1973 SmokerCraft 16' V hull [Major tasks completed - 6/1/11]

TinBoats.net

Help Support TinBoats.net:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bluegrasser

Active member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
43
Reaction score
0
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#
IMG_0239.JPG


IMG_0240.JPG


IMG_0241.JPG


IMG_0242.JPG


IMG_0246.JPG




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"
 
Thats a good lookin ol boat. It will be a nice one when you get her all slicked up. I would like to have that Merc. thats on the flatbottom. I will have one some day.
 
That is a really neat boat.

Can't wait to see this one come together.


If garage storing it is the plan, a swing away tongue would be a nice mod to make to the trailer. I want to do that to mine, but it's way down on the list.
 
It's taken me a week of toiling with a scraper and a lot of elbow grease, but I've gotten the seats removed and 40-year-old outdoor carpet/turf + 40 year old carpet glue. That stuff was a B*tch to scrape off.

I'm down to the wood on the bench seats and front hatch. I think I'm going to put a thin sheet of plywood over each seat in order to then glue carpet down in the future and reinstall seats. Think that will give screws and such something firmer to bite into.

Quick comparison photos:
Day I brought it home:
IMG_0242.JPG


This afternoon:
IMG_0257.JPG


Eventual plans include removing and possibly replacing motor and controls, altering the console a tad, carpeting, and painting the hull with steelflex.

Will keep y'all updated....
 
I have a 1993 Smokercraft, love it to death! I have the SF (Super Fisher) which is a lot wider and deeper than the regular models. I was checking out the bow mount troller package there, unique indeed! I will be digging into mine in the Spring, been thinking about a layout all winter. Like yours, mine has the bench seating and I am weary of removing a bench, so I am stuck with hurdles in my boat, oh well. Can't wait to see what she looks like when your done!
 
Did some sanding and vaccuuming today, got the boat cleaned out and then took a step back to survey things. I put the seats back in the middle (not attached), just to see how that looked. I also put a new swivel seat and cooler on the back bench to see how that looked. I plan to eventually cut out a square hole in that back bench and sink the cooler into it. Same thing with the locking storage bin right next to the console. Finally, I put a piece of plywood out of my old boat between the front hatch and the console bench to show (very roughly of course) my concept for enclosing that area - this would give me a huge front casting deck and a lot of storage. Snapped a few quick pics.
IMG_0259.JPG


IMG_0261.JPG


IMG_0262.JPG


IMG_0263.JPG


Next step is buying some plywood for floors and benches. Time to get out the measuring tape!
 
Man, I REALLY love this boat.....


What are the PVC pipes? Are those rod holders? If you want them and will use them, so be it, But I would lose them just because they intrude on the boat.

For the floor in the main part of the boat, since it looks so flat, I would consider some padding and carpet and no wood. Would keep the weight down.

When I do the front deck on my boat, I'm going to pad it. At Walmart they sell a 19 sq ft of interlocking foam rubber pads about 1/2" thick.....For like 20 bucks....I'm going to use this to pad the front deck, then carpet over it.
Might be worth looking into for the main floor of that boat.
 
Hi LonLB,

The previous owner had put those PVC pipes in as rod holders. I actually removed them later after taking those pictures.

The floor IS flat. I have been pondering exactly what you suggested. It seems silly to put wood down on those floors just to put carpet. Maybe some kind of rubber pad that I can glue carpet too? I have some thin waterproof foam that i used under my wood floors on my old jon boat, but I don't think that would be stable enough to walk on - would probably feel kind of weird.

I will look into your suggestion about the interlocking panels. That might work!
 
bluegrasser said:
\
IMG_0263.JPG


Next step is buying some plywood for floors and benches. Time to get out the measuring tape!

Nice boat. It would look pretty cool is you sanded and "finished" the wood floors... you know? Make it looks like teak floor or something.
 
Zubes,

The floor is actually aluminum. I can see from the picture, though, that it does look like a wood floor.

Your idea would be pretty cool if that were the case! That would be a one-of-a-kind boat for sure!
 
Not sure if this will work:
'96 Mercury 40HP 20" electric start; remote steering
Unique 4 cylinder Super Smooth Operation Oil Injection


Just purchased on ebay recently.

I will have to modify my transom to accomodate this new motor being a long shaft.

First, I still need to get the old evinrude working and list it on ebay.

Lots of steps to getting this thing back in the water!
 
Just a couple of things..

I've learned here to NOT use treated lumber. Reacts with the aluminum I've been told. Just an FYI.

Actually, you CAN make that deck look a lot like a wooden floor. In most paint stores, they well a half round rubber device that is used to add wooden "grain". As I understood it, one applies a lighter wooden appearing base coat..then "streaks" the darker wooden " grain" over the top.

Or, maybe it was the other way around. Dark first, then light??...Then a clear coat goes on over that. Would sure look nice and would look better than regular paint.

In addition, an old trick is to put the final top coat on..( Light/Dark/Clear ) but sprinkle heavy grained salt over that final clear coat just as it gets tacky. Then, after everything is dry, you wash out the salt grains and that leaves a light, some-what non-skid surface for your decking.

I have NEVER done the faux graining. I have done, successfully, the salt non-skid once.
Good luck rich

Here is one of many LINKS on the net re faux wood graining
https://woodworker.com/combination-graining-tool-mssu-864-668.asp?search=wood%20graining%20tools&searchmode=2
 
Slowly but surely...

Finally got the controls and cables unhooked and the motor off:
IMG_5868.JPG


IMG_5869.JPG


Next step is to build up/raise the transom height. I bought a long shaft motor, so I need to raise the transom height about 4-5". I tend to think this will be somewhat easier because the existing transom design is a "U" shape and the raised parts of the "U" (the sides) should provide structural support to help make a good, strong transom elevating project:
IMG_5871.JPG


Then I need to alter the steering console. I would like it to go higher up so I can use it while standing. Have thought of some ideas, but haven't started on that yet:
IMG_5873.JPG


Will keep everyone updated!
 
Had a big weekend of projects. First, as mentioned, I have bought a long shaft 1996 40 hp mercury. I needed to raise my transom height 5". Fortunately, the existing transom's "U" shape allowed for doing so with a lot of structural support just waiting to be used.
Here are a couple of pics of what I did the other day. I have added a few more steps since then, but no pics:
IMG_5912.JPG


IMG_5919.JPG


IMG_5920.JPG


Then, met up with a buddy at a local boat ramp on the Ohio River. The ultimate destination for the ol' SmokerCraft is a trout river that I have fished for 15+ years. It ranges from very deep to incredibly shallow. There is a section of river that is rapids/shoals, where you have to get out and drag it through shallow water and around boulders. I was worried that this boat's hull design would screw me out of doing that, since I'm used to a flat bottom jon. Marked the hull with green painters tape and took a few pics while I puttered around with the trolling motor. I think it drafts pretty shallow and am excited about that!

IMG_5926.JPG


IMG_5958.JPG



Got back in the garage and finished my structural work on the transom raising. I plan to do some serious sealing with 3m 5200 in a week or two when it warms up.

Next, I need to demolish the center console that is a)pretty rotted, and b)totally the wrong height for me because I want to ultimately stand up and operate the steering wheel and throttle.

Beginning the dismantling:

IMG_5967.JPG


IMG_5968.JPG


Heading out of town for the next week. Hope to do the console and then flip it over for some painting, then things should really start rolling!
 
It looks like the original wood on the transom could be replaced....If it were me, I would replace it, and also add the height to the transom with those boards. You would be replacing the original wood, and making the transom one piece instead of having to add those boards.

Keep in mind that standing will reduce the stability while running.


Personally I think that boat is a great candidate to be converted to a tiller. I'm leaning heavily toward doing that to mine even.
 
Well, I have finished my transom-elevating project (ok, for tonight anyway!). I still plan to do some caulking/epoxy-sealing in a few areas, then priming all the wood.

This will need to support a 200lb 40-hp motor. I weigh 180 lbs and I have hopped up on it, bounced, rocked back and forth for any sign of give and it's pretty **** solid.

Now that this is (almost) done, on to other projects!
IMG_5988.JPG


IMG_5985.JPG
 
Well, went by the warehouse where I'm keeping the motor just to measure some stuff and took a few pics:
IMG_5990.JPG

IMG_5994.JPG


Controls:
IMG_5995.JPG


Did some more work on the transom, then figured out how to get the steering wheel out of the console (i sure hope I remember how to re-do that when I build the new console).

Then completed the removal of the rotted old console.
Comparison of a shot a week or two ago with old transom height and side console:
IMG_5869.JPG


shot tonight with console removed and new transom height in the back:
IMG_5998.JPG



I was really excited to get going on the console build. However, my wife pointed out that it will be alot easier to flip over and paint right now without the console. It can sit flat on the garage floor without worrying about raising it up to avoid damaging a newly-built console.

She's probably right. :roll:
 
Nice new mercury you got there =D> Are you happy with that minn kota traxxis that you are using in the picture of the boat in the water?
 

Latest posts

Top