1958? Aluminum (Walleye) Boat Build

[crawfj13]

Hello all. I just found this forum today, while doing research on my pending boat build. I picked up this old gal on Facebook Marketplace for $600 (including the trailer). After sanding and stripping paint for 2 hours, I decided to drop her off at the local sand blaster. My plan is to build it as an open concept. I'll be fishing the Old Hickory Lake/Cordell Hull area in middle TN for Sauger and Walleye, so I have no need for a casting deck. I'm hoping to have all of the new goodies: Honda Tiller motor, transom mounted trolling motor, Garmin Fish Finder, etc. I'm going to try to keep this thread going with updates. Partially to help others, but also to make sure that I'm obligated to actually finish this project .

The next step after sandblasting is to rebuild the transom. I have picked up a 4x8 sheet of pure gold...err...3/4" Coosa board that I'll use to replace the rotten mess that is currently serving as the transom. I'm open to advice and recommendations and I have thick skin, so anything that will help me learn is more than welcome.

 

[crawfj13]

While I eagerly await the freshly blasted boat, I have cleared out a space in the garage. My plan is to use these two jetski dolly’s to move the boat around without the trailer.

 

[Jim]

Nice! Great project.


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[BillPlayfoot]

Looks like you have an interesting project. I will check back often to follow your progress.

 

[crawfj13]

Expanding Foam question:

My thought is to have a completely open boat deck (no casting platform) with a single bench seat in the back where the tiller will be. I've read through the expanding foam posts on this site and wanted to get everyone's opinion on my initial plan. Since the deck with be completely flat, I wanted to use the existing stringers (see red arrows) and add in one more toward the front. I then wanted to completely fill in the bottom of the boat with either 2lb or 6lb foam before putting down the deck. I would leave the rear section of the boat open, where my batter/gas tank/etc would be.

It's closed cell foam, so it "shouldn't" be affected by water, if/when it gets wet. Despite the price, I like the 6lb foam, because it's structural, in that it will fully support the deck between the 3 stringers, helping to keep weight down, while adding buoyancy. I'd probably run a few pvc drain tubes the length of the boat before putting in the foam, that way any water that may make it's way under the deck would flow back to the stern/bilge area.

What is everyone's thoughts/experience (if any) with expanding foam? I understand that if I fill the area below the deck with foam, it will be inaccessible. There is a concern with having any sort of water trapped in there, even with today's new-fangled foam products that are supposedly impervious to water. Finally, if would 2lb foam be sufficient, or should I really use the 6lb foam to help carry the load of the deck (marine grade plywood)?

 

[crawfj13]

$150 worth of sandblasting was totally worth it. I tore down the rotten transom today and will start working on my cardboard templates this week.

I got no responses about the expanding foam. I’m going with structural foam in the bottom and then 4lb foam in the rear bench to help with stern buoyancy when it has that shiny new Honda outboard on it.

 

[LDUBS]

Wow, the sandblasting was well worth it.

A couple of years ago TinBoat member Onthewater102 did a thread that included pouring two part foam. He put plastic down before pouring the foam which I thought was a really good idea. Below is a link to that thread in case you are interested. I look forward to following your project.

https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=457788#p457788

PS: We don't have Walleye around here. What makes a boat a "Walleye boat"?

 

[crawfj13]

KDUBS - thanks for the link. The plastic sheeting is a great idea, and one that I will be using myself.

I don’t know what makes it a wallet boat other than the fact that it’ll have a wallet sticker on it and I’ll use it to catch walleye . I won’t have a casting platform, so the deck will be nice and open for plenty of coolers full of “walleye” beer too.

 

[Kismet]

KDUBS - thanks for the link. The plastic sheeting is a great idea, and one that I will be using myself.

I don’t know what makes it a wallet boat other than the fact that it’ll have a wallet sticker on it and I’ll use it to catch walleye . I won’t have a casting platform, so the deck will be nice and open for plenty of coolers full of “walleye” beer too.

Crawfish? Your subconscious is leaking into your thread. Twice you substituted "WALLET" for "Walleye."

Congratulations, you are moving into the varsity level of rehab Tinboaters, who, after a short while, stop talking about saving money by doing it themselves, and focus on how great the boat is will be, or the new wiring or carpet and electronics or casting deck or....etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

=D> =D> =D>

 

[crawfj13]

Sure did. To be fair, I typed it twice since I deleted my first post. The second one was a bit rushed.

Today I leak tested the boat. There were only two very slow rivet leaks. I’m going to coat every rivet and seam with gluvit, so I should be good there.

Tomorrow I am headed to my shop to cut out the transom and seat out of coosa board. I’m hoping that things start to come together quickly now and the boat starts looking more....seaworthy.

 

[nytebyte]

I would go ahead and rebuck the rivets before anything. Might not need to coat any of them if they all are sealing.

 

[MrGiggles]

Wow, the sandblasting was well worth it.

A couple of years ago TinBoat member Onthewater102 did a thread that included pouring two part foam. He put plastic down before pouring the foam which I thought was a really good idea. Below is a link to that thread in case you are interested. I look forward to following your project.

https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?p=457788#p457788

PS: We don't have Walleye around here. What makes a boat a "Walleye boat"?

The stereotypical walleye boat is a Deep-V, tiller, high freeboard, with a wide open floor plan and minimal decks. Suitable for rough water trolling, a very common approach to catching them. Alumacraft Dominator and Lund Pro-V in tiller trims are good examples.

 

[Vader809]

You have a lot of boat to work with. My old Crestliner doesn't have any structural supports to use for putting a floor in. I'm putting two rod lockers, one on each side, to support the floor. I'm going to use sheets of insulation under the floor.
Sand blasting looks good.

 

[crawfj13]

Well, we have a transom! That Coosa board sure does a number on your hands with all of the fiberglass. I did two 3/4 pieces on either side of the aluminum stern plate. I would say that it is now stronger than anything that this boat has ever had on it.

I also decided to Gluvit the entire inside. I can see why people get frustrated with the product. I get that the can isn’t full so that you have room to add the catalyst, but when you add it, it doesn’t come close to filling the can up. Kinda like ordering a cup of coffee with room for cream and getting a half a cup of coffee if you ask me. I had about 3/4 of what I expected.

 

[crawfj13]

Decided to keep working tonight. The decking is installed and I’m waiting for Amazon to deliver the right expanding foam.

Even though I don’t plan to run a bow mounted trolling motor, I decided to spend the $15 for a 25ft length of flexible conduit that I ran from front to back under the floor while I had it open.

The grab bar was a bit of a pain, but I’m happy with it. I plan on having a cooler mounted in front of it with a seat on top. I also like the idea of having a tiller extension that would allow me to stand mid-Hull at the grab bar and control the boat.

The plan is to work on finishing touches this weekend, while I wait for my foam.

 

[Jim]

Great progress my friend!


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[crawfj13]

Experimented with some expanding foam this morning. The daughter is homeschooling thanks to COVID, so I called this chemistry glass. It was a moderate success - and a $50 school lesson (for both of us).

That 6lb foam is hard as a rock.

 

[crawfj13]

Put down the first layer of Tuff Coat Marine. That stuff is amazing, but very strange to roll on (I’m usually trying to keep things out of my paint, not stirring it up).

I ran out of expanding foam, and the rest wind be here until tomorrow. Once the 2lb has filled all of the cavities under the deck, I’ll pour the 6lb to fill in those irregular shapes voids on the starboard and port side.

I have also ordered a custom cushion for the rear, which will take a few weeks to come in. Next up is to do the electrical. I do t plan on much - motor, bilge, lights and USB charging ports.

 

[crawfj13]

Not much today, as I was on “Dad Duty” most of the day. Still waiting on foam and for this damn 5200 to set....

 

[crawfj13]

Boat is about 95% done now. I'd never used the stuff but went with Total Fair from Total boat to fill in the gaps between the deck pieces and the hull. I painted the entire inside with Tuff Coat, Non-Skid Marine Coating (that stuff is amazing). My seat with wiring and integrated tacklebox are complete, as is the transom, now that the 5200 had a chance to finally cure in this cold wet weather. Next up is to have the boat wrapped at a local shop this week. Next week I'll have a 9.9 Hp Honda Outboard installed. I was wanting something with a little more power (30 or even 40 Hp), but the local shop advised against it, due to the weight of the boat. We'll see - if I can go 20mph, then I guess that's good enough for me. I added a Pelican Storage box to the front and I'll also put the battery up front with it. I also ordered an Orca cooler (made in my home state of TN) to go in front of the grab bar. I'm hoping that will be enough weight to offset the 89lb motor and my fat but.

I also ordered a custom seat cushion with green piping to match the boat accents. I'll eventually put down a custom cut Marine Mat with a fish scale design. I figure after all of that work and money on a 60 year old boat, it'll be time to stop and just fish. Clearly, I spent an exorbitant amount of money on a $600 boat, but it was a really cool project and I learned so much about marine materials. As long as the damn thing doesn't sink, it will have been worth it to me.