New Ride

[Broncoxlt]

Almost there got the front deck and trolling motor mount in tonight. Still need to cut the battery hatch door, plumb and wire the livewell then it well be ready for Saterday.

 

[russ010]

remind me tomorrow night to bring you them batteries... otherwise I'll forget

 

[longjohn119]

Picked this up today from the local Marine Liquidator. I think its a SeaArk 16x45. What can yall tell me about it?

Close .... It's a MonArk 1645, (Which is now SeaArk) I just got a 1974 model with a 25 HP Evinrude electric start and remote steering. It's the exact same boat you have judging from your pictures. I'll be posting some pictures of my upgrades/conversion here shortly. Things are built like tanks (Except the transom board which IMO is too thin so mines been upped to an 1 1/2") and mine had only 2 leaks which had been previously repaired but half vast (pun intended) All they really needed was to be rebucked. The previous owner kept it at a marina all summer so I knew it had no serious leaks because there are no signs it ever filled up with water. It was his second boat and an acquaintance who knows him said there probably was less than 50 hours on the motor which was bought new in '98. After having a converted '66 Polarcraft 1436 and experiencing how the weight of wood is a negative for my style of fishing I decided my goal this time is no wood in the boat except the transom board. I run Big Water (Mississippi River in eastern Iowa and a big reservoir) , mainly for Flathead Catfish so full decks aren't exactly desirable and staying light, stable and nimble is. A deck on a small flat is not a very good place to be when you are landing a 40 pounder. Still I occasionaly do a little Bass and Crappie fishing so there is a front deck and a 43# Motorguide on the front.

I probably could afford and have found one ready to go but I just couldn't pass up project. I use a very unique and almost one of a kind electronics package (A converted netbook for GPS mapping and a Depth finder with NMEA Depth output so I can make depth maps, cellular internet access, etc) so I was never going to find anything that I wouldn't have to rework anyway.

I'm looking forward to seeing your conversion and maybe even pick up a couple of ideas for my own and hopefully you'll be able to take something from my build. I won't bore anyone or go off topic with the details of the electronics/mapping package but anyone that is interested can check that out on my blog

John
https://netbook2chartplotter.blogspot.com

 

[ober51]

I also have the same boat - thing is a tank, not light by any stretch. In its former life mine was used by the Connecticut Department of Fisheries. Good luck with it, hope it comes out great.

 

[longjohn119]

I've already read through your thread a couple of times, you have a real nice build. In fact I googled 'MonArk 1644' and that's how I found this site and your the thread on your build. Your build is probably a lot closer to what he's looking for than mine will be. Mines primarily a Catfishing boat made to fish on a big river including a lot of travel and fishing at night so I'll be painting it a dull green color to cut down on glare from my spotlight when I'm spotting the channel marker buoys. Anything in front of you on the boat that's shiny, including glossy paint, messes with your night vision so I have to trade pretty for practicability. So I need a setup built well enough to run deep water with barge and large boat traffic safely yet able to also run places where the water is pretty 'skinny'. Mine came with a '75 Holsclaw trailer with tilt which should come in handy around here in August when the water is really low and you can't back down very far or you'll drop off the end of the boat ramp.

 

[huntinfool]

Good project boat. It will be cool to see how it turns out.

 

[Broncoxlt]

The middle bench is out the plan for the rest of the decking is in my head.

The next question is paint or steel flex.

I thought about useing steel flex even though it does not leak at all but if I can save the money on the steel flex and use it for something else that would be great.

I thought about using the tractor paint from tractor supply any thoughts?

 

[russ010]

The middle bench is out the plan for the rest of the decking is in my head.

The next question is paint or steel flex.

I thought about useing steel flex even though it does not leak at all but if I can save the money on the steel flex and use it for something else that would be great.

I thought about using the tractor paint from tractor supply any thoughts?

save the money for the steelflex for something you actually need... your boat doesn't leak a drop, so i would just go with the tractor paint - you aren't going to be leaving it in the water anyways.

Did you get your mount fixed?

 

[Broncoxlt]

Sent an email to basspro today will see what they say.

 

[Broncoxlt]

The middle bench is out the plan for the rest of the decking is in my head.

The next question is paint or steel flex.

I thought about useing steel flex even though it does not leak at all but if I can save the money on the steel flex and use it for something else that would be great.

I thought about using the tractor paint from tractor supply any thoughts?

save the money for the steelflex for something you actually need... your boat doesn't leak a drop, so i would just go with the tractor paint - you aren't going to be leaving it in the water anyways.

Did you get your mount fixed?

Did the online chat with BPS customer service this afternoon they are sending me a prepaid shipping lable to return the whole motor to there warehouse for a replacement. Very easy

 

[russ010]

I told you their customer service was good... I'm surprised they aren't sending you a replacement before they ever get yours back

 

[Broncoxlt]

Yes that is some of the best customer sevice I have seen.

 

[Broncoxlt]

Today I used some of the metal from the bench seat I removed to make patch pannels for the rivet holes. Put the patch pannel on with some butyl rubber on the outside edge of the pannel and around the screw holes. The trolling motor comes off tomorrow to go back to basspro if I can find a big enough box. the front deck will get water sealed then carpeted by the time the new one comes. Pick to come after I find the camera.

 

[russ010]

are you going to fish at Acworth with us on the 17th in this big rig???

 

[Broncoxlt]

Not going to be able to make ackworth. But planing to be at the rest of the tournaments.

Got lucky today stopped in at the local boat store to find a box big enough for the trolling motor so the motor guide will be heading back to basspro friday or saterday.

 

[Broncoxlt]

FedEx picked up the first trolling motor on 04/16 the new motor was on the porch when I got home today.

 

[Broncoxlt]

Well got some more work done tonight flipped it over and started to remove the Bondo that was used to seal the rivets sometime in the past. Not a fun job was at it for about 45min got almost two rows rivets cleaned up. After I get all the loose bondo off I am going to wire well the entire hull and started painting.

I HATE BONDO.... ](*,)

 

[Broncoxlt]

Pics

 

[russ010]

keep it up man... are you going to make it to any more of our tourneys?

 

[Broncoxlt]

Going to try and make it to Lathem till the end of the season.