New Boat for College Kid

[Blue1983boat]

Hey Everyone,
I finally decided to register for this website/forum after referencing it for the last 3 months. I purchased a 1983 Blue Fin 16ft Pro Fish with a 35 horse Evinrude and a newer bow mounted trolling motor in March and I've been redoing the interior. This forum has helped alot with my project and I've seen pretty good success so far. I'll try to post some pictures soon, but I'm pretty busy with work and school as well as trying to finish the boat up. I'll give a quick summary of what I've done so far..

• Cleaned out all the trash
• Drilled out all the rivets in the floor and pulled out the old floor and casting decks, as well as the aluminum structural components.
• Pulled off the console and all the wiring.
• Cut of the factory poured in foam
• Cleaned the hull
• Found some old lures
• Removed motor and trolling motor
• Took out batteries
• Block sanded the interior hull and all the components
• Wax and greese remover on all components
• Rolled and tipped Rustomleum White Marine Primer
• Rolled and tipped 3 coats of Navy Rustoleum Marine Paint (Upper Interior Hull)
• Rolled and tipped 3 coats of Gray Rustomleum Marine Paint (Lower Interior Hull)
• Cut new plywood for floors and casting deck (1/2in exterior plywood)
• Cut new gray cabelas marine carpet and test fitted it with wood in hull
• Pulled out transom board and will be replacing with new one (Raising motor 2 inches)
• New wiring for the complete boat including a new DC distribution panel

That's how far I've gotten so far. I have epoxy and pour in foam that I will be doing in the near future that I bought from US composites. I also will be adding a inboard charger and a hummingbird 797. It's kept me really busy and I've been working a lot of hours trying to pay for it. Right now I'm trying to make new hatches that are flush. I'm using aluminum U-channel and ss hinges, but I'm having some issues with the hinges going into the side of the plywood. If any of you have made your own I could use some ideas. I think I figured out how to support the lid so you can walk on it, but the hinge is still giving me trouble. Like I said I'll post some pictures to clarify. Thanks again to this forum for all the helpful threads!!!

 

[MrShoehorn]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Sounds awesome! Can't wait to see those pictures.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

using piano hinges? getting screws to hold in the side of plywood is a real pain. it does not look great, but surface mounting the hinges is about the only solution. using a 1/2 inch z channel works well for supporting the cover, just run it all the way around the opening, and then screw the piano hinge into the z channel and plywood. using 1 1/2 inch piano hinge works best. piano hinges are measure with the hinge open totally flat, the width of the hinge. aluminum is fine.

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

I've attached some pictures of how the boat looked when I bought it.

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Attached some images of the tear down.

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

The last images included all the junk under the floors, the pile of floatation foam after I cut it out, and the stripped down hull before it was completely cleaned.

I've attached images of the primered hull, after paint when I measured the old wood. It had four pieces of wood and I decided to make it to sections instead.

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

I've attached images of the new wiring, the second photo is when the console in place for mock up. The console is currently white primer, but I will be painting it gray to match the gray and blue theme. The final picture is of the new casting deck wood.

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

I've attached the current photos of the condition of the boat. The floor and other components are not in yet and the carpet it not glued on yet, I have it wrapped around the wood and set in place just to check the fit of the panels. In the near future I will be epoxying the wood and then glueing the carpet on. Then I get to install it all. I also need to finish the transom, and figure out the hatches. I will not be painting the outside hull until sometime in the fall.

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

I have SS 1 1/6 inch piano hinges. I think I figured out how to mount the hatches, it's similar to what you?re saying, just I'm using aluminum U-channel that will is mounted on the bottom of the plywood floor and will span from one side of opening to the other. Then the hinges will mount on this U-channel so it is more rigid. The hinge is then mounted to the flat surface (bottom of the lid) on the plywood so it doesn't have to screw into the side anymore. The lids have given me the most trouble, I've tried many different designs and this is the one that I think will be the best for my application and materials available to me. The local fleet farm has the U-channel, but if they had the z-channel I would probably consider that as an option. I'll post photos once I finish one hatch as it's hard to explain in words, I'm a visual guy.

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

If I were to use z-channel where would I be able to purchase this? Would I make it myself with two pieces of 90 degree angle (aluminum). It would need to have the correct depth so that the lid sits flush with the casting decks when both are carpeted.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

You work fast! And the results are fantastic. Looks like a great fishing rig.

 

[Off-Peak]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

great work!!! i cant help with the issue, but I like what I see...!!

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

It's coming out better then what I thought. I just epoxied all the wood tonight and stained some of the exposed wood accent pieces, I'll post pictures soon. I think it's been about 4 weeks since I've started. I?m really shooting to have it done by Memorial Day weekend.

 

[NickAndJena]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Wow... Completely impressed with what you've done with that boat. We're wondering if you are the college kid or if the boat will be a "gift"?

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Thanks for the comments. I am the college kid. I'm a senior at college and I've been living on my own for the past two years. It's a bit of drive to my parent's place so I bought this boat so I could fish out where I live. My place has a garage, one of the requirements I sought after, so I'm able to have this project. It's a real fun project, but the cost of redoing it has added up faster then what I thought. Luckly summer is close so I can work full time and that will help me pay the bills.

 

[NickAndJena]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Thanks for the comments. I am the college kid. I'm a senior at college and I've been living on my own for the past two years. It's a bit of drive to my parent's place so I bought this boat so I could fish out where I live. My place has a garage, one of the requirements I sought after, so I'm able to have this project. It's a real fun project, but the cost of redoing it has added up faster then what I thought. Luckly summer is close so I can work full time and that will help me pay the bills.

As a recent college grad (2004), I fully understand the "starving students fund". Keep up the good work, and I'm sure finals are coming up soon so good luck on those. You'll be catchin' fish from that awesome rig in no time.

Nick

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Thanks,
Finals are this week. Luckly I did good enough during the semester that they shouldn't be a problem. I just bent up some new aluminum for the trim along the top of the transom. This was needed because I am running the transom board striaght across rather then having in drop down. The motor had a chunk of wood as a riser block so this will be much more solid. The aluminum turned out good, I'll be posting pictures sometime this week.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

First of all, Welcome Aboard!

Excellent work, gotta ask is this your first ever restore? I am almost done with my first restore (at 43 yrs old) and gotta say if I had your building skills, well my boat would look amazing by now...

On the Memorial day deadline, that has got to be one of the WORST days in the world to try and get on the water, that and July 4th! lol

Everybody and their brother (friends, dogs, wives, friends) show up at the ramp and fight to get their time on the water, which is usually so packed you can walk across the water from all the traffic...

 

[Blue1983boat]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Thanks again. I just checked out your thread and your boat looks real nice. Your project is more involved then mine is though. Mine is just a basic fishing boat. It is my first boat project, I probably have 4 times the amount of time invested in reading/researching then working on the thing. All that research has made things go much smoother and quicker. That's why I've had to read so many threads. This forum is my boat restoration manual. During Memorial Day weekend I go up to Northern WI and fish a larger lake up there. It's not as busy as the lakes in the cities. My fiance and her family goes every year and they bring up their boats. I'm excited to have my own up there, maybe we can have a small turney between the boats or something. It's going to be a close deadline to meet, but I'm trying my best.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: New Boat for College Kid

Thanks...

If not for this site I would be lost AND doing things the wrong way or killing myself trying to figure the stupidest thing out....

You are a worthy addition to the site, I have no doubt that you will hit your deadline, by a couple days at that!