Side project: Improvement to "The Dumpster"

[Detritus]

Here's a little project thread if anybody's interested.

So this spring I picked up a little project boat, a 14' aluminum Starcraft. It had a funny rotten roof over the nose, fire hose bolted all the way around, a rotten transom, and a motor that didn't run, all on an ancient trailer built in the 50s? that didn't fit the boat, and everything needed to be replaced. I thought it sounded like a heck of a deal.

Unfortunately, I am terrible about taking pictures, so most of the project documentation is missing. But, here is the boat.

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I couldn't believe how much we used this boat this summer. It went to fish creek pond, alburg rv resort, and lake dunmore, all on the roof of the van, with the motor on a front rack I made, with the camper being towed behind us. Caught a ton of fish out of this boat, probably 15 trips on the water.

Here's a short list of work done.

Replaced transom and fuel tank floor
Stripped off everything that wasn't aluminum
Sandblasted most of the old paint off
Welded/made replacement trailer components
Moved axle back, cut trailer down to length
Installed new bearings, lights, wheels, bunks, ball hitch
Fixed winch, made fenders
Took apart motor, fixed, serviced and reassembled
Aquired and glued in Stock size cupholders

More stuff I'm forgetting probably, but all small stuff. But, here's the latest thing I've been fooling around with, I've been learning how to tig weld aluminum, and this was my first project.

The boat was always missing the corner pieces which has always bothered me, but I figured someday I'd make something.

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Here's what I came up with

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Plenty strong,won't rust, and don't look too goofy either. Future things will be flush mount rod holders in those new back corner pieces, and a couple little interior cleats by the driver for the panfishing anchor.

I'm constantly tearing my boats and everything else apart, maybe I'll post little build threads on the projects here if anybody's interested?

Jack

[C-Hawk]

Nice work

[tmcaul]

Impressive!

[Detritus]

Thanks guys.

I realized you can see the fender I made, that project was about 10 minutes, haha. Pieces cut out of a blue plastic barrel.

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Nice work on the corner pieces. You're pretty handy and imaginative.
Fun project if you have a garage or place to work on.
Are you getting the kids involved too?

[Detritus]

Thanks Gerry. I'm not as good about getting the kids involved with that stuff as the fishing. But, you're right, I should.

I have been trying to remind myself to get them involved and doing more of the stuff, even if it's painfully slow to deal with or wait for. But, with the launches empty most times now, they can load the boat on the trailer, cold start the carbureted outboards, drain the water, etc. With me just providing guidance as needed.

I always let them do all of the high speed piloting, and most of the trolling piloting. Liam is great on the riggers and planerboards, and other fishing gear, and Brody is a great trolling pilot. So, we've been trying to reverse those roles lately.

Since we've been catching tons of small Lakers lately, it's been great practice for them to play, land, unhook, and release the fish as well, while I steer. They have about 10 or 15 seconds to get the job done before I get involved to get the fish back in the water, and they're getting much better.

I'm confident that they're to the point now that with three of them on the boat, they could handle most things that would pop up cold water fishing on their own, with me maybe fishing in a friends boat in the same bay to be available in an emergency.

But, we can't do that now of course, not even with masks on. Too bad, because they were excited to give it a shot. I was going to ride along with Dilly Worm the next trip out, maybe, but, Friday put a stop to all that.

Next year.