Country Dave’s Lowe 1752 modification/restoration project.

[Pweisbrod]

I can't wait to see that motor on it. Wish I had money for a 115 on mine! Your rigs is gonna scoot. You are going to like those pods, I have been around them in duck hunting applications, I think you'll be very happy you put them on with that motor. You should have counteracted the weight and then some.

 

[WildCard07]

Did you have to go through the coast Guard to get it re-certified or through the manufacturer?

 

[smackdaddy53]

Dave, with any float pods or air space inside a boat hull you gain 60 pounds of floatation per cubic foot of volume but keep in mind that is ONLY if that air space is at or below the water line. With pods only the part of the pods that is below the water line actually floats any more weight. If your boat drafts 8" at the transom before you add pods and you have all the gear, motor etc on your boat, the pods that are 8" deep are all you really need unless you plan on adding extra weight at the transom. That is how I understand it at least.

 

[Country Dave]

I can't wait to see that motor on it. Wish I had money for a 115 on mine! Your rigs is gonna scoot. You are going to like those pods, I have been around them in duck hunting applications, I think you'll be very happy you put them on with that motor. You should have counteracted the weight and then some.

Thanks Pweisbrod,
I’m really glad I decided to put them on. I think it’s going to make all the difference. :mrgreen:

 

[Country Dave]

Did you have to go through the coast Guard to get it re-certified or through the manufacturer?

P.M. me and I’ll give you all the info.

 

[Country Dave]

Dave, with any float pods or air space inside a boat hull you gain 60 pounds of floatation per cubic foot of volume but keep in mind that is ONLY if that air space is at or below the water line. With pods only the part of the pods that is below the water line actually floats any more weight. If your boat drafts 8" at the transom before you add pods and you have all the gear, motor etc on your boat, the pods that are 8" deep are all you really need unless you plan on adding extra weight at the transom. That is how I understand it at least.

Thanks SD,

I got that and it makes sense but the pods do something else without being submerged. They add surface area and help to displace more water. Simply put the additional surface area makes the boat longer. Just as a 19 foot long boat with the same width as a 17 foot long boat will support more weight.
Having that extra surface area wrapped around the motor so to speak is really going to help. It’s like moving the motor forward in the boat. Kind of like this.

 

[WildCard07]

PM Sent Dave.

 

[smackdaddy53]

Dave, with any float pods or air space inside a boat hull you gain 60 pounds of floatation per cubic foot of volume but keep in mind that is ONLY if that air space is at or below the water line. With pods only the part of the pods that is below the water line actually floats any more weight. If your boat drafts 8" at the transom before you add pods and you have all the gear, motor etc on your boat, the pods that are 8" deep are all you really need unless you plan on adding extra weight at the transom. That is how I understand it at least.

Thanks SD,

I got that and it makes sense but the pods do something else without being submerged. They add surface area and help to displace more water. Simply put the additional surface area makes the boat longer. Just as a 19 foot long boat with the same width as a 17 foot long boat will support more weight.
Having that extra surface area wrapped around the motor so to speak is really going to help. It’s like moving the motor forward in the boat. Kind of like this.

Definitely on the same page brother!

 

[Country Dave]

Well my official unofficial deadline has come and gone with the closing of the month. Yeh I was really hoping to have it close to being wrapped up by now but chit happens. :LOL2:

Big push this weekend though. In fact I’m not even going into the office at all on Monday. So I’m going to have 3 full days to turn and burn. I’ve already told my family and girlfriend I’m not going to be available so don’t look for me. Lots of pics and hopefully lots of progress. :mrgreen:

 

[Badbagger]

That's awesome Dave. Once I get the Ark back, I've got untold hours of work ahead of me. I was an am hoping for an end of April splash but the weather is a major factor as well. The weather up here as well as down with my Linex team is key. Especially at Linex. He just sent me a text and the exterior has been primed and they'll be spraying the exterior of the hull later today. He pulled some strings with the folks at KTM Canvas who are local to him and they can meet my deadline and have a bimini done for me by the end of day next Wednesday. The beam of the boat is so damn wide that he doesn't want to use aluminum for the frame so the cost sky rockets. Nothing comes easy as you know and just when you have a plan together, it goes in the crapper #-o . I'll kick back and wait to enjoy the progress photos as you put em up =D>

 

[Country Dave]

That's awesome Dave. Once I get the Ark back, I've got untold hours of work ahead of me. I was an am hoping for an end of April splash but the weather is a major factor as well. The weather up here as well as down with my Linex team is key. Especially at Linex. He just sent me a text and the exterior has been primed and they'll be spraying the exterior of the hull later today. He pulled some strings with the folks at KTM Canvas who are local to him and they can meet my deadline and have a bimini done for me by the end of day next Wednesday. The beam of the boat is so damn wide that he doesn't want to use aluminum for the frame so the cost sky rockets. Nothing comes easy as you know and just when you have a plan together, it goes in the crapper #-o . I'll kick back and wait to enjoy the progress photos as you put em up =D>

BB that’s just about my timeframe as well,

I feel you on the all the chit that pops up. Sometimes it’s just unavoidable. I like the challenges but the expense, not so much. :LOL2: I’m just thankful that I can usually figure it out. I made sure my portside vertical transom support was set back enough for the live well pump to clear and it was until I remembered I had to rotate it to screw it in to the ball valve.

Well needless to say not enough clearance. I sat there and stared at it for like ten minutes before I figured out a fairly easy fix. I try to think everything through before I do it and most of the time it works that way but on occasion challenges pop up. I’m sure they will be more before it’s all said and done.

 

[Country Dave]

I got a little jump on my project today,

I mixed up some epoxy resin and coated the exposed wood were I cut the access hole for the inlet side of the livewell pump. I taped the hole off on the back side of the transom so the resin wouldn’t run down on the transom. When I removed the tape this evening the resin cured but it puddled a little in the center.

I just used my dermal and a grinding attachment to clean it up a bit. I also made a socket to hold the through hull fitting in place while I torqued it down on the other side. Ok 5200 the chit out of it and installed the EZ pump pick up. One thing checked of the list 75 or so to go. :LOL2:

 

[Badbagger]

Looks great Dave =D>

 

[Pweisbrod]

That does look pretty sweet!

 

[bigwave]

This is going to get good...... opcorn:

 

[Country Dave]

I was hoping that the first blood I got on the boat was from a nice snook or red but not from me. “Aluminum is sharp” :LOL2:

Well in spite of cutting the crap out of my finger and having to run all over town looking for some hardware I thought I already had, I got a little done. I sanded the rear decks in prep for the Seadek. I painted the rear storage area were ironically I won’t be storing anything. :LOL2: I got most of the framing done, just going to add a couple of supports tomorrow.

It’s so tedious I measure, cut, and drill pieces of 0.125 that I back the square tube with for added support so it’s like doing everything twice. I’m not complaining it is what it is and it has to be done.
I was also able to make the riser for my console and I had to get and fit some adapters for the livewell pump. I made sure there was plenty of clearance for the pump and there was until I realized I had to rotate it to screw it in to the ball valve/through hull shutoff valve. Quick fix though. More pics tomorrow.

 

[Pweisbrod]

Lookin sharp!

 

[smackdaddy53]

Very nice Dave! Aluminum is super sharp, especially little burrs hangin on around a hole you just drilled or piece you cut. My hands are scarred up like crazy from when I used to fab aluminum hurricane shutters, boat accessories and whatnot. Its inevitable!

 

[bigwave]

Looking real nice Dave, The inside transom turned out great. Looks better than factory, paint looks good too. I can't wait till you hang the engine.....everything looks well thought out and coming together nicely. =D>

 

[Badbagger]

Great job Dave =D> By the way, watch out for aluminum it does bite back and don't ask me how I know :LOL2: Made my list yesterday and it's a long one lmao. I may be done by the fall :shock: