Mid 1980's Alumacraft Classic 16 Rebuild

[rubberchickenfilet]

Hey guys,

So what was supposed to be a simple rewire of what I think is an '84 Alumacraft Classic 16, has turned into a complete rebuild. I bought the boat last year, and on a crappy day last fall the the main line running back to the battery shorted out. Well, as I began pulling new wire, I came to the conclusion that I wanted more storage, a floor that wasn't squishy, and carpet that didn't hold water for days after a light drizzle. At this point I've torn out the whole of the interior, and once realizing that the transom was rotten, taken the motor off.

I've got a couple of questions though. First, is there a way to remove the old transom wood without having to drill out the knee brace rivets. I don't mind taking out any rivets above the water line, but I really don't want to incur the cost of replacing those 8 rivets. I don't trust that I can do that myself. Second, can I safely raise the height of the front casting deck without making the boat any more tippy that it currently is? It would be nice to get at least 1 storage compartment down there. And finally for now, can I remove some of the foam in the rear casting deck to create storage in the back? I plan on packing foam under the floor, and will fill the rest of the cavity tight with foam, but I fear that taking that flotation out may make the boat sit lopsided in the water.

Thanks for any input, and I plan on keeping this thread updated as best I can.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Mid 1980's Alumacraft Classic 16 Rebuild

Welcome aboard rubberchickenfilet,

1st of all I'll be watching this thread as I've a1988 Classic 16 that I'll be doing in stages. Gotta keep fishin too!

Your Classic looks quite a bit different than mine so it will be interesting to see what changes have been made over time. For one, the transom on mine is completely encased in aluminum. The stern layout is completely different also. Here's a link to some pictures of mine after I got it home.

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...air/alumacraft-classic-16-project-584528.html

Asking about raising the front casting deck just remember that by doing so will raise the center of gravity and natually making it more tippy. Can you see a way to remove some foam from the bow and building a compartment under the casting deck?