Blazer VL100 The Forgotten Pocket Bass Boat

[wgammill]

This is the Tin boat I rigged a couple of months ago. I needed something to fish out of here while finishing the little Blazer. So this is a simple Southfork 1442, I filled all the voids with very tightly fitted 2in Ridged bilge foam, Fitted a sheet 0f 5052 100 Ga tightly to the gunnels and ribs then added the Seadek before riveting down with oversized aluminum rivets. Installed 2 built-in Tackle storage boxes in the aft seat, installed a water-tite hatch into the forward bulkhead creating a dry storage area. Added the fiberglass console painted with 2K single stage (Toyota Tan), controls, hydraulic steering, electronics, seats, and trolling motor. Most of this stuff was laying around the shop, leftover from other jobs. The rod tubes are protected by a piece of 5052 100 Ga I broke and riveted over the tubes before covering with Seadek. Right before Katrina I brought a Tin Boat up from Hopedale to replace the axle, it was a good friend of mine, the engine never ran right from new so they just left it here all these years. Well last year they gave me the boat so I took the 40 off (less than 10 hrs on the engine), bought a Mercury Factory Repair Manual for it and started from scratch re-rigging. The shop who rigged it originally, somewhere in Brookhaven Ms, really screwed it up. Once I set everything back to factory settings it runs great. Pushes the boat 32-33mph. Fishing in it without a Hotfoot and hydraulic steering spoils you. With the batteries in the console, 6 gal tank behind aft seat, it slides perfectly around turns, gets real shallow, I can get between most laydowns and the bank to fish the tree.

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I know this is about the Blazer but that Tin boat looks great too.

[rojoguio]

Man, thanks, Tin Boats really don't get any respect. Especially Bateaux's.

Concerns were connecting in the cobwebs of my brain that the added flotation may fluff off some or absorb water so I hit it with 2 coats of Upol Raptor Black bed liner coating. The aft and forward hatches expose the flotation to possible damage too. So much effort and work has gone into this project I want it to float high when swamped, really no calculation of displacement with the original quantity of flotation came out acceptable to me. I can calculate Stability in my sleep. Righting Moments, Free Surface Corrections, etc. I'm so good at it when I took my USCG exam for OIM I got a perfect score. Being accused of cheating I had to retake with 4 USCG Officers watching, I got another perfect score!

Floor Masked.jpgRaptor Coat 1.jpgRaptor Coat 2.jpg

[rojoguio]

The cap is ready to install but the original transom core height was too low for comfort. As seen in the pictures behind the splash well the dark area had no fill.

Void From Original Manufacturing.jpg

Right above where the upper mounting bolts passed thru little glass remained above the holes between the layers.

Poor Upper Mounting Bolt Hole Location.jpg

I put a scratch in the well left by the 1708 used in the transom replacement and filled with strips of roving till right below where the cap rivets were located.

Old transom Core Height.jpgCore Height Raised w Woven Strips.jpg

All the transom replacements I did where a void was left I pumped full of thickened epoxy. To date I have not seen one of my transom jobs back. Now a super strong solid fiberglass cap is on top of the laminated transom core. Tomorrow I will run a grinder over to remove the burrs and get ready to drop the cap back on.

Cap Ready to Install.jpg

[rojoguio]

While final fitting the cap I realized way to much gap exists between the splash well and transom. I keep 1/4in Fiberglass board for structural reinforcement in custom trolling motor installations. I laminate the board together first, then epoxy to the boat's deck. Afterwards I can drill & tap threads for the trolling motor install. Works magic.

Trolling Motor Mount addition 1.jpg

Anyway here is a quicky showing another correction to the original manufacture so the finished gap will be less than 1/32in. Some of the original thickened polyester resin remained on the splash well side, I just missed how thick it was. A 60 degree 150 weights the same as the Yamaha 115 2 stroke, I want this solid so if I get a "Wild Hair" for a change no doubt will remain as to if the transom can take the punishment.

Quarter Inch Fiberglass Filler.jpgFiberglass Filler Buttered w Epoxy.jpgFiller Clamped In Place.jpg

[Mill Creek]

I'll never have the skills to do this type work, but I log in every day to see the progress. Thanks for taking us along.

[rojoguio]

So the cap went on without a hitch, all the original screw holes were used but 1/3 of Starboard side from the Bow back didn't align straight. I'm scratching my head as to why. All the rest aligned right up. Port side seam is very wavy compared to Starboard side. My mahogany strips are holding the hull straight but the cap skin is not. I'm thinking I will pump it with 4200 in a loosened state then tighten each screw using a straight edge to square it best it can be squared. Afterwards I will have to allow it to completely dry. Once when putting a Hells Bay cap back on I used a epoxy cartridge which worked out well, may do that here. This cap will never come back off, any repairs to be made in the future will be surgical.

Cap Seam 1.jpgCap Seam 2.jpg

Also positioning the Motorguide Quick Release Trolling Motor Mount on the Port side. Theirs is a universal mount, I have a Minn Kota ULTREX with a universal base already on it sitting in the shop for Spider Rigging. These Quick Releases are not very forgiving if your deck is not perfectly level. In another post on this site I show working the deck on my other Blazer to create a solid installation mounting platform. Plus a transom mount trolling motor mount will be added on the Starboard side for precision single poling Crappie. I don't want the foot control unit in the way of swing fish. My other Blazer VL100 is already rigged this way (I'm left handed) so Starboard side gets the hand control.

Positioning Quick Release 1.jpgPositioning Quick Release 2.jpg

I was talked into leaving the Rod Box by P-Nut a member on this site, he was correct in his position and so I'm very glad I didn't remove it. All my 5.5ft Ugly Stiks will fit easily inside. The clearance is tight though between the Center Console and Rod Box, something discussed at length, can't turn my foot around in the gap. I will be tig welding up a Sissy Bar for walking around the Console, a 68in beam, aggressive V-Hull will be tippy walking around the console. I've fabricated numerous bars for Fly Fishing Technical Skiffs, only difference is the size of my windshield.

Tight Rodbox but OK.jpg

Two Toning the Bilge area is helping it to "Pop". The Rigging tube position worked out very well too.

Good Bilge Color Contrast.jpgRigging Tube Position.jpg

Finally a picture of the Void still needing to be filled with thickened Epoxy. I'm out of Extra Slow Hardener and Black Lighting Gloves, both are needed here to reduce the curing heat and policing up the excess epoxy.

Void to be Pumped w Epoxy.jpg

[paulrodbender]

Nice....
Must feel good to have her back in one piece..... Looks great.

[Slicefixer]

What a beautiful job you're doing.....BIG 👍

I finished up my TnT/jackplate steering wheel switches on mine last night, so I'm finished minus some very small aesthetic stuff. I was standing there looking at my rig and it hit me just how big a project this has been.....over 18 months and 350+ hours. It was kind of overwhelming thinking about all the work/changes, etc and now it's finished.

As a result, I have a definite appreciation for what you're accomplishing..... all the hard work, the hours involved, struggles, adaptations/modifications, $$$ involved, etc. What a beautiful job you're doing, a job most can't truly appreciate.....but boy, I SURE do! I'm excited to see the finished boat......😉👍

[rojoguio]

All of You are so supportive of my project, Thank You. I have been on Scream & Fly the last couple of days for DIY reference material, ideas, tricks, etc, and realizing the Crew on The Big BBC Restoration page really are the Bomb! S&F can't compare. Some very experienced builders, racers, & support mechanics are members of S&F so I'm not knocking them just The BBC community Restoration appears to me the Best when it comes to support.
Back to the Blazer, I'm having a bit of a time working out the built-in rod tubes, I bought some from Great Lakes Skipper and the components look to be mostly TH Marine OEM parts. The flanges & tube sizes are a little large for my needs I need something with a 1-3/8 to 1-1/2in ID Max. These rod storage tubes need to be worked out now since after the final gelcoat work on the cap it won't happen. If anyone knows a resource for the smaller diameter flanges, tubes, end caps please post up here. One alternative is to use some of the 1-3/8in aluminum handrail material I make the Livescope transducer poles out of to fabricate all Aluminum tubes. The inside would need a liner if done this way. Trying to think out of the box I'm thinking of fabricating the rod storage tubes out of aluminum, 2K Urethane painting on the outside black, then mixing up the Upol Bedliner Material (catalyst cured) pouring it in, plugging the tube, and shaking to coat. Seems I could pour from one to the next till all coated on the inside then invert to drip dry.

[paulrodbender]

PVC?

[rojoguio]

I can't find the pictures showing how I installed 1-1/4in electrical conduit thru the cap of my other VL100 for 14ft jig poles. That has to be done here too since the aft extension conduits stick out about 30 inches past the cap. Electrical conduit is UV stable, I painted them black and 5200 sealed where I cut the holes thru the cap. I single pole jig crappie with 14ft poles as much as 11ft poles. I would like to have a cleaner install on this boat. The conduit works great, it hits tree trunks, pilings, docks, etc deflecting but returns straight when the pressure is released.

My other boat has Golf Bag liners installed within the hull for 9ft and shorter rods. This is the rod storage I would like to improve. Right now the golf bag liner tubes are stacked vertical with 1/4in of fiberglass between each hole. After I pushed them thru I silicon glued the tubes together with a oversized ty-wrap. By switching to center console I have room to stack rods all the way to the floor almost on the Starboard side and am looking for a cleaner way to penetrate the the forward part of the cap in the old seat location area if that makes sense.

[Slicefixer]

PVC..... Heat the end......use a bottle to flare the end. "Tiny Boat Nation" is your friend....😉

[rojoguio]

Electrical conduit is PVC, it already is flared on one end to accept another piece of the same size pipe. My other boat I just cut most of the flare off, radiusing the end that remains exposed. Not a totally clean finish. Will the PVC possible flare completely flat to make a flange?

[Slicefixer]

Electrical conduit is PVC, it already is flared on one end to accept another piece of the same size pipe. My other boat I just cut most of the flare off, radiusing the end that remains exposed. Not a totally clean finish. Will the PVC possible flare completely flat to make a flange?

Yes......I use electrical conduit quite often..... Yes, it'll flare to mimic the shape of the bottles neck.....then you cut to fit the diameter you desire. You can go watch them do it on TBN's YouTube channel. I got several ideas from them. There's several videos regarding the renovation of a Tracker V18 on their channel that I found very informative. Watch the one where he builds the center rod box.

[rojoguio]

Got it, Thanks. Hey............TBN Very cool channel, old dogs can learn new tricks.

[Slicefixer]

Got it, Thanks. Hey............TBN Very cool channel, old dogs can learn new tricks.

Hehehe......yep.....that's why I recommended it. I've been in sorta' the "same boat." I have great admiration and empathy for what you've set out to accomplish....😉

I stripped mine to the hull..... wired/rewired 27 circuits to date....fuse blocks/neg buses, EVERYthing soldered....built my own "marine grade" carpet and installed.....foam flooring in the well....deck extension.....Ultrex....4 graphs, etc....repainted the hull with Raptorliner.....bought dual axle and retrofitted to my boat, paint, lights, etc.....pulled 75 Merc and installed a 115.....CMC 6" hyd jackplate.....did it all myself.....350+ hrs/18 months to date.....it's the most rigged 18' 3" 88" beam Al bass boat in existence.....Not many options possible that aren't in/on her.....hehehe. She's set up like a $50k+ boat for less than $13k ALL in and fishes like a 20' boat due to the deck extension.

To be honest, standing there looking at the bloody thing finally finished, I can't believe we did it.....hehehe

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[rojoguio]

Yeah, you've been having fun too, Looks Great!

[Slicefixer]

Yeah, you've been having fun too, Looks Great!

"Fun" (as you well know) is a debatable descriptor....hehehe....."challenged"...."lost"... "confused"...."exhausted"...."punchy"....etc are more fitting....😉

The funny thing is this, I have no idea how many bolts, screws, nuts, etc I pulled, replaced, installed during this process, but, I never lost a single one....UNTIL the very last one, the hollow brass one that locks down the throttle lever. I put it somewhere so I wouldn't lose it, and lost it....hehehe. Luckily I know a marine dealer who was able to source one lickety split. That was, literally, the last thing I had to do to be 100% completed.

You're certainly doing a VERY fine job of restoring your boat! I know it's quite the chore, but, man, it's sure rewarding when you close the deal. In fact, it's very rewarding all along the journey as you finish up each step....at least when it works....hehehe. Another thing, because you built it you can fix it....saves serious money/time when something breaks. I sure learned a lot by diving into this deal, a lot of it on here.

[rojoguio]

Updating the thread the glass work is not complete but I have numerous pictures to post so the update will break up the current task.

Glassing Cockpit to Floor1.jpgGlassing Cockpit to Floor2.jpgGlassing Cockpit to Floor3.jpg

So I cut 6in Chop Glass into a 2in tape for this seam, some of the grinding prep was done to the cap before setting it back on. I have 3 layers of tape all the way around.

Glassing Cockpit to Floor4.jpgGlassing Cockpit to Floor5.jpgGlassing Cockpit to Floor6.jpg

While leveling the hard edge with a DA 40 grit and 3in grinding disk 60 grit I had to lay down on the floor the get some of the sides. I got fiberglass dust in areas on my body I didn't know I had. Itch! Anyway image 6 shows where I burned the glass and today I have to re-fiberglass that area while fairing the rest of the task. The gap that was there was greater than the rest and trying to leave a radius I had the reinforcement too far out. Hopefully I will have it Gelcoated by the weekend.

[paulrodbender]

Oh, she is coming together now........ Looking good.