Fish Beware! Build Thread...

[charlie_the_tuna]

So.... is it just me?!?

[pjbrownva]

Originally Posted by charlie_the_tuna

So.... is it just me?!?

Nope. I looked and most of the photos didn't post.

I will take some on my phone tomorrow and try again....

I've got about 10 things goin' on at once!

1) I put in a bronze clam shell with a seacock, mounted a live well pump and a raw water washdown

2) I'm rewiring almost everything

3) 2nd battery install with automatic charge relay

4) Got a Raymarine Axiom+, the 7" model

5) Put on a fishing arch / radar tower from atlantic marine

6) Have spreader lights that can be white or blue

7) Have dual VHF radios each w/ their own antenna

8) Have an Icom Marine M-710 Medium and High Frequency radio -- 150 watts. I got the required FCC licenses, plus recently upgraded my HAM license to general class, so I can transmit on the HAM bands too.

9) Have a special antenna for the M-710, called an "outbacker"... it has a jumper where you move where a wire connects

and still more... but I'll wait to show it, rather than just talk!

[pjbrownva]

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#...7-71346991AD63

Originally Posted by charlie_the_tuna

So.... is it just me?!?

Here are some photos... at last! I will take better ones today and post them this weekend. (I'm hosting the photos on icloud in an apple photos album that is publicly "shared").



Here she is... Fish Beware!

I added a tower-in-a-box from atlantic towers...



and here...



...

I cut the front bow railing, and added some eyelets designed for the end of a bimini to, just to give it a finished look.




... Obviously I don't go boating with the spare tire on the bow. :-) I still have to re-mount my spare tire carrier.

The reason I removed part of the railing is for trailering.
I felt like a contortionist every time I wanted to climb from the trailer onto the bow or vice-versa while at the boat ramp. Now it's much easier!

More to come!

$%#$%#$%.... foiled again! I thought that would work, but obviously not... I will try another way!

[pjbrownva]

There really are no good options for mirrors on a 4Runner, and my V20 is so big that I can’t see when backing up.

I found a solution.

I purchased some convex motor cycle mirrors off of Amazon

Then I got an expanding rubber bushing with a nut in it from Home Depot plus a 1/4” stainless steel screw.

After disassembling the mounts for the motorcycle mirrors, I was almost done.

I drilled a 1/2 inch hole high up on each of my factory mirror housings, making sure to leave enough clearance to not interfere with the mirror glass, and after inserting the bushing in the hole, you tighten down the screw and you’re done.

What a difference!

Here’s a photo… it looks clear in my factory mirror… but wait!!!
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91B0584D-BC16-4143-AB84-877FAB87B3FE.jpg

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Focus on the extended mirror and you can see that a dumpster and a Ford suv are behind me!

I’m very happy with this setup.

[pjbrownva]

I had rollers and I hated them....


Plus, in 2 years I've lost three of the roller wheels (all replaced) and one of the metal arms broke off.

The result is 3 places where there are gouges in the gel coat that I'll need to repair.

It was winter and below 32, so I didn't want to launch my boat into the water... in case the ramp was icy, that wouldn't be good!
... plus, I'm half done with adding brakes to my trailer... so I really don't want to pull it anywhere until the brakes are done!

Here's what I did instead.

I went to a tire place and got some old steel rims, and several old tires. I tied off the back of the boat to a huge RV parked behind me, (Old, ratty... hasn't moved in over a decade) and gently lowered the boat onto my goods.


(Trailer w/ rollers still on. Wood is just laying there... Note the Mag wheels! I added those @ $103 a rim... I'm hoping to clean everything up when I'm done).

Found it through a listing on craig's list. The seller does wood work in his walk-out basement, and I guess he was willing to liquidate some of the massive amounts of lumber he had collected over the years.



Used an angle grinder to cut off all of the rollers and related hardware.
Left on the angle brackets that attach to the cross members... They will work perfectly to hold secure the wood.






Here's a test-fit of the wood... after the cut off all of the rollers and related parts that I didn't want.
An angle grinder is your friend!






In photo I put bolts through the wood and brackets at the rear cross member.
The front cross members are free to move, but I shimmed them 3" higher using pieces of metal that I got when I cut all the roller stuff off.

It was 25 degrees outside and snowing... I guess you could say I had gotten cabin fever!




Here I am loading the boat onto the bunks for a test fit.
I put on a electric winch last year ($100 off craig's list... 20+ years old, but NEVER used... still in a the original box... but the box was in sorry shape).

I used a "snatch block" that came with the winch. It's a hook and pulley. Connected the hook to the boat, and ran the steel cable from the winch, through the pulley, and anchored back on the trailer near the winch.

The result is that the boat moves forward at 1/2 the speed, but the winch can apply twice the force.


Steady as she goes... It went on, but I nicked up some of the gel coat at the very tip of the bow. The boards started to push apart some... I had to use some 4x4's to keep them from separating any more, and the bow-eye started to pull out some... I guess I compressed the fiberglass or whatever is backing it.

So, I've got some additional work that needs doin'. I think I'll pay someone to fix that part, when I'm done with the other work.

Note the tower... It's from Atlantic towers! I put it on. It was another craig's list find... about 10 yrs old... brand new, never installed, but a 2 hr drive away. I got about a 1/3 discount compared to buying brand new from Atlantic towers at today's prices. I love the tower! It's MUCH, MUCH better than than the $200 thinner tower that I tried.

What's next?

I got a raymarine 24" color HD Radar. I have a raymarine 7" MFD, and just bought a 2nd one used from ebay.

AND... I have at least 3 more "surprises"... but I'll wait until I have photos to share them.

More to come... I'll work on it some more Saturday morning and then on Sunday.

-Philip