MRACERS Boat

[welder]

MRACER, here are your pictures, add your comments, description, etc.
Welcome to AAB!

[MRACER]

WELDER-tHANKS FOR POSTING THE PICTURES--bought this tin boat from a commercial crab fisherman--removed the engine and gutted the center console etc. building a new pilot house with full head and 2 suspension seats. Will have twin 150 optimax power with tabs and hyd. steering. Have new wideband radar and HDX 10 system. Debating on paint or polish---

[pjay9]

Welcome my Friend to the north: How about some specs on this ol girl? Now that is an interesting configuration you are starting with. Looks like form the pics the windshield area was added by the looks of the plate seam across the front. How on earth are you supposed to get into those "fore-aft/sleeper seats"? What power did it have? This is going to be fun to watch unfold as you build her. MOPICS required!

BTW, You can set your camera to take a smaller size image that will be postable without "RE-SIZE" issues. Don't forget to reset it back when taking important pics of family and such. Setting should be in "FUNCTION or MENU" of your camera, BTW what cam is it I may be able to guide you thru the set-up. Capt PJ

[Sculpin]

That's a big project. Looks like it's coming along great. I gotta come and check it out MRACER. I would look into painting the interior of the cabin but I would leave the exterior "naked" so to speak.

[MRACER]

Welcome my Friend to the north: How about some specs on this ol girl? Now that is an interesting configuration you are starting with. Looks like form the pics the windshield area was added by the looks of the plate seam across the front. How on earth are you supposed to get into those "fore-aft/sleeper seats"? What power did it have? This is going to be fun to watch unfold as you build her. MOPICS required!

BTW, You can set your camera to take a smaller size image that will be postable without "RE-SIZE" issues. Don't forget to reset it back when taking important pics of family and such. Setting should be in "FUNCTION or MENU" of your camera, BTW what cam is it I may be able to guide you thru the set-up. Capt PJ

Hope I can answer most of these questions--we cut out all of the original (as you mentioned-added on windshield et.) alumn cabin and deck- installed new deck with new front hatch for anchor- the sleeper seats reside in the clean pac dumpster and new suspension seats are to be installed--the front right seat will be on a platform housing the holding tank and macerator. A new 20 gal fresh water tank in the bow will supply the head and can be adjusted for ballast if the rear is too buoyant.

[MRACER]

I goofed somehow- anyway--extending the pod the full width of the transome and will install twin 150 optimax (might want to go offshore one day) the- mercs have a troll mode so the little I fish won't hurt em. I like to drift jig on a nice day. Added a fish box under the original cleaning station that was on the boat and put 2 raised platforms on the gunnels(?) near the stern to mount downriggers and rod holders. The pilot house alumn weighs approx 500 lbs-seats and 20 gal of fresh water should be approx 350 lbs. Not sure how much the glass will weigh- The engines, hyd steering and trim tabs will be close to 800 lbs, so I hope it will be fairly well balanced but a stability test will tell the tale. I have to figure a way to increase fuel capacity as the original twin bow tanks are only 34 galons. Looking at an aux tank in the deck floor. Probably weld a ladder and rail at the rear and add some railing to the front. A buddy heater should work in the short term untill I figure how much fall/winter/spring use it gets. It's mainly to have a boat on a trailer in the yard that is impervious to the weather and will be available to take relatives and guests to Vancouver Island fishing or exploring. I don't have a fishing partner at present so it will get min. use untill that changes. The pics were taken with my blackberry cel phone, so any help is appreciated. So---help a new member with all of the suggestions and advice you can throw at me- It will be appreciated!

[Sabs28]

Looks like you have quite the project going on. What are the boat specs?? Length & beam, hull weight?? That thing should haul azz with 300HP on it. Keep the pictures coming. We LOVE pictures. As far as the exterior, Go 'ol natural' with something to shine it up. Just my opinion.

[MRACER]

sabs--the boat is 24ft overall (pod is about 2 ft) 8 foot beam-- will weigh the boat on the local scale when done- I don't know what a good guess would be???

[Sabs28]

I was thinking if your boat was any shorter in length than 23 feet, it would be a plane with 300hp instead of a boat, ha-ha. Are you staying with a fort or going wide open???

[goatram]

Welcome MRACER to AAB

Aluminum Fuel Tanks can be bought used in Bellingham along with a lot of other used boat Items if needed.
Wise Suspension Seats are half the cost of the Bentley Mariner seats from Northern Tool. or directly from them.

going to watch the build

[MRACER]

I was thinking if your boat was any shorter in length than 23 feet, it would be a plane with 300hp instead of a boat, ha-ha. Are you staying with a fort or going wide open???

as they say in Cool Hand Luke--what we have here is failure to---- LOL! :Fort" not a term I am familiar with?? are you referring to the pilot house? My apology, but sometimes us Western Canucks are not quick on the uptake--
The rear door of the pilot house will open/close inwards and will serve as the door for the head,
Bellingham is an excellent place for boat stuff shopping- just wish shipping was cheaper.

[goatram]

A Pilothouse is a Fort to us here on AAB. A certain Florida Guide Does not think that Pilothouses are needed on a boat. CC are more than adequate for all Climates. Hence the Fort Sticky.

[JETTYWOLF]

"""Cabins""" are like cool forts to kids, and I'm a kinda like a "kid" and think of them that way. I love open fishing room, dancing room and ability to work the bow. Everyone says I'm an "anti-cabinite"

Not completely...I like "pilot house" styles, with big wonderful 'walk-arounds' (see members Chaps, and his boat.)


You say if the "if rear is too bouyant" ?? From a ole 90HP to twin 150's?? Ya may not have that problem.

Keep postin' pics, and keep us up with your re-build. We love this stuff.

[Sabs28]

Forts, cabins, whatever. I am having that dilemma as we speak. Would like a cabin/ pilothouse, but also like the CC/HT setups for the 360 fish-ability. Time will tell.

[goatram]

NE weather sucks but for two months of the year. Get the Fort and FORgetaboutit.

[MRACER]

Boy- you fellas have taught me a lot allready--I like the "FORT" anology! As you can see-the fort is allready welded in place and will have a second helm station mounted on the starboard rear of the fort. Likely will leave the rear door open (head closed) when underway unless the weather is untenable. I hope not to go out in the crapp (over 20 mph wind) but you never know what might blow up on a greenhorn. Will keep a close eye out and a radio on the weather chan. Thanks for your patience and I will post more pics as we proceed.

[Sculpin]

Forts, cabins, whatever. I am having that dilemma as we speak. Would like a cabin/ pilothouse, but also like the CC/HT setups for the 360 fish-ability. Time will tell.

What you are looking for is a phone booth not a fort. Cheaper and easier to install.

[JETTYWOLF]

Ya know...

Sabs had me thinking. One of the genuine reasons I don't think I could deal with a full cabin'ish boat is docking and anchoring.

It's howling 25 kts. and the river current is screaming another 4 kts. The dock has bolts sticking out of it in some places and maybe boats tied up in on the good side. Right now, I pull up, spin the wheel, drop her in reverse, and even then the wind blows me away at..... MACH 10!

BUT;

I can pull up, be blowing away and take one step and goat-rope the dock cleat like a Jr. Cowboy's Saturday Rodeo, in Mesquite TX!

NEED ZERO help from anyone, and want ZERO help unless asked via my inexperienced and sometimes dangerous crew members.

"IF", I was in some Mega Cabin boat. NONE of this would go as smooth.

As for I'd be way to far away to get a line around that cleat, and anchoring 10-20 times day? Balancing act up on the bow...."no thanks". And BTW, a windless and anchor sprit wouldn't help that much for what I do.

Jus' want ya'll to see, the other side of the equation.

Okay, back to Mracers re-fabrication, demolishion, and design.

Thanks for your patience

[MRACER]

As for I'd be way to far away to get a line around that cleat, and anchoring 10-20 times day? Balancing act up on the bow...."no thanks". And BTW, a windless and anchor sprit wouldn't help that much for what I do.
tHOSE ARE EXCELLENT POINTS-Where I live we have very little halibut fishing which other than an emergency would be the only reason for me to anchor, and that I seldom pull into a dock other than to run up and back the trailer in the water, a pilot house will give me 8 months more use here in the Pacific Northwest. Also the enclosed head will make for a HAPPY WIFE which makes for a happy me-LOL Also a porta potti to me is the worst thing in the world to have on a boat, cause I'm the guy that would have to empty it-along with where do I empty it??? The holding tank with macerator solves all of those problems. Much rather have her or a fishing partner tye up to the dock or with the rear helm, I can tye up myself as the cleat will be in arms length of the rear helm. I find midship tye up is my choice anyway and one can disembark with a bow line in hand. I wish I lived in a tropical climate, and if I did a center console would definately be my choice- I had a center console boat (explorer fishing machine) here as my first fishing boat and it did not prove to be a good unit for where I live.. Sculpin has me hesitating to punch a hole in my boat for a transducer, but I will solve that by making a seperate chamber in my pod. Sorry for the long post. Throw some more ideas at me guys....

[Chaps]

I don't understand the paranoia about through hull fittings

[Sculpin]

I don't understand the paranoia about through hull fittings

I'm just chicken sh*t and pretty ok with it lol.

[JETTYWOLF]

I don't understand the paranoia about through hull fittings

hahahaha........I do, especially when one on a bracket works just as good. Yep, Pacific factory installed and have never touched it in 5 years. Works great!

No holes in boat! Is the rule. My rule.