealous!!


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## chevyrulz (Jul 7, 2016)

the waiting is killing me! just ordered this hull & trailer (alumacraft MV1860AW), delivery should happen around the week of 7/18/16:






my 1860 will have rear casting deck like my 1546, not split bench/pods like the above pic

alumacraft was kind enough to rig the lighter weight 1860 tiller hull with their smaller 1650 sized console & they're deleting the windshield & the grab rail:

























hull is 625lbs + the console

it's rated for a 50hp 4-stroke, but i got a 2004 Yamaha 60hp 2-stroke for it :mrgreen: 

those are all just stock photos from the alumacraft website... I will make a new thread once real modifications begin , i may even have a leaning post fabbed up if funds permit


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## FishermanSailor (Jul 15, 2016)

Great build. A word of caution, be careful about overpowering what the vessel is rated for. You or the person you sell to may not be able to get it insured.


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## perchjerker (Jul 15, 2016)

FishermanSailor said:


> Great build. A word of caution, be careful about overpowering what the vessel is rated for. You or the person you sell to may not be able to get it insured.



solid advice


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## chevyrulz (Aug 1, 2016)

any hull & motor combination can be insured. the question is, can you afford the insurance policy?

if you overpower the hull, you pay more & you limit the list of companies willing to write the policy.

as far as the 1860 i ordered, the tiller model is rated for a 50, but when they rig the center console, the rating goes up, so it's rated for a 90 on the NMMA plate which may or may not have already been tossed in the garbage [-X


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## dwbiggs (Aug 1, 2016)

Wow...1860...outgrew the 1546 pretty fast...and in a big way!


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## chevyrulz (Aug 3, 2016)

haha yes indeed, this new one is the Jon Yacht for sure


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