boats on a budget

[tashasdaddy]

Re: boats on a budget

are the brackets adjustable, should be. you need that center roller to help load the boat. more so than the front one. if look at this picture, i need to replace the front roller bracket, but at present the bow stop supports the bow, it loads beautifully like it is.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

I just took some pictures of the boat on the trailer, notice how the boat bulges downward in the center, I pulled out the center roller, so it's only resting on the front and rear, , it should be an easy fix, I think I'm just flustered with it at the moment because progress is so slow, I don't get much done during the week due to work.

I'll make a trip t the hardware store and see if I can find something to use for the bunk brackets, the bunks are going to have to be right at the edge of the trailer, there was a set of bunks on it when I got it, but they sat way to high, and they were ugly.

I also seriously scratched the paint when I was adjusting the winch post and rollers, so now I have some touch up work to do, I'm probably being way to finicky with it, it's just a boat and trailer, I just don't want it being the ugliest one at the dock.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: boats on a budget

you are going to have to figure a way to raise that front roller. that gap in the keel worries me when loading also. is the winch stand adjustable. needs to be higher, for bow eye, new computer program so haven't figure out how to doctor pictures yet. you can use 2x6 or 2x8 for bunks, and cut them to fit. then use lag screws up thru the trailer.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

I figured I'd give the trailer a break for now, and work on something else, I'll go back to the trailer project when I am a little better prepared for it, I have this habit of wanting everything perfect, and the trailer isn't coming out the way I wanted it to, so I'll give the trailer a rest until maybe this weekend.

I still need to get a bow eye on it, and am sizing that up and down to figure out the best way to do it, but in the mean time, I got tired of looking at that bow cap, so I used that alumaweld rod on it, that was my project for today, now I have to go to work, but here's some before and after pictures of the bow cap, I think it came out looking pretty good,

 

[Fish n Geer]

Re: boats on a budget

Looking good!

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

Looking good!

I'm impressed with that alumaweld stuff, I'm getting better at it the more I use it, the bow cap was pretty easy, I'll try to figure out something for that hole that is under the cap in the front of the boat. I figured I could carve a block of wood to fill the gap/hole.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

About that bow eye, here's a picture of about where it should go, tashasdaddy suggested putting here (where the red dot is) and that's where I want it, but that cap that runs down the front of the boat is so thin, how do you get a bow eye in there and have it look like it belongs? I'm not sure I can drill it out and be able to run the drill dead center through that cap all the way to the inside of the boat.

Got any other ideas?

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

The only thing I've thought of so far is to use an aluminum bow eye like the one in the picture, and notch the back of it so it fits over that bow ridge/channel thing, and weld it on with that alumaweld, I think I could do a pretty clean job on it, but it?s still going to get that sheet aluminum on the boat pretty hot doing it, and I really don't want to be heating up that boat material any more then I have to, got any suggestions?

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

you are going to have to figure a way to raise that front roller. that gap in the keel worries me when loading also. is the winch stand adjustable. needs to be higher, for bow eye, new computer program so haven't figure out how to doctor pictures yet. you can use 2x6 or 2x8 for bunks, and cut them to fit. then use lag screws up thru the trailer.

I can raise the front roller, probably about an inch and a half or so, the gap at the keel is a repair I'm working on, there was a rotted peice of wood in there and I'll probably ad that to my list of things to do this weekend, I won't take the boat out intil I replace that, the winch stand is stuck where it's at but the roller bracket for the bow eye stop is at it's lowest position, it can go up a lot higher.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: boats on a budget

starting off with a center punch, big nail, use a small bit for a pilot hole. your reinforcement for inside is this either 2 2x4's or a 4x4. only needs to be 8-12 inches. then use an eye bolt long enough to go thru, and place the washer and nut inside.

you have to have that center roller. that trailer is basically a utility trailer, most boat trailer, don't have that center piece running all the way thru.

bow eye, http://www.iboats.com/Seadog_Bow_Ey...46652634--list_time.1193394016--view_id.39814

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

starting off with a center punch, big nail, use a small bit for a pilot hole. your reinforcement for inside is this either 2 2x4's or a 4x4. only needs to be 8-12 inches. then use an eye bolt long enough to go thru, and place the washer and nut inside.

that's what I want to do, but the problem is, that cap on the front is only 3/8th of an inch wide (see picture) the smallest bow eye shaft I've seen is the same width, if I could find something smaller, it might work, but I'm thinking that the cap is to narrow, this is starting to look like a very cheaply built boat.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

I pulled out the old transom, well, more like it fell out when I hit it with a hammer, it was completely rotted out.

it was made with hardwood, not plywood, I'd like to replace it with hardwood, it's going to have to be 3/4" think, and it's going to measure 15" wide by 18" long.

what's a good wood to use? I want to be able to have a dark grain showing when I'm done with it, not sure if I should stain it, lacquer it or what, so what am I going to want to use for wood?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: boats on a budget

that is a motor pad, the transom is the piece across the inside, i would use 3/4 exterior ply, you are not going to find something that size in solid wood anymore. seal all edges and slide it in.

you are right on the bow eye, fashion something back on to the bow cap, for a bow eye, then a tie down to the trailer.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

that is a motor pad, the transom is the piece across the inside, .

shows you what I know, I thought it was all the same, I'll pick up some 3/4 inch plywood and make a new motor pad, what am I going to want to seal it with?

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

I have a left over, extra bilge pump out of the other boat that I was thinking of putting in the little aluminum, not that I need it, but rather then a bucket should I ever take on any water, I had thought that the bilge pump might be kind of an slick feature for this old boat, problem was, I don't want to drill any holes in the side of the boat for the drain, the boat is shallow enough as it is, why ad more holes?

I was scrounging through the garage and found this nifty little gadget, mount that on top of one of the rear corner braces, when you want to drain the boat, turn on the valve .... ...no I haven't been drinking today, but maybe it's time to work on something else? I'm starting to get board.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: boats on a budget

it would work, and you could wash your hands at the same time.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

it would work, and you could wash your hands at the same time.

hey, now there's an idea, want to wash up? throw a little water in the boat, and turn on the faucet, or toss the bilge overboard.

I've been working on the boat today, I found a nice long peice of 2x3 nylon, I used it to make the center support so I have a roller in front, a skid in the middle and a roller in back, I'll get osme pictures up here, it came out pretty good I think, and the boat sits solid on the trailer.

 

[Fish n Geer]

Re: boats on a budget

I love following this project! Cant wait too see whats next Mr Stuart.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

well here's some more pictures. I got the keel supported on the trailer, I found a nice chunk of nylon, and cut it and grooved it, so now the boat sits solid on the trailer, the keel rests in the channel of the nylon support, I still need to do the edge supports,

That gap in the keel? I thought I could use some of that nylon to fill the gap, I wouldn't have to worry about it rotting out like the wood did that was there, the third picture is just a mock-up of what it would look like, I was going to put it in today, but am thinking that the nylon might be to soft, I got all the parts cut, but I'd have to bolt them together instead of gluing, and I'm not sure if having something as soft as nylon should be up there, still thinking about that one.

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: boats on a budget

I'm still thinking about that sink faucet, it would be unique, I'm just not sure yet how much of a dork I want to look like going down the river with a sink faucet hanging over the railing of the boat.