Blue's project boat 2024
Bluebasser86 reply :
Thought I'd start this for anyone wanting to follow along. I'm not at all a professional repairman, not even very good at it, but I'm going to attempt to fix up the boat and trailer I recently stumbled across. I only gave $300 for it and all appears to be in pretty good shape, just needs a little TLC and it could be something pretty nice for the little lakes I often fish.
This is what I'm starting with. Could be used as is, so I don't think it's in that poor of condition, but I want to make it a bit nicer and have something that will last a long time hopefully. It's a 16' MonArk semi-V johnboat.
It has obviously been sitting for quite some time and had a ton of leaves and debris in the bottom, that's all been removed as well as all the old foam and anything not welded to the boat to make things easier and so I don't damage anything that might be salvageable.
It's a nice wide boat and pretty deep so I'll be able to take my boys out in it once it's fixed up.
Not the 14' it was listed as being.
I've removed the boat from the trailer and hosed the interior of it out to get all the debris out and let it dry really well before I start working on it. The trailer clearly has a lot of surface rust and the old paint looks bad so I'm planning on grinding the surface layer to remove it all. Going to be a lot of work, but I plan to break it down into hour or two blocks of grinding to make it more tolerable. I tried to start it yesterday but my grinder lasted about 5 minutes before it quit working. With a new one in hand, I got about an hours worth of work in on it this morning.
I decided I wasn't going to deal with switching my hitch every time I wanted to use it, so the 1 7/8" coupler had to go.
I got both sides and top of the tongue cleaned off and called it a morning. Probably won't get much of a chance to work on it the next few days at least with Christmas, but hopefully a couple mornings next week.
Tim Kelly reply :
Great project. Look forward to seeing your progress. What a good Christmas pressie to get yourself!
slonezp reply :
I bought a hitch with a 2" on one side and 1-7/8" on the other. I just need to flip it over when I use the little Lund
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 12/23/2017 at 9:29 PM, slonezp said:I bought a hitch with a 2" on one side and 1-7/8" on the other. I just need to flip it over when I use the little Lund
I thought about that, but it's about twice as much for a double hitch as it is for a 2" coupler, and I don't have to worry about flipping it around each time this way. The locking mechanism on that coupler seemed like it wasn't working well anyways.
Swbass15 reply :
Awesome little boat. I wish we had similar ponds close to here I would love to take on a project like that. Just wonder what size motor could you put on that? And would it be a tiller?
senile1 reply :
Thanks for the update on the boat, Clayton. Looking forward to future updates.
BigAngus752 reply :
Wow, you've got yourself a great project there. This is really going to pay off. That is really going to be worth the effort, but that's a big project to strip it. Have you considered abrasive blasting? You have several options. If you have a large shop compressor you could rent a pressurized blaster. If you have a small compressor you could buy (or possibly rent) a gravity feed blaster. The gravity feeds are slower and require lots of jiggling and stopping, but I once did an entire Jeep body tub with a gravity feed. You should also be able to find someone in your area that does portable abrasive blasting. Yes, that would be expensive but they would blast both your trailer and boat in just one morning using a couple different kinds of media that are appropriate for each of the different surfaces. That would knock weeks off of your project. Using the correct media and the correct technique is imperative to prevent damage of your metal.
Nice boat! Looking forward to seeing the results!
AC870 reply :
You know this for sure, but I’d check that wood transom to make sure it’s solid.
Catt reply :
If ya lived closer I'd give ya a hand ????
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 12/23/2017 at 10:15 PM, Swbass15 said:Awesome little boat. I wish we had similar ponds close to here I would love to take on a project like that. Just wonder what size motor could you put on that? And would it be a tiller?
I have a 15ph tiller and a 9hp tiller. Probably going to end up putting the 9 on it, because the 15 is a short shaft that I don't think will be far enough in the water on this boat.
On 12/23/2017 at 10:26 PM, BigAngus752 said:Wow, you've got yourself a great project there. This is really going to pay off. That is really going to be worth the effort, but that's a big project to strip it. Have you considered abrasive blasting? You have several options. If you have a large shop compressor you could rent a pressurized blaster. If you have a small compressor you could buy (or possibly rent) a gravity feed blaster. The gravity feeds are slower and require lots of jiggling and stopping, but I once did an entire Jeep body tub with a gravity feed. You should also be able to find someone in your area that does portable abrasive blasting. Yes, that would be expensive but they would blast both your trailer and boat in just one morning using a couple different kinds of media that are appropriate for each of the different surfaces. That would knock weeks off of your project. Using the correct media and the correct technique is imperative to prevent damage of your metal.
Nice boat! Looking forward to seeing the results!
I thought about the sand blasting option but trying to keep it as cheap as possible. Hadn't heard of the gravity fed type, and they're pretty inexpensive, so I might look into that option. Thanks for the suggestion.
Porkrind reply :
Awesome, I’m excited to see what direction you go with this boat. I bought that exact model and make of boat a few weeks ago and planned on doing a remodel on mine to. The only difference in yours and mine is that mine has a small console on it and the previous owner painted it green. I don’t know if Monark made it that way or if it was an add on buy the previous owner. You got a heck of a deal on it, I paid $600 for mine.
tander reply :
Loved to watch projects like this. You got it for a steal which leaves more money to put in the project. 
Bluebasser86 reply :
Well the extreme cold has made it difficult to get much work done on the boat. I've bought the new coupler, wiring and lights for the trailer, new jack, and a new trolling motor along with several small things to get ready for when things warm up enough that it's not dangerous to be outside more than 5 minutes. I got the trailer ready for primer, primed, and started painting today. I got the top and sides coated, just have to do the bottom side and it will be done. Took the tires off so I could paint the fenders as well, I'll take the time to replace the bearings and probably going to put new wheels and tires on it since the wheels look terrible and the tires are dry rotting.
lo n slo reply :
how did i miss this? cant wait to see the finished product brother!
tander reply :
It's a start !!!
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 1/25/2018 at 9:20 PM, tander said:It's a start !!!
I've had boats with bad trailers, so I know how important it is to take care of them and have one that is in good operating order. It's not fun working on it as it will be with the boat, but I don't want to get the boat ready and not be able to go anywhere because the trailer is falling apart.
tander reply :
On 1/25/2018 at 9:35 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I've had boats with bad trailers, so I know how important it is to take care of them and have one that is in good operating order. It's not fun working on it as it will be with the boat, but I don't want to get the boat ready and not be able to go anywhere because the trailer is falling apart.
You are exactly right. Hard to fish out of a boat when you can get it to the water !!!
Scarborough817 reply :
definitely following this thread now can't wait to see how it turns out
boostr reply :
Coming along nicely. Reminds me that I have to do some maintenance on my trailer for the Stratos. New bunks and lag bolts.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Got the trailer all painted up and some of the old parts that were salvageable back on, and put some new pieces on. Probably swap the jack to the other side because the handle from it and the winch touch, and I know I'll end up bleeding from the knuckles at some point if I leave it where it is.
Took the hub apart on one side yesterday and cleaned the grease out (there was so much that it was falling out of the hub in big globs), and removed the bearings and seals. Bearings looked okay, seals were shot. I'm still going to replace the bearings as cheap insurance. Figure I have the hubs apart and have to repack bearings either way, might as well be new ones so there's no question on their condition. Undecided on the winch. It's ugly, but functions fine and the cable on it seems to be in pretty good condition also. Need to get a safety chain for the front of the boat, and chains for the coupler. Going to be ordering the tires and installing the light kit soon and then I'll be on to the boat!
Catt reply :
Looking good! ????
Scarborough817 reply :
On 2/2/2018 at 6:42 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Got the trailer all painted up and some of the old parts that were salvageable back on, and put some new pieces on. Probably swap the jack to the other side because the handle from it and the winch touch, and I know I'll end up bleeding from the knuckles at some point if I leave it where it is.
Took the hub apart on one side yesterday and cleaned the grease out (there was so much that it was falling out of the hub in big globs), and removed the bearings and seals. Bearings looked okay, seals were shot. I'm still going to replace the bearings as cheap insurance. Figure I have the hubs apart and have to repack bearings either way, might as well be new ones so there's no question on their condition. Undecided on the winch. It's ugly, but functions fine and the cable on it seems to be in pretty good condition also. Need to get a safety chain for the front of the boat, and chains for the coupler. Going to be ordering the tires and installing the light kit soon and then I'll be on to the boat!
yes definitely replace the bearing i can tell you from experience having a bearing go on the highway is not fun
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 2/2/2018 at 9:51 PM, Scarborough817 said:yes definitely replace the bearing i can tell you from experience having a bearing go on the highway is not fun
I've done it 3 times on 3 different trailers, it sucked every time.
TheRodFather reply :
Looking good, when I was working on my project boat/trailer, I got a heck of a lot of satisfaction out of the work I did to the trailer. I guess it was because of the drastic improvement from the surface rust and junk bunk boards and carpet, lights etc, to the black paint, bunks, lights, winch, jack, knowing the wiring was right and it all was going to last.
Bassy reply :
nice work. is this project finish? what are other plans you have for it?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 2/6/2018 at 11:45 AM, Bassy said:nice work. is this project finish? what are other plans you have for it?
Thanks, it's far from finished. I haven't even started on the boat itself yet. Got to get the trailer squared away before I start work on that. Thankfully, the trailer is getting close and then I can start work on the boat. I did the dirty job I've been dreading on Monday. I pulled the hubs, cleaned the pounds of old grease out of them, removed the old bearings, races, and seals and replaced them with all new and got the hubs put back on. New tires and wheels are supposed to be here by Friday. Nothing fancy, just steel wheels and 13" tires. They're overkill for this boat and trailer, but tires are not the place to skimp on a boat trailer. The trailer just needs the wheels, lights and wiring that I already have, and a safety chain for the tongue and at the winch.
New River Addiction reply :
Looking good! Can't wait to see how the boat turns out. Most people neglect the trailer...glad to see you knock it out first.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Tires came in today. Almost looks roadworthy now.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Lights are mounted (they even work!). Switched the jack to the other side so no more worries about busted knuckles from the winch handle. Did have a minor setback when I discovered the bunks seem to have significant wood rot and will need replaced. Probably for the best to just put new ones on now and not have to deal with it a month or two down the road or have one break while loading the boat. Decided I'm going to paint the boat in a camo pattern for duck hunting. Watched enough Youtube videos on how to do it to feel like I can manage to not mess it up too badly, I'm sure I'll prove myself wrong there though.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Ordered a set of Ultimate Bunk Boards for the trailer on Monday. Had them on my Roughneck trailer and liked them. Very nice for unloading on shallow ramps common on little lakes and rivers. Tried my hand at a camo paint job on the boat after watching several Youtube videos, turned out pretty well for my first time doing it.
boostr reply :
What boat, I just see a field of dried grass...
lo n slo reply :
booster beat me to it
looks good blue!
Porkrind reply :
Ok I have stupid rookie question. What’s the easiest/safest way to get the boat on and off the trailer when redoing the bunk boards, working on the bottom of the hull, etc...?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 2/26/2018 at 1:08 AM, Porkrind said:Ok I have stupid rookie question. What’s the easiest/safest way to get the boat on and off the trailer when redoing the bunk boards, working on the bottom of the hull, etc...?
For working on the trailer I just take it to the nearest lake and tie it to the dock while I do my trailer work. If you're working on the underside of the boat, will depend a lot on what type/side boat.
Porkrind reply :
@Bluebasser86 primarily for working in the underside of the boat. My boat is pretty much the same model as your project boat. It’s an 86’ 16ft MonArk with the single console. the reason I ask is because I seen your thread and I thought what the heck I got the time to redo it so I’ll be starting to work on it soon. Only real reason I need to get to the underside is to strip the god awful paint that someone used on it. Hull is in good condition, so the boat is off the trailer for that I’ll be redoing the trailer as well.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 2/26/2018 at 4:17 AM, Porkrind said:@Bluebasser86 primarily for working in the underside of the boat. My boat is pretty much the same model as your project boat. It’s an 86’ 16ft MonArk with the single console. the reason I ask is because I seen your thread and I thought what the heck I got the time to redo it so I’ll be starting to work on it soon. Only real reason I need to get to the underside is to strip the god awful paint that someone used on it. Hull is in good condition, so the boat is off the trailer for that I’ll be redoing the trailer as well.
I just pushed the boat off the trailer and flipped it over myself.
Porkrind reply :
Ok cool, my mind must think my body is a wuss. Lol
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 2/26/2018 at 11:32 AM, Porkrind said:Ok cool, my mind must think my body is a wuss. Lol
It was not an easy task. Thankfully I still have some youth and size on my side.
Fishing Rhino reply :
I'm having problems with the pictures on this thread. The first pictures came through fine then something happened, that blocked the photos from that point on. Does anyone have any idea as to why?
Thought I'd start this for anyone wanting to follow along. I'm not at all a professional repairman, not even very good at it, but I'm going to attempt to fix up the boat and trailer I recently stumbled across. I only gave $300 for it and all appears to be in pretty good shape, just needs a little TLC and it could be something pretty nice for the little lakes I often fish.
This is what I'm starting with. Could be used as is, so I don't think it's in that poor of condition, but I want to make it a bit nicer and have something that will last a long time hopefully. It's a 16' MonArk semi-V johnboat.
It has obviously been sitting for quite some time and had a ton of leaves and debris in the bottom, that's all been removed as well as all the old foam and anything not welded to the boat to make things easier and so I don't damage anything that might be salvageable.
It's a nice wide boat and pretty deep so I'll be able to take my boys out in it once it's fixed up.
Not the 14' it was listed as being.
I've removed the boat from the trailer and hosed the interior of it out to get all the debris out and let it dry really well before I start working on it. The trailer clearly has a lot of surface rust and the old paint looks bad so I'm planning on grinding the surface layer to remove it all. Going to be a lot of work, but I plan to break it down into hour or two blocks of grinding to make it more tolerable. I tried to start it yesterday but my grinder lasted about 5 minutes before it quit working. With a new one in hand, I got about an hours worth of work in on it this morning.
I decided I wasn't going to deal with switching my hitch every time I wanted to use it, so the 1 7/8" coupler had to go.
I got both sides and top of the tongue cleaned off and called it a morning. Probably won't get much of a chance to work on it the next few days at least with Christmas, but hopefully a couple mornings next week.
J Francho reply :
On 2/27/2018 at 4:51 AM, Fishing Rhino said:I'm having problems with the pictures on this thread. The first pictures came through fine then something happened, that blocked the photos from that point on. Does anyone have any idea as to why?
No idea, I'm having no issues seeing the pics. Maybe clear out your cache and restart your browser.
Fishing Rhino reply :
On 2/27/2018 at 5:33 AM, J Francho said:No idea, I'm having no issues seeing the pics. Maybe clear out your cache and restart your browser.
It must be the browser. They open in Chrome, but for some reason, they are not compatible with The Edge browser in Windows 10. A security setting, perhaps?
TimberTodd reply :
The camo looks great. Very nice job on the trailer also.
J Francho reply :
On 2/27/2018 at 5:59 AM, Fishing Rhino said:They open in Chrome, but for some reason, they are not compatible with The Edge browser in Windows 10.
Edge. There's your problem. The worst. Keep surfing in Chrome. 
Bluebasser86 reply :
Got the bunks installed. Trailer is done.
Power washed the inside of the boat out to get it ready to start the fun stuff.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Been too busy and the weather has been too bad to do much with it lately but finally got a break today. Got new transom wood installed, which was way more work than I expected. Got the new livewell pump installed, and I got the trolling motor bracket in place. Just run some wires and it will be fishable, but still needs a deck. I have some deck boards for it, but haven't decided exactly how I want to do it yet. Feel like I might need to add one cross member to the front part of the frame. I'm not a little guy and my fishing buddies are all bigger than me, might need a little more support up there.
boostr reply :
On 3/31/2018 at 1:47 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Been too busy and the weather has been too bad to do much with it lately but finally got a break today. Got new transom wood installed, which was way more work than I expected. Got the new livewell pump installed, and I got the trolling motor bracket in place. Just run some wires and it will be fishable, but still needs a deck. I have some deck boards for it, but haven't decided exactly how I want to do it yet. Feel like I might need to add one cross member to the front part of the frame. I'm not a little guy and my fishing buddies are all bigger than me, might need a little more support up there.
Nice, moving along. Are you gonna seal the transom wood with some polyurethane? What brand TM is that?
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/2/2018 at 11:55 PM, boostr said:Nice, moving along. Are you gonna seal the transom wood with some polyurethane? What brand TM is that?
I already sealed it before I installed it, hopefully last a little longer. The trolling motor is a 45lb Motorguide X3.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Haven't done much lately other than install a G-force handle on the trolling motor. I did score a new tiller handle for my 15hp motor I'd planned on using on it though. The knuckles on the original had gotten busted off from the handle bouncing around during hauling when I used to loan my old johnboat out (something that won't be happening with this one, everyone wants to borrow them but nobody wants to take ownership if they break something). I was going to just by the piece that runs through the handle that has the knuckle on the end, but I found the whole handle on Ebay for considerably less than what I was going to spend on that one piece. I'm hoping to get it out for it's maiden voyage this week. I want to use it a bit so I can decide how I want to do the layout for the deck and where I want things like tackle and battery storage before I build the deck. Plus, if there's any leaks they'll be much easier to fix before adding a deck.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Took it out for the first time yesterday to a creek off of a reservoir. I was hoping for the big push of spawning bass to have started but wasn't happening. I did manage to catch a fat spawner white bass and a crappie getting ready for the dance, so no skunk on it's first run.
Floated nice and high and didn't seem to have any leaks. I feel like I know how I want the deck to be now too, which was the main point in taking it out and using it before building it.
Catt reply :
And it catches fish to! ????
TimberTodd reply :
Awesome the boat is working out and you were able to take the skunk off her.
senile1 reply :
That boat is coming along nicely. I am looking forward to seeing your work on the deck.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 5:29 AM, senile1 said:That boat is coming along nicely. I am looking forward to seeing your work on the deck.
I plan to have an aluminum deck built onto it at a later date so the deck I build won't be anything fancy, just a temporary deck to get me through until then. I just need it functional until I have the extra money laying around to have a deck cut and welded on.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Started working on the deck.
Ran some PVC from back battery compartment to the front and ran the trolling motor wire through them.
Also got the bilge pump installed. I ordered wire for the depthfinder and lights. Really starting to feel like it's getting close now.
Tim Kelly reply :
Looking good. Hoping to start framing my new project this weekend. Got most of the stuff ready, just need some time and decent weather.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Well it was a little "tippy" but I got Lake out in the boat for the first time and I think he liked it, although I couldn't get the livewell pump to pull water for some reason, which was a major disappointment for a 4 year old to not be able to put fish in the livewell.
related Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic
most viewed Bass Boats Canoes Kayaks topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.