new 17' Mirrorcraft. Need some creativity =)

bassnbrian · Sep 30, 2014

So, the fourth boat in a year's time...hopefully this will be the last!

(yes 4! Got frustrated with never being able to fix the leaks of the first one...got rid of it, (BIG MISTAKE...thats what bilge pumps are for lol), bought a 15' and added interior decking and storage....that one turns out to have a hook in the hull and will NOT go over 20 mph without bow plowing.

Wife wanted a fiberglass open bow. bought one on craigslist and got screwed! Hull was great but had a host of problems that were beyond my know how and $ to fix. ..Sold it for a tenth of what I paid.

Raised some more $ and here we are with THIS!

Motor runs well. Hull looks good. not pretty by any means.

Anyone on here modify one similar? Couldn't find one similar through a search.

FEEL FREE to share some ideas and creativity on how You would mod this!

"must haves" for a new mod.

1) Storage! (there is none currently)
2) comfortable seating! (Wife actually likes the car seats the previous owner added...I find them hideous)
3) windshield -on console at least...but walkthrough would be nice too.
4) stronger console with newer electronics and wiring.

"would likes" for a new mod
1) rod storage of some sort (under floor would be cool...keep them out of 3yr old hands)
2) livewell

chime in yall! I could definitely use the input!

BoatDawg4120 · Sep 30, 2014

Although not exactly the same, my boat build was quite similar when i first started. Mine is a 16'6" Sea Nymph and had an open floor plan with a 4" raised deck. I have since added a rear casting deck with a livewell and will be adding a front casting deck in the near future. Check my build thread

https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=35599

bassnbrian · Oct 1, 2014

That looks great. Awesome job . Definitely helpful. Thanks!

bassnbrian · Oct 2, 2014

ok, heres the plan.

Not set in stone though. As I may have been a bit over ambitious with the storage

any insights are welcome.

BoatDawg4120 · Oct 6, 2014

I had a lot of ideas about putting a lot of storage on my build and as I got it going back together I realized that it would be limited. The rear deck although it is quite large I still was only able to fit a storage compartment on one side large enough for 4 plastic tackle box trays and some small items and the other side fits the large livewell I added. I think about going back and changing it up some but the balance of the weight ended up perfect and I would rather not change that. I still have a front casting deck to build and could get quite a bit of storage built there so I will see where I end up. I didnt really have an option for storage in the flooring.

bassnbrian · Oct 27, 2014

Alrighty, since I wanted to take advantage of the last few warm days of the year I decided to throw on some paint on the new boat. As I was washing her i reached my hand into the hole on the rear port side of the boat. (You can see it in the third pic.)

Found the transom wood is just crumbling to the touch. So...That's gonna need replacing.

Now my question is this....I have replaced transoms before...but never one fully enclosed like this.

Anyone done a replacement on a boat like this? Couldn't find anything on search.

I know it will probably just come down to deconstruction and reconstruction...but if yall have any secret shortcuts let me know will ya? =)

Many thanks!

Keystone · Oct 27, 2014

I did years ago. IMO it was a PITA. But worth the end result. There are others on here that have more recent experience.

bigwave · Oct 28, 2014

If you want to be blown away check out this build.Project "A Little Snookered" viewtopic.php?f=21&t=22132, I got a bunch of ideas from this build....one of the best on here if you ask me. There are many mirrorcraft builds to choose from. I like the way mine turned out, however through many mistakes I have realized that all the mods made the boat a bit heavy for my 25hp. I would keep as much of the original configuration as you can and definitely change the transom. The more things you add, the more weight you add. Take your time and ask many questions and you will get answers from people that have made mistakes. Good luck, welcome to the forum.