Project Boat

I had a friend to call me about a boat his brother had that he needed to get rid of due to health problems. It is an 18 foot Searay Seville Ski Boat and he made me a deal I couldn't turn down!!! The boat is in good shape structurally...except....the inside needs to be re-done...Totally re-done!!!...It has a Mercury 135 that runs great. We put a battery in it and hooked up a gas tank to it and put the ear muffs on it...Pumped the bubble up and it fired up on the first try and runs like a top!!..I have been wanting a bigger boat with more room in it and something that would handle the rough water and wind a little better...I think I have found just that. Since the inside needs to be totally restored, I think I can make a great crappie boat out of it. My plans are to be done with it by the Fall, so I am in no hurry to get it ready, unless I sell my boat, then I'll be working a little faster to have it ready to fish. I definitely have my work cut out for me.....Here are some pics of what I just bought:

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Tim, if you lay that boat out specifically for crappie fishing I think you will love it. The wind will not blow that deep hull around. The ride will be great. Good luck. I can not wait to see the finished crappie catching machine.

It will definitely be laid out for crappie fishing :fish...I don't have a time line to be finished, but I'll try to post some pictures as I go along. It may be 2 or 3 weeks before I actually get started on it.

Knowing how well you did on your last boat I know it will be made into a crappie catching machine. Looks like this boat has alot of potential Tim.

I finally made it back home with the boat today. I had absolutely no problems pulling it back from Marianna, FL and the trailer tracks great. It will probably be a few days before I can start getting it completely gutted. My girlfriend and I spent about an hour today getting ideas on how we wanted to set it up and she had a great idea about raising/building the floor in the back and making some dry storage compartments...Can always use extra storage space!!...I also found out it is a 19 footer, not an 18 ft boat with a 7 1/2 ft beam. Rough estimates looks like the back fishing area will be 6 ft X 5 ft. Looking forward to starting on this project! :cheers2

You and Norma Ann have a great project ahead of you. Good luck, I know it will be a success. Should be a good summer project. Keep us posted with pictures.

Chuck

I started removing what was left of the floor and removed the gas tank yesterday afternoon...Makes me wonder "What the heck was I thinking when I drug this boat home??????" :yikes Hopefully I'll have a better outlook when I get it all stripped out and see how to customize it my way.

I am almost done gutting the boat out..Maybe another afternoon and I'll be done. I put a battery in it and found out that the only thing that is actually working is the starter for the motor and the tilt and trim...No lights, bilge pump, radio, etc...Probably just a fuse somewhere. I am just about ready to start doing all the wiring for my electronics and trolling motor and whatever else I decide to put on the boat. I sprayed some 409 on a small place on the outside of the boat and it cleaned up very nice. I can imagine that it will clean up real nice with a good wax job. Still have a LONG way to go:yikes Here are a few pics on the progress:
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Tim, I think you'll love it. My wife and I started to leave the dock a few weeks ago but the batteries in my boat were dead. We regrouped in my parents' deck boat and headed out. It only took a few minutes to realize the potential the bigger boat had so I spent a little money on holders and a trolling motor I found on CDC and hopefully will give it a try this weekend. My reasoning to my wife and parents is that now we can all fish on the same boat.:biggrin Good luck with the project!

Looks mighty rough right now Chip, but I am sure I will be happy in the long run..Although I am very pleased with the boat I have, I cant wait to get out in a bigger boat...I can fish 3 in my boat with no problem but there have been times I needed a little more room for the 4th person...I should have it soon.

keep thinking of the day you get the re build done, and how much pride you will have in that boat.

I am going to do the interior with marine grade plywood and use a product called "Ultra Tuff Coat" to finish it with instead of carpet..Sorta like Rhino Liner..It is kinda pricy, but worth it. at $85 a gallon. If anyone knows where I can get it cheaper I'd appreciate some info.

Give us an update and maybe some pics.

It's just been siting idle for the past week..I have the front framed up and ready to put the deck down, but thats as far as I have got..I have been trying to catch up on a few things around the house and get these darn taxes done. Hopefully I can get back to work on it this weekend.

I finally had a chance to do a little bit of work on the boat this afternoon. I started cutting the front decks. Actually have enough room to have a small deck in the very front to mount my electronics and maybe a cup holder or something and a tackle box and the lower deck will still have plenty of room for my seat. I went with 3/4" BC Plywood and I am going to treat it with Coppertox (sp) before I mount it all in the boat...I have used this stuff before on deer stands and it works great..Once I put the Ultra Tuff Coat on it, it should be treated and sealed up pretty darn good. I still have some fiberglass and rotten wood left to get out, but that shouldn't take long...Guess I'll do that while the Coppertox is curing.
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WOW

When complete you will have one heck of a boat and a nice winter ride. Fred's old Key West 19 footer turned out to be the best crappie rig that I have ever fished out of.

Good luck Tim.

It looks like its coming together well will deff be nice when done

Plugging away at it little by little as time permits me. Just about done with the woodwork in the front except for some trim. Going to be a lot more room up there than what I am used to. The green color comes from the Coppertox I am using to treat the wood with. I did put 1 sheet of plywood in the back just so I could have something to walk on while I was working. Tomorrow I will Coppertox both sides of that sheet of plywood and start working on the back part of the boat..Starting to look like something now.

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I got a little more done this weekend...Slowly but surely............................

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Looking good Tim. The possibilities seem endless with that much room.

Good work

looking good its coming together TNT im ready to see the dura coat stuff on it im thinking of re doing my decks and floor but not sure if i want carpet or the do it yourself linex so ill wait to see see yours sure it will look good

What about this vinyl that is on some of these boats?

Are you talking about the vinyl on the seats?...If so, this boat was full of it and was actually in good shape. But the wood it was on was rotten. I doubt I will put any vinyl back in it...I want a fishing boat that I dont have to worry about not being able to take the abuse that I can put a boat thru...Rofl

This vinyl flooring they put in this War Eagle seems to be very durable and it looks great. Very pricy I bet.

one thing you might think about doing is put in an automatic bilge pump beside the manuel pump. that way if you happen to have to park the boat on a lake in the open and it rains at night it will keep the water pumped out. got a friend that fishes out of a "fish and ski" with a windshield and when it's cold in the morning that windshield makes the ride so much better. you'll love it.

Thats exactly what I am going to do. The bilge pump that was in it doesn't work and putting in a new automatic bilge pump and a new aerator pump is one of the next things on my "To Do" list...I am really looking forward to having the windshield next Fall and Winter!!!

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Originally Posted by Danbo

This vinyl flooring they put in this War Eagle seems to be very durable and it looks great. Very pricy I bet.

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The stuff I am going to use is called Ultra Tuff Coat...Yep...Its pricy but worth it....I saw "Heavyleads" boat that he did down at Talquin and I really like it...Sorta a rubber type finish with some texture and comes in several colors...Going to do 95% of the inside of my boat in a Medium Gray color...Cleans up easily also.

http://www.tuffcoat.net/wordpress/marine-2/

Looks good TNT, did ya find a cowl?

Not yet....Just haven't had much time to look around...That isn't high enough on the priority list yetRofl

There is a boat repair place on 247 north of Warner Robins that has a lot of older boats. You may want to check with them for your cowl?

When I worked on my Fisher 3V and Pontoon boat projects I found Ebay to be the best way to find odd and old parts.

1996 MERCURY 135HP ENGINE COWLING | eBay

I stayed home this weekend and got some work on the boat..Started laying out the floor plan with some dry storage and making a place for the livewell...Still have a long ways to go but it is coming along!!

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Yep coming along very well

Little by little...Almost to the point to start getting the inside ready for the Ultra Tuff Stuff..It should start looking better when it is all one color on the inside. Still have a few smaller places to fill in and it looks like I am gonna get a lesson in fiberglassingbanghead
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Looking good. Do you have date picked out for the maiden voyage? You are going to love all that room and the way you laid it out.

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Originally Posted by EARL KITCHENS

Looking good. Do you have date picked out for the maiden voyage? You are going to love all that room and the way you laid it out.

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I am hoping to take it for a ride in the next month or so....Still gonna be a while before it's fishable!

Did you ever find a cowl?

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Originally Posted by EARL KITCHENS

Did you ever find a cowl?

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No...I can repair it, but I was just looking for the easy way outRofl

I have some fiberglass cloth I will let you have if you need any. Probably enough to do the entire inside. Just let me know. Live in Kathleen.