sunshine
Well-known member
Got this rig from a buddy for a pretty good price. The paint was old, so I decided to sand her down and paint the outside. Then mama started with the "well if we're going to do the outside, we should do the inside too"...then I started with the "It'd be nice to have a radio"...then I saw another S-16 build where they cut the middle bench out and thought, "some more room would be nice".....so on and so forth. It took me a solid two months to wrap this up, time is always at such a premium with a 9 year old, working full time and now going back to school.
Here's what she looked like when I got her:
After some sanding:
I primed with self etching primer in a rattle can:
Pulled the bench seat wood off, then decided to cut the middle bench out, pressure washed it after the picture:
After I had the boat fully prepped, the stupid LOVEBUGS showed up, so I had to let it set for a couple weeks before trying to paint it because those buggers love paint. I painted the hull with Rustoleum Protective Enamel, roll and tip. (Gotta work quickly and decisively with that stuff, helped to thin it a bit also). Ordered decals and numbers off of Amazon.
I'll admit, I hate painting. Like, loathe it, have nightmares about it type of hate. So I rattle canned the interior with Rustoleum enamel. I should have primed it, but didn't. Got a piece of 1/2 exterior plywood for the deck and ordered some EVA foam off of ebay ($70 for a 95" x 47" piece https://www.ebay.com/itm/95X47-Adhe...var=413495104059&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649) I uses spar urethane on the plywood to seal it up, really coated the side that wasn't getting the foam. Decided to do interior lighting while the bench seats were open and cut in speakers for the stereo. Boy that fly cutter was fun.
Foam came in and I used indoor/outdoor contact cement and a large iron pipe to apply it to the deck. Got the marine radio and switch panel from Amazon.
I went back and cut off the side brackets and such and painted the area. I wanted to get it all together to make sure that I hadn't lost any structural integrity by removing that bench.
And finally, we took it out this past weekend and did some long lining for crappie and hybrid bass with good results and then wrapped up the weekend with some booze cruising in the Winter Haven chain of lakes.. Mama is happy and so am I. Few minor things to do, but I'm overall very happy with the project outcome. Removing that bench makes the boat feel 2 foot longer. Thanks for reading.
Here's what she looked like when I got her:


After some sanding:

I primed with self etching primer in a rattle can:

Pulled the bench seat wood off, then decided to cut the middle bench out, pressure washed it after the picture:


After I had the boat fully prepped, the stupid LOVEBUGS showed up, so I had to let it set for a couple weeks before trying to paint it because those buggers love paint. I painted the hull with Rustoleum Protective Enamel, roll and tip. (Gotta work quickly and decisively with that stuff, helped to thin it a bit also). Ordered decals and numbers off of Amazon.


I'll admit, I hate painting. Like, loathe it, have nightmares about it type of hate. So I rattle canned the interior with Rustoleum enamel. I should have primed it, but didn't. Got a piece of 1/2 exterior plywood for the deck and ordered some EVA foam off of ebay ($70 for a 95" x 47" piece https://www.ebay.com/itm/95X47-Adhe...var=413495104059&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649) I uses spar urethane on the plywood to seal it up, really coated the side that wasn't getting the foam. Decided to do interior lighting while the bench seats were open and cut in speakers for the stereo. Boy that fly cutter was fun.




Foam came in and I used indoor/outdoor contact cement and a large iron pipe to apply it to the deck. Got the marine radio and switch panel from Amazon.

I went back and cut off the side brackets and such and painted the area. I wanted to get it all together to make sure that I hadn't lost any structural integrity by removing that bench.


And finally, we took it out this past weekend and did some long lining for crappie and hybrid bass with good results and then wrapped up the weekend with some booze cruising in the Winter Haven chain of lakes.. Mama is happy and so am I. Few minor things to do, but I'm overall very happy with the project outcome. Removing that bench makes the boat feel 2 foot longer. Thanks for reading.

