Commander 26 Re Build

[Sttr]

Fished a 24 NR jet for years in both fresh and salt. Off the WCVI as well. No, it's not ideal that's for sure and they slap good on the waves but they are doable in the salt if you pick your weather windows. Lot's of areas up island change very quickly with wind and weather so just be weary and stay close enough to areas you can run into for shelter if sudden weather changes.

Do you have a stomp grate on the jet boat? Seaweed and **** floating in the water that can get sucked into the jet is what can bring you to a stand still in an instant. Even with a stomp grate that seaweed still gets in too. Tidelines are nasty on jets so be conscious of that stuff too.

Yes I do have a stomp grate, jet has its advantages also, I fly down the north arm mostly ,20 feet from shore LoL , the harbour is right there. She takes off like a bat out of hell and rides big waves very well , the smaller ones can be painful if a longer trip but I try to avoid that.
If I get something jammed up I pull her to shore , pop the inspection plate and remove whatever is stuck, usually a flat 2” piece of wood that snuck through and hit the blade dead centre pinning it against the housing.
But not fun getting something stuck half way between NA and Bowen, took me 2 hours to get back to mac beach once on my kicker, windy day

 

[Sttr]

Transom ply is out and cleaned up. Few areas of concern that need to be address, few low
spots, here’s the damage . Had to throw in a pic at the end for the boys at the shop, they love seeing me get dirty, haha it’s not grease

 

[RiverBoy]

i kinda wanna see a pic of Ron

 

[Sttr]

i kinda wanna see a pic of Ron

I can’t post a pic of Ron,
My shop will be destroyed by the herds of girls trying to rip Ron’s clothes off

 

[Sttr]

Transom is clean, removed all the de lam,
Cut out a couple inches of the rear stringers
Wood is solid, looks clean, but little damp, does not smell like fuel.
Here’s some pics

 

[Sttr]

Here’s where we left off for the day,
Finally… something going on.

 

[Sttr]

Todays progress gentlemen,
Laid down 2 mats on the transom,
Prepared the first ply.
We noticed from factory they installed the ply on the transom short a few inches on each side. Not sure if it was to help in the installation process or they just had 8 foot sheets they slapped evenly across. The transom is 102” and that’s what we will install, and will overlap the ply.
I also found out the possibility of water on the lower part of the transom and stringers may be from a OEM drain plug that was closed off at one point. Maybe someone can confirm commanders had a drain plug at one point?
More importantly today someone I been waiting for has agreed to help me out with my interior.
And most importantly every part of the project is now rolling with a plan and action

 

[Thunder21]

Todays progress gentlemen,
Laid down 2 mats on the transom,
Prepared the first ply.
We noticed from factory they installed the ply on the transom short a few inches on each side. Not sure if it was to help in the installation process or they just had 8 foot sheets they slapped evenly across. The transom is 102” and that’s what we will install, and will overlap the ply.
I also found out the possibility of water on the lower part of the transom and stringers may be from a OEM drain plug that was closed off at one point. Maybe someone can confirm commanders had a drain plug at one point?
More importantly today someone I been waiting for has agreed to help me out with my interior.
And most importantly every part of the project is now rolling with a plan and action View attachment 77261View attachment 77262View attachment 77266View attachment 77264View attachment 77263View attachment 77265

Mine has a drain plug yes.

 

[ship happens]

You don't need a drain plug on a boat that sits in the water year round. Honestly it's just another thing to let water in or get corroded. I've had one in our boat get damaged from electrolysis. No real way to bond them. In our big boat it's a shaft, drips every once and a while. So theres always water in the engine bilge up to the pump. Whatever the pump cannot pump out without cavitating. So what we did, and this is what speeder did on his boat, we put a water puppy with a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hose mounted straight down almost tight to the hull. If you hit that pump it will pump almost every drop. In your boat @Sttr you won't have any water there from and engine related event, maybe some could get past the floor hatch on whatever event. I would def put a proper bilge pump in there, however you could do a water puppy and put a float switch on it as well. Makes for a cleaner installation as well. Since you can mount the pump up high and run a hose straight down. Hope that makes sense

 

[Sttr]

Mine has a drain plug yes.

Do you know if it’s from factory?

You don't need a drain plug on a boat that sits in the water year round. Honestly it's just another thing to let water in or get corroded. I've had one in our boat get damaged from electrolysis. No real way to bond them. In our big boat it's a shaft, drips every once and a while. So theres always water in the engine bilge up to the pump. Whatever the pump cannot pump out without cavitating. So what we did, and this is what speeder did on his boat, we put a water puppy with a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hose mounted straight down almost tight to the hull. If you hit that pump it will pump almost every drop. In your boat @Sttr you won't have any water there from and engine related event, maybe some could get past the floor hatch on whatever event. I would def put a proper bilge pump in there, however you could do a water puppy and put a float switch on it as well. Makes for a cleaner installation as well. Since you can mount the pump up high and run a hose straight down. Hope that makes sense

For sure,
The plan is to have 2 bilge pumps in the hull and one in the pod.
I’m gonna be wiping every drop by hand for the first few years

 

[ship happens]

Do you know if it’s from factory?

For sure,
The plan is to have 2 bilge pumps in the hull and one in the pod.
I’m gonna be wiping every drop by hand for the first few years

I usually avoid putting pumps in the pod. Just how I do things though. Reason it's a real ***** to get wires and hoses through there without being obtrusive. All the boats I've ever had with pods have never leaked a drop. Even the coaster. She sits in the water 12 months a year. On her 3rd engine. Still not a drop in the pod till this day

 

[Sttr]

I usually avoid putting pumps in the pod. Just how I do things though. Reason it's a real ***** to get wires and hoses through there without being obtrusive. All the boats I've ever had with pods have never leaked a drop. Even the coaster. She sits in the water 12 months a year. On her 3rd engine. Still not a drop in the pod till this day

Did you see the welds on my first pod?
I was gonna add 2 pumps in there

 

[ship happens]

Did you see the welds on my first pod?
I was gonna add 2 pumps in there

Lol yeah might need a trash pump

 

[CIVANO]

Lol yeah might need a trash pump

which water puppy do you use?

 

[Sttr]

Lol yeah might need a trash pump

You don't need a drain plug on a boat that sits in the water year round. Honestly it's just another thing to let water in or get corroded. I've had one in our boat get damaged from electrolysis. No real way to bond them. In our big boat it's a shaft, drips every once and a while. So theres always water in the engine bilge up to the pump. Whatever the pump cannot pump out without cavitating. So what we did, and this is what speeder did on his boat, we put a water puppy with a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hose mounted straight down almost tight to the hull. If you hit that pump it will pump almost every drop. In your boat @Sttr you won't have any water there from and engine related event, maybe some could get past the floor hatch on whatever event. I would def put a proper bilge pump in there, however you could do a water puppy and put a float switch on it as well. Makes for a cleaner installation as well. Since you can mount the pump up high and run a hose straight down. Hope that makes sense

This idea might solve my issue with lack of space for 2 pumps,
mount one bilge to the hull and another water puppy somewhere out of the way , use the water puppy to get every drop out and bilge for emergency.

 

[ship happens]

which water puppy do you use?

There's 2. One is a bit more money. Either one works great. Jabsco has the best warranty and service and their impeller pumps are awsome. It's like taking your boat to the dentist.

 

[ship happens]

This idea might solve my issue with lack of space for 2 pumps,
mount one bilge to the hull and another water puppy somewhere out of the way , use the water puppy to get every drop out and bilge for emergency.

Once I started using this as a bilge pump it was a game changer. Time saver.

 

[Sttr]

Got my windows back today, they look great and slide very smooth, all new cat whiskers.
I still have some work to do on the frames, I cleaned them up a bit but definitely need to figure out a way to make them look as close to new as possible. The weather stripping on the outside is easy to replace and the way this re build is going I should probably replace it.
My favourite has to be the new visor for the flybridge, love the blue, pre drilled stepped mounting holes, the visor cost me as much as all new windows LoL

 

[Sttr]

AS1 green

 

[Sir Reel]

AS1 green

Who did the visor for you?
Did I send you a link before on where to get the rubber window molding?

https://www.advantecglobal.com/marine/diamond-sea-glaze/