Cleaning up real nice…. I love a good boat build.

Nice job on your build. Looking forward to how your first sea trial goes. I'd suggest one day replacing your charger with a NOCO Genius 10.

3 hours ago, GRiver said:

Cleaning up real nice…. I love a good boat build.

Thank you! It’s been fun. Idk about a good build. If anyone’s looking for a how much money can ya spend build this ain’t it lol. I just wana go catch fish not on the bank lol

2 hours ago, Capt Ed said:

Nice job on your build. Looking forward to how your first sea trial goes. I'd suggest one day replacing your charger with a NOCO Genius 10.

Thank you! Plan to register it Tuesday when I’m off work and next weekends weather looks beautiful. So if it stays that way impact to float it then.

I agree this one had good reviews and will get me started maintaining the lithium battery when it shows this week. But a noco iso my want list big time and I will have one before next winter when the battery will sit.

Watching from afar, good start. 👍🏼

2 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

Watching from afar, good start. 👍🏼

Thank you!

100 amp hour lithium showed up today. Fits the box and just below the deck board with the terminal

Bolts installed just like a measured lol. I’m shocked haha.

Also crawled in the front deck as far as I can fit to see how they have it all framed out. With the measurements and placement I found. I can add a recess box for the trolling motor pedal if I don’t like how tall it is. The minnkota edge pedals are quite tall it looks. Smallest have options.

Since it’s getting into rainy season. And we are supposed to have snow Sunday. ( absolutely Nuts weather this spring)

Fleet farm had covers 20% off. So I bought a new cover with no rips to try and preserve the decking and carpet since it lives outside now that I have it. They had it in a shop building.

God wish fleet farm Sponsored me lol. Im constantly there.

8 minutes ago, Joedodge said:

And we are supposed to have snow Sunday. ( absolutely Nuts weather this spring)

We got 50/50 chance of 12" coming down where I am....and just remember....it's actually another week before Spring hits the calendar.

And FF is a big part of my fishing-shopping as well.

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

We got 50/50 chance of 12" coming down where I am....and just remember....it's actually another week before Spring hits the calendar.

Ma that’s a lot! Ours is 3-5”. And true about the calender lol

Little after work progress. The old bearings and races had some water intrusion and sitting for a few years had one side pitted pretty good. New bearings and races and seals and cotter pins. And new bearing buddy’s installed. And all fresh grease obviously. Being a professional mechanic pays off occasionally lol. And working for a wastewater plant now as a mechanic instead of on trucks. All my tools are at home for the first time in 20 years lol. Quick 1 hour project.

Thought I’d post this one. Previous owner is an industrial electrician working in plants like where I work. He made these cover props out of electrical emt. And has coupling amounted on the inside of the top rail to pop them in and out. Works great to keep water and snow from pooling bad on the cover.

9 hours ago, Joedodge said:

coupling amounted on the inside of the top rail

The conduit ribs is a great idea. When ya get a chance, next time you’ve got it uncovered. Would like some pics of how he mounted the coupling to the gunwale. I know you got it all buttoned up for the snow so no hurry.

23 minutes ago, GRiver said:

The conduit ribs is a great idea. When ya get a chance, next time you’ve got it uncovered. Would like some pics of how he mounted the coupling to the gunwale. I know you got it all buttoned up for the snow so no hurry.

Absolutely. I’ll get some for ya today. It’s not hard to cover and uncover it. I thought it was a pretty simple effective idea when I saw it.

Got new lights and harness installed. Lubed up the tongue latch as well and looked over the trailer one More time. Need to get it registered this coming week and get its numbers on it. And we are ready to make a test run. See how it goes and on to the trolling motor upgrades. Or maybe I’ll do it before the test run. Idk we shall see. Not like im turning back now. I’ll fix whatever comes up lol

Joe, it's already a good-looking boat. My dad bought the cheapest, oldest motors he could find, so I grew up yanking and yanking and yanking. I bought a Johnson 6 hp in the my twenties that actually started and I spent more time tugging fish than the motor's rope. Have you started the motor?

24 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Joe, it's already a good-looking boat. My dad bought the cheapest, oldest motors he could find, so I grew up yanking and yanking and yanking. I bought a Johnson 6 hp in the my twenties that actually started and I spent more time tugging fish than the motor's rope. Have you started the motor?

It doesn’t start and parts are hard to find. I could get it to run. But a lot of the lakes here that are smaller gonna fish (250 acres or so) are either electric only or 5mph no wake. So I’m going electric and not even gonna worry about a gas motor. And then there is no maintenance or fuel cost. Just keen the battery on the charger and install it and go.

Thank you. It isn’t much but it will do just fine for my needs and hopefully be a lot of fun. As I previously said. If ya wana see a boat build showcasing buying every expensive thing bass pro has. This ain’t it lol. The trolling motor I got for it cost as much as the boat haha.

2 minutes ago, Joedodge said:

It doesn’t start and parts are hard to find. I could get it to run

If you change your mind on getting that beast running - this is where I get the parts for my '73 E-Start 25hp Evinrude.

https://www.boats.net/search

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

If you change your mind on getting that beast running - this is where I get the parts for my '73 E-Start 25hp Evinrude.

https://www.boats.net/search

Oh thank you I hadn’t found that source yet!

Well my daughter and I made a bass pro trip today. ( snuck out for a bit repainting the downstairs of the house…..ughhhhh. Picked up a minnnkota edge 55 pound thrust 45 inch shaft 12 volt motor. Got the breaker for it and picked up at fleet farm what I need to wire it in. And got some duplex wire to wire the lowrance in on its own circuit. Instead of in the trolling motor wiring like it currently is. Get it registered Tuesday when I’m home with her for spring break that day. And probably mount the new motor even though it will be 35 degrees lol. Tomm is snow and rain but it won’t stick but my outside time for the weekend is shot lol. Next Saturday should be the best run and see how it all goes. Seeing I have any rivets that seep.

Leave your outboard on the boat, you will need a rudder, lest you spin or crabwalk moving forward. Or make a rudder if you want to leave the o/b @ home.

28 minutes ago, detroit1 said:

Leave your outboard on the boat, you will need a rudder, lest you spin or crabwalk moving forward. Or make a rudder if you want to leave the o/b @ home.

I considered making a rudder or skeg. I’m gonna have my 36 pound thrust trolling motor on the back. I’m hoping is acts as a rudder some.

Looks good man, If you haven't stumbled upon tiny boat nation on you tube yet, check them out. They do some pretty cool little builds and have given me some ideas for my boat.

^ That's where I got most of my inspiration for Bass Trek.

4 minutes ago, Tom H. said:

Looks good man, If you haven't stumbled upon tiny boat nation on you tube yet, check them out. They do some pretty cool little builds and have given me some ideas for my boat.

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

^ That's where I got most of my inspiration for Bass Trek.

Oh I’ve watched a ton of their videos. They have a ton of great builds and ideas. I’d love to do some of them some day for sure.

So I finally took a closer look at the paper work for the boat. It’s a 1960 Cherokee. I looked it up. They seem to have been a fairly popular line of small aluminum v haul boats. Manufactured by McKenzie boat manufacturing. Built in Tennessee in the 60s and 70s.

Boat and trailer are registered. And I took a play from the kayak guys play book. Bought a small utility box. And now that the shop I work for supplies all my tools I have 6 of these Milwaukee 12 volt 5.0 amp hour batteries. Made a small battery box that sits out of site and won’t be stepped on in the bow. Buttttt I think the transducer may be bad lol. Not positive. But it certainly acts wonky.