New member intro and project - 96 SmokerCraft Alaskan

[Spoiled Daddy]

HI From the Central Oregon Coast. This is the 3rd SmokerCraft I've owned. First one in 87 when my brand new bride and I bought a 84 14' Alaskan. 2nd one in 1998 when we bought a 16' ProAlaskan and now this project boat.

Picked this one up a couple of weeks ago at an estate sale for $1500 bucks cash. 96 15' Alaskan bench seat model that the previous owner had already removed the middle bench seat. It has a full top, 15HP Mercury 2 stroke motor and was loaded with boating extras, including an anchor system, bumpers, salmon nets, FF, life jackets, galvanized trailer w/ a spare, etc... It is a little under powered and a 2 stroke, but I'm on the cheap on this project and it will have to do for now and it runs like a champ.

I plan on adding a floor, switching out the rod holders to Scotty's and it will be fishable. My main goal is to target up river Chinook in the fall, both trolling and bobber fishing and to take the kids crabbing and fishing at area lakes and rivers.

Tom

 

[jasper60103]

Tom,
welcome aboard, and nice boat and trailer.
I guarantee you'll love that open flat floor.
You can install a base for a removable pedestal seat
for flexibility.
Thanks for sharing and look forward to following your mod.

 

[novaman]

Welcome Aboard! Nice looking rig to start with, and it sounds like You hit the jackpot on accessories. I'm curious about the anchor system, and is that davit (on the bow ) a lock for the anchor rope. I've not seen anything like it here in the Midwest. Is it part of the anchor systems I've seen on TV where they use the bouys to drop the anchor line and go fight a fish out of the way? Nice looking enclosure in the bow, is it dry storage?

 

[Spoiled Daddy]

Thanks folks! Yes, it has a very small area of dry storage under the bow, which is nice in our rainy climate.

The bow davit works well. I would have preferred a "Dierks" brand, as it has the built in rope cleat, but again, I'm on a budget and this will do since it was on the boat. If you want a real quality anchor roller/davit, take a look at a Dierks. Should be able to Google it.

Went to the local boat shop today and picked up the rope cleat and got it mounted with a 1/4 piece of UHMW plastic on the bottom side as backing. I added a picture so you can see how it works if you are unfamiliar with it.

Added the rest of the cleats on the gunnels and switched out the rod holder bases to Scotty's. That's what I have on my other boat and I can just move the actual rod holders back and forth and keep the cost down. Another way I kept the cost down on the rod holders was to trade the Fishon rod holders and bases for the Scotty bases straight across with a guy who is rebuilding a glass boat with all Fishon products on it.