1973 SmokerCraft 16' V hull [Major tasks completed - 6/1/11]

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SlowRollin' said:
I think it turned out pretty good. Looks like a new boat.

What name brand paint did you use above the water line?

SlowRollin, It is a Porter Brand (PPG) two-part polyurethane. I will check the garage in the next day or so and see if I still have the can out there with a name on it. Will report back later.
 
The boat is looking great. I pulled out my '73 SmokerCraft out from under the deck that I'm sanding and staining. My trailer and boat needs about the same amount of work. After the deck is done I'm going to pull the cover off and take a look at it. I would need to do the trailer also. I have always like the raised floor to keep things dry. I rented a rowboat with an electric motor and fished on mothers day with my wife and things on the floor of the got wet. I don't have any plywood but seeing yours I might consider it. Thanks for sharing your project.
 
Whew! Finally am now "complete" with "major projects"!!! There will be plenty of minor things to fiddle with over time, but I'm done occupying the entire garage. (my wife is also happy with that). Got the carpet installed this weekend. It was hard to get perfect cuts and perfect fits because this boat is fairly lacking in exact angles and precision/perfection. Did my best though.

Front casting deck and hatch:
IMG_0514.JPG


Boat seats finally installed!
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Side boat view with seats:
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interior view from stern to bow:
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comparison views:
old:
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new:
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Got it finished just in time to take out on the Kentucky River for memorial day weekend.

Boat tied up to dock at river fish camp cabin:
IMG_0546.JPG


Boat beached at my favorite fishing rapids:
IMG_0558.JPG


Despite having several youngsters tag along on the boat ride, my brother and I even caught a few trout in the tailwaters where the boat is beached in the above photo.

Boat performed well with two exceptions - the transducer is about a 1/2 inch too low and was throwing up a crazy amount of spray at high speeds. Should be an easy fix.

on GPS, when I got up to about 28 mph, the boat began porpoising pretty bad. I will have to take it out again to experiment with different angles on the motor. I may not have had it down flush against the transom. not sure. Had a lot of family out there, though, and didn't have opportunity to try all kinds of different settings. That was a shame, though, because I really wanted to know how fast it would go. I hit 28 mph against a very stiff river current and I don't think I was quite wide open on the throttle.

We'll see.

Anyway, glad to reach this point and thanks to members of this board for input and inspiration.
 
Hi. I am contemplating purchasing the same boat for a material hauler on a long river. I found one but it is a hundred miles away. Do you think the aluminum is thick enough to haul a full boat load of lumber up a shallow rock infested river?

I have 3 Lunds but I need a beater

Any idea of the weight of the boat?

The one I am looking at only has two original cross benches

Also I am curious about the floor. Is it raised above the hull? There must be a tunnel under the floor that leads from front to back for drainage.

Good looking vessel
 
Very nice boat! After viewing yours I ran out to check on mine. It was still there. I too have a 73 Smokercraft. It's a 16' Tri-fisherman I think. Almost like yours, except not as nice. I bought mine with only two benches remaining and a transom that had to come out. Thats how its sitting right now.

Now that you have inspired me to get out there and work on it maybe I'll send further pics. If I remember right I think I posted some when I got it and then the boat was put on hold. I have some work to do this summer. 8-[

To decee: under the aluminum floor it is spray foamed and Styrofoam for support. There is a half inch poly tube that runs the length of the flat deck. I took the aluminum up to get rid of about 10 gallons of water that had saturated the foam.
 
thanks for all the very nice comments!

Haven't been on here as much recently because I have actually been fishing and boating - imagine that, getting to actually USE the boat I've been working on for 5 months.

Was up on my favorite trout river in central Kentucky. The boat did great.

I have added a hydrofoil on the motor's cavitation plate and that really solved my porpoising problems. Got it GPS clocked at about 31 mph. I don't know if the hydrofoil subtracting any off my top-end speed (a normal complaint according to things I've read) because I never got a chance to test my top-end before putting the foil on due to porpoising. So, I guess I'm pretty happy with the result of stability and better planing.

Here's a shot beached on a gravel bar below some rapids on the trout river. My friend is fly casting in the background:

IMG_0589.JPG



Thanks again to everyone on this site for all the advice and project ideas!!!
 
Nice Job, I have the same boat that I just cleaned up and built a trailer for. I really like these things there super stable and the flat floor is nice. =D>

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=20707&p=214005#p214005

decee said:
Hi. I am contemplating purchasing the same boat for a material hauler on a long river. I found one but it is a hundred miles away. Do you think the aluminum is thick enough to haul a full boat load of lumber up a shallow rock infested river?

I have 3 Lunds but I need a beater

Any idea of the weight of the boat?

The one I am looking at only has two original cross benches

Also I am curious about the floor. Is it raised above the hull? There must be a tunnel under the floor that leads from front to back for drainage.

Good looking vessel

Not sure about the weight of the boat or a rock infested river but Ive had at least 900 pounds of people plus a beer cooler, 2 big batteries, 4 tackle boxes a minn-kota and a 9.9 kicker and 6 gallons of gas in mine and its not tippy at all. Plenty of FreeBoard in Rough water. [-X
 
Just a quick update - I have been fishing and enjoying this boat ALOT!!!

It has also been used to haul a lot of people on different trips to my house on the Kentucky River. Whether it's a boat load of kids or beer drinking buddies, the boat has held its own.

Was out on the river the other day and wanted to take a pic of the new bimini top. I actually didn't need it then (cool, overcast, and windy), but I can't wait for the shade it will provide in the summer.

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Hope everyone's having good holidays!
 
Man I'm envious of your pictures of what looks like trout fishing paradise. Have you ever been saltwater fly fishing? It's my passion, but I'd love to do some trout fly fishing. I made a trip to Alaska once and caught some really nice salmon, but never trout, yet that is. Beautiful boat. =D>
 
Hey BG! Badass boat I've got a smokercraft also without a coast guard plate in the back. Any suggestions where I might find a hull id number?
 
wow great job on this boat! I enjoyed watching it come together!
 
That is a very unique hull. Seams to have all sorts of shapes and curves i havent seen before. Great build!
 
Hey everyone thanks for the nice comments.

Couple of quick updates...

In January, I had a local boat shop put on a cmc tilt and trim device. It is awesome!!!
Will post a pic from my phone if I ever figure that out.

Then two weeks ago I had to add a stainless steel prop because I had dinged the original aluminium one up pretty bad hitting rocks.

The boat porpoised a bit with the new prop, so I will have to tinker some with th angle and report back...
 

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