Budget boat buildup

[Dunks]

Is there a section for members boats on this forum. I couldn't find one. So I'll post it here.

This is my first boat project so it may take me a little while and a few questions but I hope to get through it. As the title says it is a budget boat (got it for nothing) and I don't plan on spending anymore than $700 at the most to fit it out. I already have another boat that has a 40hp Yamaha on the back with cable steering, sounder, and all safety equipment. So all I have to do to this one is put a floor and centre console in, transfer everything over and I will be fishing!!

Well that is the plan anyway.

The boat is a 4.5 mtr Swiftcraft and as you can see it is just a bare hull.

[Dunks]

The inside

[Dunks]

The motor

[Fishin_Dan]

Looks good Dunks! I'm in the process of getting my boat ready for rebuild of the floor, and have been doing as much research as I can first before I start. Go through this "Boating" section and read all the posts for projects/rebuilds/etc. There is SO much information here. I think we need to get one to keep it altogether, but....

Good luck, and make sure you post all the pictures as you go along.

[gavsgonefishing]

Hate to burst the bubble, but "budget" and "Boat" just does not go together.

Please prove me wrong at the end of the project.

Good luck with it

[mickey7]

Does'nt boat mean" Bring On Another Thousand".

Mickey

[Dunks]

Shouldn't be a problem to keep it under $1000 but I am aiming for $700. It is only going to be used fortnightly (hopefully) so I don't want to spend a fortune on it. It won't be anything too flash but if I cover everything with carpet it should look OK.

[NQCairns]

Great looking boat, luv the lines, the 40 will push it very well, should fly! will be a little ripper when finished.nq

[finga64]

looks like an excellent basis for a good boat.
Good luck with the project

[Dunks]

You won't beleive it. I put in a bid for a Bermuda fishing essentials centre console and won it. Got it for only $150 plus $35 postage. Not a bad price even though it doesn't help my budget at all. Thanks to Tomo's Marine at Marks Point in NSW.

Here's a pic.

PS. Who was I kidding setting a budget . I'll buy little bits at a time that way the missus won't know how much it has cost all together. I will keep a running tally and let you know how much I have spent as we go.

[Dunks]

Why is the ideal positioning of a centre console?

Am I on the money with it in this shot?

[tengals123]

Looks good!
Now, depending on what your going to do to the boat, ie, upholstery, seats, pait, fittings etc, i'm telling you $700 will not get you very far. Steering systems, wheel, forward controls, stainless hardware, screws, bolts, and the list goes on and on.

Good luck with it!

cheers

[NQCairns]

Great deal on the CC [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]
I have owned a tinny for around 15 years that would be a near aluminium equivalent to your boat in dimension just deeper in the v section, mine would also be quite unstable at rest compared to yours i suspect.
Mine is a forward CC and I think I am around 18-20 stone (105kg whatever that is in stone). The forward CC in this boat works well, I can only fish 3 up when dead flat nearshore 2 up and longer trips out I prefer just myself.

The reason it works well is because I can permanently pin-trim the motor with some positive trim. This lets me when the conditions are fine to obtain a reasonable cruise top speed but when in the rough or even with large launch wakes I can drop straight down to around 6-8kn which then forces a bow up attitude because of trim that can punch safely through even very large waves for this size of boat and still make enough headway to be going somewhere without too much green water over the front.

It means I can leave the ramp and arrirve back without touching the trim, it wouldn't be possible if it were a tiller steer in this boat with my weight and as a Middle CC it would be more of a compromise but do-able.

Anyway it might be worth considering how that particular boat will handle with your weight in it forward in both rough and smooth and position accordingly. No good having a forward CC that would like to bury it's nose when it gets tight because your weight is up front. Also forward is BLOODY BUMPY too bumpy to sit so forget about fitting a chair too dangerous you will end up on the floor or even overboard, sometimes it can only be described as a wild ride. If your boat has enough rearward buoyancy and you are not a heaveyweight consider also a position as far aft as possible.cheers nq

[Dunks]

Thought I would give an update on what I have done lately. Not much really. Put the cordless drill through my finger, with a phillips head bit on it, ouch . Then it got infected and blew up and went purple ouch again .

Since the last post I have put the stringers in the floor and glassed them in. For the floor I am using 19 mm ply. I have built a casting deck with four storage compartments in it. One for the anchor well, one for the safety equipment and the other two I am undecided on yet.

I have put in the centre console and worked out the cable steering for it. I was going to build a seat box but have decided to use the pedestal seat I bought for my old boat, I have plenty of storage room anyway.

Down the back I have two compartments, one for fuel tank and other for battery and (maybe) built-in esky.

Everything is going to plan and I hope to have her on the water soon.

Just have to change the motor over to this boat and get her serviced.

Hopefully I'll see you all on the water again soon.

[Dunks]

Casting deck compartments