bluegrasser
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 43
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Hello all, I have been a jon boat owner for several years. My trailer recently bit the dust and it was enough of a catalyst to get me looking at upsizing boats instead of just blowing a lot of money fixing/buying a new trailer for my old boat. I instantly found what I was looking for on Craiglist and bought a boat, trailer and motor for just a bit more than what I was planning for just the trailer!
It is a 1973 SmokerCraft, V hull (I guess, the back 3/4 of the boat seems fairly flat bottomed, while the front has a pronounced V). It is 15'6" long, 70" wide at the beam. It has a few bench seats and a steering console, hooked to a 1973 Evinrude 40HP short shaft motor.
The biggest plus was it just BARELY fit into my garage, with about 1/2" clearance between the end of the trailer tongue and the garage door. Whew!
I am going to remove the two pedestal seats (actually just did this afternoon).
Was thinking of making a front hatch/casting deck.
Plan on cleaning up the inside, painting, putting in new carpet or vinyl, sprucing up the steering console.
I have a 2005 25Hp Mercury tiller handle that I was going to sell, along with the 40 HP evinrude, and buy a much newer model 40 HP remote.
I have ZERO experience with remote-steering motors and I don't even know how to go about removing this one. I want to do that to 1)sell it, 2) check the transom 3) flip the boat over and paint or steelflex it.
*I have decided to take the boat out tomorrow to a local lake and just test it out - does it leak, does the motor work OK? The guy who owned it before was a mechanic and took good care of the motor, I guess I'm just scared by its age though.
https://picasaweb.google.com/abergeron98/NewBoat#
PS thanks for a great site, I have enjoyed everybody's mods, tips, and tricks.
If I can figure out how to post pics and stuff, I'll keep everyone updated with the boat's progress.
Andre "Bluegrasser"
It is a 1973 SmokerCraft, V hull (I guess, the back 3/4 of the boat seems fairly flat bottomed, while the front has a pronounced V). It is 15'6" long, 70" wide at the beam. It has a few bench seats and a steering console, hooked to a 1973 Evinrude 40HP short shaft motor.
The biggest plus was it just BARELY fit into my garage, with about 1/2" clearance between the end of the trailer tongue and the garage door. Whew!
I am going to remove the two pedestal seats (actually just did this afternoon).
Was thinking of making a front hatch/casting deck.
Plan on cleaning up the inside, painting, putting in new carpet or vinyl, sprucing up the steering console.
I have a 2005 25Hp Mercury tiller handle that I was going to sell, along with the 40 HP evinrude, and buy a much newer model 40 HP remote.
I have ZERO experience with remote-steering motors and I don't even know how to go about removing this one. I want to do that to 1)sell it, 2) check the transom 3) flip the boat over and paint or steelflex it.
*I have decided to take the boat out tomorrow to a local lake and just test it out - does it leak, does the motor work OK? The guy who owned it before was a mechanic and took good care of the motor, I guess I'm just scared by its age though.
https://picasaweb.google.com/abergeron98/NewBoat#
PS thanks for a great site, I have enjoyed everybody's mods, tips, and tricks.
If I can figure out how to post pics and stuff, I'll keep everyone updated with the boat's progress.
Andre "Bluegrasser"