Man of Steel Goes Aluminum

[M2HB]

It looks like you are starting to make great progress.

Keep up the good work.

 

[Watermann]

Welcome back in from the cold, almost a year. I'll be interested to see what you come up with for the splashwell.

 

[PikeHunter431]

It looks like you are starting to make great progress.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks M2HB.

 

[PikeHunter431]

Welcome back in from the cold, almost a year. I'll be interested to see what you come up with for the splashwell.

Thanks Watermann. It has been a long time, Work kept me very busy the last half of the year and then I was hibernating. The splash pan may be more of an emerging work of art vs an engineering design. lol.

 

[PikeHunter431]

Nicely done M8, and thanks for sharing your progress with pics. We are at the same stage in our re-do's. What's your plan with the rear casting deck, any seating?

Hi No-AH, I am planning on 4 seats/bases on the main deck, all with removable posts. Then I am putting a seat base on the rear deck and front deck. I can move a seat onto each deck at will.

 

[PikeHunter431]

Some pieces of the front deck. The cutouts will all be wood hatches hinging out. One thing surprised me. On the starboard side, the console facing board, which was sealed and covered in vinyl, had warped significantly at the bottom where it meets the hull. So I cut and sealed a new piece. After I put the vinyl on, I think I may put a piece of angle alum on the floor there to give it something to secure to so it doesn't do that again.

 

[PikeHunter431]

Ok, I covered the bow deck with vinyl. I found I didn't have enough room for the hatches and hinges. So I trimmed the hatches, sealed the edges and then covered them. I was just glad I checked before I covered the hatches. I picked up quit a bit of aluminum piano hinges in 8 foot sections. I cut them and am going to try those for the hinges.

 

[PikeHunter431]

Here is the stern deck, now covered. I did a test fit and needed to trim the slats the hinges will attach to.

 

[PikeHunter431]

On the bow, I am putting a removable board in the center section. This will have the seat base on it. I am on track with that.

I would also like to fabricate a removable piece (board) that runs from the bottom of the windshield to the deck or floor and covers the space between the consoles. The purpose would be to stop the wind from coming in between the consoles/under the windshield when moving at speed. When the sun drops/ or it is raining, it can be a bit brisk coming in, particularly in the spring. I imagine some other folks have tried/done this, but I don't think I have stumbled upon them.

 

[Watermann]

What I've seen most is a removable piece of vinyl snapped on to cover and block the pass through between the consoles.

 

[PikeHunter431]

What I've seen most is a removable piece of vinyl snapped on to cover and block the pass through between the consoles.

That makes sense. Much easier to carry and store, vs a board. I guess I will need to learn how to attach snaps to vinyl. Thank you once again.

 

[Tnstratofam]

What we did was ad a hinged and carpeted board that lays down on the casting deck. Then we flip it up and it rests against the windshield frame. I hold it in place with a small bungee chord. It's small enough that it doesn't bother me when I'm fishing from the front.

I will try to post some pics tomorrow when I get back to my computer.

 

[BWR1953]

That makes sense. Much easier to carry and store, vs a board. I guess I will need to learn how to attach snaps to vinyl. Thank you once again.

My Winner bass/ski boat had that same setup. Worked great and super easy to store.

 

[Watermann]

Where the snaps are for longevity, add a 2nd piece of vinyl folded over to triple it up and sew it on where you place the snap otherwise they'll rip through a single layer. I had to do this for the head cover in my Chief's cabin.

 

[PikeHunter431]

Time to play catch-up again, after the mad rush to get ready for a memorial day trip. Here is the front deck with the hinges on and the center section done. I cut some nylon strips and screwed them to the underside of the hatches to make for easy opening. I still have the padded bumpers to put on, some led lights to install and corner holders to fabricate.

 

[PikeHunter431]

Hinges on the rear deck, it even swings up and down. Port side panel on with hatches installed.

 

[PikeHunter431]

All the seat bases are in. I used screws on the deck floors and bolts on the raised decks, with generous amounts of 4200 on all.

 

[PikeHunter431]

I cleaned up the auxiliary motor mount and re-installed it. I had to loosen the spring bolts a bit to get it to rise from a lowered state by itself.

 

[PikeHunter431]

I was able to get the cooler live box working this year. I put in a diaphragm pump. We were getting air locks with the centrifuge pump last year. When we land pike, we dump the net into a plastic bin ( to contain the slime.) Once the net is free and the hooks have been removed, we use the small top hatch to slip the fish into the cooler. The fish don't move when we just open the small hatch. However, when we raise the full cover, they get a bit rowdy. I am using a Flow-rite valve system so I can change to re-circulation when moving at high speed and also drain the cooler for removal. I also used the Flow-rite quick connects on to easily remove the cooler. This one is 37.5 gallons and 42 inches long.

 

[PikeHunter431]

I also have a Cablea's 25 gallon live well box. This one will sit sideways between the rear seats. It will only come forward 16 inches and free up the space in the center of floor. It should be plenty large enough for walleye and small mouth bass fishing. I ordered the FLow-Rite quick connects and plan on getting it running on the next trip.