# ALUMACRAFT1448MV Elec. Reservoir Boat COMPLETE OVERHAUL!!!



## lefty (Dec 7, 2012)

i wanted to maximize my storage area. more room for my tackle. be able to put the seat under the deck when not in use. more deck room to slide my rods further back, in turn giving me more side to side standing room up front. 
i kinda tried to mimic a bass boat layout without the console. there will be a step between the two deck extensions. 

plan on using PALIGHT for the decking. its basically PVC board. just like pipe but in a sheet. much lighter than plywood. 


as you see this is an all electric boat. 

i want to wire up some solenoids to cut on the rear motors from the front deck. but i dont know how to wire it up or which solenoid to get. or do i have to get two? any help would be appreciated.

will post more pics as i get more progress.

i need a nice TINBOATS decal so i can represent! (HINT HINT!!)


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## Bugpac (Dec 7, 2012)

Solenoids use power, runs the batteries down faster. Solenoids are cake tho. You need to sorce them that support the max amp draw of your motor, then add a cushion factor.


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## lefty (Dec 7, 2012)

im running two 70 lb thrust in the back. and a 70 up front. running 7 batterys total... you say they will drain my battery, what other options do i have? i want to be able to control the motors on off with a switch. im pretty savy with just about anything but i know NOTHING about the solenoids...i think with a little coaching i could figure it out. 

being these motors pull so many amps. i know just wiring them with a bigfoot switch is out of the question. ive tried numerous things but it just burns the switch up. 

also. i have that little white pellet foam in the benches. ive read that some of this stuff will absorb water. is this the same stuff? 
the boat is a 11' model. so its pretty new.


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## jetmech (Dec 7, 2012)

Did you buy your decking yet, if not i have floor boards from a retired airline airplane. they are made of fiberglass and honeycomb. I currently have 3 floor boards measuring 2 at 7 ft long by 19.5 inches wide and each one weighs 8 lbs and the third one is 9 ft by 19.5 inches. I would give you these three boards if you just pay for shipping and try them out on your rig and let me know how they work out. I will be getting about 50 of these in the next 2 weeks. Let me know if you would like to try these out. BTW i have a thread in the Boat House section called "lightweight decking" Thanks


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## lefty (Dec 7, 2012)

how much is shipping to VA


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## jetmech (Dec 7, 2012)

what is your zip code


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## lefty (Dec 7, 2012)

23833


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## jetmech (Dec 7, 2012)

For a 23lb package looks like 22 dollars. if you dont need them 7 ft long i could cut them down but that wouldnt leave you with extra to make inner walls for your compartments.


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## jetmech (Mar 14, 2013)

Have you made any progress on the boat. I tried texting but no reply.. Hope all is good with you.


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## bigwave (Mar 14, 2013)

Did you use a break to get the angles on the rear area, or did you just cut the angle and bend it by hand? I like the way that looks for a future mod......just wanted to know how you made those two supports. 

Thanks 
Kevin


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## lefty (Mar 14, 2013)

No i cut the exact notch needed to make the bend. Then used rivets to secure it. 
Ive posted what few pics i have.


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## lefty (Mar 14, 2013)

I was only able to use the airplane floor boards in a limited fashion. It is complicated to fasten the boards to any kind of framing without intricate fabrication. They are extremely lightweight and i did use them under the deck and a few of the hatch lids.


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## jetmech (Mar 14, 2013)

Thats cool, I was worried something happened to you. Was the difficulties in fastening them without crushing them, and was there other issues too. Thanks for the honest feedback and if you had any suggestions if others wanted to use them post up your feedback.


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## lefty (Mar 14, 2013)

The boards i used for hatch lids are working fine. Its just i had to have an aluminum frame under. And in my design some places wouldnt suite framework. Only the lid was needed. You can see the hatches in green and brown in the pic.


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## jetmech (Mar 14, 2013)

Your progress looks great, what is the white decking made of. Sounds good and I will keep them for sale as long as I have them. I appreciate the feedback.


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## lefty (Mar 14, 2013)

The white boards are pvc board. 1/2". Very stout and not to heavy. Palight. Is brand name. They are the boards that didnt require framing. Im done with the boat. Had it out a dozen times already this year. Lightning fast.


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## TimRich (Mar 15, 2013)

Nice! The boat turned out great!


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## tcampbell011 (Mar 16, 2013)

Hey how did that PVC turn out? Which material was it? I see a couple different ones listed on their website.

I have a14ft Jon and am trying to keep the weight down. I plan on using aluminum framing also. 

Is there anything you would've done differently?
How did you attach the PVC to the aluminum... rivets?

Thanks! That's a freaking awesome build!!!


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## lefty (Mar 12, 2014)

Few more images... New Torqeedo installed with Ezy-Glide stick steer in the recessed tray. She will run around 8-9mph now.


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## BR1 (Mar 12, 2014)

Your build looks really good, I like it!


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## typed by ben (Mar 12, 2014)

thats scooting for an electric!


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## Ranchero50 (Mar 13, 2014)

I would do something unique, like set your rear motors up for remote steering and throttle. Then just extend the motor wiring and steering mechanism to the transom. I guess it would depend on whether you motors have reducer coils in the motor housing for lower speeds or SCR controlling and just a single pair of wires going into the motors. You could put your speed controls (from the motors) amidships on the rear of your front deck and use a longer steering arm so you can steer it off the front.

Personally I'd just stretch it a bit and install a Seadoo jet drive.


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## lefty (Mar 13, 2014)

Ranchero--- if you look closely at a few posts prior... I've already switched out the motors to a 9.9hp electric outboard.-- "Torqeedo". With the stick steer controls mounted up front. I fish all electric lakes so this boat will stay electric only. So no Jet for me


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## Ranchero50 (Mar 13, 2014)

I saw it, just didn't realize what it is.

My Seadoo build started out as an Alumacraft 1448MV.


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## lefty (Feb 19, 2016)

Updated pics of the interior/storage. Rod storage. Used fiberglass sheets for dividers between compartments. Rod locker will hold an 8 ft rod easy b there are about 13 in there now. Could probably fit a few more. 

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## Fishfreek (Feb 19, 2016)

Awesome job I love all that deck space.


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## JET4 (Feb 19, 2016)

very nice build


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## lefty (Jan 14, 2017)

So To make a long story short. I gutted the boat. I didn't like a few little things, and I have been half ass modifying it the past few years and it seemed like there was always something that wasn't quite right. 

The livewell extended into the rod locker. I didn't have access to the opposite side of the livewell where the old bench seat was. I just kinda cut one side out for the livewell. 

The back hood for the battery hatch I kinda modified on a whim and I really didn't like the wasted space. 

The final straw, I had a chaffed wire that controls the Electric outboard somewhere underneath all this mess. 

So I ripped it all out.






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## lefty (Jan 14, 2017)

The above picture is back to bare bones... this is where I started from. I completely removed the front deck and middle bench. And eventually the back bench. 

Then started on my framing






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## lefty (Jan 14, 2017)

I wanted to reinforce the bottom where the old bench seat was since there was around 21-22 inches between the ribs so I kinda sorta made my own ribs









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## lefty (Jan 14, 2017)

The ribs aren't attached to the boat but rather pressure forced against the bottom. The pictures before are from when I was mocking it up. 


Today I began on removing the rear bench and more framing. I finished framing for the front deck installed the Ezy glide stick steer again and mounted the control box to the frame. 
My previous build I had to route the cable in an odd way which put excessive tension on it making it a little hard to steer. 
With gutting the decks I can now run it straight back and free up an additional 8-10" of cable. 







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## lefty (Jan 14, 2017)

Started framing the back deck. And more pictures of the rest of the framing I forgot to mention. 











The new design brings the deck 2" higher through the middle and back of the boat. 
Might not seem like much but I didn't have a lot of clearance overtop the battery terminals. 
Also the livewell was siting directly on the bottom of the boat. I plan to raise it up a few inches and modify the livewell box completely to reduce it to 19-20 gallons as opposed to the factory 33 gallons. 





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## lefty (Jan 14, 2017)

I invite constructive criticism please... 

I am pretty handy with carpentry and pretty much anything working with my hands. I have tinkered with welding Stick and MIG but never TIG. 
I have used all 3/16 rivers and 1/4 stainless bolts. The bolts are for main connections where I'm afraid a rivet may work loose or fail. No stainless connections to the boat itself though. All rivets and pressure fitting. 

Im planning to use 1/6" x 1" tubing for my hatch lids. 

Going to skin the decks with either thin sheet aluminum or again with some of the PVC sheeting. Haven't decided. 

My problem is I'm not sure how to attach the carpet to the aluminum tubing if I wrap it around each hatch. Similar to the way bass boats do. 
Previously I used staples into the PVC deck board and I noticed when I gutted everything that the staples were rusting. 

Is tucking-glue and clamps the only way? 


Also planning on running some sort of conduit pipe or small irrigation piping up the middle to run all of my wiring front to back so as not to have anymore nicks in the wires. 
I ran them through the ribs before and the always clogged up with trash. Probably where the nick came from. 

I am also going to plumb my livewell with 5/8" tubing/pipe. The pumps have 3/4" inlet but I think I can find a reducer at Lowes homedepot. Hopefully this will keep the pressure a little higher and give me better circulation. If this won't work someone please tell me.


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## lefty (Feb 16, 2017)

Updated pics. Framing is 95%


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## lefty (Feb 16, 2017)

Trying to be complete by the end of the month. Still a long way to go.


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