SVOMike86
Well-known member
Hello, I'm brand new to the site, and wanted to let you all see what im working with. My father in law gave me this boat a couple years ago, but I haven't done anything to it until now. It is a 1975 PolarKraft 1440. It was fully outfitted as a bass boat when i got it, but it was sitting without a cover for six or seven years and the decks were rotted along with the carpet. Its not structurally set up the way a normal Jon is, as it has a livewell on the port side, a wide open deck, and had stick steering up front as an original option. It came with a non-running 25hp Johnson, but that was way too big for any of the lakes around here, which have a 10hp limit. I traded it straight up for a sweet '69 johnson 9.5hp with 15hp carb. It needs a new impeller but other than that it runs well. As for what Iv'e done, I took all the old deck, floatation, wiring, and seats out. The flotation is was just stacked 1/2" sheets of styrofoam in the bottom between the ribs, and was so waterlogged when it came out that each peice had to weigh 5 pounds. Some friends and I have stripped the boat over the last week or two and have gotten it about 95% of the way done. I work as a Gov't contractor on Navy boats so I was able to take some of the aluminum angle that we make false deck supports out of. It's 2"X2.5", and 3/16" thick (thats where the overkill comes in at). One of my coworkers is going to welding school and they are going to be welding all of my braces in for free (as a class project 
). I also have sheets of 1/8" aluminum that I am having rolled into half tubes to be welding along the bottom outside hull for added stability. They are being fabricated at the Fab shop my work owns. I guess somebody there owes one of my bosses a favor, and he's doing that no charge also. After that all gets welded, My Boss owns a Powdercoating shop as a side business. He has a 8'X8'X20' foot oven, and said he would Powdercoat it for $200. Hopefully this all happens kinda soon, seeing how fall fishing season is about underway. I will try to post a pic or two to let you all have a look at what I'm working with now.
Mike D.
). I also have sheets of 1/8" aluminum that I am having rolled into half tubes to be welding along the bottom outside hull for added stability. They are being fabricated at the Fab shop my work owns. I guess somebody there owes one of my bosses a favor, and he's doing that no charge also. After that all gets welded, My Boss owns a Powdercoating shop as a side business. He has a 8'X8'X20' foot oven, and said he would Powdercoat it for $200. Hopefully this all happens kinda soon, seeing how fall fishing season is about underway. I will try to post a pic or two to let you all have a look at what I'm working with now.Mike D.
