Totally different boat. Now it's a Bohner Built!
Totally different boat. Now it's a Bohner Built!
Finally got the console and front of the boat gel coated. Still needs a couple more coats and with the temp being 50-60 need to wait for the first coat to dry since total boat only sells black with wax. Also started applying some of the decking and love how the colors are looking.
2022 z519 cup 225 merc 4s ser # 3B210484. 2--hds12 live units. 2 poles, atlas plate, ghost, hamby's, active target, merc digital gauges
2002 basscat pantera 3 (dad bought new) sold 8-2-22
2000 stratos 20 ss (bought new) 200 hp Rude ficht great boat/motor sold 11-21
pulled by a 2500HD Denali
proud dad of an ARMY Captain
MAGA
ASE/GM Master tech before tools
Keep at it and can't wait to see the finished product,your doing a great job
1990 374V Ranger Still kickin' bass after all these years
Well... I have ran into the dreaded gelcoat issues...
So first off the boat was primed with an epoxy primer but very intense surface preparation was used and the issues are consistent over the primed spots and over the old gelcoat spots. So after 3 days the second coat is dry to the touch, but can be scratched. After wiping it down with total boat dewaxer it becomes tacky again. BUT if I sand it then it will be not tacky and quite hard in the sanded areas. And it will buff to a nice finish. I should mention this is gelcoat with wax. After a handful of calls with total boat I have been told to allow it more time but that is just their best guess on what to do. I haven't got a clear answer on what it should be like when it is dried fully. Because it does buff shiny and hard? So is this the way it just is supposed to dry? Its been quite a frustrating experience with gelcoat so far. I should add the shop temperature is around 70f in the day and drops to about 50s at night.
So, after a failed gelcoat attempt decided to go a different rout. I believe the main reasons for the gelcoat failing was due to inadequate temperature and it being applied to thin, because after a couple days when I went to sand it off some spots were defiantly dry on the side of the boat facing the heater, others not so much. But so after removing all of the old gelcoat switched over to Alexseal and pretty happy with the results. This is only after one coat so needs more but I am very happy with how its going. It is properly curing too so that's great, It drys rock hard. I also want to mention I rolled and tipped it with brushing reducer and converter I did NOT use the rolling additive but have herd great things about it.
Well my friend I'm one glad to see you turn the page on the gelcoat, it can really be a PITA. I think the paint looks very good in the pictures for a manual application.
Well its not done yet, but some big strides have been made. But before the update wanted to share a tip that for rolling and tipping alexseal topcoat and probably most other top coats I found 3" foam brushes work way better then badger hair for tipping. Also discovered alexseal is wet-sand and buffable. I was told at some point that it wasn't but that's defiantly incorrect. Did a little test with 1500 grit and total buff at 1200 rpm on a wool buffing pad and it worked great! So will pass over at least the top of the boat with that to really get a glassy finish. Got the front decking stuck down on the bow and ended up not routing teak lines in it like planned but then was able to get the trolling motor mounted and the graphs all rigged up on the bow. Still have some spots on the hull that need painted along with the bottom but its getting super close!
Looks great!
Looking very nice ,liked following the progress ,you have done well
Finished wiring up the console which was quite the project. Defiantly was something I thought would go a little quicker but the 6 switchs and live well timer and all of that took a good chunk of time. Also got the jakeplate on and motor along with the power pole mounted. Still have to tie up some motor wiring and get it running again but hooked up the power pole and god dam that thing is cool. My first time using one and its awesome. Can't wait to use it this bedfishing. Also got the rubrail on...
I just went through this whole post and you've done an amazing job! It has to be so satisfying to you. This is truly your boat now and it looks awesome!
2005 Champion 198 DC Elite
2005 Mercury Optimax-225hp (Serial#1B073011)
Got the garage door pulled off and packed every tool I own into my truck, Hitched the bass boat up and headed north to the Adirondack mountains. Left bright and early too since theirs ALOT of rules when trailering in nyc and lets just say a handful may of been broken... Its like trying to escape a maze with all of the roads you can't take a trailer on but escaped the city with no issues. Got to the launch around 1pm drains all worked great in every hatch minus the glove box so that's great. After a little love and a handful of attempts got the engine cranked and running strong. Still won't do reverse but beggars can't be choosers. First run was good but two issues... One the clamshell were our transducer wire comes in goes under when getting on plain and a ton of water floods the bilge not a big issue but just need to fill the clamshell with silicone tomorrow. Second is the engine is way to high, no matter what speed and trim the boat will porpoise really bad. Like its like trying to ride a dolphin so pulling the boat in the am and will lower engine tomorrow to fix that but at half throttle the boats doing 25-30mph so thinking I should hit 50 when everything is set right. Also need to call human bird to trouble shoot one minor networking issue but should be something simple like a software update is just needed.
I know how satisfying it is to get to the dialing in phase. I think mine is done, the last adjustments and adding the fin was it. Mine porpoised real bad in the beginning too. Hang with it and it works out. I take it you have a different home for it and don't need to trailer thru the city again? I didn't realize how it was there, so different from here.
Yup it lives at my family’s lake house up here and occasionally makes some trips to vermont and the st Lawrence river. Dropped the jake plate 3” and then ran it and made a big difference. Got it all the way up on the pad doing 47mph got greedy and trimmed some more and it fell its plane. Still have to trim down alot minus that one time i got it up. But still struggling to keep the bow up. Gonna drop the motor more next time its out of the water but also thinking i might want to start playing with props. Ive been crusing it at 30mph trimmed down but the boat doesn’t really get out of the water.
What prop do you have?
Great job, you still have a few kinks to work out on it but sounds like everything is coming together ,need a few more close up shots of the rig when you get a chance when it's on the wtaer too...
Great job, Great story!
Dave
Not sure on the prop. Still the original one but will probably be swapping over to a 115 SHO because the reverse is gone on this current motor and upon start up it spits clouds of oil out of the lower unite exhaust and the whole thing just leaks gas too. But here are some pictures. Had to lower all of the resolutions to post here. Also you can see how the boat runs and won't get out of the water fully. Need to trim down all the way to make the bouncing manageable but will lower it next time I get it out of the water but here's the pics of its first trip... now back to nyc tomorrow
Great read. You have to be proud of the result of all your hard work. Nice smallmouth, the right way to break in a "new" boat.
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