SkaterRace
Senior Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2016
- Messages
- 792
I have been tossing around the idea of building a project boat for fishing since I would like a project to work on as well as want a fishing boat of my own (currently use my fathers but seeing as I will be moving in 2-3 years it won't be close anymore).
I have done a transom replacement before and while no fun due to the reason why - someone crashed my boat - I have no issues doing the work and learning. For me, the cut-off point is engine work since I despise that. I have a good guy who will do all of that for me and has for years so I should be safe on that route.
With that all said, what do you guys normally look for in a project boat and what things should I avoid for a first project boat? Should I avoid rotten decks? Avoid aluminum since I can't weld?
A few other questions
- How can I tell horsepower rating by looking at a boat without looking it up online? A am asking because a lot of boats around here have no identification on them for some reason making it hard to tell horsepower - I want something in the 75-115 range.
- If I go aluminum will I need to learn to weld so that I can weld brackets to hold the deck and such in?
- How to tell how a boat will handle rougher water without a sea trial - I doubt cheap boats in need of restoration will be sea-worthy enough to test.
- What things should I expect to run into that are not obvious to someone new to boat projects?
I have done a transom replacement before and while no fun due to the reason why - someone crashed my boat - I have no issues doing the work and learning. For me, the cut-off point is engine work since I despise that. I have a good guy who will do all of that for me and has for years so I should be safe on that route.
With that all said, what do you guys normally look for in a project boat and what things should I avoid for a first project boat? Should I avoid rotten decks? Avoid aluminum since I can't weld?
A few other questions
- How can I tell horsepower rating by looking at a boat without looking it up online? A am asking because a lot of boats around here have no identification on them for some reason making it hard to tell horsepower - I want something in the 75-115 range.
- If I go aluminum will I need to learn to weld so that I can weld brackets to hold the deck and such in?
- How to tell how a boat will handle rougher water without a sea trial - I doubt cheap boats in need of restoration will be sea-worthy enough to test.
- What things should I expect to run into that are not obvious to someone new to boat projects?
