My 14' Aluminum Build

[HUSKERBOATER]

I can't understand why adding foam in the benches would make it more buoyant- wouldn't it make the boat less buoyant because it would weigh more unless the foam was directly touching water? Also those are good pictures of a low decking install- I have a v and want to put in a low deck in the back about 6" high and three feet long. Could I just cut a piece of plywood to fit and let the shape of the boat support it. I feel like this would be convenient because i could store underneath and remove it when needed simply by pulling up. i some sort of bracing needed for a small area like this?

 

[bluegillfisher]

"I can't understand why adding foam in the benches would make it more buoyant- wouldn't it make the boat less buoyant because it would weigh more unless the foam was directly touching water?"

The whole foam thing is for when your boat fills with water it won't sink and go to the bottom of the lake(and you will have something to hang on to while help comes.)

 

[HUSKERBOATER]

ha, never thought of that. After driving a motorcycle i have gotten used to the all or nothing principle.

 

[Froggy]

American vehicles are safe from theft in the Motor City..... :wink:

 

[koulaid]

American vehicles are safe from theft in the Motor City..... :wink:

Actually the car theft rate for all kinds of vehicle is about the same. It depends on where you live and what you have. From what i know these thieves aren't just breaking into a car and "hot-wiring" it, they are actually flat-bedding the cars right from the driveways.

 

[koulaid]

Alot of progress done today. Bow mount came in 2 days ago. Woke up at 8am to start on the front casting deck. Finally 10 hours later this was the final product. Sorry no in between pics because i was too caught up in the moment. Also i'll be starting the main deck next week or so.

 

[cavman138]

coming along nicely man. Good work

 

[Froggy]

Very nice

 

[koulaid]

Thanks guys!

Went to a local lake today to prefish for a private tournament and it was a blast. The front deck is pretty stable and doesnt rock the boat much at all. I just need to get a seat post extender so i can lean on the seat when fishing. Heres a pic of my biggest one today weighing in at 3lbs:

 

[Rat]

Sweet, already catching fish from it, gotta love that! Good luck in the tournament.

 

[AlumaDude]

BOO on the Honda! HOORAY on the boat!!! Did I miss what make the boat was??? They all seem to look a like, but it looks a lot like my Lowe?!?!?! GOOD LOOKING DECKS BY THE WAY!

 

[wolfmjc]

Nice job... =D>

 

[koulaid]

So yesterday my gf broke up with me. I woke up today and started building the boat again to get my mind off of her. I got alot of progress done.
I put the main deck bracings in last week already and was just waiting for my carpet to settle in on the plywood. Today i finally screwed down the main deck. I was too tired and lazy to follow the contour line of the boat so i just went straight across from front to back. It worked out great and now if i have a leak it'll be easier to air out.

I also covered where the front deck meets the main deck. There was a little space in between and suprisingly it fits 2 5700 boxes and a falcon spinner bait box. So i ran to lowes real quick and grabbed 2 hinges and made a little compartment out of it.

The back seat i put a piece of plywood down on top of the seat. Simple job. I left the back open so i can see if i ever have a leak. Also i can grab the life jackets if i needed to in a hurry.

Boat is 75% done. THis winter i'm redoing the trailer, painting the boat, and also putting in my portable livewell.

Before the boat was secured down with a longggg tie-down around the boat. I hated it because it would bend the side of the boat. So i made 2 anchor points on the back of the transom. Got 2 smaller tie-downs and secured it to my trailer. Also I got a transom saver from gander mountain for 75% off. Apparently my trailer was a little short so i had to finesse it. Had to cut it down and bolt it to the trailer.

Under the front deck i put in 3 little plastic bins to store some extra stuff. It's pretty nifty too. I just need a battery strap to secure the battery down.

 

[Queencitybassman]

killer set up I like how open it is.. where did you get that cupholder attachment

 

[koulaid]

killer set up I like how open it is.. where did you get that cupholder attachment

Thanks. I like a lot of space when fishing. The cup holders came with the boat, but i've seen them at bps before.

 

[weezer71]

Looks good!! Also looks alot more comfortable.

 

[Howard]

I too like the more open style with less top deck space.

 

[huntinfool]

Looks great. I like the simple open design and using the available space for storage.

I see your towing the boat with a Honda CRV. Do you have any issues with that? I am wanting to get some sort of new to me vehicle like a CRV or a Rav4, but not sure about the power and the front wheel drive.
How does it tow and do you have any trouble getting the boat out of the water with front wheel drive?

 

[koulaid]

Looks great. I like the simple open design and using the available space for storage.

I see your towing the boat with a Honda CRV. Do you have any issues with that? I am wanting to get some sort of new to me vehicle like a CRV or a Rav4, but not sure about the power and the front wheel drive.
How does it tow and do you have any trouble getting the boat out of the water with front wheel drive?

I wanted less weight that's why i did the open design. Less wood = less weight. My crv is all wheel drive and tow's the boat fine. I wouldn't try towing a fiberglass boat though. The crv is rated at 800lbs tow load. I can dip all 4 wheels in at the ramp and can still come up fine.

 

[SmallieBigs]

Nice job man I like it, the open floor is a great idea IMO =D>