I finally got rid of some stuff that was taking up room in my garage and started my boat rebuild.
I picked up this boat near the end of last summer and only got out on the water once just to be sure I actually wanted a boat. I do. The problem is the deck is soft, the transom looks about as trustworthy as a used car salesman, and it leaks enough that I had to run the bilge pump every hour. I didn't really know what I had until I discovered this forum, I was just looking for a boat that was big enough for four people and light enough to tow behind my small toyota truck over a couple mountains to the lake.
It's a 1981 Fishing Machine (I'm unsure about the model number) with a two cylinder 2 stroke 50HP Johnson. The engine ran decent, it handled fairly well, and the trailer is in OK shape so I don't think I've bough a money pit of heartbreak and despair, just a simple money pit boat project. I haven't fished since I was a kid so this is just to get me and my girlfriend out on the water to play with a minimum of boat and cost. My plan is to replace the deck. transom, flotation, seating, and fix the leaks while not worrying about how it looks I can repaint it later.
Right after I got it home.

Before I started taking things appart.


Joy of joys, no poured in foam!

And that's as far as I got before it got dark and started to rain.
I picked up this boat near the end of last summer and only got out on the water once just to be sure I actually wanted a boat. I do. The problem is the deck is soft, the transom looks about as trustworthy as a used car salesman, and it leaks enough that I had to run the bilge pump every hour. I didn't really know what I had until I discovered this forum, I was just looking for a boat that was big enough for four people and light enough to tow behind my small toyota truck over a couple mountains to the lake.
It's a 1981 Fishing Machine (I'm unsure about the model number) with a two cylinder 2 stroke 50HP Johnson. The engine ran decent, it handled fairly well, and the trailer is in OK shape so I don't think I've bough a money pit of heartbreak and despair, just a simple money pit boat project. I haven't fished since I was a kid so this is just to get me and my girlfriend out on the water to play with a minimum of boat and cost. My plan is to replace the deck. transom, flotation, seating, and fix the leaks while not worrying about how it looks I can repaint it later.
Right after I got it home.

Before I started taking things appart.


Joy of joys, no poured in foam!

And that's as far as I got before it got dark and started to rain.