Newbie: Moding a Tracker V12

[crashbuilder]

Thanks ... a real labor of love! Can't wait to get back and finish up.

 

[dedawg1149]

nice job =D>

 

[Zum]

Man,real nice work you did there.
Looks professional what done so far.

 

[Cheeseball]

Lookin schweeet Crashbuilder! Keep the pics coming.

I would put a bimini on that mutha...

 

[crashbuilder]

Thanks again guys

Don't know about the bimini, do they come this small? Would it slow me down? I'm only running 15hp.

I've also been thinking about rod holders ... my first choice is the left side of the console, but with such limited space they might be a bit of a hazard. Off the stern might work as well but it's still a pull start setup, so I'm not sure if I want to clutter that area ... any other suggestions?

 

[big-jon-man]

Here's a great place to find bimini tops and all kinds of stuff for your boat. They specialize in jon boats. Great people to deal with. Bought my boat from them. www.akmccallumco.com
Good luck with your build.

 

[Cheeseball]

Thanks again guys

Don't know about the bimini, do they come this small? Would it slow me down? I'm only running 15hp.

I've also been thinking about rod holders ... my first choice is the left side of the console, but with such limited space they might be a bit of a hazard. Off the stern might work as well but it's still a pull start setup, so I'm not sure if I want to clutter that area ... any other suggestions?

Sure it will slow you down when it's up, but you don't have to leave it up all the time. That's the beauty of a bimini. You'll just be glad you have it when you get tired of sitting in the sun or a rain comes.

 

[crashbuilder]

I’m fretting here …

I’d read all this stuff about what ply to use on jon boat builds prior to starting this project. I settled on marine ply, it’s supposed to be un-treated and should pose no threat to aluminum. As you might realize, I was on a mission when I went to work on the boat; the builder’s center said they had marine ply …. I bought it …$120 a sheet.

When I was finishing up, a local contractor came by and suggested that my wood wasn’t marine ply. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that I’m back home; I’m starting to freak out.

I got a family member to call the hardware store; all they could say was that it was AB ply “specially for boats”. Can I relax? Should I be freaking out?

Is this stuff going to eat my boat?

 

[dedawg1149]

i would call the place you bought it at and confirm that it is marine grade and have them verify it 120,00 a sheet is alot of money

 

[crashbuilder]

Good News ....

The builder's center says they don't have a lot of info on the ply but it's untreated .... I can sleep tonight!

 

[dedawg1149]

good to here it

 

[crashbuilder]

Well I think I’m done! If that’s possible on a boat mod!

Just spent 2-1/2 weeks in the Bahamas finishing up my build. Last time I was there I thought I was 2 days shy of completion … boy was I wrong; everything takes at least twice as long as you estimate.

Didn’t have that much to do this trip but it sure ate up a lot of time.

Seat Cushions
Last time I ran the boat I used those flotation seat cushions. They do protect your butt when things get a bit choppy but … they look like sh*t and tend to slide all over the place when they get wet. I got a local (Barbados) upholstery guy to make up some vinyl cushion covers for me. I couldn’t get them stuffed because I had to travel with them and completed seats would take up too much space in my suitcase. Once in Eleuthera I bought some more flotation seats chopped them up and stuffed the covers … very comfortable! And they will float if the occasion arises. The covers came with Velcro strips so I just glued and riveted the Velcro to the aluminum bench seats.


Smart Tabs
I’m a believer; these things are fantastic. Before the mods the boat was virtually impossible to drive single-handed. The nose would point skyward and by the time you got up to speed the hull would be bouncing all over the place. The tabs work great. Boat planes in half the time with a nice bow low attitude. However I’d suggest that you get the conversion bracket that makes the tabs retractable. I’m new to this, but it seems that boats this size are very sensitive to weight distribution and sea conditions.

I figured this out:
Single-handed you want tabs down …boat runs like a dream
Calm seas, two guys in the back tabs down… you make great speed but a bit tippy
Rougher seas, one guy up front, one in the back… tabs up … or you get pretty wet

You need to play with it to find the right balance.

Engine Issues
She just wouldn’t start, spent an entire day working on it and even called a local guy to come take a look …no luck, just wouldn’t turn over. He claimed the spark was erratic. Unbolted the engine, lifted the floor, pulled all the cables, put the engine in the jeep drove to the ferry to go see the dealer. Technician on the next island says “you shouldn’t have any problems; these are very reliable engines” He grabs the pull start and the engine starts and idles perfectly … day lost! Go figure!


Throttle Controller
Decided on a BRP side mount concealed controller. Nice thing about it is that it can be configured any number of ways …port / starboard. My set-up was a bit unusual, I mounted it backwards and pointing down to the floor. A bit odd, but it allowed me to shoot the cables forward inside the console and down through the sole then back to the engine. My dealer on Spanish Wells did a great job setting it up! Ron’s Marine is a class act.

Grab Bar
Got this as a freebie …. old client of mine .. did some brochures for him. Originally he said he’d do it for material costs only. Turns out he had a bigger heart, gave it to me for free!

Got home with my new grab bar …. built to spec. but doesn’t fit in my suitcase! Had to cut it in half and improvise a coupler with some bigger tubing.

School buddy of mine came down for the trip. He wasn’t much help with the set-up but he did add his opinion when it came to the grab bar. I was just going to mount it vertically at the front of the console. No way … he started talking about “stand-up driving” and not using the steering wheel as a lever when getting up in the boat … made sense.

Mounted the bar at an angle and as high as possible … you can now hold the bar while standing and drive the boat. Works a treat! Very useful when navigating the shallow channels and trying to get back to the ramp. Standing up and having a good hand-hold makes the trip very easy.

I was pretty surprised with it’s utility.. even while planning, in choppy seas, I could stand up and drive the boat. An upright position really helps you read the waves …. you can see properly negotiate the swell.

Maiden Voyage
Arranged with my aunt’s husband for a lift to the ramp, we don’t have a vehicle with a hitch. Got to the launch site but it turned out that a bit too much rum and conch salad the night before had my buddy feeling a bit green.

My Mom steps up and says she won’t let me go alone … that’s mothers for you! We had a blast, smooth seas, sunshine the whole bit. We ran the full length of Current Island (8 miles) , did some fishing (grilled Spanish mackerel for dinner) and cruising, basically we had a great time. We saw rays, 2 basking dolphins and a few sea eagles. I’m glad I own a boat!

Who did most the driving? My 75 year old Mom; 10 mins. out I made the mistake of offering her the wheel … my error … she loved it. No way she was going to spend 2+ hrs at the tiller of my “old” boat, my mods made the boat family friendly. I only regained control when we headed back to the ramp.

General
Well let’s add it up …. so far my Mom, sister, brother in law, school buddy, uncle, 3 nephews and 3 aunts have sat at the helm of this little jewel …. and had a blast. Not bad, family, friends, beautiful surroundings and a TIN BOAT!

I want to thank all those who have contributed to this project and encourage all those “sideliners” to get out there and build yourself a boat! With the help of this forum I’ve managed to plan my dream boat from my desktop then go out there and do it!.

This forum is a fantastic resource for those of us who would otherwise lack the confidence and knowledge to “make it yourself” … a Boston whaler would be nice, if I could afford it, but no Whaler is going to do 21.2 mph (GPS) on a 4 stroke 15hp engine!

Thanks so much Guys!

Sorry if the pics suck….. I was having too much fun!

Crashbuilder

Can’t wait for the next time!

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[Zum]

Good to hear from you again and great story.(love how mom took control)
Sounds like your real happy with boat and how it handles.
The pictures look good,only wish they where bigger.
Glad everyone loves your boat.

 

[crashbuilder]

Thanks Zum,

Hope these images are a little better

Crash

 

[Zum]

I can see your mods alot better,thanks.
Those seats look nice and soft,perfect for the chop.
Glad you really like the trim tabs,I've never seen them in person.

Take some pictures sometimes of the types of fish you catch or see.
And man I'm jealous of your water.

 

[crashbuilder]

How about an update …
Years have flown by and I haven’t spent enough time with this little gem. Indeed haven’t been back to the Bahamas since Covid hit. Over the years there have been a couple of mods / additions.

Stern rod holders
Custom plexi windshield – should have done this sooner
Stirrup / ladder – I swim out to it every morning and boarding got more difficult as the years passed

She’s held up well with very few issues. Some engine gumming after long periods in storage .. that’s about it. Unfortunately she now lives outside, after over a decade in a comfy closed garage.
Guess I was just sitting here and a wave of nostalgia brought me back to this site, so much useful info that gave me inspiration to pull this off ….

 

[LDUBS]

Nice rig - thanks for the update. The pic's are terrific.

 

[Tin Man]

Enjoyed your build thread! Your boat mods look great. =D>

These tinnies are definitely fun to work on and can become an obsession! :mrgreen:

BTW....You boat and fish in awesome waters! :beer:

Pics are fantastic...my favs are the last two...youngster holding the fish and the boat at anchor with partial tree image at right. :beer:

Continue sharing your mods and pics; that's what this website is for...sharing and helping others.