AKFF
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- Joined
- May 11, 2014
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Well - like most, it seems, I've been watching Tinboats for a while, and am just getting around to posting. First - thanks to all you guys for all the posts that have already helped. Last week I found what I feel is a pretty good deal on a 1984 Lund S-18.
The previous owner hadn't been able to use the boat, so it's been sitting for somewhere between 8 & 10 years. Looked pretty ugly, especially the trailer.
So I replaced the trailer tires & rewired the lights & replaced bulbs, greased bearings & brought it home. The boat was about 3 hours away from home, so was a bit of a haul, but it trailered well even just on the bumper hitch. I'll get a real hitch installed before I do a whole lot of towing.
The boat came with a 1976 Volvo Penta 350 35 horse outboard. After cleaning the tank out and filling with some quality premix it fired up on the fourth pull - not bad after sitting year after year, and that was without even putting new plugs in and cleaning the carb. I've now put fresh plugs in it and it runs like a top - starts first (easy) pull every time. I also have a '75 40 horse Evinrude I picked up cheap because it was stuck in forward gear. I screwed the linkage back down tight & expect to be able to get it running before long, so at some point I'll get to do some comparison between the Volvo 35 & the Evinrude 40 & see how much difference there is between the two and which one I like better. The max HP rating for the boat is 55.
I've done some cleaning on the boat, and it's not looking bad, all the wood is in pretty good condition for its age, and there was only one smallish dent in the bottom that I was able to press out to some degree, you'd hardly know it's there now unless you were looking for it.
I've cleaned the boat up some, inside & out, but the trailer was still a rusty wreck. I was able to hoist the boat for a while & work the trailer over to some degree. It's no beauty, and never will be, but getting a lot of the rust off helps, and a couple more fresh coats of paint will even more.
We ran out of paint (due in-part to clogged & broken spray nozzles) so the trailer's not done, but looks better even so.
We're a family of five, so I won't be decking it, except possibly walk-through on the second to back bench, and maybe a low level decking from the back bench to the third bench. I've been thinking I'd like to do some smaller modifications. Probably some under-seat storage at some point and possibly move the fuel tank(s) forward. I'm looking for ideas on anchor storage, as I hate it (and its rope) just laying in the floor making a mess. I'd like to get a little 5 or 10 horse for trolling, and rod holders and downriggers. Also, of course a fish finder (I'm liking the Lowrance Elite 4 HDI).
One of the first orders of business (after a float test I haven't been able to find time for yet) is a family camping trip to an island we've been to before with friends. We'll be using the boat for some salmon fishing on the Kenai River later in the summer, and also possibly for some dip-netting for salmon (for those unfamiliar, it's literally exactly how it sounds, lowering a 5' net into the river, for AK residents to fill their freezers with some unbelievable Red Salmon.) Also, we're looking forward to getting it into some salt water for salmon and halibut, possibly shrimp and whatever else we can hook!
I'll be updating the thread as time permits, and welcome feedback, ideas and thoughts.
The previous owner hadn't been able to use the boat, so it's been sitting for somewhere between 8 & 10 years. Looked pretty ugly, especially the trailer.
So I replaced the trailer tires & rewired the lights & replaced bulbs, greased bearings & brought it home. The boat was about 3 hours away from home, so was a bit of a haul, but it trailered well even just on the bumper hitch. I'll get a real hitch installed before I do a whole lot of towing.
The boat came with a 1976 Volvo Penta 350 35 horse outboard. After cleaning the tank out and filling with some quality premix it fired up on the fourth pull - not bad after sitting year after year, and that was without even putting new plugs in and cleaning the carb. I've now put fresh plugs in it and it runs like a top - starts first (easy) pull every time. I also have a '75 40 horse Evinrude I picked up cheap because it was stuck in forward gear. I screwed the linkage back down tight & expect to be able to get it running before long, so at some point I'll get to do some comparison between the Volvo 35 & the Evinrude 40 & see how much difference there is between the two and which one I like better. The max HP rating for the boat is 55.
I've done some cleaning on the boat, and it's not looking bad, all the wood is in pretty good condition for its age, and there was only one smallish dent in the bottom that I was able to press out to some degree, you'd hardly know it's there now unless you were looking for it.
I've cleaned the boat up some, inside & out, but the trailer was still a rusty wreck. I was able to hoist the boat for a while & work the trailer over to some degree. It's no beauty, and never will be, but getting a lot of the rust off helps, and a couple more fresh coats of paint will even more.
We ran out of paint (due in-part to clogged & broken spray nozzles) so the trailer's not done, but looks better even so.
We're a family of five, so I won't be decking it, except possibly walk-through on the second to back bench, and maybe a low level decking from the back bench to the third bench. I've been thinking I'd like to do some smaller modifications. Probably some under-seat storage at some point and possibly move the fuel tank(s) forward. I'm looking for ideas on anchor storage, as I hate it (and its rope) just laying in the floor making a mess. I'd like to get a little 5 or 10 horse for trolling, and rod holders and downriggers. Also, of course a fish finder (I'm liking the Lowrance Elite 4 HDI).
One of the first orders of business (after a float test I haven't been able to find time for yet) is a family camping trip to an island we've been to before with friends. We'll be using the boat for some salmon fishing on the Kenai River later in the summer, and also possibly for some dip-netting for salmon (for those unfamiliar, it's literally exactly how it sounds, lowering a 5' net into the river, for AK residents to fill their freezers with some unbelievable Red Salmon.) Also, we're looking forward to getting it into some salt water for salmon and halibut, possibly shrimp and whatever else we can hook!
I'll be updating the thread as time permits, and welcome feedback, ideas and thoughts.
