Recent work on my WeldCraft 1870

[Byrdmen]

Owned a WeldCraft 1870 for a couple of years now, had Glen at Custom Marine Concepts here in Spring, TX do quite a bit of work including wading ladder, leaning post, and recently a back for the leaning post and grab rail.



Two problems have bothered me since I first got the boat, way too light up front and no good place up front for the trolling battery. A previous owner mounted the single trolling battery under the forward bench which did help add weight forward but the battery never really fit and the box came loose once in rough water on Lake Livingston. I also got tired of having to run to the back of the boat to get the anchor which almost never made it back there when I was done.

I kept looking at the forward area that is inaccessible as a possible location for the battery and possibly the anchor.



I looked the forward deck over and there are some braces that support the front deck from side to side with a clear 10" to be cut for the hatch.

I called R&R Designs in Terrell, TX (972) 524-1789, and ordered two custom sized aluminum hatches. The first was to fit the forward deck was ordered for a cut out of exactly 10" wide and 22" long to provide room to store the anchor. I ordered a second that fit an 8" by 20" cutout to close off the forward bench storage (haven't decided if I will install this one or not).

She charged me $40 and $50 for the hatches, tax, and about $15 for UPS ground shipping from Terrell. The hatches outside dimension adds 1.5" total to the cutout dimension, while the clear opening is 2.5" total less than the cutout dimension. So my forward hatch that was ordered for a cutout of 10"x22" has an outside dimension of 11.5"x23.5" and a clear opening of 7.5"x19.5".

Received the hatches about two weeks after I ordered them and they are a thing of beauty. She offered to paint them prior to shipping (powder coat?) but I could not describe my charcoal gray boat that nearly matches the Chrysler Dupli-Color paint I use to touch it up. They came in a clean natural aluminum finish that I could have left unpainted.

This morning I got busy cutting out the hole for the forward hatch. I started with the jigsaw and finally went with the circular saw. What ever you choose, eye and ear protection are a must!



Tried the recip saw, blade was too long and it didn't work at all. Wore out the shop vac keeping up with the aluminum chips.

Cleaned up the saw line with a sanding flap disk on my grinder, good thing as I kept hitting my hand and arms on the edge while removing expanding foam.

Test fit:



Once I knew it fit I pulled the latch off, cleaned, primed and painted with (nearly) matching paint.



I was planning to use aluminum rivets to hold the hatch in place, maybe with a little 4200. R&R predrilled and pre counter sunk for #10 screws in 10 evenly spaced locations around the frame but didn't quite drill out the bottoms of the holes, this allowed the 5/32" drill bit to self center on each of the 10 holes for a perfect flush fit (sure wasn't my skill!)





Still a little chicken to walk around on the boat barefoot, but in tennis shoes, very little lip from the fore deck to trip on and very little flex. The hatch door flexes about as much as the rest of the deck. I plan to take it out on Conroe this weekend if the weather allows to see if it rattles.

Still to do:

• Need to decide if I will install the hatch on the storage area opening on the forward bench, sure reduces the access area making it hard to get at the life jackets.
• Order a third hatch and box to make a small water resistant glovebox in teh console, currently no place to store wallet, keys, phone, etc.
• Install and secure the trolling battery.
• Come up with some kind of mat to keep the anchor and rode from rattling while under way.

 

[juggernot]

Might want to add on to your front deck w a box similar to the one I built on my 1860 G3.( search " My overbuilt G3 storage box " It would be a great place to install your batteries w room left over for lifejackets etc. I can still access the factory bow storage w the hatch open on my boat.

 

[Byrdmen]

Thanks for the input, I'd love to add another storage aft of the front casting deck but it would really eat into my space on the front of the boat.

If I had it all to do over, I would deck the whole boat even with the front deck and store everything under the deck.

 

[HANGEYE]

Very nice looking rig. It's hard to see, but that motor looks too big to be an 11 horse so I'm guessing 115. That thing must go like a cat with its tail on fire. What is top speed?

 

[juggernot]

I assume that is a tunnel hull w the jackplate installed? How does the boat perform w the stainless 3 blade?.My G3 is not a tunnel and my overall performance increased when I put a 4 blade prop. on it.

 

[jethro]

Wow, what a great boat. Serious fish slaying machine! I love the full ladder up the float pod, great idea.

 

[Byrdmen]

Thanks Jethro,

Hoping to add horizontal rod storage along the sides this winter, and hopefully TuffCoat.

 

[Johnny]

great job !!
:WELCOME: to Tin Boats.

 

[Byrdmen]

This summer I finally got fed up with all the phones, wallets, and purses that get stored on the console when on the boat. Everyone like to tuck their stuff behind the fish finder and GPS and the windshield.

Decided to call R & R Fabrication in Terrell, Texas and have a glovebox made. $150 on my doorstep and got her installed today.






Only regret or future change will be a latch that I can lock and still latch the door closed without a key.

Working with Dawson at Fish On Fabrication and hope to have two modern style flip up seats installed in the next month. Will post when they're done.

 

[CMOS]

VERY nice rig. This gives me some ideas. =D>


CMOS

 

[Byrdmen]

Thanks. Hope to have pics in the next couple of weeks of the seats.

Hoping for paint over the winter too.

 

[Byrdmen]

My 1870 has to fill several roles, my fishing boat and the family boat/ski/wake boat. When the whole family is on board, we run out of room and seats. Looking at bigger boats I have always like the flip up seats like G3, Xpress, and others use behind the leaning post.

Still don't see why no one makes these to retrofit into older boats.

I emailed several fabricators and heard back from Dawson at FishOn Fabrications in Cartersville, GA. He quickly emailed me a sketch of what he proposed, very similar to what he made.

I ordered cushions from he local G3 dealer. They cost about $330 for the cushions, after I wrote the check ordering them I heard back from the Excel dealer who quoted me about $275 for thicker cushions. After receiving the cushions from G3 I was happy with the quality and the starboard backing.

I sent the cushions and a few other parts to Dawson and a couple of weeks later he sent me two of these:





Installed but not painted yet





Still need to finish mounting them, sand the edges, and paint.

 

[Byrdmen]

Two days of disassembly, painting, reassembly with minor modifications:










Ended up having to add mylar washers under each stainless screw, 1/16" nylon washers under each cushion to preventtrapped water under the cushions, and liberal use of Tef Gel where each screw joined the aluminum boat.

And now I can say I have the same latches on my boat as Yeti coolers and Pathfinder boats.

 

[CMOS]

I was just drooling over this project . . . .


CMOS :mrgreen:

 

[Fishfreek]

I love this build and thlse hatches. I will be calling that company very soon for a front hatch

 

[CMOS]

I love this build and thlse hatches. I will be calling that company very soon for a front hatch

Me too. That's what I was looking at. :mrgreen:


CMOS

 

[Bigwrench]

Love love love it ! Now I have to go redo my floor plan design ..... Again lol. Some really cool ideas here. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Jim]

I was just drooling over this project . . . .


CMOS :mrgreen:

Fantastic Thread! Nice job Dawson! Always impressed!

 

[Jim]

This is EXACTLY the kind of boat I want with only one tiny difference if possible. I want a lockable rod locker.

I love your boat and motor combination. :beer:

 

[Byrdmen]

Thanks Jim, yes, it needs lockable rod storage. Before I did the seats I was considering making some lockers on the side. With only 18' of boat, I had to go with the seats instead. Drives me nuts having to keep an eye on it when we stop for gas on the way to the coast.

Thanks for the compliments, cold weather can't end soon enough!


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