15' duck hunting boat. First build ever. Badly need advise.

This will be my first time building a larger duck boat and I have a lot of rookie questions. It's a 89 Polar Kraft modified V. It was a bass boat with old water logged foam, rotten wood floorboards, and a lot of weight. I stripped out everything so I can build her up from scratch. I had to drill out quite a view rivets so it will need some plugs welded on. The wood inside the transom isn't in the best shape and I will likely need to replace it. The goal for this boat is to safely and comfortably hunt two men, gear and a dog. I would like to try to set up the boat to be able to run up a shallow river with a sandy/rocky bottom. After reading I've decided on a mud motor. I will also install beavertail float pods so I can hopefully offset the weight of the motor, gas tank and battery and run over the sand bars a little easier. I plan to hire a good welder to do all of the metal work. I have a lot of questions so ill group them according to category. Here's a picture.


Hull
-What size waves can a boat this size navigate?
-How much marine foam will be needed to make this boat unsinkable if it gets swamped, or how do I calculate that?
-Any advise pertaining to the installation of the float pods?
-What is the best way to remove and replace the rotten wood in the transom?
-I want to install one gun box along one side of the hull, and two seats in the back along the transom. I have heard of using a truck tool box for the gun box. Does any body have a recommendation on a good one they have used?
-Any advise on fabricating a small lightweight hatch/deck in the front of the boat to mount the gas tank and battery? I don't want to use wood in this boat except for the transom replacement.

Floor
-I want the floor to be flat, is there a way to do that with the foam and rubber mat method? Keep in mind it's a shallow mod v. I had planned on cutting out a sheet of pink closed cell foam to fit the floor footprint and fill under with expanding closed cell pourable marine grade foam. Then put a rubber anti slip mat on top. Thoughts?
-If I decide to install a aluminum floor: What thickness? Foam under? How to support center as it's a mod v and the floor needs to be flat? Is hydro turf the only option to cover metal floor? In the event of a rivet failing on bottom of hull, can it be repaired from the under side of the boat or will the floor need to be removed?

Fuel tank and battery storage
-With the use of float pods, is it necessary to try and have the tank and battery mounted in the front of the boat?
-If fuel tank must be mounted up front, what is the best way to run the fuel line w/o having to rip up the floor in the future if the line needs to be serviced or replaced?
-What gauge wiring should be used?
-How do I determine whether I need one battery or two?

Lighting
-Will one rigid industries marine D2 bow light be sufficient?
-Where are deck lights typically mounted?
-How do I conceal the wiring while making it accessible for repairs in the future?
-Recommendations on good deck lighting kits?
-Where to get switch panel?
-What gague wire to use for bow light? And deck lights?
-best way to make water proof electrical connections?
-Do I use the same gauge wire for all connections up to the battery?
-What to do about ground wire? What gets grounded and where?

Motor
-If I decide to put a surface drive on this boat in the future, how badly will the float pods affect turning?
-Would a 35hp long tail be overkill on a boat this size?
-I need to push this rig up river against swift current in shallow sandy bottom situation, what size and style of motor do you personally recommend?

Paint
-How many gallons to put two coats on her?
-Better to buy expensive "duck boat paint" for the base coat, or have some marsh green mixed up at local hardware store?
-Cammo stencil hydro turf?


Thanks! Any opinions, thoughts criticism, harassment, jokes, etc..... Greatly appreciated

Hull
-What size waves can a boat this size navigate?

I probably wouldn't take it out on Lake Erie, but any inland lake should be fine as long as its a nice day
-How much marine foam will be needed to make this boat unsinkable if it gets swamped, or how do I calculate that?

There is a sticky at the top of this forum

-Any advise pertaining to the installation of the float pods?
-What is the best way to remove and replace the rotten wood in the transom?

Get a whizz wheel to cut the old rusty bolts off with. Don't use pressure treated wood, it will react with the aluminum

-I want to install one gun box along one side of the hull, and two seats in the back along the transom. I have heard of using a truck tool box for the gun box. Does any body have a recommendation on a good one they have used?

I'd actually like to know this too, so I can bring a pistol with me fishing.

-Any advise on fabricating a small lightweight hatch/deck in the front of the boat to mount the gas tank and battery? I don't want to use wood in this boat except for the transom replacement.

Floor
-I want the floor to be flat, is there a way to do that with the foam and rubber mat method? Keep in mind it's a shallow mod v. I had planned on cutting out a sheet of pink closed cell foam to fit the floor footprint and fill under with expanding closed cell pourable marine grade foam. Then put a rubber anti slip mat on top. Thoughts?
-If I decide to install a aluminum floor: What thickness? Foam under? How to support center as it's a mod v and the floor needs to be flat? Is hydro turf the only option to cover metal floor? In the event of a rivet failing on bottom of hull, can it be repaired from the under side of the boat or will the floor need to be removed?

Fuel tank and battery storage
-With the use of float pods, is it necessary to try and have the tank and battery mounted in the front of the boat?
-If fuel tank must be mounted up front, what is the best way to run the fuel line w/o having to rip up the floor in the future if the line needs to be serviced or replaced?
-What gauge wiring should be used?

Depends on what your running. Check your amperages and look up a chart for 12vdc wire amperages
-How do I determine whether I need one battery or two?
How long do you plan on trolling for?

Lighting
-Will one rigid industries marine D2 bow light be sufficient?
This is a 15' boat, and not a carnival cruise ship, right? You'll be fine

-Where are deck lights typically mounted?


-How do I conceal the wiring while making it accessible for repairs in the future?
I'm planning on running mine through the rails and under the floor

-Recommendations on good deck lighting kits?
Don't search for "Marine", look for automotive stuff. 99% of the time its the same, but marine gets a mega markup

-Where to get switch panel?

Make one? Or pay out the nose for one on amazon

-What gague wire to use for bow light? And deck lights?

18 should be fine, less if you run LEDs

-best way to make water proof electrical connections?

Solder, heatshrink tube.

-Do I use the same gauge wire for all connections up to the battery?
Depends on what you are powering. Don't need the same gauge for your lights as you do a trolling motor
-What to do about ground wire? What gets grounded and where?
Everything gets a ground wire, do not ground to the boat unless you like corrosion

Motor
-If I decide to put a surface drive on this boat in the future, how badly will the float pods affect turning?
-Would a 35hp long tail be overkill on a boat this size?
Overkill? You mean fun?
-I need to push this rig up river against swift current in shallow sandy bottom situation, what size and style of motor do you personally recommend?
I saw evinrude was coming out with a 400hp model this year...
Paint
-How many gallons to put two coats on her?
1. Actually, more like half a gallon and a quart of primer

Here is the bow light I was planning on running. I've noticed guys running two or more of these?

Here are the beavertail float pods. These will be great as a step to get in the boat as well as a dog ramp. When it comes to mounting them I am at a loss. It seems as though they were designed to go on a flat bottom boat. should I mount them level or should I mount them at the same degree of angle as the mod v?

lugoismad said:

Hull
-What size waves can a boat this size navigate?

I probably wouldn't take it out on Lake Erie, but any inland lake should be fine as long as its a nice day
-How much marine foam will be needed to make this boat unsinkable if it gets swamped, or how do I calculate that?

There is a sticky at the top of this forum

-Any advise pertaining to the installation of the float pods?
-What is the best way to remove and replace the rotten wood in the transom?

Get a whizz wheel to cut the old rusty bolts off with. Don't use pressure treated wood, it will react with the aluminum

-I want to install one gun box along one side of the hull, and two seats in the back along the transom. I have heard of using a truck tool box for the gun box. Does any body have a recommendation on a good one they have used?

I'd actually like to know this too, so I can bring a pistol with me fishing.

-Any advise on fabricating a small lightweight hatch/deck in the front of the boat to mount the gas tank and battery? I don't want to use wood in this boat except for the transom replacement.

Floor
-I want the floor to be flat, is there a way to do that with the foam and rubber mat method? Keep in mind it's a shallow mod v. I had planned on cutting out a sheet of pink closed cell foam to fit the floor footprint and fill under with expanding closed cell pourable marine grade foam. Then put a rubber anti slip mat on top. Thoughts?
-If I decide to install a aluminum floor: What thickness? Foam under? How to support center as it's a mod v and the floor needs to be flat? Is hydro turf the only option to cover metal floor? In the event of a rivet failing on bottom of hull, can it be repaired from the under side of the boat or will the floor need to be removed?

Fuel tank and battery storage
-With the use of float pods, is it necessary to try and have the tank and battery mounted in the front of the boat?
-If fuel tank must be mounted up front, what is the best way to run the fuel line w/o having to rip up the floor in the future if the line needs to be serviced or replaced?
-What gauge wiring should be used?

Depends on what your running. Check your amperages and look up a chart for 12vdc wire amperages
-How do I determine whether I need one battery or two?
How long do you plan on trolling for?

Lighting
-Will one rigid industries marine D2 bow light be sufficient?
This is a 15' boat, and not a carnival cruise ship, right? You'll be fine

-Where are deck lights typically mounted?


-How do I conceal the wiring while making it accessible for repairs in the future?
I'm planning on running mine through the rails and under the floor

-Recommendations on good deck lighting kits?
Don't search for "Marine", look for automotive stuff. 99% of the time its the same, but marine gets a mega markup

-Where to get switch panel?

Make one? Or pay out the nose for one on amazon

-What gague wire to use for bow light? And deck lights?

18 should be fine, less if you run LEDs

-best way to make water proof electrical connections?

Solder, heatshrink tube.

-Do I use the same gauge wire for all connections up to the battery?
Depends on what you are powering. Don't need the same gauge for your lights as you do a trolling motor
-What to do about ground wire? What gets grounded and where?
Everything gets a ground wire, do not ground to the boat unless you like corrosion

Motor
-If I decide to put a surface drive on this boat in the future, how badly will the float pods affect turning?
-Would a 35hp long tail be overkill on a boat this size?
Overkill? You mean fun?
-I need to push this rig up river against swift current in shallow sandy bottom situation, what size and style of motor do you personally recommend?
I saw evinrude was coming out with a 400hp model this year...
Paint
-How many gallons to put two coats on her?
1. Actually, more like half a gallon and a quart of primer

Click to expand...

Outstanding. Thank you for answering so many questions

WOA,WOA, WOA, lot of questions, but that's OK!
Now that you have everything outlined, I think it would be better to ask step by step questions as you go to each step of the build.
Lots of info on here from guys that have identical boats that are more than willing to help you out.
That's a nice hull to start with, and I would say that when you are done you will be very happy with that boat.

I would use a painted aluminum floor with non skid additive if I were going to put a floor in it.
Here's how I did the floor I put in a flatbottom, but it can be done the same with a modified V by using bracing to take up the gap between the floor and the ribs.

overboard said:

WOA,WOA, WOA, lot of questions, but that's OK!
Now that you have everything outlined, I think it would be better to ask step by step questions as you go to each step of the build.
Lots of info on here from guys that have identical boats that are more than willing to help you out.
That's a nice hull to start with, and I would say that when you are done you will be very happy with that boat.

I would use a painted aluminum floor with non skid additive if I were going to put a floor in it.
Here's how I did the floor I put in a flatbottom, but it can be done the same with a modified V by using bracing to take up the gap between the floor and the ribs.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the reply..

any progress? i am also working on a duck boat build

Like the other guys said, don't pay for marine grade stuff, its not like your taking it 75 miles out in the gulf.

Here is the bow light I used.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J7MXG3U



It is really bright

Lighting
-Will one rigid industries marine D2 bow light be sufficient?

No idea, I've not seen one in person. I linked you in my post above to the light I used. I've not had it out yet, but it lit up the whole side of my neighbors house when I turned it on on my garage at night


-How do I conceal the wiring while making it accessible for repairs in the future?

I ran mine through the gunwale. If its protected in the gunwale it shouldn't need future repairs. Make sure to use rubber grommets where it exits

-Where to get switch panel?

I made mine, and used heavy duty chrome toggle switches. Switch panels online were pretty expensive.

-What gague wire to use for bow light? And deck lights?

https://www.offroaders.com/tech/12-volt-wire-gauge-amps.htm

Figure out the amperage each item will be pulling and then base your wire on that.

Watts = volts x amps. So if you know your wattage, and you know its 12 volts, then you do watts / volts = amps, to get your amp load for the right wire.

ie: you have an 18 watt light like mine. 18 / 12 = 1.5 amps. Based on the chart, for a 20 foot run I could use 18 gauge wire.

However, the easiest thing you can do is just chop the ends off an old outdoor rated extension cord. That gives you 3 wires. You'll want a bow light + marker light on your bow. They can share a common ground, and then you can use a switch on each ones positive wire to turn them on and off.


-best way to make water proof electrical connections?

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Go directly to soldering.
Solder everything. And then use heat shrink tubing.

-Do I use the same gauge wire for all connections up to the battery?

Really depends on how complicated you want to get. I used 12 gauge for everything to my fuse box and ground bar, then ran 4 gauge from both of those to my battery
-What to do about ground wire? What gets grounded and where?

Everything gets grounded to the battery. Do not ground to the boat unless you want corrosion. Its not a car, you can't ground to the body on a boat.


Paint
-How many gallons to put two coats on her?

First prime it with marine grade primer. You can use topside paint unless you plan on leaving it in the water longterm. I did one coat of primer and 2 coats of oil based enamel, and used less than half a gallon of the color paint

-Better to buy expensive "duck boat paint" for the base coat, or have some marsh green mixed up at local hardware store?

I doubt the ducks are picky.