Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Copper.... in the mariner go with 10, maybe 11ft of wire...the 12'i did for the excursion, which is significantly larger...i tend to have a good bit of extra wire. Which by the way i now just lay under the floor, not through the pipe insulation.

 

[shotokan]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Mrdrh99,

i got an group size 29 everstart Maxx marine battery from walmart. The boat moves pretty well with the 55 and battery lasts pretty long thus far. I took it out for a 2 night camping trip and it handled well. Ill try to get some pics up soon.

 

[CopperFox]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

MrDrH99: Perfect! That's exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks!

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

That's good too hear....make sure you have the circuit breakers in line with your battery! Glad you are enjoying your boat....get those pics up asap!

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Copper...glad i could help....i can't wait to get back out on the boat!

 

[Andrewhucks]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Okay so thanks to this thread I joined the site and decided to customize a seahawk 4. I'm in the process of shaping my plywood floor as we speak. I've seen a couple posts about "painting" the floor before the carpet goes on to reduce rot and water damage. I hadn't seen many specifics besides a gentleman who said he used an indoor/outdoor polyurethane paint. Now I can use that but what's wrong with a thompsons water sealer (used for waterproofing decks and such) and why hasn't that been mentioned? Is there any reason why that wouldn't be the best choice to seal it up? Thanks a ton for all the info and pictures you guys have provided, it's given me (a starving student with a small car) the chance to have a bass boat, something I thought wouldn't happen for years to come.
Andy

 

[new_mariner]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

hi All,
Just like some others on this thread, I joined just to see the images of the mods and i am hooked
The thread has gone silent and i am not getting my mariner 4 mod fix

I was wondering if anyone got the Bimini mod up and running - I am planning to start the project and want to see all the ideas out there.

Again, Thanks for all the pointers.
-kal

 

[poxxxy]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

mrdrh99, I actually came across your video on youtube of your excursion. I've had an excursion 5 for some time and live in the UK. The most use I had was taking it on some narrow canals here but I'm wondering if i'll be ok to go to sea on it . I really want to put a hard floor in as you have but i'm tempted to go for a petrol engine... The maximum recommended limit on these is 1.5hp I think? I do see people putting bigger engines on which would definately be better to have a bit more speed when at sea drifting away . A hydrofoil does sound crazy though to lol.

I'd love to see more videos of your boat out on water!

Well... finally my dad got the bug to get the boat out after going kayaking lol, now he wants to buy a motor and start working on customising it for sea fishing. We even have some water drain pipe which is perfect diameter to start building a structure for a bimini style canopy in the rod holders.

I'm wondering whether the excursion 5 is suited well to the sea with a few mods as its bloody huge and navigating the canals when being so wide proved difficult so oar locks were a no no. I look forward to spending much time here and any recommendations you can give me regarding outboards and whether the intex motor mount is worth it would be great.

 

[CopperFox]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

OK, another Mariner 4 mod 'fix'!

MrDr: You recommended 10 gauge wire for 10-12' (one way) for I assume a 30lb thrust motor. Someone here confirmed those numbers. HOWEVER ... I recently came into a little unexpected cash cashand have ordered a new Minn Kota 55 lb thrust! Very happy! I've checked the web and it seems that this motor's max amps is 52 vs 32 for my current motor. And total length of the wire, from battery to motor and back determines appropriate wire gauge. Thoughts? Anyone?

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Copper an 8 may work but i would go with 6 guage....and let us know how that 55 handles...I'm considering one myself!

 

[Andrewhucks]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

So how many of you with plywood floors are using a PVC base underneath? How much added stability does this provide, is it fairly useful? im going to be doing some stand up fishing.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

What do you mean by pvc base? The mariner has a slated floor already and i lay my 1/2"ply on top of that. If that doesn't help please give a bit more info

 

[CopperFox]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

I'm using 15/32" plywood alone, without the slat floor. I don't know how you'd use PVC with this set-up.

When in the water, with or without the slat floor, the water pressure conforms the bottom of the boat material to the slat or plywood floor, with an obvious ridge for the center keel tube. Anything between the material of the floor and a solid flooring above will cause the material of the boat to fit it like a glove.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

I'm using 15/32" plywood alone, without the slat floor. I don't know how you'd use PVC with this set-up.

When in the water, with or without the slat floor, the water pressure conforms the bottom of the boat material to the slat or plywood floor, with an obvious ridge for the center keel tube. Anything between the material of the floor and a solid flooring above will cause the material of the boat to fit it like a glove.

Copper how IS that floor of yours without the slats underneath? I'm damn near ready to try it because that slatted floor seems to account for half the weight of the boat (before mods). If its half as sturdy then I'm about ready to drop it because weight is beginning to be a burden. Guess I would just inflate the keel, drop the ply floor in, add the mods and then launch....does that about sum it up??

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

I don't think I have shared this video with you guys yet.... its not much but it does give a better look at my boat before I launched it about a month ago.

Custom intex Mariner 4 lakeside - YouTube

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

mrdrh99, I actually came across your video on youtube of your excursion. I've had an excursion 5 for some time and live in the UK. The most use I had was taking it on some narrow canals here but I'm wondering if i'll be ok to go to sea on it . I really want to put a hard floor in as you have but i'm tempted to go for a petrol engine... The maximum recommended limit on these is 1.5hp I think? I do see people putting bigger engines on which would definately be better to have a bit more speed when at sea drifting away . A hydrofoil does sound crazy though to lol.

I'd love to see more videos of your boat out on water!

Well... finally my dad got the bug to get the boat out after going kayaking lol, now he wants to buy a motor and start working on customising it for sea fishing. We even have some water drain pipe which is perfect diameter to start building a structure for a bimini style canopy in the rod holders.

I'm wondering whether the excursion 5 is suited well to the sea with a few mods as its bloody huge and navigating the canals when being so wide proved difficult so oar locks were a no no. I look forward to spending much time here and any recommendations you can give me regarding outboards and whether the intex motor mount is worth it would be great.

Sorry, I just saw your comment. So....I live in the mountains of Virginia so I never make it to the ocean with the boat. I'll be honest with you, I don't think I'd take the Excursion out of the ocean, on the small lake here with a trolling motor it seemed very flimsy just in the small waves by the wind. Proceed with extreme caution!

 

[Andrewhucks]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

What do you mean by pvc base? The mariner has a slated floor already and i lay my 1/2"ply on top of that. If that doesn't help please give a bit more info

Hex use the confusion, I have a seahawk 4 without a slatted floor, that's where the PVC base/rack is used under the wood. I figured that some of you would use it in lieu of the heavy slatted floor. Anybody do this? Anybody with an inflatable lie the fishhunter or seahawk 4 on this thread? Thanks

 

[shotokan]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

mrdrh99,

I dont have a circuit breaker, is it really necessay?

 

[CopperFox]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

MrDr: I am very pleased with the way my floor is working without the slats. For perspective though, I only occasionally stand in mine, usually only to get in & out and to stretch. The floor is 15/32", and is in 3 separate pieces, from the back, 4', 4' and 1' in length. There is absolutely nothing connecting them, so stepping near a 'joint' will give you something similar to the slat floor in that what you are standing on moves differently than the adjoining floor. This has not really been an issue though. I have my central work area over the main split in the floor. I do have a simple idea to stabilize this should it ever become an issue though. It involves the cinch straps that I still use to hold my seats to the floor, even though they are now on pedestals. The real plus is that except for the small cone piece, I can make one trip and carry both main floor sections to the boat or into the garage, the weight and size are that convenient.

Some pix of my new pedestal seat set-up:


Note: The base of the seat, which is on the bottom of the pedestal and gets cinch strapped to the floor, is the same piece that used to be bolted to the swivel under the seat, and sat atop the old crates.

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

Hex use the confusion, I have a seahawk 4 without a slatted floor, that's where the PVC base/rack is used under the wood. I figured that some of you would use it in lieu of the heavy slatted floor. Anybody do this? Anybody with an inflatable lie the fishhunter or seahawk 4 on this thread? Thanks

Ok...gotcha...click on my video link on this page. Then look for my other videos....i had an intex excursion, i used 1" pvc under the custom hard floor on that boat. Not necessary on the mariner. I have several excursion videos on you tube