1994 Spectrum 16 Sport Rebuild? - Bouncing ideas around

[thill]

And this boat is NOT robust at all. I thought the same, but it is an optical illusion, probably because the gunnel height is so tall. That is very good in my book, but it's shockingly light, especially since the underfloor and under-gunnel areas are full of foam. Not worried about it sinking, at least. It's definitely going to float!

Believe it or not, light is good for my intended use, so not a problem. I want something I can push off a sand bar when fishing shallow, if needed.

 

[LDUBS]

Sounds like our boats are very similar when it comes to weight. My hull bottom and sides are 0.8" thick. I think that might be on the thinner side for an 18' walk thru. Total dry weight is 750#. Add 215# for the 50 HP outboard. It is rated for 60 HP max.

I sure agree about the benefits of a light boat. Pretty easy to muscle it around.

 

[thill]

I don’t know the gauge of this boat, but I’m happy with it. It’s physically light but feels very solid in the water. I'm pretty impressed with the ride.

I think I messed up, not bringing the boat on this trip. Feels funny asking to use someone else’s boat, but maybe I’ll get over it soon.

 

[Stand Up]

You can use my boat anytime. Although we are a bit far apart. However, if you're in the Edmonton Alberta area, let me know, cause we're going fishing.

 

[Sieben]

I got a boat that was abandoned at a property. Free with purchase of the trailer. Great hull, but the interior is trashed, motor blown, transom soft. Here are a few pictures:

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The hull is solid, no damage, 16'-5" long, 6' 5" wide with dual consoles, front platform with livewell. Now that I have found the last known owner and will get the title eventually,

I'm actually considering this boat as a replacement/upgrade to my 16' Princecraft, and I'm trying to think it out. I'm considering it because...
1. This boat has a flat floor with no bunks
2. This boat is rated for 70 HP, so it should be a little more sturdy for bigger water
3. I might like having the full windshield for cold/rainy days, especially if I add a Bimini top. Or I can open it up, my choice.

besides the work it needs, the only negatives I can think of is that it will be heavier, slower and fuel-thirsty, My current boat uses ounces of fuel, not gallons on a typical trip.


That being said, this is what I'm thinking right now as far as sequence:

1. Get title in my name before doing anything.
2. Empty and clean out boat, pull seats and carpet so I can see what I'm dealing with.
3. See if it's just the center of the floor that needs help, or if the whole floor needs replacement. Notice that they replaced the ski locker cover with PVC board.
4. Check how difficult transom replacement access is. Some boats are easy, some are a royal pain.

Then come questions about what I'm going to do with it...
1. Keep the dual consoles and glass for protection from the elements or take one and make it an open side-console? (I do crappie fish in the winter)
2. Replace the carpet as-is or leave the sides carpeted and use Nautolex vinyl on the floor?
3. Add a simple passenger seat or just put a cushioned cooler there?
4. What HP motor? I have an Evinrude 50 that I should be able to get running on short notice, but also have a 3-cyl 60. I even have a parts motor for the Force 70 that I could probably use to get the current motor running, but Force 70's are the worst of their motors. Love the 90's, 120's and 150's, but I've never seen a 70 where the center cylinder didn't have issues. Fuel delivery, I suspect. Doubt I'll go that route.
5. Move the livewell from the front to the back, or add a 2nd livewell?
6. Of course, I could always do the minimum, leave it mostly as-is and just sell it.

If you have any thoughts good or bad, please comment. Thanks.

Hi there. Use Cossa board for the new transom. It is lighter than plywood, does not rot. Can be fiberglassed in. It is designed just for transom replacements. Comes in 4' x 8' sheets.
John

 

[thill]

Have been busy this week, but did some minor work to the 16 Sport.

Replaced the old CD player with a bluetooth version, and replaced the old speakers. I also replaced the driver's side coaming panel, as the old one was done for. I also got the Minn Kota Riptide installation done 100%.

The biggest thing I did was to fabricate/instail rub-rail mounted nav lights. I did these on my Princecraft, and I'm just as happy with this set, although installation was a bit more challenging. On the princecrat, they mounted directly to the aluminum, on this one, I had to cut a insert and them mount the lights to the insert.

Either way, they look good, and the trolling motor won't interfere whether it's up or down.


Before you ask, YES, they are USCG approved if installed correctly. (0-112 degree viewing angle) On my last boat, I asked the coasties when getting a courtesy inspection, and they were happy to see a set installed properly. I followed the same guidelines when installing these.

 

[thill]

You can use my boat anytime. Although we are a bit far apart. However, if you're in the Edmonton Alberta area, let me know, cause we're going fishing.

That's an awesome offer, and I appreciate it. Just found you on the map, and I see a lot of lakes. I'll extend the same offer to you if you are ever in Virginia, visiting Washington, D.C. or whatever.. Depending on the time of year, it can be from okay to really world-class. Come in Late March if you want big Rockfish, May-June, if you want big red drum and an assortment of other fish:

 

[LDUBS]

Awesome catches. Those rockfish look suspiciously like what we call stripers out here.

Those nav lights look like they will be highly visible. If you get a chance and don't mind post a closer view of how you did the insert for those lights. It looks like it was from the factory.

 

[sonny1]

While in the Navy at Norfolk a shipmate asked if I would be interested going after some rockfish. His dad had a boat and Saturday rolled around off we went out to the Chesapeake Bridge. I caught the first fish and was disappointed. Told them I had caught stripers before on the west coast in the Delta and really wanted to catch a Rockfish. They got a good laugh.

 

[Stand Up]

That's an awesome offer, and I appreciate it. Just found you on the map, and I see a lot of lakes. I'll extend the same offer to you if you are ever in Virginia, visiting Washington, D.C. or whatever.. Depending on the time of year, it can be from okay to really world-class. Come in Late March if you want big Rockfish, May-June, if you want big red drum and an assortment of other fish:
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OMG! What the hell have you been feeding those fish. They're bigger than the neighbors dog.
Thanks for the fishing invitation. I'll certainly let you know if I can pull it off. Much appreciated.

 

[thill]

Let me know, maybe it will work out.

I used to host people on the StripersOnline and Tidalfish
forums fairly regularly, but it's been a long time. Still, I met some good people, and we caught some good fish. I used to have an album of the big fish guests caught.

Striper fishing is not NEARLY as good as it was a decade ago, but we still pop a good one here and there in the spring.

 

[thill]

Today, I decided on seating for the passenger side:



It's a Todd cooler/livewell seat with the pivot back removed. It needs a new cushion, but I have the materials on hand.

What I really love about this is the whole thing is foam-filled and it only weighs about 25 lbs. Lightweight, and will add insulated storage to the boat. A win-win.

It's cold and rainy today, but I'll power wash the seat, make a new cushion on it and post pics soon.

This is the first boat job I've been personally excited about in quite a while. I like this boat a lot. I'm planning to keep it. If I were to sell it, I wold be jealous of the new owners, so I'd better keep it, ha ha.

 

[LDUBS]

Today, I decided on seating for the passenger side:

View attachment 116869

It's a Todd cooler/livewell seat with the pivot back removed. It needs a new cushion, but I have the materials on hand.

What I really love about this is the whole thing is foam-filled and it only weighs about 25 lbs. Lightweight, and will add insulated storage to the boat. A win-win.

It's cold and rainy today, but I'll power wash the seat, make a new cushion on it and post pics soon.

This is the first boat job I've been personally excited about in quite a while. I like this boat a lot. I'm planning to keep it. If I were to sell it, I wold be jealous of the new owners, so I'd better keep it, ha ha.

That is an excellent idea. Will you mount it facing forward or sideways? I ask because I see some boats with boxes like that mounted sideways (long side against the hull).

 

[thill]

Definitely facing sideways, with the long side against the gunnel, the opening side toward the center of the boat. That keeps the center of the boat open.

Two people can comfortably sit there and with three seated across the back platform, the max of 6 passengers will all have decent seating. I doubt that I will carry that many often, but you never know.

Obviously, I'm going to dry fit everything to make sure I like it before bolting it down, but I'm pretty confident this will work out well.

I still have the back-to-back seat that was there previously, but this is much more functional. I'll take some pics when mocking it up.

 

[thill]

Here is the fish box/cooler/livewell seat sitting where it's going to go:



This fish-eye lens is a little distorted, making it look really crowded, but it isn't. There is actually a decent space in front and behind the cooler, and lots of space in the middle of the floor. Next water test, I'll get some decent pictures looking down at the layout.

Having a big fish box is going to be a valuable thing... hopefully!

 

[thill]

I know a lot of guys don't like stereos, but I do. Installed a Bluetooth head unit to run the front speakers and a dedicated Kicker 300.4 amp bridged to run the 8" Kenwoods in the back You can see them in the pic above showing the seat. Still need to wrap the speaker panel to make it blend in.
Here is the stereo system:





Very clean sound that can be heard even when running wide open, if desired. I decided to run the amp off the trolling motor battery. If we sit and play music all afternoon, I'd rather my TM get a little weak than get stranded somewhere.

This boat is going to be an all-around boat, not just a fishing boat, so I want it to be well equipped. Fishing, cruising, wakeboarding, etc.

Next, I'll be figuring out mounting the Garmin Echomap 93 and the Livescope. The dashboard is almost non-existent, so I'll have to get creative.

The current Lowrance unit is literally just wedged between the dash and the windshield. Not ideal, but it works. This is bigger, unfortunately.

I could always install it on the gunnel, outside the windshield, but I never feel comfortable with that. What if I hit a wake at speed, and the unit jumps off and is lost or broken?

Probably just being paranoid, but that will be a last resort, only if needed.

 

[Stand Up]

I know a lot of guys don't like stereos, but I do. Installed a Bluetooth head unit to run the front speakers and a dedicated Kicker 300.4 amp bridged to run the 8" Kenwoods in the back You can see them in the pic above showing the seat. Still need to wrap the speaker panel to make it blend in.
Here is the stereo system:

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Very clean sound that can be heard even when running wide open, if desired. I decided to run the amp off the trolling motor battery. If we sit and play music all afternoon, I'd rather my TM get a little weak than get stranded somewhere.

This boat is going to be an all-around boat, not just a fishing boat, so I want it to be well equipped. Fishing, cruising, wakeboarding, etc.

Next, I'll be figuring out mounting the Garmin Echomap 93 and the Livescope. The dashboard is almost non-existent, so I'll have to get creative.

The current Lowrance unit is literally just wedged between the dash and the windshield. Not ideal, but it works. This is bigger, unfortunately.

I could always install it on the gunnel, outside the windshield, but I never feel comfortable with that. What if I hit a wake at speed, and the unit jumps off and is lost or broken?

Probably just being paranoid, but that will be a last resort, only if needed.

You'll be playing Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" and catching fish left, right and center.

 

[Driftless]

Nice boat Thill, You've done good work. I might have missed it, but where was the tank? Did you put it up front and run it under the floor to the back?
I bought a BF/Spectrum 19 and wound up gutting it. The more I took apart, the more I found.
I have the same concerns as you did with weather, so I'm going to cap the front and use under it for storage and putting a bigger tank in the floor there. Solid windshield and side glass for protection from the weather.

One thing I've noted about the blue fin/spectrum boats is there seems to be at least 2 different models of the same boat, one blue fin, riveted and the other, spectrum welded. Some were tweeners. Hull shapes seem to be a bit different too, but not seen enough of them to be sure about that.

The 19 has a max HP of 100.

 

[thill]

I've noticed a number of different models, too. This one is all welded, with a max HP of 70.

It has a poly fuel tank under the floor, just in front of the splash-well. I think it holds 12 or 14 gallons. I cleaned it carefully, mopped it dry and put it back into service with new lines and an inline filter, just in case I missed some trash in the tank.

I would like the 17, 18 or 19, but this is the one I stumbled across when looking for a rebuild, and I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[thill]

You'll be playing Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" and catching fish left, right and center.

Boy, that brings back some memories of being with Jason, out in the fog, cranking in big stripers on "Deep Purple" Bass Assassins. We would air guitar the song every time we hooked a fish. A memorable day, about 20 years ago.