# My boat :: The final product (photos)



## AndrewR (May 19, 2008)

Last week or the week before, I made a brief post about my boat and showed you guys the rig I was working with.

A 1979 Lund Guide Series 315 with a 28HP Evinrude SPL.

When the post was made, I have everything set in place except for the trolling motor, the electronics, and the mounting platform for it. 

Today, well on Sunday the 18th, I spent around 11-12 hours working on the boat, in hopes of completely finishing it by next weekend, its maiden voyage in WI. 

After about 12 hours of work today, I finally got the boat finished and up to perfection.

Here is what I did, along with the help I received.

- With lots of assistance, we got a trolling motor mounting platform cut out and bolted to the boat. Special thanks to my dad's and my friend who happens to be a steel-worker and master carpenter. He knew what he was doing.
- Installed the $600+ trolling motor
- Installed locator onto casting deck
- Did lots of wiring and organizing of the electrical stuff
- Installed battery straps that will secure them during travels and when fishing.

Got lots of photos from today and they are in this album I just made which shows all of the progress that was made. It's about 7 months worth of work. 

https://fishing-headquarters.com/galleries/thumbnails.php?album=43&page=1

More photos from today's work are inside the link towards the end album pages. I highly suggest for you to view through it.

Here's what happened today and here is how it looks.











The mounting platform. We decided to use the lightest material we had, which happened to be a 15lb channel of hard and compressed aluminum. We went with the following method for mounting because rather than make a triangle "cover" on the bow which is so standard on v-hull boats, this would enable me to have more space to work on my small casting deck. By doing so, I have more room now. With the triangle which was my initial plan, and chosen one, I wouldn't have had nearly as much room for using the little deck.





You see the locator mount? It looks innovative and we thought it would work in that position. But when I did the wiring later on in the day and into the evening, the power plug wouldn't fit through the small gaps of space I had. So I had to re-mount the thing elsewhere. 




















The way the mounting platform was bolted onto the boat. PERFECT SOLID FIT!










The little casting deck works and I don't see a need to make an extension for it.

Although I am finished with the work, I still have a few teeny tiny things to do such as getting some in-line fuses placed into the batteries, and I need to make the trolling motor power cord longer and extend it with 12-gauge wires because Minn Kota was kind of stupid and the cord is only less than 3ft long.

This was a fun project. I took my time and did it all within a matter of 7 months.
I hope my next project, if it happens, will be more comprehensive and advanced than this. But yet again, I thought that everything I did to this boat was advanced and a major project to begin with. I RE-DID THE ENTIRE THING!!  =D> I turned a piece of $600 trash into a potential $3,000 rig!


Again, if you missed the link to the album showing all the work I did in the last 7 months, here it is: https://fishing-headquarters.com/galleries/thumbnails.php?album=43&page=1

Thanks everyone.


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## Captain Ahab (May 19, 2008)

Nice job there - thanks for the post


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## Jim (May 19, 2008)

Good job Andrew! =D>


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## Waterwings (May 19, 2008)

Looks great, and I like the use of the aluminum channel for the trolling motor! 8) . Heck, you could probably mount a cup/tool holder on the side of the channel if wanted


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## wartoys (May 20, 2008)

Nice job!! Hey, how did you attach the carpet to the channel?
Have fun!
Jeff


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## G3_Guy (May 20, 2008)

Very Nice. Looks as good or better than a factory job! =D>


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## BLK fisher (May 20, 2008)

Nice job. Hope you catch alot of fish on it.


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## AndrewR (May 20, 2008)

Thanks everyone.

Jeff, I just used outdoor carpet adhesive (forgot the brand). Took forever to dry, probably because it's been so cold here in IL, but it's glued on there!  

andrew


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## FishingBuds (May 20, 2008)

yea thats sweet 8)


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