Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

[Starkonian]

So, does anyone know the dimensions needed to cut the hardwood floor? I bought a Min Kota 30lb thrust 30" shaft trolling motor. The 30" shaft will be long, right? Any suggestions on extending the trolling motor wires so I can place the battery mid ship? My M4 is en route to me right now. I'm trying to get as much worked out now so I can fish'n asap. Looks like I'll be stopping buy the CA DMV to get it registered. How does everyone attach teh registration numbers to the boat? Thanks!

 

[Greg_S]

Here's mine...
Did this about a month ago. Used 3/4 plywood instead of the original floor. I keep my battery under the bench, in front, so I had to extend the motor's original cable.

 

[Starkonian]

Nice. Measurements taken of floor? Did you attach the two floor sections together?

 

[flukesofnature]

Greg
Well done set up. I am curious ..have you tried your oars yet with the position of your seat. I built my post about 17 inches high. The length of my shin, so I would not have to "crouch" all day long.( I am six four) The result is great if I never have to row...when rowing, the height of the seat(post + 2-3 inches of seat) cause the plane of the oars to not be able to be rowed comfortably with very little stroke being able to be be pulled entirely. I extended the oars, and had some success, but the seat position is still off. I have a shelf, like yours at mid ships..and it is easier to sit on that and row, than to sit in the swivel seat, because the shelf is about the same height as the top of the inflated side tube,about 11 inches. What is your experience? I don't row much...thanks to the great battery center and Minn Kota 40..but occasionally , when approaching the shallow water, or when I have the motor up for launching etc..the whole rowing thing is not a smooth , fun experience in any way.....I could re mount the seat and move it more towards the front, but that puts me farther away from the motor and turning handle...etc.
But I realize the oars were designed for no seat, no floor,sit on the inflatable seat. and row the "raft pool toy" around with no power, so that is a given.....LOL

 

[Starkonian]

Flukes~I'm mounting swivel seats on milk crates to avoid the problem you're having. I want to be able to move the seat forward and back to use the trolling motor and oars as needed.

 

[Brusac]

Starkonian - I did the swivel seat on a milk crate and it is not stable if you are using the stock floor. I can also see it not being stable even with a solid floor versus the slat floor. After a couple of close calls of nearly falling out of my boat I took a scrap piece of plywood and cut it the width of the floor and cut 4 holes in it and I strap the crate to the board. This is my temporary mod. I am planning on doing a full floor mod over the winter.

 

[Greg_S]

Starkonian, yes, i took measurements of the floor.. but bit smaller(about an inch from each edge).
I decided not to connect both floor sections. Makes it much easier to put them in. I usually start with the larger section(one with the swirling seat) and slide the smaller one last. Everything fits pirfectly in my SUV with rear seats down, but i am planing to buy a used (4x8) utility trailer next year(they usually go for about $250+ on craigslist) so i can inflate it once on Fri and use the whole weekend without any additional hustle of loading, inflating and unloading my car. will see how it goes.
Here's an example of the trailer i am planning to get, just so you can get an idea what i am talking about

.

 

[Greg_S]

flukesofnature, i don't use oars much while sitting on a swirling seat, but can be done, not very comfortable, but doable if needed to get me around on the shallow part of the lake where i cant use the motor. But if i realy need to use them i just seat on the bench. it can be moved easily to the middle of the boat.

 

[Greg_S]

I am also thinking on getting a Humminbird fishin buddy 120c next spring.

and mount it here...

 

[Starkonian]

I am also thinking on getting a Humminbird fishin buddy 120c next spring.

and mount it here...

Greg~ Those are OK for fly in Canadian trips but you might want to consider other options. You can get a standard unit with a bigger screen with higher resolution for the same price or less. Just mount the transducer on the bottom of the trolling motor. put a bracket on the shelf you pictured and mount the unit there.

 

[Starkonian]

Starkonian - I did the swivel seat on a milk crate and it is not stable if you are using the stock floor. I can also see it not being stable even with a solid floor versus the slat floor. After a couple of close calls of nearly falling out of my boat I took a scrap piece of plywood and cut it the width of the floor and cut 4 holes in it and I strap the crate to the board. This is my temporary mod. I am planning on doing a full floor mod over the winter.

Brusac~ Thanks. It felt stable sitting on one crate on the garage floor. I guess I can see forgetting about it and rearing back on a hook set and toppling over. I too want to do a floor mod but no time right now. I think I'll try it and try to be extra careful. Do I have to put something under the crate to prevent floor damage or is it OK to just set it down with nothing under it?

 

[Starkonian]

Starkonian, yes, i took measurements of the floor.. but bit smaller(about an inch from each edge).
I decided not to connect both floor sections. Makes it much easier to put them in. I usually start with the larger section(one with the swirling seat) and slide the smaller one last. Everything fits pirfectly in my SUV with rear seats down, but i am planing to buy a used (4x8) utility trailer next year(they usually go for about $250+ on craigslist) so i can inflate it once on Fri and use the whole weekend without any additional hustle of loading, inflating and unloading my car. will see how it goes.
Here's an example of the trailer i am planning to get, just so you can get an idea what i am talking about

.

Thanks Greg. Trailer looks nice.

The boat arrived at work and sitting in my car. I have a couple seats with swivels, milk crates for pedestals (uh-oh), a new Minkota 30 lb motor and deep cycle battery and box. The transom mount kit, tarp, fairly decent 12 volt inflator with extension cord. I need to get to the DMV this week to get it registered. Hopefully me and my 7 year old will finally be "off the bank" this weekend.

I bout a rectangular milk crate at Sears for $10. The trolling motor fits in it. I'm wanting to extend the trolling motor wires so I can place the battery in the middle of the boat, under the upside down crate. Then I can attach a seat to it for the occasional 3rd passenger. Longer term, I want to make a two piece floor and attach removable Wise or Attwood pedestals. Question, is the two piece floor unstable if it's bolted together in some way?

Regarding the trolling motor seat position vs. rowing seat position issue, I found this...it appears you bolt it to the floor and attach the pedestal to it. Move the lever and you get 4.5" of travel for and aft. I don't know if 4.5" would be enough. A little pricey too but cool idea.

 

[Brusac]

Starkonian - The biggest downfall of the seat on a crate is it will slide around a bit and before you know it one edge of the crate is over the gap between two slats and then you move just a little and the whole thing wants to tip over and down you go. While that may not be a factor in a solid floor mod there is still the concern of rearing back for a hook set or other action and tipping. With my temporary mod I can hang my feet over the sides of the tubes and relax with no stability concerns.

 

[Greg_S]

Starkonian, I am actually considering other options for the fish finder. Maybe i'll get something with the GPS, still reading reviews. got plenty of time till next season. I might make the pole mount with a clamp(similar to the one I posted) instead of mounting it on the motor itself if I go with this option. also maybe i'll do something to make it go horizontal(maybe mount it on something with the door hinge) so I can pull it out of the shallow water if needed.
as for the floor, it is very stable even with 2 sections, since it is very close to the size of the original floor and sort of "pushed" to the PVC floor by the inflated sections. Once all sections are inflated I can't even move the floor it sits there pretty tight.

 

[Brusac]

For a fish finder option the Vexilar Sonar Phone T-Pod looks promising, it sends a wireless signal that uses your smartphone or iPad for the display. Multiple people on a boat or small groups of M4's could all use a single fish finder if they have the app on their phone. The Amazon everyday price is also lower than the iBoats clearance price...

http://www.iboats.com/T-Pod-WiFi-Tr...751997--session_id.161666740--view_id.1099611

 

[Starkonian]

The T-Pod does look cool. It's concerning having non-water proof electronic gear in the boat tho. My next finder will have down imaging capability. The pricing is finally coming down. The detail is night and day over previous units. No more guessing that "blob" is a school of bait fish or a clump of weeds.

 

[KingPhoenix]

Hi, I have looking into getting an inflatable boat. I have been going through this thread and I'm excited to get a boat and do some mods to it! I found a used Mariner 4, they said it's 4 years old but only used for one summer. I'm wondering if someone could give some problems their unit may have developed over time so I can check those areas out. I'm a little concerned that the plastics will start to fail. I would hope to get at least 3 years of use from it.
I attached some pics they sent me.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Starkonian]

What's the asking price? It looks under inflated. Is there any way you can test it fully inflated for 24 hours?

 

[flukesofnature]

King Phoenix
How many patches on the floor or outside of the tubes....What does the bottom of the inflatable keel look like on the outside..has it been drug all the across the Grand Canyon?
Is there any leaks coming from valves when fully inflated...cost of valve replacement, if possible 20.00 dollars minimum
Is there any pin prick holes coming from any chambers or unexplained loss of air inside the chambers (where the seal is blown also a possibility)....cost of internal "slime" or equivalent internal latex sealer..About 59.00$
Is there external leaks that can't be seen or discovered until unit is fully inflated for several hours, or complete "soapy solution" examination.()....cost of HH66 vinyl adhesive repair kit...about 30.00$
Does the floor leak water at the seams where the floor section meets the side tubes...impossible to know before purchase...cost of another 16 ozs of HH66 ( or equivalent)..another 30.00$
Are the oar junctions cracked..or do the oars come out of the oar lock base when rowed( a nice surprise when you need full torque on the oars.).cost from Intex plus shipping 20-25 dollars
Does the floor valve leak...complete removal and replacement 25.00 dollars minimum
Do you get a pump with the deal...another 20.00 dollars
Are you catching the drift of where I am going here..you are buying some one else's problems..which is fine as long as you see the big picture cost...
And that is before the" minor" cost of a floor mod and seat mod. etc etc... trolling motor.....Bimini.....water ski package... undersea exploration kit.....just kidding LOL

 

[flukesofnature]

If you consider all this you may want to go for a new one...at least there is a warranty.In time you may need some or all of the above, which is just maintenance( to be able to get three or four years out of the boat)..but you may not want to start your maiden voyage with all of the above problems.