New boat project (part II)

[Buzz Wing]

Ahhh.... It looked like a wireless MinnKota to me. Seen plenty of 'em on the Detroit River this week. Of about 40 boats, 15 or 16 had wireless trolling motors. 'Tis the way to go on these smaller boats with the small aluminum/wood bow plates.

-Buzz

[bamabassman]

looking good.

[senko]

Nice job, man!

[WTL]

In bullet form:

*Hooked up steering today

*Took it all to the lake for a test run

*Very fast, motor runs extremly strong.

*I have a new problem that needs to be addressed. The seams of rivets, due to the outboard now being on there, started leaking all up and down both sides of the gunwhale. I had removed the benches that were in this boat so I need an idea on how I can better support those gunwhales.

*Is it really true that some boats have broken apart at speed because of such things as being overpowered and removing benches?

[WTL]

Loud jerk still flapping his gums....



Got to actually fish from the boat seriosuly today and Christened it well. 11 fish in 2 hours on a bagley crankbait, including these 2 3s. And I just pulled up to a stretch of bank.



This is the last pic taken of the progress. I went with a low deck in the middle to brace the gunwhales. Console is starting to take shape. Eased the porpoising problem some with more weight in the front, but its still there and Im going to change the trim settings some to try and help it. My main concern is still the structural integrity of the boat. Its gonna get the **** beat out of it with waves on some big lakes so it needs to be like a peice of iron.

[1FASTLASER]

If ya have any doubts be saure to put something back in place where the factory brace supports where mounted at.

[bamabassman]

DANG YOU WTL!!!! where were you fishing? man-o-man i want to catch some of them. great job dude. now when are you coming this way? i am gonna be outa town the weekend of the 26th. r&r ya know. but i am going this weekend with the little woman. it oughta be good...full moon.....warming up.....READY TO FEEL THE PULLLLLL!!!!!!! ok, ok, i am calming now, lmao.

[bamabassman]

oh.. sorry, the boat looks great too. lmao.

[WTL]

Bamabassman, in the background of that pic is the beautiful black warrior river and the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home of the greatest football program in history.

I really want to get up to G'ville to fish with you, but its not gonna be too soon, just cause of my hectic schedule. I recently started my own lawncare business to suplement my hotel income and its a hectic part of the year. Its gonna happen though, I'm rearing to go.

Laser, I think your right about brace supports, I intalled them all back and it did much better today. Its still planing funny, like its stern heavy, but I got up to 26 mph GPS today with another guy and a 30 pound peice of concrete in the bow, let alone the fact that the outboard is still about 2 inches too deep in the water.

BTW, caught 15 today including a few 6 pound hybrids. My second unofficial guide trip if you count the tip I got for gas and putting the fellow on the fish.

Pics:

About 6

Different fish

Myself with a smaller hybrid. This was right before they turned the dam on and almost killed us. Actually, we probably would have capsized had the motor not started.

[Buzz Wing]

Not too bad for an ugly mug!

What up with the hat? Pinstripes?

-Buzz

[WTL]

Houndstooth, its a bama thing. But I'm the other guy.

[bamabassman]

forgive em wtl, for they no not of the BEAR, lmao. great fish. i am gonna have to bring down the cajun and take you out on the warrior. haven't beeb on that river since......well since you were an itch in your daddys pants, and i was just a little round thing meself. but we fished up river then, where i grew up. just on the jefferson/blount county line. a town called warrior and hayden. but we went to the black warrior, warrior, and locust fork of the river system. and yes we DO have the greatest football program in the world!! i understand the hectic thing, heard ya'll had 78,000 for the a-day game. impressive. hope you can get up here soon dude. take care of that river too. and don't take chances on the turbines!!!

[WTL]

I am still having problems porpoising, the weight distribution problem caused by me being in the back 3rd of the boat with that motor being 5 inches behind the transom is just too much to compensate for with ballast (thats about 300 pounds sitting in the back 2 feet of the boat) - so I have bit the bullet and ordered another, longer teleflex cable so that I can move the console and the drivers seat up to around middle of the boat. Hopefully that should keep the nose down right. I also ripped the middle deck out and have riveted what was a sign pole onto the top of each rib to try and give a bit more longitudinal rigidity to the craft. Its just a pain though cause I was close, this is gonna keep me off the lake for a week or 2.

Since I am moving the console so far up, I guess I better plan that the second guy will probably have to ride next to me instead of in front.

[bamabassman]

have you tried to mount the steering about where the tires are on the trailer? just wondering. looks like the pivet point to me, but then again, i AM NOT a boat expert.

[WTL]

Yea, thats where it was before. I think it would have been fine except for the weight. That is where it was flexing though.

[bamabassman]

oooohhhhhhhh, see? told ya i ain't no boat man, hahahaha. i just use em for fishing, not fixing.

[1FASTLASER]

Did you try moving the trim pin before doing all this extra and spending the extra. Right off the top of my head that pin shoulda been in the 3rd hole or middle whiceever way you wanna look at it.

[WTL]

The pin is rusted in so I shimmed it up at the top to move it the same way - did no good. Its rusted in the 2nd hole actually.