1455 Marlon - Sturgeon Boat

[the fisherman guy]

Hi fellas, it's been a while since I've been back here at Tinboats.

I picked up a 1436 Crestliner last year, and several members helped me out by picking a motor for it. Well, we did very well for Sturgeon, Walleye, Sauger, Mooneye, Goldeye, Ling, and a host of bottom feeder fish out of that boat, dubbed "The Sturgeon General". I also used it here in Alberta for the short Morel Mushroom picking season, and was able to get to spots that I didn't see another soul out while picking my best harvest ever!

But, it's come time to upgrade. I have bought a new boat, a 1455 Marlon Jon. These are made in Canada, with hunters and fishermen in mind. Its a different hull design, which is supposed to be very stable and hold a huge amount of payload. The plan is to use the same 2014 20hp Yamaha 4 stroke on the new boat, as that is the maximum rating for the new boat, and should push it along nicely.

Bow Type Flat Bow
Transom 15"
Length 14.27'
Beam 63"
Bottom Width 55"
Max Depth 17"
Transom Height 15"
Ribs 5
Seats 3
Max Persons 4
Approx Hull Wt 198 Lbs.
Max Wt Lbs 1320Lbs.
Max HP 20 HP
Hull Gauge 0.0785"

Because oil is crashing, no one is spending money. I bought this boat off of the dealer in Stony Plain, AB as a demo boat. It has been used 4 times but has sat in the dealers yard for a few months. After some creative negotiation, I was able to take this boat home to being my new jon boat project for a very good deal. It still has the blue plastic protective film on the seats!

I am in the process of amassing the accessories for the boat, before I begin the custom work. So far I have the boat, trailer and Wetlander bottom coating.

Still need to pick up:
-Fish finder
-Rod holders
-Floor materials
-Rocket launchers
-LED lights
-Seats
-Sturgeon Cradle

I will keep this thread updated with my progress as the winter comes to an end. Deadline is May 8, when our rivers open for the season here in Southern Alberta.

Tight lines guys!

 

[DarynCashmark]

Nice looking boat!!! Nothing like a nice new canvas to paint on.

Make sure to post lots of photos. Can't wait to see the mods.

 

[the fisherman guy]

Well, a lot has happened since my last post.

I was laid off from the company I have been with for 10 years, so the boat fund has been stagnant - and so has progress. But, I have slowly been amassing the parts I need to begin building one at a time. Picked up a Lowrance Elite 3X color fish finder for depth when cruising the rivers looking for Sturgeon.

As you can see from the picture above, the boat came with the blue protective vinyl still on it. Unfortunately, it was left in the sun for a year and has baked on. If you've ever had to remove baked on vinyl - it isn't fun. The Hotsy pressure washer took most of it off though, and I will use some MEK to remove the rest.

A good friend bought too much Wetlander, and gave me a gallon - like I said, he's a good friend! So this week, I started the bottom coating process.

Here's a few pictures of the process.

I took a paint stripping wheel and my cordless drill to the bottom of the boat to add texture to the aluminum, to aid in bonding the Wetlander to the new hull.

Once that was done, I wiped the hull down with acetone in preparation for the Wetlander primer. The primer went on easily, with a bit of "fish eye" separation as was expected according to the application instructions.

Now with the primer coat on and dry, I lightly sanded the primer to give it texture, according to the application instructions.

 

[the fisherman guy]

Once the bottom had been sanded lightly with 220 grit paper, I began applying the top coat. It dries to the touch quite quickly, and with the full gallon I was able to apply 5 coats in about 2 hours.

I am impressed with how it turned out in OD Green.

I used regular masking tape to tape it off, and it didn't bleed. Before the top coat was fully cured, I removed the tape. I was worried it would never come off if I left it on for the curing time.

Edges look good.

Next up is to provide some additional reinforcement to the bow hook with aluminum plate. Then, flip the boat over and begin the decking. Boat has to be ready for May 8 - good thing I am unemployed! Lots of time to get this project done, and ready for the river.

Stay tuned for more updates on progress.

 

[Tallpine]

I'm real interested in this. I almost bought a Marlin last summer. They are advertised new all over craigslist down here. I might have bought one but the dealer was actually a trailer dealer and didn't know doodly about boats. He wanted as much for a trailer as he did for the boat. Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

[the fisherman guy]

Today was spent working on the boat. I removed the remaining amount of blue protective vinyl with a plastic scraper and MEK, it was a bugger to get off.

Whatever happens, don't leave that stuff in the sun to bake on and become brittle. Glad this step is finished.

I have the deck vinyl on order, should be here Monday. I ordered it from Annette at Sew Wut just off Blackfoot trail. Before I am ready for vinyl, I need to build the floor.

Using 5/8 plywood, I cut two pieces to fit between the benches in the front and middle of the boat. Once they were cut to fit, they were sanded along the edges to round them for the vinyl.

Here is a test fit of the floor.

I coated the plywood in Thompsons Water seal. It's not the best product for this purpose, but I had 5L of it left over from another project, so it's what I used.

Tomorrow, I will begin on the rear casting platform at the stern.

 

[Scott1298]

I'm real interested in this. I almost bought a Marlin last summer. They are advertised new all over craigslist down here. I might have bought one but the dealer was actually a trailer dealer and didn't know doodly about boats. He wanted as much for a trailer as he did for the boat. Please keep us posted on your progress.

Don't be afraid of the Marlon, they sell hundreds of the 1048's to fly-fisherman here every year. With the $ exchange rate, you are getting a real deal!