# Custom Long Beach Aluminum Tunnel Hull 1660 v2.0 Build



## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

A few months back my wife and I thought we were moving back to Colorado, so I made a deal to sell my custom 1660 to a fellow 2cooler. Fast forward and it turns out that we're hanging around Texas for another couple years. This is both good news and bad news. The good news is that I get to build a version 2.0 of my much beloved boat that I sold. The bad news is that the hull won't be done until February and I am boat-less in the mean time!

Here's version 1.0 for those that never saw the build: http://2coolfishing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=813177

Here is the sad day of her going to a new loving home 










On to more happy thoughts of version 2.0! For this next go around I have decided to make just a couple tweaks in design. It will still be a 1660 Tunnel hull with pods built by Robert over at Long Beach Customs in Mississippi, but this time I am going with a 3/16" slick bottom and a shorter rake. I'm also moving up from the 60hp to a 90hp tiller.

I know my hull won't be here for nearly 4 months, but I am already putting as much of the boat together than I can. I have a 2004 Yamaha 90 2 stroke that I picked up from another 2cooler. I already have it converted over to a tiller and have it mounted on a hydraulic jack plate ready to go on the boat. Yesterday I went and picked up a trailer, also from another 2cooler (there seems to be a trend), and have started tearing it down so that I can start rebuilding it with new springs, hubs, and U bolts when this rain stops. I also have the eight 150w high pressure sodium fixtures that will be adorning the bow of the new hull. I've got capacitors installed, and will get going on brackets for them soon.

Here's a few pictures of the very start of Version 2.0!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Nice!


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

sub'd, will be following along.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Got to work on the trailer since it has stopped raining. First order of business was to tear it down and clean up a few rust spots where the old bunk boards sat. Tear down was a good bit of work with a ton of rusted nuts that I had to use the grinder on. Got it pretty much tore down now and have new hubs installed on the axle. I ordered a bunch of new U-bolts that I'm waiting on to put it all back together.


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## fowlwaters (Jun 14, 2006)

You going to redip the trailer frame? It does not cost that much


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

fowlwaters said:


> You going to redip the trailer frame? It does not cost that much


Hadn't really considered doing that. Any idea on who does it and a price range for it?


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## fowlwaters (Jun 14, 2006)

Southwest platers did one about a year ago and it was .90 cents a pound. Had to be bear naked frame they dip and in afew days it's ready


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Small update on progress... To start, I will state that HOA management companies are the invention of the devil... I say this due to the vast number of letters they feel they need to send me about stuff parked in my driveway. To put an end to it, I finally decided to rebuild my fence with two 5' doors that will allow me to stash my boat out of sight. I'm not sure if building a fence counts as boat building, but I feel it is in this case. Now I can work happily on my boat project without the scumbags at the HOA bothering me. The boat trailer is now sitting happily out of sight and has new hubs, springs and bow stop installed. Still need to do bunk boards, guide on's and lights. I'm running out of stuff to do without a hull to work on!


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## clu35 (Sep 14, 2009)

If you want to re dip the trailer call as galvazning


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## sheldonasvoboda (Apr 23, 2015)

my HOA almost took me to court over my boat being visible from the street, so i built a piece of frnce and put it on wheel, that way when I need the boat I just move the fence


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

sheldonasvoboda said:


> my HOA almost took me to court over my boat being visible from the street, so i built a piece of frnce and put it on wheel, that way when I need the boat I just move the fence


Mine been sending me letters for years, can't see it from the street but they changed the wording in the bylaws to "can't be stored on the property" so now they actually walk up and peak over my fence and then send letters.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

justletmein said:


> Mine been sending me letters for years, can't see it from the street but they changed the wording in the bylaws to "can't be stored on the property" so now they actually walk up and peak over my fence and then send letters.


Wow, that is going way too far. That almost feels like an invasion of privacy. HOA people are lower than lawyers.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

wiznut said:


> Wow, that is going way too far. That almost feels like an invasion of privacy. HOA people are lower than lawyers.


That's with the old boat, the new boat the console peaks up over the fence a bit so they don't have to anymore. The old boat sat low so totally hidden, neighbor lady actually told me she saw the HOA car stop and walk up my side yard to peak over the fence, sure enough several days later I got the standard boat letter. What's funny is when we moved in we had the normal "can't be within view of the street" verbiage, then about 5 years later it was changed to "cannot be parked or stored on any HOA property."


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

justletmein said:


> That's with the old boat, the new boat the console peaks up over the fence a bit so they don't have to anymore. The old boat sat low so totally hidden, neighbor lady actually told me she saw the HOA car stop and walk up my side yard to peak over the fence, sure enough several days later I got the standard boat letter. What's funny is when we moved in we had the normal "can't be within view of the street" verbiage, then about 5 years later it was changed to "cannot be parked or stored on any HOA property."


That seems like a stretch to say what you can and can't have on your property, even if it's out of sight. I'd almost dare them to take me to court.


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## Byrdmen (May 15, 2013)

I'd consider a "No trespassing" sign.


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## Crow's Nest (Dec 4, 2009)

justletmein said:


> That's with the old boat, the new boat the console peaks up over the fence a bit so they don't have to anymore. The old boat sat low so totally hidden, neighbor lady actually told me she saw the HOA car stop and walk up my side yard to peak over the fence, sure enough several days later I got the standard boat letter. What's funny is when we moved in we had the normal "can't be within view of the street" verbiage, then about 5 years later it was changed to "cannot be parked or stored on any HOA property."


When I moved into my new subdivision 2yrs ago, I had the same BS. I would get a letter after 2 days of having my boat in the driveway.

Then, in the last year, people banded together and made a new process. Instead of automatically reporting your nieghbor to the HOA and having a letter and fine threat generated, we are now required to first go talk to our nieghbor if we have an issue before involving the HOA. I have not gotten a letter since.

Works very well.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Our neighbors don't care, they leave trash cans and basketball goals out everywhere lol. There's actually a volunteer for the HOA that patrols the hood and does the write ups, so they come in spurts. There was a rental house across the way, whenever the for rent sign went up out front of that house the realtor would report everything and everyone constantly... as soon as it was rented everything stopped.


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## sheldonasvoboda (Apr 23, 2015)

I see the purpose of the HOA, a tidy neighborhood is a good thing.
I live in LAKE COUNTRY ESTATES, I argued that if I was looking to buy a house I would expect to see a couple boats, hell....we even have a private boat launch that is included in the HOA dues....just sayin


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Got my sheets for the decks ordered yesterday, went with a black Friday special on "blue marble". Now trying to decide which color of Tuff Coat to order. Here's a rough edit of what the options are based on my last boat... Which color... 1, 2, 3, 4?


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## HillCountry-Ford-Kawasaki (Feb 15, 2005)

2

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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

******* Biologist said:


> 2
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


Thanks for the opinion! I'm going to go ahead and do the light grey.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Turf came in... This is me wishing I had a boat for it to go on.... My dog is trying to cheer me up. Is it February yet????


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Hell of a mutt you have there!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

It's FEBRUARY!!!! :dance: Just got my first pic of my new hull from Robert. Man am I excited. Slick bottom beauty! Going to order my aluminum on Monday so that I can hit the ground running once I pick up the hull.










Also got my trailer finished up with new PVC covered bunk boards, new guide rails and new lights! Sooo ready to put a boat on it!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Man oh man!!! I got the text today that my hull is ready to be picked up! Planning on picking it up on Friday! Here's a few pics I got today of it.... /drool....

1660, 3/16" slick bottom tunnel hull... Can't wait to get my hands on her!


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Why the slick bottom? Tell more about your design features please. 


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> Why the slick bottom? Tell more about your design features please.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Went with the slick bottom because I do a lot of flounder gigging at night and poling during the day. A slick bottom will make it easier to slide over and off of things vs a corrugated bottom. Combined with painting the bottom with gator glide, she should be a tough one to get stuck.

Layout for the interior of the boat is based on experience from my last 1660. On the last one I had a full bench in the rear, but that forced me to straddle it when driving, which would become uncomfortable for long runs. With the split bench on the new hull, I'll be able to stand comfortably between the rear pods or still sit down.

The pods at the bow are more for my fishing partners than me. Everybody always complained about having nowhere to sit on my last boat, so I added the two forward pods to add seating space. I had them sized to match up with my cooler that will sit in between them. They are also located 5'6" back from the bow of the boat, so that they can serve as a step up to the raised 5' long platform that I will be building.

I also made a change in the rake this time around. I went from a 7' rake on the previous hull down to a 4' rake this time. The shorter rake will help when I have multiple people standing on the bow. It's basically an increase in displacement located under where people are standing when gigging = shallower.

Flotation pods so that I can load all of the weight to the back of the boat. Having all of the weight at the transom really helps to balance the boat when everybody is standing on the bow. I'll have my fuel tank and 3 batteries at the back of the boat.

Tunnel hull... cause well... Tunnel.... shallow... yeah....

Once I get the hull home, I'll start on building the raised front platform, poling platform, fuel tank, and doing a number of other smaller additions... gator glide bottom, tuff coat floor, hydroturf platforms, etc.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. When you get the boat will you do the additional welding yourself? I ask because I have a boatright and I recently bought a tig machine and am learning to TIG weld better to make mods to my own boat. So I am also interested in your techniques.


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## txteltech (Jul 6, 2012)

Very nice the new boat looks good


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## txshockwave (Mar 6, 2007)

Why not raise the floor 4" so you don't have to stand on the tunnel. That don't look comfortable at all. I would have made a 94qt aluminum swing back seat and not put those boxes in there. I would also recommend attaching your raised deck with turn buckles so you can remove it if you want.


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

justletmein said:


> That's with the old boat, the new boat the console peaks up over the fence a bit so they don't have to anymore. The old boat sat low so totally hidden, neighbor lady actually told me she saw the HOA car stop and walk up my side yard to peak over the fence, sure enough several days later I got the standard boat letter. What's funny is when we moved in we had the normal "can't be within view of the street" verbiage, then about 5 years later it was changed to "cannot be parked or stored on any HOA property."


Time for you to pursue a position on the HOA board.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

txshockwave said:


> Why not raise the floor 4" so you don't have to stand on the tunnel. That don't look comfortable at all. I would have made a 94qt aluminum swing back seat and not put those boxes in there. I would also recommend attaching your raised deck with turn buckles so you can remove it if you want.


Some good points you have. The reason for not raising the floor is you would need additional framework to support it, which is more weight. When running, the boat won't be completely flat (bow rises slightly), so the top of the tunnel will be pretty close to flat. If it's uncomfortable, I can always add a flat sheet over the tunnel, but I don't think it'll be necessary. I've considered making the front platform removable, but I've honestly never had a time on any of my previous boats that I had a desire to not have the platform on the boat. There's just no point in making it removable for myseld.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

How tall is the tunnel? Just curious.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. When you get the boat will you do the additional welding yourself? I ask because I have a boatright and I recently bought a tig machine and am learning to TIG weld better to make mods to my own boat. So I am also interested in your techniques.


Yep, I'll do all the additional welding and fabrication myself. Being able to tig and modify your boat is very rewarding. Getting out on the water with something you've worked on building is a great feeling. Feel free to ask any questions.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Stuart said:


> How tall is the tunnel? Just curious.


If I recall correctly, it's a 5" tunnel


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

I basic tig weld aluminum. I would like to come watch you when you start welding. I would be interested in weld prep, settings, do you use pulse etc. in other words some pointers on translating practice bench welds in my garage to real welds on a finished product. All of my aluminum welding is self taught so far. Watching and learning would be interesting. 


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> I basic tig weld aluminum. I would like to come watch you when you start welding. I would be interested in weld prep, settings, do you use pulse etc. in other words some pointers on translating practice bench welds in my garage to real welds on a finished product. All of my aluminum welding is self taught so far. Watching and learning would be interesting.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No problem! I also don't mind having a second set of hand around. Shoot me a PM with your contact info and we'll set something up.


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## Bocephus (May 30, 2008)

Really nice build. Having a boat custom built just the way "you" want it is going to serve you well for many years. Those well built aluminum boats are like tanks, and can take a beating....Boatright, Empire, etc., I'm sure your's will be too !

I'm looking forward to seeing it when your done.


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## btbowers (Feb 9, 2015)

I'm in for th final product! I'd really like to do a boat buld like this some day.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

why did you go with 3/16"? seems awefuly heavy.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

gotmuddy said:


> why did you go with 3/16"? seems awefuly heavy.


Most all slick bottoms are 3/16 to prevent dents. Corrugations add a lot of strength to the bottom of a boat, take them away and you need to make up for it with a thicker material. The sides, and interior of the boat is all 1/8". It's just the bottom and transom that is 3/16


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

wiznut said:


> Most all slick bottoms are 3/16 to prevent dents. Corrugations add a lot of strength to the bottom of a boat, take them away and you need to make up for it with a thicker material. The sides, and interior of the boat is all 1/8". It's just the bottom and transom that is 3/16


Guess I've not seen many. I would think gussets inside could prevent it.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Got my boat picked up! Hit Bourbon Street in nola last night for the first time. Had a lot of fun. I plan on getting a start fabricating tomorrow morning. Much to do!


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## txshockwave (Mar 6, 2007)

wiznut said:


> Most all slick bottoms are 3/16 to prevent dents. Corrugations add a lot of strength to the bottom of a boat, take them away and you need to make up for it with a thicker material. The sides, and interior of the boat is all 1/8". It's just the bottom and transom that is 3/16


I'm not so sure about that there are a whole lot of 1/8 th 5086 one piece hulls made. I would guess that 80% of all smooth bottom hulls are not 3/16.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

So many things to do that I hardly know where I should start! Decided the first thing to do today would be to drill the mounting holes in the transom and do a test fit of the outboard. Raised to the max and trimmed flat, I'll have 2" of skeg below the hull. Based on how water pressure turns out, I may add a static rise to get it even with the bottom of the hull, but that's a ways down the line.

After getting the outboard taken back off, I started in on the fuel tank fabrication. My plan for it is to sit in the back left corner and be even in height with pod in front of it. Will be able to have an even area to stand on that way. Very rough calculation of capacity should be 20-25 gallons or so. Got 5 sides cut, but haven't gotten around to welding. Getting a new tank of argon in the morning, and will then start tacking it together.



















Cardboard is the best measuring tape I own... :rotfl:


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## yellowskeeter (Jul 18, 2008)

Awesome job!!

www.g-spotservices.com


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

yellowskeeter said:


> Awesome job!!
> 
> www.g-spotservices.com


Thanks! Much left to do still!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Got the fuel tank mostly done today. Ordered the neck, cap and pick up tube last night. Theoretically could have a water test as soon as they arrive and I get them welded in.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Thanks again for the welding lessons! Boat looks great.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> Thanks again for the welding lessons! Boat looks great.


No problem! Hope you get some use out of it!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Got the poling platform tacked together today. Will weld it up and hopefully get it put on the boat if I can find a second set of hands to help with it tomorrow.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Got the platform all welded up, but not attached to the boat yet. Needed a second pair of hands that I didn't have today.

This made me happy....


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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

Lookin good!


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Fished east matty today. Tough fishing but did catch a few. I am coming home tonight and could come help tomorrow


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> Fished east matty today. Tough fishing but did catch a few. I am coming home tonight and could come help tomorrow
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Wish I was fishing instead of boat building lol.


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## jimmyjams4110 (Mar 2, 2015)

Boat's coming along great! I'm right down the road if you need a hand as well.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

jimmyjams4110 said:


> Boat's coming along great! I'm right down the road if you need a hand as well.


Thanks for the offer! I was able to conscript my wife into helping today. Got the poling platform welded to the boat with her help. Decided I'm going to add one more cross support in the bottom triangle for symmetry sake, but will get to that tomorrow.

Top of the world!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Poling platform is finished and I'm pretty darn happy with how it turned out. I really like the look of the mirrored triangles.

My next step is to start work on the front platform. After tracing out the lines of the rails onto the sheet, I decided it would look way better to have the deck follow the contour of the rails. Only problem is that I don't have a tubing roller to accomplish the bend I need! I may break down and buy one, but if anybody out there happens to have the ability to do a simple bend, let me know!

Here's the bend I need help with:










Finished platform:


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## jimmyjams4110 (Mar 2, 2015)

Platform turned out great! Definitely unique, I like the originality.


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## andrax (Aug 23, 2011)

Where did you get those trailer guide ons? Bada$$ build by the way

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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

andrax said:


> Where did you get those trailer guide ons? Bada$$ build by the way
> 
> Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk


Thanks! They are Cabelas adjustable guide ons.


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## andrax (Aug 23, 2011)

ðŸ‘


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

So I broke down yesterday and bought myself a harbor freight tubing roller. Really didn't feel like paying somebody else to do something that I knew I could. Can never have too many tools either, so it's win win.

The red line in this picture is from when I laid the sheet on the boat and traced the outline of the rails onto the sheet. My goal was to get the sides of the platform to contour with the sides of the boat. I think I got pretty darn close...










I was worried about being able to create a duplicate and have even looking sides, but I took my time and checked the progress often. Got both sides dead even.










Finished up the day with doing all of the miter cuts to match up the corners and clamping down the outside of the frame for the platform. Tomorrow I'll start filling it in and welding!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Feel like there's been some big progress these last two days. I got the framework for the front platform finished and will be getting legs put on and welded to the boat tomorrow. My fuel tank fittings also arrived and I was able to finish the fuel tank and put down my first bit of turf. For a gas tank, I think it's pretty sexy.


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## yellowskeeter (Jul 18, 2008)

Bad to the bone ! Love the OJ Bronco as well.

www.g-spotservices.com


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Do you plan on any built in flotation? Are you going to make the platform removable? Looks great 


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

I guess not if you are welding it down 


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

My safe floor on my console is sensitive to gasoline but only if left sitting. You might check how your turf deck and/or the adhesive reacts to fuel. The safe deck can be put back with an iron. I used 5200 one time when I filled the tank too much and fuel seeped out because of expansion. And 5200 doesn't appear to be bothered by the small fuel drip since. I do clean it off if any spills. 


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> My safe floor on my console is sensitive to gasoline but only if left sitting. You might check how your turf deck and/or the adhesive reacts to fuel. The safe deck can be put back with an iron. I used 5200 one time when I filled the tank too much and fuel seeped out because of expansion. And 5200 doesn't appear to be bothered by the small fuel drip since. I do clean it off if any spills.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


From everything I've read, the hydroturf isn't bothered by a bit of fuel spill. I've also got quite a bit extra of it, so if I need to re-cover, I can.

In my experience, there's never been a reason to make the deck removable. Being higher off the water is better for just about everything.

I'm kind of ****** off right now because I got a contaminated tank of argon for the SECOND freaking time in about 6 tanks from conroe welding supply this morning. Of course they are closed now for the weekend and I am out of luck for making any more progress on welding until Monday when I go rip into them.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

yellowskeeter said:


> Bad to the bone ! Love the OJ Bronco as well.
> 
> www.g-spotservices.com


Thanks! Yeah, I got a great deal on it... weird that there was a knife and glove under the drivers seat when I got it... :wink:


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Since I couldn't weld over the weekend, I started work on various other parts of the project. I got the fuel water separator, fuel tank, and fuel lines hooked up. Installed the "RPM" switch into my tiller handle, which will be converted to use as my jack plate switch. Now I'll have all of my motor controls built in to the tiller. I got the solenoids and wiring in place for the hydraulic jack plate as well. Put my bilge pump in place with 5200 and installed an aluminum through hull fitting I found on Ebay.



















Today, I went back to Conroe welding first thing and got my tank changed out for a good one. They were very apologetic, but darn if it didn't set me back two days of welding work. Got home, hooked the new tank up and I was off to the races. First thing up for the day was getting the legs finished up.










After getting the legs on, it was time to weld down 1/4" plates on the bow for them to sit on. The back 3 plates have holes in them because I plan to run my wiring for lights under the floor into the front storage area, and then up through the legs... You won't see a single wire from the back of the boat to the front, and no wires hanging down from the platform!










Weather looked like it was starting to change and it seems we're in for a few days of rain, so I had my wife help me drag the boat off the trailer onto dollies in the garage so that I could keep at it while it's pouring outside. After that, I was able to finally get the front platform welded down! I am one happy guy to have it finally on the boat.

(Test fitting platform right before we dragged it into the garage)


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Cranked out the rest of the front platform today. Cut the sheet to fit, put in about a billion rivets and got the turf laid down. Next on the to do list is lighting and trolling motor.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Haven't started on the lights, but have been wrapping up a few things that needed to get done. Trolling motor got bolted on, stainless latches attached to each pod to hold the lids down, more turf put down and LED navigation lights attached but not wired yet. Need to kick myself into gear and get these lights started!


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## TX HOOKSETTER (Oct 8, 2009)

Looking good.


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## jimmyjams4110 (Mar 2, 2015)

I've been keeping Wiznut from finishing his boat because he's been welding mine up. His boat is beautifully put together, no doubt about it. 

Here's the before and after on mine. Waiting on my rivets for the floor then I'm going back to his shop to finish all the trimmings before paint. Thanks Mikkel!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

TX HOOKSETTER said:


> Looking good.


Thanks! I was starting to think I was talking to myself in here lol.

Boat looks great Jimmy. Really is a big difference looking at the before and after of it.


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## JCockrell (Dec 14, 2012)

*NICE*

awesome build!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

JCockrell said:


> awesome build!


Thank you sir! I appreciate it!


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

what kind of tig welder are you using?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

gotmuddy said:


> what kind of tig welder are you using?


Thermal arc 186 with a series 26 flex head torch, gas lens, 1/8" 2% lanthanated tungsten.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

This guy can tig weld. One day with him and it improved my tig welding a lot 

Wiznut. Tonight I repaired my neighbors favorite steel patio chairs. I went to metal supermarkets and bought the tubing. Ground out the rusted parts and put new ones in. Thanks. Steak and wine dinner on the schedule. 


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> This guy can tig weld. One day with him and it improved my tig welding a lot
> 
> Wiznut. Tonight I repaired my neighbors favorite steel patio chairs. I went to metal supermarkets and bought the tubing. Ground out the rusted parts and put new ones in. Thanks. Steak and wine dinner on the schedule.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm really glad that you got some use out of coming over! It's always the best feeling when you get to apply your skills to accomplish something like that. I bet your neighbor was happy! Now you're going to get inundated with things to fix lol. Mmmm Steak!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

My feelings of making great progress have ground to a screaming halt now that I have proceeded to the wiring stage. The wiring this time is a lot more complex than anything I've done before and it feels like an eternity getting it done. Instead of running wires down the gunnels, I decided to tap into my longitudinal stringers and pull all of my wires sub-floor into my storage pods. I also decided to take all of the ballasts out of the light fixtures and mount them remotely in a storage pod. The ballasts are quite heavy, so having them out of the fixtures should decrease vibration considerably. The subsequent result of this decision though is that I have to run an additional 16 wires (2 for each ballast/fixture)!

Right now I have all of the wires pulled, but haven't gotten a lot done in terms of actually putting it all together. I did manage to get the trolling motor and front navigation lights finished since it was an easy two wires for each to get done. This evening I managed to make my first of eight lights turn on. Hopefully the rest of them will proceed quicker.

Here's all of the light ballasts in place and ready to be wired up. :headknock










The first ones always the hardest right?










Front navigation lights finished!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Had one of my friends come over to help wire yesterday and got all of the ballasts and fixtures hooked up. Got all 8 lights turned on around midnight.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Wiznut, Looks good. 

I see your LED strip lights for navigation. To meet regulations will you put a restriction plate so you can't see the red/green from the points past the centerline? 

Also I recommend thinking about how to protect the ballasts from salt environment. The carbon steel and copper windings will not like it I think.

I made an underwater light like that once. The lesson I learned is that you can only move the ballast so far from the light and then it won't ignite if you go too far. The starting voltages are quite high. Be careful or you will be telephoning fish 

Your masthead looks good.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> Wiznut, Looks good.
> 
> I see your LED strip lights for navigation. To meet regulations will you put a restriction plate so you can't see the red/green from the points past the centerline?
> 
> ...


I've never heard of that rule. I went and read through the tpwd stuff on navigation lights and didn't see anything mentioned along those lines. Just having navigation lights that actually work will be an improvement over what I had previously lol. Those battery powered clamp on nav lights worked about half the time....

The ballasts are inside the front storage pod, which is waterproof in terms of rain and spray. The only way moisture would get in is if water came up from the bottom, and I'll probably have bigger concerns at that point lol. Do you think that sea air would be a big concern?

Thankfully my friend that came over to help also happens to be an electrical engineer lol. I had him calculate everything out to make sure it would all work. The only problem that I'm going to need to address is the small vibration from the ballasts is being magnified to the aluminum pod. Probably going to line the inside of that pod with foam, which should cut down on the resonance effect that's going on.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Sidelights are red (port) and green (starboard) and shine from dead ahead to 112.5Â° aft on either side.

If you go online and look at them the single bow light has a divider so you can't see the green light from dead ahead to Stbd and vice a versa. The idea is that when you see another boat from the side or forward, you can tell it's direction and whether or not it will pass you or you are on a collision course, at night. On some center consoles you see the lights on the sides of the console, or you see them on the sides of the bow. But it should not be possible to see both red and green lights at the same time unless your are both dead ahead.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Just move each one from the front to the side of each post.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

No, your fishing lights will block them. Put them on the side rail of your platform or the just below the gunnel on the hull.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Navigation-Light-Rules


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

I thoroughly enjoy looking at "work in progress" threads. You guys are very talented. I knew several fellas in Swansboro,N.C. (on the coast near Atlantic Beach), that made their sleds like you do. I was looking at the above flooring being put in. I have a question. Do you know of anyone, while making their rig, install that " spray in type foam" under the decking? It has two benefits, rig won't sink and it cuts down Hull Noise. Curious. I say spray in but it's actually squirted in. Holes were drilled in various sections of the deck and the foam was injected...then capped


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

wiznut said:


> I've never heard of that rule. I went and read through the tpwd stuff on navigation lights and didn't see anything mentioned along those lines. Just having navigation lights that actually work will be an improvement over what I had previously lol. Those battery powered clamp on nav lights worked about half the time....


Look at page 27 in this link. It shows the pattern where the lights must be visible. The only time you should see both lights at once is when the boat is running directly at you. Also note...the lights must be visible from the side for more than 90 degrees farther back from the beam of the boat meaning someone coming up at an angle behind you would see the light on their side. That precludes another LED strip on the side of each leg too. The actual coast guard regulations have the exact degrees of visibility required buried in their docs somewhere. http://www.uscgboating.org/images/420.PDF


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Thanks for the info on the navigation lights!



V-Bottom said:


> I thoroughly enjoy looking at "work in progress" threads. You guys are very talented. I knew several fellas in Swansboro,N.C. (on the coast near Atlantic Beach), that made their sleds like you do. I was looking at the above flooring being put in. I have a question. Do you know of anyone, while making their rig, install that " spray in type foam" under the decking? It has two benefits, rig won't sink and it cuts down Hull Noise. Curious. I say spray in but it's actually squirted in. Holes were drilled in various sections of the deck and the foam was injected...then capped


I don't personally know anyone that has done it, but I have heard of guys doing it. I doubt the small amount of foam that could be put under the floor of my boat would keep it off the bottom if I ever sank it. The one advantage that I agree with though is the noise dampening it would provide.


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## Beakbuster (Apr 28, 2015)

*Foam-*

Sheets of Dow insulation foam work great.. It takes a lot of the noise out of the hull.

Do not use the spray foam... It will clog the runners and not allow water to reach the bilge..


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## JavelinaRuss (Jul 24, 2007)

wiznut said:


> It's FEBRUARY!!!! :dance: Just got my first pic of my new hull from Robert. Man am I excited. Slick bottom beauty! Going to order my aluminum on Monday so that I can hit the ground running once I pick up the hull.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Man where'd you get the bunk boards at? I like the plastic over carpet for the bunks

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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

JavelinaRuss said:


> Man where'd you get the bunk boards at? I like the plastic over carpet for the bunks
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


They're PVC board from Lowe's. Been using them on my last few trailers and really like them.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_238344-45819-2826___?productId=50092312&pl=1&Ntt=pvc+board#img


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## JavelinaRuss (Jul 24, 2007)

So your just counter sink these onto the treated boards? Might have to see if I can make it work for my 20' flat bottom


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

JavelinaRuss said:


> So your just counter sink these onto the treated boards? Might have to see if I can make it work for my 20' flat bottom
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Used stainless screws to attach them to the boards. Sunk them about 1/4" below the top of the pvc.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

wiznut said:


> Had one of my friends come over to help wire yesterday and got all of the ballasts and fixtures hooked up. Got all 8 lights turned on around midnight.


those wire nuts are a big no-no. you need solder and heat shrink.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

gotmuddy said:


> those wire nuts are a big no-no. you need solder and heat shrink.


I agree! This is a work the kinks out and make sure everything works 100% stage. Have already had to work through a couple of problems including one that turned my whole boat into an eletrofishing rig.... Solder and heat shrink comes after I'm confident in it lol.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Still chugging along. I'm waiting on 4 more rocker switches to arrive in the mail to finish all of my wiring, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have all 8 lights hung, wired and working! Remote ballasts added a TON of extra work, but they'll be a positive thing in the long run. After I get the last few wiring things done it'll be time to water test and see if there are any other major modifications I want to make before moving on to interior and bottom paint.

I put together a switch panel out of some scrap sheet and a lot of filing... I'm currently looking for ideas on labeling the panel with something other than sharpie...





































After getting my lights working, I decided it was time to get her out of the garage and get the motor back on for wrapping stuff up. Doing this solo was interesting, but a tilt trailer with a winch made it possible.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

wiznut said:


> I agree! This is a work the kinks out and make sure everything works 100% stage. Have already had to work through a couple of problems including one that turned my whole boat into an eletrofishing rig.... Solder and heat shrink comes after I'm confident in it lol.


I am curious why your using HID instead of LED? and what voltage are those lights carrying?


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## JavelinaRuss (Jul 24, 2007)

I always heard HID was a better floundering light over LED. Less glare

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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

gotmuddy said:


> I am curious why your using HID instead of LED? and what voltage are those lights carrying?


Simply put... because HPS are better. I've fished over Halogens, LED's, HPS, MH, and even some spot lights. You get more light out of a HPS and it is a better color for cutting into the water. You get more glare off LED. Not to say that you can't use LED and be productive, but HPS wins hands down in my experience.

These lights are 120v @ 150 watt. Each one puts out 15,000 lumens. Running eight of them, I'm only pulling 1200 watts, but putting out roughly 120,000 lumens.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

wiznut said:


> Simply put... because HPS are better. I've fished over Halogens, LED's, HPS, MH, and even some spot lights. You get more light out of a HPS and it is a better color for cutting into the water. You get more glare off LED. Not to say that you can't use LED and be productive, but HPS wins hands down in my experience.
> 
> These lights are 120v @ 150 watt. Each one puts out 15,000 lumens. Running eight of them, I'm only pulling 1200 watts, but putting out roughly 120,000 lumens.


great explanation, makes sense. What kind of generator are you using?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

gotmuddy said:


> great explanation, makes sense. What kind of generator are you using?


I'm using a Honda EU2000i. Very smooth, reliable and quiet.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

wiznut said:


> I'm using a Honda EU2000i. Very smooth, reliable and quiet.


Best made. I have a 3000is honda


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## Byrdmen (May 15, 2013)

Lots of places to order these, but I'm going with pre labeled switch covers like these:

https://newwiremarine.com/product/534/

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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Byrdmen said:


> Lots of places to order these, but I'm going with pre labeled switch covers like these:
> 
> http://newwiremarine.com/product/534/
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Nice! I like those. Definitely will be picking some up. Thanks!


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## txteltech (Jul 6, 2012)

I met you at the swap meet and saw your boat truly a work of art!!!!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

txteltech said:


> I met you at the swap meet and saw your boat truly a work of art!!!!


Thanks! It was nice getting to meet you and a number of other 2coolers at the swap meet. Learned that I can't take my boat anywhere without getting swarmed by people lol. It's a fun problem to have :rotfl:

I've added a few more things to the boat since then. I decided I'm going to vent the tunnel, but I didn't want hose and vent line just laying around, so I decided to close up the top tunnel and make a 2 inch step between the rear pods. This will give me room to route hoses and will give me a nice flat spot to stand and steer from. Waiting on the hose fittings to arrive that I'm going to weld into the tunnel before I finish welding in the new diamond plate. I also whipped up a bracket to lock my Yeti to out of some 1/4" scrap. Unless somebody has cable cutters, it's not going to walk away!

Here's the framing for the 2" step










Diamond plate is fit and ready to be welded in after I get the tunnel vents in place.










Here's the little bracket for locking the cooler to.


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## TX HOOKSETTER (Oct 8, 2009)

The fit and finish of this boat is going to look like the SCB's of aluminum boats...

You have a gift sir...


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## manwitaplan (Dec 9, 2005)

TX HOOKSETTER said:


> The fit and finish of this boat is going to look like the SCB's of aluminum boats...
> 
> You have a gift sir...


My thoughts as well!

Keep up the awesome work man you are gifted.


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## Slimshady (Jan 11, 2005)

Awesome build! 

I hate to see that Yeti cable get cut and would recommend the 1/4" piece under the corner of the lid with the hole drilled for a pad lock. You can cut the cable with a good pair of Klein's in 2sec.. I lost a 125 with the cable is only reason I mentioned it. 

Question......are you using a T/A 186 for the fabrication and if so how do you like it?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

TX HOOKSETTER said:


> The fit and finish of this boat is going to look like the SCB's of aluminum boats...
> 
> You have a gift sir...


Being compared to SCB is quite the compliment! Thank you very much!



> Awesome build!
> 
> I hate to see that Yeti cable get cut and would recommend the 1/4" piece under the corner of the lid with the hole drilled for a pad lock. You can cut the cable with a good pair of Klein's in 2sec.. I lost a 125 with the cable is only reason I mentioned it.
> 
> Question......are you using a T/A 186 for the fabrication and if so how do you like it?


Wow, I had no idea that the Yeti cable lock was such a POS. Guess I'll have to upgrade to chain and pad lock. Sorry about your Yeti, but thank you for the heads up!

I am indeed using a TA 186 for all of my fabrication. I haven't had any problems with it, and it welds beautifully. For the price point, I don't think there's any other welder that comes close. Some days I wish I had more than 200 amps, like when I was welding my poling platform to the transom. The brace is 1/2" thick and it took a while to get it heated up at 200. I spend 99% of my time welding 1/8" stuff around 165 amps though and it works perfect for that.


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## Slimshady (Jan 11, 2005)

Like everyone has said, it all looks incredible! Did you upgrade to a different torch on the TA? I've read complaints on the size of the original.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

wiznut said:


> I am indeed using a TA 186 for all of my fabrication. I haven't had any problems with it, and it welds beautifully. For the price point, I don't think there's any other welder that comes close. Some days I wish I had more than 200 amps, like when I was welding my poling platform to the transom. The brace is 1/2" thick and it took a while to get it heated up at 200. I spend 99% of my time welding 1/8" stuff around 165 amps though and it works perfect for that.


whats the duty cycle on that welder? I have a miller syncrowave and I love the welder but boy is it bulky(220lb)!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Slimshady said:


> Like everyone has said, it all looks incredible! Did you upgrade to a different torch on the TA? I've read complaints on the size of the original.


Yes, I did upgrade to a series 26 weldcraft with flex head torch. Cost an extra $130, but it was plug and play. The torch that comes with it is definitely a bit bulky, but it does have built in thumb controls on the torch, which is a very nice feature if you are doing a lot of out of position welding where using the foot pedal is difficult. The thumb control feature is really what adds to the size of the torch that comes with the machine. I built my last project with the torch that came with it and didn't have any problems. I will say that having a flex head is NICE.

Just did a quick google for duty cycle. 20% @ 200 amps, 100% @ 100 amps. I can say that I have yet to ever hit the duty cycle on the machine.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

wiznut said:


> Just did a quick google for duty cycle. 20% @ 200 amps, 100% @ 100 amps. I can say that I have yet to ever hit the duty cycle on the machine.


I have issues with my torch getting hot when welding aluminum. I got a deal on a watercooler setup but havent bought the watercooled torch to go with it yet.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Got to thinking about placing rod holders in the boat and didn't come up with any good locations except for the big expanse of floor space I have in the middle. I dug up one of my coolers and after looking at it, I decided I could build a removable cooler rack with rod holders on the sides. It'll give me a separate cooler for food/drinks, provide additional seating and of course give me a place to put rods. I have never done any kind of pipe bending before, but with a new HF pipe bender sitting in the garage, I decided to give it a go.

Here's where I'm looking at putting it. There will still be plenty of room to move around it on all sides.










First real bend after a couple failed attempts in the background...










This is where I decided to leave off for the night. I need to buy some bigger pipe for rod holders and then finish welding it up. Not a bad first attempt at a cooler rack in my opinion!


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## sleepersilverado (Jun 27, 2011)

**** I will have to look into the ta 186. I have been wanting to get a better tig currently playing with a ta 95s and think I can perform better with a foot pedal.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

sleepersilverado said:


> **** I will have to look into the ta 186. I have been wanting to get a better tig currently playing with a ta 95s and think I can perform better with a foot pedal.


IMO a foot pedal is the only way to go with a tig. Absolute control.


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

Absolutely Sick!!! Nice build. 

Redfish Beware!!!

t


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

I had wanted to ask what pipe bender you bought. Now I can see it. Thanks. Cooler rack looks great!

I use a foot pedal (Everlast PowerTig 250EX) but there are times when I am welding in low or confined area the foot pedal is not practical. I use the ramp up and ramp down parameters to lower/adjust the current. But I am also interested in a thumb adjusment on my torch. I have not used one yet. How do you tig weld when you can't use your foot pedal?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

troutsupport said:


> Absolutely Sick!!! Nice build.
> 
> Redfish Beware!!!
> 
> t


Thank you! If only my redfish skills were on par with the boat lol. I need to really buy one of your dvd's some day!



> I use a foot pedal (Everlast PowerTig 250EX) but there are times when I am welding in low or confined area the foot pedal is not practical. I use the ramp up and ramp down parameters to lower/adjust the current. But I am also interested in a thumb adjusment on my torch. I have not used one yet. How do you tig weld when you can't use your foot pedal?


A thumb control gets rid of the foot pedal completely. There are a few options for thumb switches, but the basic two are on/off, and on/off with a roller for amp adjustment. Just get into welding position, hit the button on the torch, and away you go.


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## Puddle_Jumper (Jun 30, 2014)

As I am sitting here (at work) LOL... reading this all and looking at the pictures I am sure my jaw is hanging on the ground...You have done a awesome job Sir. And the welds are SWEEEEET !! .. Thank you for sharing your build with us


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Puddle_Jumper said:


> As I am sitting here (at work) LOL... reading this all and looking at the pictures I am sure my jaw is hanging on the ground...You have done a awesome job Sir. And the welds are SWEEEEET !! .. Thank you for sharing your build with us


Glad I can provide a solid distraction from work lol. Nice to know people enjoy seeing the build.

Here's a bit more distraction... Worked on a couple things today. One is an idea that I had for the cooler rack. I noticed a severe lack of drink holders on the boat, so I decided to build a shelf on the cooler rack to place a row of drop in drink holders. It's going to have a piece of sheet metal going across with holes for the recessed drink holders. Then I'll cover the sheet in my blue turf. Not sure if I explained it well, but ya'll will see what I mean when I finish.










The other big thing I did today was drill two large holes in the bottom of a perfectly good boat. It always feels wrong doing it, but it had to be done! My 90 degree blue anodized hose barbs came in today. First thing to be done was get the anodizing off. A quick dip in a lye bath and they came out clean as a whistle.

Here's a before and after of the lye bath.










After I got them cleaned up, I grabbed the hole saw and got them fit and cut down to be welded.




























This is where I left off for the day. Need to make a trip to home depot tomorrow and finish up the plumbing for the tunnel vent. I picked up my propeller from Baumann today, so it looks like I will get to do my maiden voyage on Saturday!


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

What does the vented tunnel do for you?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> What does the vented tunnel do for you?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It allows you to break the suction that is created by the tunnel, which results in a gain of speed and fuel efficiency.

Basically...

Vent open = no suction in tunnel, motor all the way down, speed + fuel efficienct

Vent closed = suction in tunnel raising water, motor jacked up, slow but shallow.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Hmmm thanks. Going to try that on mine. 


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## JavelinaRuss (Jul 24, 2007)

So how the maiden voyage go? 

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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

JavelinaRuss said:


> So how the maiden voyage go?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk


It was good and bad. I actually put it in the Trinity at Riverside yesterday afternoon to make sure everything was good to go for today. After about 15 minutes of testing at various jack plate and tilt settings, the outboard started to surge like it was running out of fuel. I shut it off, checked the fuel bulb, started again, and it only ran on 2 cylinders.  I shut it back down and trolled back to the ramp. Got home about an hour later and did a compression check. All cylinders were solid, so it looks like either a carb or spark problem. I haven't delved into it past that yet. My bet is stuck float by the way it acted.

Before the outboard started giving me fits, I was quite pleased with how she was performing from a maiden voyage stand point. Top speed was 35.5 mph @ 5100 rpm, jack plate all the way up, trimmed out to the point of porpoising and light load. My personal goal was 34mph, so I was quite happy to be sitting at 35.5 with room for improvement. I definitely need to drop the pitch down on the prop and move some weight forward. I'm thinking of moving my two trolling motor batteries forward into the pod with the ballasts. The stern was drafting at about 7 inches, which should balance out closer to 6 when I move some weight forward.

Hopefully the motor is an easy fix and I can get back to testing/revising. Will dig into it Monday and drop my prop back by Louie for tweaking.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Whiznut congratulations! Despite the problems I bet it still felt good. 


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

Looking good! How much does that hull weigh? Are you running a 3 or 4 blade prop?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

> Whiznut congratulations! Despite the problems I bet it still felt good.


Thanks! It felt good until the motor troubles lol. I felt pretty horrible coming home with the fear that I might have lost a cylinder or something else horrendous. I checked the spark on all the cylinders today and they are all firing, so it looks like it's time to do a carb job. I'll buy a repair kit tomorrow and dig into them. Hopefully that will make everything right again.



bwguardian said:


> Looking good! How much does that hull weigh? Are you running a 3 or 4 blade prop?


I've estimated the rigged boat at around 2176#. Currently running a 4 blade propeller.

600	base hull weight
193	added platforms and fuel tank
108	fuel
150	batteries
50	generator
52	lights
525	people
275	outboard
23	jack plate
50	trolling motor
150	misc.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Everybody cross their fingers, but it looks like I got the engine running again. Pulled the carbs yesterday and found the jet in the top carb was clogged up. Got them all cleaned up, put back together and... it was still running on 2 cylinders.  I went back to investigating electrical again, and decided to swap in an old set of dirty spark plugs I had replaced with new ones this last week. Lo and behold, it started firing all 3. Went out today on Conroe just to run it, but the waves were so bad I couldn't get it up to speed without getting a wave over the bow. I'm going to head down to Galveston tomorrow to try and test it again and make sure I have the issue fixed.










Since that first test run I did on the Trinity revealed the need to shift some weight, I went ahead and moved the two trolling motor batteries forward into the pod with the ballasts. You couldn't have asked for a tighter fit! I've also started replacing all of the wire nuts with waterproof heat shrink butt connectors. Still a ways to go on that front.










Little detail that I also added today was four folding cleats. Two on the bow, and one on each of the rear pods. On my last boat, I always found myself needing additional places to tie things off to. These will make attaching drift socks, dock lines and anchors a lot easier.










Here's a pic from today on Conroe with a full load. I put 75# of lead shot in the yeti and filled the middle cooler with water. Also threw some tool boxes and the generator in the boat.

List of things left to do... Push pole mount, finish tunnel vent, finish cooler rack, and then onto paint! The list is starting to get short!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Headed down to Galveston to do a more thorough water test. With a full load of gas, gear and fishing partner, I ended up at 35mph running the intercoastal, 5000 rpm, jack plate all the way up, vent closed. Didn't have a single hiccup and ended up with 7 flounder up to 20" while exploring all new water.

Got a pic of the motor running all the way up. Sitting where it's at, there is about 2 inches of skeg below the bottom of the boat. In order to raise it even with the bottom, I'll have to buy a static riser, but I'm not sure I can do it without adding a low water pickup as well based on the picture. There's no indication of lost water pressure at it's current position though. Any thoughts?










Ran out of Tikki with some chop and stayed dry the whole way. I was expecting a much worse ride out of the slick bottom, but it really handled it well.










Lights worked perfectly and the ability of the slick bottom to pivot and slide off obstacles when I ended up a bit too shallow was fantastic. First fish in the new boat.










The water testing kind of distracted me from getting the cooler rack finished this week, but I did get the cup holder tray about done. Still need to add the foam around the cup holders and get the rod holders fabbed up to call it finished.










I got my set of shallow water solutions push pole brackets in the mail yesterday and installed today. Next water test will include a test of the poling platform.


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

*7.....*


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

V-Bottom said:


> *7.....*


Hey, give me a break. It was new water! Can't limit out every time.


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## Capt. Bobby Hill (Mar 30, 2010)

5000 rpm sounds a bit low for that motor, was that WOT or cruising speed? I figure you could get closer to 5500. Besides that, your talent and imagination is incredible, absolutely beautiful boat.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

5500 should be WOT on that motor, although it will easily handle over 7000 lol.

are you going to coat the bottom of the hull?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

> 5000 rpm sounds a bit low for that motor, was that WOT or cruising speed? I figure you could get closer to 5500. Besides that, your talent and imagination is incredible, absolutely beautiful boat.


It definitely is a bit low. It isn't finished yet though, just a first round set of numbers. I will be getting it tweaked still. All part of water testing!

Thank you for the compliment!



> are you going to coat the bottom of the hull?


Yep, I already have the gatorglide paint sitting in the garage. Just waiting to do it as the very last thing on the boat.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Few more things checked off the list. Bought a 24" led light strip and got it installed. Having no interior light during that first night time test was a real pain. I'm thinking of putting another one under the poling platform, but I don't see any way to do the wiring for it cleanly. I'm not a big fan of visible wires.










Also got around to making rod holders out of 1.5" sch 40 for the cooler rack. I thought I was finally done with it until I came up with an idea for a tray that could go on the opposite side of the cup holders. Would make a nice spot for putting keys, sunglasses and other small stuff that you don't want to throw in a storage pod. The simple cooler rack keeps getting more complicated!


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

It's been a while since my last update. I've been doing more tweaking, testing, fabricating and fixing. To start off, I noticed last week when pulling my prop a small amount of oil leaking around the lower unit prop shaft seals. Pulled my drain plug and was greeted by a nice glass of chocolate milk. Got it all drained out, filled, drained again, and installed new prop shaft seals. I threw together a ******* pressure tester out of a bike pump, arrow shaft, and oil pump hose/fitting. Seemed to be holding pressure, so I took it out for a full day on the water with the wife. Came home, checked the oil, and it was clean as it should be!

Cheers!









Got lucky and snagged both seals at the same time when pulling the old ones to replace.










Not sure if this was pure genius or complete stupidity....










Had a great day chasing Tilapia and the wife enjoyed soaking up some sun.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

On the fabrication and tweaking side, I decided that the only way to get my motor raised to where I want it was to add a low water pickup. I settled on doing a transom mounted pickup similar to a bob's, but made out of aluminum. The pickup is made of 1" x 1/8" wall square tubing with a 5/8" aluminum hose barb welded to the top. At the bottom of the pickup, I welded in a piece of rod to serve as a grate to keep out larger things before they reach my inline raw water filter. I welded the pickup to a piece of plate and welded a separate mounting bracket to the hull. This will allow me about an inch of up/down adjustment for the pickup.




























The hardest and most nerve wracking part of this whole thing is drilling and tapping the hole into the lower unit. There was absolutely NO room for error on either side. Thankfully I nailed it and I'm just waiting for my aluminum 1/2npt x 5/8 barb fitting to come in the mail tomorrow to finish putting it together and go out for a water test.


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## jorgepease (Apr 14, 2011)

Nice! Where did you get the water filter?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

> Nice! Where did you get the water filter?


The water filter is a sea-dog water strainer with a stainless steel mesh screen. Should do great for keeping small stuff out of the engine, and is readily visible for easily dumping stuff that may collect. I don't think that it will ever collect much with the pickup being at the top of the tunnel, but it'll be nice to have no debris entering the engine to block anything up.

http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/2069-in-line-water-strainer


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## jorgepease (Apr 14, 2011)

cool, thanks!


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

Wuznut. Great pictures. And glad you are getting out on the water again. 5 of us went out to east matty and it was a tough grind all day and not much to show for it. 

With the low water pickup do you block the normal intakes ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

GoneSouth said:


> Wuznut. Great pictures. And glad you are getting out on the water again. 5 of us went out to east matty and it was a tough grind all day and not much to show for it.
> 
> With the low water pickup do you block the normal intakes ?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks! Being on the water is such a great feeling. The normal water intakes do get blocked off when going to the low water pickup. I'll start out with some tape over them for testing purposes before I seal them up permanently.

Another thing that also is getting blocked off is the tunnel vents that I did all that work making lol. Now with the low water pickup, venting the tunnel would be a bad thing for water getting to the pickup. All part of the process I suppose.


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## GoneSouth (Jun 4, 2010)

I thought about that after I posted. I am thinking of adding vents to mine as an experiment. Mercury makes a plate for the water pick up that directs water into the intake. But I have good water pressure at all levels. So I probably don't need it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bboswell (Aug 14, 2006)

wiznut said:


> The water filter is a sea-dog water strainer with a stainless steel mesh screen. Should do great for keeping small stuff out of the engine, and is readily visible for easily dumping stuff that may collect. I don't think that it will ever collect much with the pickup being at the top of the tunnel, but it'll be nice to have no debris entering the engine to block anything up.
> 
> http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/2069-in-line-water-strainer


Great work on this project! I really like this filter idea, I have a Bob's pickup cone on my engine and it does pick up debris.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

bboswell said:


> Great work on this project! I really like this filter idea, I have a Bob's pickup cone on my engine and it does pick up debris.


Thanks! The filter has definitely done a great job at keeping debris out of the engine in the first few tests I've done with it.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

A big update of success today! It looks like I have a fully working low water pickup now!

My first pickup design was a complete failure and I had to start from scratch on the drawing board. With the first design that I had, the pickup was 90 degrees to the angle of the water coming out of the tunnel. It worked just fine at idle speeds, but as soon as I got to planing speed it began sucking tons of air into the line and water pressure dropped significantly. Even moving the pickup deeper into the water did nothing to solve the issue.

I began looking around for inspiration that might help me fix the problem and found a few pictures of jet foots with intake fins. From those pictures it looked like I really needed to change the angle of the pickup relative to direction of the water. I ended up cutting out the old bracket and making a new one that matched the angle of the transom, which would hopefully help the intake scoop water. I also added a slight bend to the new intake tube to further increase the scoop effect. Lastly I took inspiration of the jet foot intake fins and bent out a set on the pickup. I went from having almost no water pressure on plane with version 1.0 to peeing like a race horse with version 2.0.

Here's a short video of version 1.0 idling at the boat ramp.






This was version 1.0...










This is version 2.0 that works!














































I also got the factory lower unit water pickups sealed. I ended up making a set of block off plates out of 1/4" aluminum and then used JB Marine Weld to seal them in. In one of the plates I tapped a small drain hole so that I can drain water from the lower unit in case of a freeze or long term storage.


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## jimmyjams4110 (Mar 2, 2015)

Outstanding job. Way cool.


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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

That intake plug is a good idea. Looks nice!


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Nice to see quality down home rigging.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

JimD said:


> Nice to see quality down home rigging.


Appreciate it :cheers:

I've been getting some winter projects done with all this wind we've had lately. Biggest thing I finally got around to was doing the gatorglide on the bottom of the hull. That was a ton of work that left my arms sore for a week. Really giddy with how slick it is now. It barely slows down when sliding over dry land now.




























Also decided to make a v2.0 of my cooler rack. I decided to change to some oversided cup holders, an inset tray for setting stuff on and capped rod holders with notches. Small changes, but those small details make a difference in function.




























Maybe most importantly of all, I christened it "The AlumiNaughty"...


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

did you have any issues applying the gatorglide upside down?


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

gotmuddy said:


> did you have any issues applying the gatorglide upside down?


No issue at all other than arm fatigue. It applies really easily. No dripping.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## Csafisher (Nov 16, 2010)

wiznut said:


> No issue at all other than arm fatigue. It applies really easily. No dripping.
> 
> Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


How many coats? And how much paint did you use? Just curious, been thinking about doing my mud boat.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Csafisher said:


> How many coats? And how much paint did you use? Just curious, been thinking about doing my mud boat.


I bought the 1/2 gallon kit. 1/2 gallon of base, 1/2 gallon of top. I mixed up a quart of the base and did 3 coats with some paint left over in the bucket. I did 6 coats with about 3/4 of the 1/2 gallon of top (1.5 quarts).

If you want to save a few $, I could sell ya my other quart of base that I have left over and then all you'd need is the top.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Been wanting a power pole for a long time and finally broke down and bought one. Made the mount out of 1/2" flat bar and tied it directly into the poling platform frame. Wished I had a bit more than 200 amps on the 1/2" material, but I got er done. Can't wait to try it out on the water.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

With great hesitation and tremendous thought, I have decided the time has come to part ways with The AlumiNaughty. I've been bitten by the off-shore bug and it bit hard! Check out the for sale thread over in the classifieds:

http://2coolfishing.com/forum/showthread.php?p=20922154#post20922154

Whomever buys this boat, won't be disappointing, I guarantee it!

Here's a 360 of the boat before the 8' Power Pole and upgraded cooler rack:
































































And here's a couple from yesterday!



















And the sweet sweet reward of owning this boat:


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