My (hopefully) boat project.

This is the base for my boat project ... sorry the pictures are so bad right now. It is 12 ft long, 36 inch bottom width. I can't tell the manufacturer. It is very old -- no hull ID number. I paid $125 for it and an old electric motor, which is functional.

Nearly every rivet leaks, lol. Will need to re-buck them all. I will most likely paint the bottom with Steel Flex that so many people here use.

I will be using it as a row boat, so the middle bench will stay. My young sons (7 and 10) will be using it, so I will have to have seating for all three of us. I don't plan any high decks, so I'm not really worried about stability. Probably just rebuild the front deck and put a seat on it, and add storage to the rear. Maybe storage in the middle bench too.

If anyone can ID the boat, I'd appreciate it.

Looks just like my Ouachita.

Ken

It looks a lot like my 1971 Wards Sea King. I think it was made by Starcraft.

I'd like to have one like that for the creek we live on. Throw a big transom mount trolling motor, a cheap-ish fish finder, and maybe even a couple rod holders. Carpet (mostly to keep the metal cooler)

Add a small cooler, and livewell, battery and be done.


Living on this creek, and catching some of the fish I have has made me appreciate smaller boats, because now I realize how useful they would be.

Looks like a great project, but for your current weather I would use it as a sled :wink:

I can't be much help on the make, sorry about that. I can tell you using a low deck, one that just sits on the ribs in the middle will give it a better/stable feel. You can see mine in the link in my signature.

Bufford

Figured it out. It's a Delhi.

etothepii said:

Figured it out. It's a Delhi.

Click to expand...

How did you figure that out?

Well, this will sound dumb of me, but since I bought the boat a few years ago, I never bothered to register it. It's been one of those projects that gathers dust, if you know what I mean. So anyway, I called the state yesterday to get information on how to make it legal, and they had all the records on it. It's a 72 Delhi, which I have been able to confirm by searching the forum where I found this:
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11092&hilit=delhi

It's the same boat.

Turns out, it is still registered to the guy who owned it before the guy I bought it from. I called him, and he agreed to meet up with me and notarize a receipt so I can register it in my name. Which is pretty nice of him. He could just claim that is was stolen, and get it back, if he wanted to.

My next task is to clear out room in the garage so I can start work on it. Anybody want to buy some free weights and a bench?

I'd like to do a front seat like this:



I'm having a time trying to decide what to do with the rest of it. I guess keeping it simple is best. One sheet of 8'x4'x1/2" plywood would cover the benches, floor, and that bent front deck, and would provide a sable base for the front and rear seats.

With that, me (170 lbs) and two kids(130 lbs combined) and some gear, it's probably pushing the limits of the boat. In fact, I may not be able to deck the floor at all. I could rip out the rear bench and make it a pedestal seat in order to spare some weight...

Except for the ribs it looks just like my Wards Sea King jon.
Does anyone know if Delhi made boats for Montgomery Wards?

you should put the pedistool on the back captains seat, then on the middle seat cut the middle of it out leaving room to walk through, then put one seat on each side then , facing the middle so they would be lokking at eachother. then on the front you could build just a small 2 ft deck to mount lights and rod holders on.

JonBoatfever said:

you should put the pedistool on the back captains seat, then on the middle seat cut the middle of it out leaving room to walk through, then put one seat on each side then , facing the middle so they would be lokking at eachother. then on the front you could build just a small 2 ft deck to mount lights and rod holders on.

Click to expand...

Well, this will primarily be a row boat, so the middle bench is going to have to stay. But I could make the middle bench wider, say 18 or 20 inches so both boys can sit on it.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but am I right in keeping the middle bench for rowing? Could a pedestal seat there hold up to the leaning back and forth that goes with rowing?

And the reason I'm sticking with this idea, the closest park has 3 small lakes, and two allow for human powered watercraft only (the third allows no boats at all.) This is where I'll be taking the boat mostly. I think that my boys and I will, some gear and some plywood will be all the weight I can get away with, so I have no plans for a gas motor, or even an electric.

I've been doing so much reading here, and it has helped me make some decisions.

First the main considerations:
1.) This boat will stay on small lakes and ponds. If ever on a large lake, it will stay fairly close to shore.
2.) It will be rowed or pushed with a trolling motor. A gas motor would be way off into the future, if even at all.
3.) It will be used until my sons get bigger. When they reach teen age-ish, I'll look for something bigger.
4.) The boat is small.
5.) Budget is limited.
6.) I want it to look nice and be safe.
7) I love the modifications and alterations that the guys around here do, but most aren't practical here.

Decisions:
1.) I will not be taking out any benches, and if the former owner has dug out any of the foam, I will replace it.
2.) After taking care of the rivets, I'm going to steel flex the bottom, paint the rest, doing as nice a job as possible--cut no corners.
3.) Add plywood flooring. I'll put sheets of foam under the floor for increased flotation in case of accident.
4.) I'm going to rebuild and slightly extend the front deck, creating a seat for my youngest boy.
5.) I'm going to cover the benches with carpeted plywood to match the floor.
6.) Depending on how all that work goes, I may install interior sides (thinnest wood possible to keep weight down.)
7.) Replace the transom with a proper sized piece of wood.
8.) Name it the "Wayland" after my grandpa

I like it when the decisions are made and it is time to start to work. Can't wait to see the progress and finished product.

Bufford

So.... I took a lot longer than I planed to get started on this, and I took my time, but it is finally done.