60's runabout remodel

[newhamburgboating]

Hey Everyone!

First time post about something non engine related haha.

So i picked up this green booger as we called it for $400 with a "siezed" engine, turned out to be a loose screw under the flywheel. Score!

Now, we did some basic stuff to make it usable as you can see in the pictures.

This summer I was thinking about removing the nose and putting a nice little deck up front. one to help with the weight, and two to spread out the fishing poles better.

My questions are
1) what's the tin covering at the front called? if I knew the term for it I may have better luck searching other peoples projects.
2) Structurally, if i support the boat under the proposed deck should that be sufficient to replace what I am loosing by removing the top cover?
3) how do I remove that top? Thought about a saws-all and leaving a three or four inch edge and then putting some trim on it to hide the sharpness.

Hopefully someone out there has at least pondered this for these boats.

Thanks in advance
,
Steve

 

[briangcc]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

You're referring to the bow of the boat. What you have now is a closed bow and what you're looking to do is turn it into an open bow.

As for the structural part - I'll leave that to others who are more informed than I.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

Bow cover

Removing it on a tin boat is often referred to (here @iboats) as a bow-ectomy

Leave the same size perimeter of tin gunwale as the rest of the boat has & it'll look 'right' and be sufficient.

Lots of great tin boat building tips in the Starcraft owner's forum.

The 1st bow-ectomy that comes to mind is Jas' Jet Star: 1968 15' Starcraft Jet Star Rebuild (sold) There are others

Welcome to tin boat building here on iboats

What is it anyway? Cherokee/McKenzie?

 

[newhamburgboating]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

Bow cover

Removing it on a tin boat is often referred to (here @iboats) as a bow-ectomy

Leave the same size perimeter of tin gunwale as the rest of the boat has & it'll look 'right' and be sufficient.

Lots of great tin boat building tips in the Starcraft owner's forum.

The 1st bow-ectomy that comes to mind is Jas' Jet Star: 1968 15' Starcraft Jet Star Rebuild (sold) There are others

Welcome to tin boat building here on iboats

What is it anyway? Cherokee/McKenzie?

Thanks JBcurt00,

I had all but given on up trying to figure out what it was, but after jumping down the rabbit hole on your lead. I can confirm. Cherokee!!!!!

And thanks for the terminology, Already found some great threads about how to get started on this. Now all i need is Spring to arrive (last i looked it was snowing like crazy outside)

 

[Ned L]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

It is called the foredeck (not a 'bow cover').

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

Yeah, but foredecktomy doesn't have the ring to it. :laugh:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

It is called the foredeck (not a 'bow cover').

I thought decks were called soles too............ :facepalm: Is a foredeck also known as a foresole?

Yes, I know, but not in the iboats vernacular..........

What's PB? Or 'gasp' Friscoboater's pookie?

Thanks GA

If the foredeck is between the bridge & the forecastle, where in the heck is the forecastle on this little tin closed bow runabout?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

It is called the foredeck (not a 'bow cover').

Actually, the proper terminology is Useless POS and they should be outlawed for wasting valuable deck space.

Whenever I see one of those sardine can abominations I want to break out the cutting tools and full face shield and get to work... except for JBCs, his looks nice in a very cramped and claustrophobic kind of way.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

Yeah, I've never quite understood the idea of a non-structural/useable bow cover, either. I guess they made them strictly for looks and to provide a bit of dry storage, but it always seemed like a waste of space to me too.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

Thanks Jig, for a backhand to the head compliment :cold:

I suspect fishing isn't going to be my Duracraft's primary use. And it's COVERED BOW will be used for the Admiral's necessaries, dry storage & the fuel cell.

Glad you ID'd her as a Cherokee. Nice looking boat, IMO.

Not many, but a few threads for them. JHenry is currently the only one working on one to the best of my knowledge. But given my somewhat limited understanding of correct boat terminology, I might be wrong on that too

 

[m casey stock]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

My son has an older Mckenzie runabout (late 50's) that we are working on, but we won't be chopping it up, when we want to fish, we get in a boat made for fishing. Pretty cool boats though, and seem to be built quite well, nice design (his is a little more streamlined than yours) and his girl friends love to cruise around with him. Great boats for just having fun and enjoying a day on the water (what they were made for) I say sell it and buy something that already has an open bow and a little more width for standing up and casting, save yourself some time and money (unless you have an abundance of both ) Plenty of cheep older open bows out there that you can hang your motor off the back, slap some turf grass (just about any color you want) covered plywood down up front with a pedestal seat mount, clamp a troller to the gunwale with a foot control and be fishing the next weekend. But really, I do think you have a great boat to work with, not so old that you would feel like you are ruining a classic by modifying it (kinda has a Lund look to it), and I've seen plenty conversions like you mentioned that have turned out looking great and I guess functioned well. It just seems like extra work, but I understand you already have this one in your driveway.

 

[jhendery]

Re: 60's runabout remodel

My questions are
2) Structurally, if i support the boat under the proposed deck should that be sufficient to replace what I am loosing by removing the top cover?

Nice looking boat you've got Steve. Yeah it's definitely a McKenzie Cherokee. This brochure may help with that. I think yours may be the Playboy with 4 person seating. Scroll down to March 18th for the post by SSDALE.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...num-mackenzie-runabout-rebuild-558956-13.html

If you really want to cut the bow open I suppose additional support can be added below the top deck. I would probably have 'L' brackets made up and rivet to both port and stern sides then install the top deck in the same position mounted on the L brackets.

The red marks indicate where I would locate the 'L' brackets but they would be below the top deck piece.



I know the bow tin in LA boat is supported by thin wood planks. Without adding more support I wouldn't want to walk on the bow.

Fortunately I found a decent windshield that opens in the center. I can live with the closed bow since the windshield opens with minimal access.

Good luck!

 

[newhamburgboating]

I know this is an old thread. But I finished it. Top to bottom. Will post boat pictures soon and video of splash down soon after that.

Stay tuned!

 

[jbcurt00]

Its your topic, so feel free to post to it anytime. 12mo 48mo no different then yesterday.

90day limit applies to anyone posting in a topic they didn't start

Welcome back

When you post the finished pix, got any of along the way?

 

[newhamburgboating]

I certainly do. Although there was a big gap in pictures from this spring. Was more in "get it done and wet" mode then anything else haha

 

[newhamburgboating]

No Title

OK, Ill Put them up in waves, I assume there is a limit at some point haha.

So this starts off where the pictures at the top of the post left off. In this series you will see what i started with and interier tear out.

This includes side trim, dash (which was a hell of a task) and some other bits

 

[newhamburgboating]

No Title

Alright, Now in this series, things speed up a lot in pictures, VERY SLOWLY in real life.

Here you can see I finished removing side trim parts. Cut the bow out. Play with a lot of cardboard to try and visualize. then decided to shorten the splashwell to about half of what it used to be. If i remember correctly i reclaimed about 22" of space with this.

 

[newhamburgboating]

No Title

P2 of pictures

 

[newhamburgboating]

No Title

P3 of pictures