My Boat 2024
Btech reply :
Well Taxes were good for me this year - Got enough for the trip and a Boat! Here are some pix let me know what you think .
She needs some work but it runs great. I took it out this weekend and did a little testing, The lights were mest up and need to be run to a switch but i rigged them off the TM battery with a little inline fuse for now Its got a Hummingbird LCR4000 (Probably older than me) Fish finder a 20HP Mercury and little livewell in the rear that needs some patching before opening the plug 
All in All i spent about 1,000. I plan to patch any cracks and nicks in it , Maybe recarpet and match the paint to my truck. Being a mechanic I think will make the project a little less expensive but the hard part is over Wife agrees it needs to be fixed up. Maybe getting a newer updated fish finder for me to learn on as i havnt used one before.
Any sugestions?
memo43 reply :
Nice looking rig you have there, hope it brings you countless hours of enjoyment.
If you are going to change/modify anything remember the pictures.
memo
alger319 reply :
buddy, with a little elbow grease, like you said, that boat will be a fish catchin machine! good luck with it.
daviscw reply :
Nice dude! I'm excited for you! PM me if you need help with your Citica.
Long Mike reply :
Very nice looking fixer-upper. You should have a lot of fun both fishing it and fixing it. That steering wheel looks like a satellite dish. ;D I'm looking forward to seeing what you've done with the boat when we get to KY Lake.
Casey99 reply :
That LCR graph is a goodun'. My neighbor had one on his boat and it lasted for 8 years. It looks like a t.v. screen though!
bass or bass ? reply :
Smokin' deal on a nice little boat. 8-) Happy fishing.
~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~boatU.S.~
IDbasser reply :
Nice to hear you got a boat. Enjoy the fishing!!
Btech reply :
Yeah that fish finder is bigger than my TV @ home ... lol And yes The stering wheel is the satalight that drives the fishfinder
Definatly gona upgrade it - It draws too much power limiting my TM.
Thanks guys. - May see if i can find a cheep wheel for it as well.
done reply :
Congrats BTech. If you are hitting Wylie, you should really check out the launch I told you about. Got some awesome areas near there.
Btech reply :
YEah i Hit wiley alredy fished the BusterBoyd bridge and didnt catch anything another boater fliped under my boat and got one upste me a lil but it was fun.
I spent most of my time checking the engine , finding the little leaks and practicing the Trollin motor.
It is normal for a boat to take on a little water right? In 8 Hours on the water i had about 4in of water in the back. (I see a softspot in the Vhull that is gona be patched this weekend. )
Triton21 reply :
A couple tips, install auto bilge pump and never hook graft/fish finder to trolling battery. Running the trolling motor interferes with graft.
Btech reply :
I thought it did! The owner that sold it to me told me not to run it off the starting battery or it would suck the power down... So should I hook it to the starting? When its on the TM battery the tm slows WAY down from 5 to 2 it seems like.
That and the finder goes haywire running self tests alot - I plan to scrap it for a 150$ one from Bass pro so i can lern how to use one.
Should I run a battery just for the Finder? And maybe the bilge pump?
Triton21 reply :
I would at least untill I got a new graft.
Strike King reply :
i like it very nice
cart7t reply :
4" of water in a days fishing is too much. I'd try and diagnose that problem first as water getting into a boat can lead to more damage down the road.
First, put the drain plug in and start filling the boat with water from the hose. You're looking for water coming from a hole or crack in the hull or water leaking out from around any transom fittings.
The next spot to look is the livewell hoses or fittings themselves. While you aren't filling it, water does enter the boat via the livewell hoses and sits there until it gets pumped in. Those are very prone to crack or have fittings that leak.
Beyond that, get a 2 in 1 bilge with auto capabilities. Hook the auto side straight up to the starter battery.
TommyBass reply :
I agree... unless you had some engine spalsh over or significant rain 4" is enough to be concerned about. Normally I like to see NO water in the back of my boat after fishing but you can get some from fish, spray, rain etc. Even if you are just getting a skim in there from a small leak you don't know its going to stay a small leak. You should probably fix it before the small leak deciedes he wants to grow up.
Btech reply :
Anyone recomend a good Resin to patch the bottom and my live well ? Im a auto mechanic and thought of using bondo or somthing similar from napa. Also Is marine paint diff than Auto im assuming ....
Btech reply :
I Ran the boat on the weekend and left the plug in when it dried i seen a spot its coming in at right at the tip of the V in the front so i stuck some silicone on it temporarily and its holding but now im gona tear the thing apart and start the renovation.
Anyone have a recomendation on:
Fiberglass resin (I believe its fiberglass like tigerhair)
Paint? - Not sure what i can do here but definatly want it to clean up a bit its peeling pretty good
Was thinking of matching the paint on the boat to my truck Silver Ford Ranger with Black interior however black seems to be a odd color .
Carpet im thinking home Depot will have. Than im ordering 2 Optima batterys and new fishie finder . Gona re wire in my lights to a togle on the dash rather than the riged way it is now .
All in all i have about 800 to spend on it . Hoping this is enough .
fastcasterjo reply :
800 should be plenty of money. I am modifying my 16 ft lowe and my goal is below five hundred and thats for everything from a livewell to wood. right now I am a hundred dollars under budget. Trying to do this all on a 16 yr olds budget can be pretty tough. Good luck on your mods. As far as the patching and stuff goes try to add some pictures so we can all see whats going on. Good luck man.
Dean reply :
With a little time and money and some elbow grease, this will be one heck of a fishing machine!
firefightn15 reply :
Nice boat Brian! Let me know of any problems and I will bring a tin cup for bailing while I'm in the back seat!
Calcutta reply :
Takin on water is normal but not 4 inches. I agree with the auto bilge. Only run the trolling motor on the trollin battery.
Btech reply :
Ok guys im having problems uploading a photo - Its taking foreve than saying webpage cannot be displayed... they are in the size limit as far as i can tell anyone know what im doing wrong?
firefightn15 reply :
Btech asked me to load up these pics for him. I think he has questions.
Btech reply :
Ok well i spent monday riping it apart here is the shots of some of the worst areas - Gona bondo it in
Will update later im having problems uploading my pictures.
Ill be on tonight to see if i can upload a few more of the entire boat
firefightn15 reply :
Is that crack in bottom pic where the leak is up front? Once fixed, how will it do wave hopping? I am by no means an expert in fiberglass repair, but would it need a fare amount of backing when it is patched.
SoFl-native reply :
QuoteIt is normal for a boat to take on a little water right? In 8 Hours on the water i had about 4in of water in the back. (I see a softspot in the Vhull that is gona be patched this weekend. )
Ummm no it is not normal. It means you have a leak. If you cant find it no big deal......but fix it if you can.
Btech reply :
Ok well i should have phrazed that a little diff.
" Is IT NORMAL to SEE water inside the boat - From overspray cracks etc "
I have the answer now as you can see its in pieces and about to be entirely patched until nothing comes inside the boat .
AFter that paint shop!
Btech reply :
Yeah fire that crack is towards the center ... its where my throtle cable is ran - It should patch up well and i have a backing plate to mold into it so im not too worried.
I wont be able to ride wakes like new boats but i can take them on !
I think it will be ok - Obviously ill test it before putting it all back together
(Still cant upload pix)
Btech reply :
Ok well here is where im at as of now - Been trying to get pix up so i hope this works.
Gona start cutting her up on Saturday and patching on sunday if weather is warm enough. Roughly 2 QT's bondo and 30 worth of sandpaper ... /winches
Still working on getting the supplies for paint.
zgonce reply :
the two best days of a boat owner.....the day you buy it.....and the day you sell it! lol jk thats a nice looking boat son you got to start somewhere and besides the fish dont know what kind of boat your in.
by the way hook your graph to the starting battery it wont drain it as much as you think with it hooked to the TM battery everytime you hit the button to make the TM run it will interfere with the reading to graph is picking up
Btech reply :
Saturday I started the body work on the boat - After Removing the Outbord and all junk left behind, i now have just the boat and 2 seat posts (Which wont come out).
Spent most of Saturday sanding the body and cutting up the rough spots - Tryed out the tiger hair (Fiberglass resin) in a few small spots which worked out well.
Though the week its sanding and more fiberglass so keep checking up ill have pix updated tomorrow hopfully.
done reply :
Looks good man. BTW, when it comes to the parts and electronics. Looks around. When I doing the work on my Jon, BPS eventually become the last place I looked. Charlotte has a lot of places you can go to get the same stuff cheaper. West marine, Gander Mountain, even Walmart. There are also some good marine stores I found in kannapolis, and Shelby that could crush BPS prices.
For the marine carpet, go to Lowes. Depot had outdoor carpet, but Lowes was the only one I found that carpet which was specifically Marine. There was a big difference in the Depot outdoor and the Lowes Marine as well (quality and price).
Good luck man.
Btech reply :
Well Bad news - My boat funds droped dramaticly. Wifes Honda lost the Transmission so got to tap into the boat funds to replace a transmision.
The Good news is : I think i can rebuild my account out of my weekly paycheck assuming I stop driving to BPS.... Probably why the honda is parked lol.
Still have Sanding Fiberglassing Sanding Prep and Paint to go this week. Things are getting pushed back (Which was expected).
Keep checkin back.
fishfordollars reply :
BTECH, I have an older Hummingbird LCR8000 head unit, power cable and transducer that is just sitting in my garage. It comes with the split screen function and a ton of other functions that may help you. I'm not using it. If it will help you just let me know. You may be able to just plug it into your system and have it for an upgrade.
Price? Just cover the shipping and it is yours. Sorry to hear about the tranny. Thought this might help you make it through the day.
The mount and unit are 12" across. Screen is 5 3/4" H and 6 1/2" across. Yea, it resembles a small LCD TV.
Yes, it is a working unit.
Btech reply :
For those who want to see more pictures PM me for a link to Facebook or look me up (Not sure how to add the link here)
Also i just bought a Hummingbird 170 from BPS to lern on and it was a great deal the box had some dmg to it so i got it for 70 bucks. retail is 110$
Thanks for the offor though - Ill keep my ears out.
HossFly reply :
westmarine.com
should have anything you may need for anything.
firefightn15 reply :
Hey, how's the boat coming?
Btech reply :
The boat is coming along slowly ....
Spent Saturday afternoon at Homedeopt stocking up on Fiberglass and body fillers sandpaper etc. Sunday began the fiberglass project Patched all the holes and arround the engine mount. We filped the boat over and used fiber net on the keel after digin it out this is DEFINATLY where it was leaking.
Monday I spent sanding most of the boat just have to go under it and some more arround the engine and battery compartment. Here are some links of before . My daughter threw my camera in the toilet so i wont be able to get many pix now. Sorry guys
Just hope im done by April 4th . Im cutting it close now.
Check out my facebook for more pix
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013369&id=1087034725
Btech reply :
No camera Still : Sorry no pix. Will have to use Cellphone and upload soon.
The boat is coming along slowly - Hard to get much time in between Rain , Work, Daughter, And wife.... However I did get most of the sanding / prep work done on the inside and fliped it over this saturday so im working on the Keel now (pain in the @SS) Tigerhair sands like a rock so you cant tell ive done much but about 6hours of sanding the keel alone.
Talking to my body tech we decided on painting the last weekend of the month (can you say crunch?) At this point im ordering everything and hoping we can get it done. THis weekend i plan on laying out the wiring/ starting the deck / carpet and primering the boat (also getting a camera) So keep checkin back.
firefightn15 reply :
Make sure the camera is a water proof one. ;D
Btech reply :
Oh yeah - This time its gona be 2yr old proof. Not jus water. Apple juice Proof, Toilet, dog, hair, gunk, snot, blocks thrown at it, banged against the wall, car , etc proof.
done reply :
QuoteMake sure the camera is a water proof one. ;D
Well it was thrown into the toilet. Depending on its level of use at the time, losing the camera may be a good thing.
Btech reply :
Oh it was used ALOT - Probably due for a new one anyways - Im gona upgrade my phone to a better camera phone so ill have one for the trip. So i guess everything happens for a reason
Will get pix on cellphone soon (sorry they are gona be crap)
THanks for checkin back
firefightn15 reply :
QuoteQuoteMake sure the camera is a water proof one. ;DWell it was thrown into the toilet. Depending on its level of use at the time, losing the camera may be a good thing.
You wouldn't be referring to "brown" trout, would you? ;D
Btech reply :
HAHA wow im slow - havnt had my coffee yet.
firefightn15 reply :
Thought so ;D btw, check your pms. later
Btech reply :
Finished sanding the bottom today. Tomorrow starts the hand sanding of interior etc - hope to get some more pix if my camera phone decides to work.
Also hit up Bass Pro and Home Depot For the plywood, carpet and seats, didn't get out of work until 2pm so that took most of the day I'm hoping tomorrow to go ahead and fit the deck paste the carpet and finish fixing any minor dings and dents with some Aqua putty.
Still lacking my 2 Fishing Seats - What would you all recommend 2 Lean2 seats or a full back seat?
Will get pix of the seats etc tomrrow as well.
Btech reply :
Darn just realized I have one updated photo here is the keel after being sanded round 1. Still need to fine tune it.
cart7t reply :
uh Dude....
KY lake is less than 2 weeks away!
And I was worried about not getting my stereo installed in time. ;D
Btech reply :
Yeah Yeah yeah ITs ok im all good - Assuming my deck goes good everything will be fine, im painting this weekend reguardless so its gona be a rush - i still have 3 sick days
Im not leaving until Saturday anywyays so ill have some time before I leave . It
Btech reply :
Wow Dont know why that posted halfway thought what i was typing but i should be ok. Its only going to take one days paint and than i can put the deck and wire in - shouldnt take me long. will work on the wetsanding thru the week.
The photos shown are a few weeks old i have a base coat of primer on it now and sanding is just about done - will look rough is some spots but its definatly sealed.
Just the Bilge pump / fish finder to wire, deck to cut and wrap with carpet and seats to go in (and at a autoshop it shouldnt take long)
Let me know what ya think when we get to kentucky.
VA-Cal reply :
Hey Brian,
Boy, am I glad I finally figured out the registration process for this BBS!! I finally got to look at your boat pics. I've got a very similar looking Shakespeare boat; according to the VA Title, its a 1974 Shakespeare Wonder Craft 14B. The main differences I can see are:
* Yours is a side console rig, where mine is a tiller model.
* Yours has steps up from lower deck to front cooler box and deck, where mine has sloped floor and bow deck is flush with gunnales/rub rails.
I'll get some pics of mine on here this weekend maybe. So far, I've stripped the old (dry-rotted) indorr-outdoor carpet from the hull, and wire-brushed the remaining fabric hairs from the hull. I still have to remove the adhesive so I can do some serious crack repairs. Mine is showing numerous cracks in the inner hull (probably from stress and flex over the past 35 years!).
I look forward to tracking your progress, and then reporting mine as well. I also look forwar to more indepth communication with you about our boats, if you up for it, that is.
Regards,
Cal
Btech reply :
UPDATE - MARCH 26 2008
Decking : NOW CUT and ready to be trimed down to fit. after ill 3M the carpet on wrap and tack it. Than mount brackets on them. So they are ready after paint stage.
Paint: Just ordered 1qt primer (Plus what i have used spray primer on) and 2 QT YN coded paint (Silver Metalic from Ford)
Wiring: is gona be prewired tonight so its easy to install once paint is done.
Seats: I have the 2 main seats now but am still waiting on a call from BPS as to wether they can get the 2 fishing seats in.
Ill be painting on Saturday and hope to have it backtogether on Sunday (I get mondays off as well lucky me) so ill test it out on monday. and the following days PACK for the trip! 
Again sorry for the no pix as my cameras are all broken
Btech reply :
OK Pix are on the way Girls cell takes them so she is supposed to email them to me while im here at work -
Had some problems with the seat brackets mounting to the seats they were a bit too large so after 200 bucks to BPS .... They fit the boat but wallet is crying.
Cutting into my tackle funds now lol Will post some pix hopfully today - than after this weekend ill show ya all the FINISHED PRODUCT
Btech reply :
WOW ... Its been a HELLA OFA WEEK.
Boat is painted, Carpet and deck is cut and laid in place, Wired up (Except fishie finder) Lights are run and all that is left is to mount the decking, install the Stering wheel and run the toggles in.
HOWEVER : Im having an engine problem... My cables are out of adjustment and its seems no matter what i do they dont go back to where they should be - May have to take it to Kenlake Marina when I get to KEntucky otherwise ill be trollin to the nowake zone and running full throttle when engine is on will be fun
Sorry again no pix - Cellphone camera is broke and Digital Camera is broke, Heck even my webcam made it to the toilet (Dont ask) You should see the list of things that have been swimming lol not just electronics.
Guess yall have to wait until kentucky to see
done reply :
guess it is a good thing the boat won't fit in the toilet. LOL.
Btech reply :
Thats the one item i wish DID fit . Than i could test it
done reply :
That's what Wylie is for. Besides, not sure I would want to run a fish finder in a toilet. That cannot be good for your transducer, or your gel-coat.
Gives you a good way to leave the house. "Honey I have to go test the boat. Be back in a couple days...". After all you do need to be VERY thorough in your testing.
Triton21 reply :
Sounds to me like you don't have the cable in the proper place on the motor end. Did you have the control box apart?
Kelley
Btech reply :
Yes there was a bent cable inside of it - However the guy who "Fixed" it said he put it back the same way. and said my cables on the motor end needs adjusting as well. Im gona take it out saturday and try before i leave.
Btech reply :
Well guys here are some pix assuming they load - ITs ready to go at 2pm today after i finish installing the console (4bolts) I think i may have even adjusted my cables correctly (thanks Idaho)
Enjoy and See ya in Kentucky
Btech reply :
Guess I have to add Txt?
Btech reply :
Seats and Front View
Btech reply :
And the last one -
My new Bilge pump (Guess we are gona need it)
done reply :
Wow!! Turned out real nice BTech. Great job. Good luck in Kentucky.
smallie.huntin reply :
You have done a great job with your boat. Now get out there and catch some bass!
Sam reply :
That is a nice, stable boat.
May you have many hours of memories and big catches.
BRIAN77703 reply :
looks amazing man
Dennis1022 reply :
My complement on your work and the way it turned out! I really didn't think it would be worth the effort with all the problems you had. Man I was wrong! How did you put a computer hookup in the boat?
Great Job!
Dennis
Rockingham County, NC
Btech reply :
Its wireless
I knew i was gona spend more than the boat cost - but that was my goal was to fix it up over time and put a few hundred into it.
Engine Replacement comes next than to rebuild htis one and keep as a spare.
VA-Cal reply :
She's lookin' really spiffy now Brian. My similar project boat has been on hold due to weather, and the fact that I found the "boat of my dreams" for big water. I still intend to fix mine up though, and I'll keep you posted of my progress. I may still have some questions for ya too!
Regards,
Cal
Btech reply :
Thanks guys - Hey Va-Cal Dont hesitate to shoot me a Pm or give me a call.
Had the scare of my life last night on the boat was being towed arround by a buddy and he ran me over a stump - Thought I knocked a hole in her but come to find out .... I knocked the plug loose and let a few gallons of water in /Sigh.
Btech reply :
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
You should see it now ..... ITS TORN UP I moved to Nevada and RIPED THE FISH FINDER OFF DROPED THE ENGINE ON THE FREEWAY AND SCRATCHED THE PAINT ALLLLLLLLL OVER
THE DECKING GOT WATER LOGED AND WARPED, THE SCREWS CAME UNDONE AND THE .... HELL I DONT THINK THE PLUG FITS IN THE HOLE ANYMORE ./ CRY
..... Guess i need a new project ...
Oh and The trailor SNAPED AN AXLE , BLEW 3 TIRES (YES I Replaced them and blew it again) LOST A WHEEL COVER, AND BROKE A LEEF SPRING. ....
...... Guess i need a new tralor
cart7t reply :
Geezo!!
Is there anything salvageable from this?? Depthfinder? OB motor?
Anything?
R520dvx reply :
Looks like I'm gonna need more than a tow rope to help you this time !!!
cart7t reply :
QuoteLooks like I'm gonna need more than a tow rope to help you this time !!!
Couple of bushel baskets should do it.
Btech reply :
Just an update - THe boat is still sitting - Anyone on the west coast selling a decent jon boat - Its way to rockey to run this thing - Ive taken it to ryepatch and a few others with just the TM the main OB wont run .... /cry 700 dollars for a new ignition box...
I need to get a new project and rebuild...
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