Scott1298's Tracker Topper 1542LW Mod "Complete"

[erictetterton]

what is that bard door guide made out of?

 

[Scott1298]

what is that bard door guide made out of?

My guess is zinc plated steel.

 

[Scott1298]

Tired of the balancing act necessary when loading last year, I added a urethaned piece of plywood to stand on to the trailer today.

 

[Scott1298]

B-e-t-w-e-e-n r-a-i-n-s-s-s-s I have drilled all the holes in the hull of the boat necessary before painting the outside (navigation/transom lights and bilge), and added a floor in the main area of the boat. It actually gives me another inch of floor width in the bottom of the boat (from 42" to 43")!
Worried about rot and water-logging based on the amount of water that tends to lay in the back third of the boat when exposed, I skipped foam insulation and instead cut a piece of aluminum 3/4" square tubing for support at the ends to match the ribs on the floor of the boat. The half-inch urethaned plywood proves solid during extreme fat guy tests!

 

[Scott1298]

Today I sanded, rinsed, wiped down with aluminum cleaner, rinsed, and finally rolled and tipped Tremclad "flat" green... which is not nearly as dark as the sample. Tomorrow I'll turn it over and spray bomb the railing to match.

 

[Scott1298]

Right-side-up, with transducer board freshly added.
Rolled areas are more textured than those spray bombed. If I was painting a car I'd want to spray it, but in this case the texture hides more flaws.
Now the dreaded wiring...

 

[Scott1298]

I have a weekend's worth of work left, but I'll be lucky to get at it Saturday so I'm doing bits in the evenings...
Tonight it was transom and navigation lights. I chose led to keep battery consumption down; standard Attwood led at the back, but Oznium license plate leds at the front with ss finishing washers to elevate them slightly. They have about 150 degrees visibility. Don't use them if you're going to sea, but with all the light noise in town, and at dusk, I could see them fine from across the street at about 100'... and remember that transom light in the pic claims a 2 mile nautical visibility. So I consider them not bad for $7!
Only I would pick the second longest day of the year for a night shot?! #-o

 

[Scott1298]

99% done. Time to fish!

Here's a link to a walk-around https://youtu.be/vUm-EVEbP4I

 

[Scott1298]

Nice evening on the lake.

 

[Scott1298]

... and another!

 

[Scott1298]

Likely the last fishing trip of the season today...

 

[Scott1298]

One more thing off my craigs-bucket-list, a 9.9 hp for my boat. This "near new" used 2008 is the last outboard I'm ever going to buy... and this time I mean it! [-o<
First run: A 65% increase in power equaled a 65% increase in speed- from 7+ mph with the 6 hp to 12+ mph with the 9.9.
With this, my boat is finally complete!

 

[Scott1298]

It's been a while. Going with teak this rebuild lol.