14' Tracker Tadpole

[robgig]

Good day everyone, first time, long time...

My buddy and myself picked up this tadpole 14 from a fella that was using it to house cats I think. When we recovered the vessel from his back yard there were a couple of felines that were not ready to move from this condo. And it stunk like the animals as well. So here we are with a boat that we paid $100, with a title, fish finder, and a couple extra seats. We decided that we are going to build a casting deck on the front and maybe we are going to cover the floor as to shine the "flounder pounder" up. We gathered some aluminum angles from a shop, did some measurements and used SS rivets in most places. Didn't come out bad for a couple of slackers that dont engineer there own stuff very often. For the flooring we know someone that works at a factory that makes cutting boards. He owed us a favor so we got 2- 1/4" sheets that are 5'x8' and un the top of them put a peice of plywood, which we are sure is going to rot, but its easily changeable. I got the carpt as a remnant from Home Depot for $6.50 for a 5x10 piece. My partner works at a lumber yard, we traded some guy some lumber for 2 pedestal seats with mount, and the trolling motor. and a bucket full of SS nuts and bolts.

What I am looking for here, some ideas for the floor in the rear. I was thinking road signs, they are light, can put them face down and put carpet to them as well. I need some help with some basic wiring for this vessel too. I have some LEDs for inside the "cabin". I just have NO idea on how to wire them. A drawing that 2 idiots can understand would be most helpful.

 

[spotco2]

I've got a 12' Tadpole and have to say that those are the most stable narrow tin can I have ever been in on the river. They are amazing but I don't know that I'd want to be on that front deck on fast water!

I used 1/2" plywood for a floor in the back of mine to mount a regular pedestal with 2 pieces of pink foam board under it for stability.

I put about 4 coats of Spar on the plywood before I installed it and that was a couple of years ago.

Running the lights is easy. Run all your negatives together to the battery and all your positives together to the battery. Somewhere in one of those put a switch to break the circuit and turn your lights off.

If you get tired of that boat, bring it to Ga and I'll give you your money back! I've never seen another one of those anywhere around here.

 

[robgig]

You are ABSOLUTELY right about being on that deck with fast water.. maybe sitting... We took it out for its maiden voyage yesterday morning at a friends pond. I was the guinea pig, and went first. I flipped the motor down and sat in the seat and WHOA, I thought I was going in. After I got myself stable and figured out how to use the trolling motor, I could handle it.

After an hour or so my buddy got in and hes no skinny minny, nor am I. He said he felt very stable in the back seat, it did balance out the front a little but there are a couple of times that I was pretty nervous. Im thinking that maybe a little lower to the ground might make a hair difference.

The makes perfect sense on the wiring, I shall try that. We are going to get the rear floor dont this week hopefully.

This vessel will more than likely not hit the big water ANYtime soon.. A little unstable for me..

Thanks for your taking a look...