1436 Tracker Build

[T-Dog Donkey Cruiser]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum and loving all of the awesome information on here. This is our first build so feel free to give as much advice as possible. My dad and 2 brothers just got a new 1436 Tracker and trailer from our neighbor for $550. We got a great deal because our neighbor inherited 3 boats and was just trying to get rid of them fast. We picked up a 1985 15hp Johnson on craigslist for $300. It runs pretty good now, so hopefully it will last us a little while.

Our plan for the boat is to take out the middle bench seat and use 5/8" plywood to make a flat deck which will just rest on the floor. Have a raised deck in the very front of the boat to create some storage space underneath and have a space for a cooler right behind the raised deck. We got some nice seats with swivels from bass pro shop so we will mount one to the back bench and have one mounted on a pedestal in the middle.

We plan on using spar urethane to seal the wood (it seams like most people use this) and then carpeting. We also want to cover the sides of the boat where we cut off the bench seat. We were thinking of using a very thin piece of plywood with carpeting but we are not sure how we could fasten it. Any suggestions?

Here are some pictures we took yesterday as we were taking the middle bench out. We will post some better pics in the future.

 

[TimRich]

Nice find! Looks good so far! Keep up the pics and updates!

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

With ribs that are only on the floor and the seat removed your going to have to add a lot of reinforcement to the sides of the boat. This might not have been the best boat to remove the middle bench.

 

[hsiftac]

Yeah I would definitely add some type of reinforcement to make up for the removal of the middle seat. maybe make your own rib like the other ones, except have it extend up the sides, that way it provides bracing and then you would have something to attach the side panels like you wanted to do.
Just an idea