Why I'm not on the water yet!

[Sculpin]

It's all my fault big time. I'm a bad captain of the Sculpin. She doesn't deserve me!!!!

Work is really to blame (too much is better than not enough in my world).

I never really like the "exposed" electrical set up that Edwing did on these boats.

I didn't even bother unhooking the damn batteries this winter. Bad, bad, bad.

I'm going to get them up out of there. I bought a new seal for that Freeman hatch as well. I'm building a new battery cabinet to go along the transom just behind the hatch.

Here it is partially finished.

It's basically a two door cabinet with some covered shelves above. I'm going to fab up a removable cleaning table that with attach to the top of the permanent cabinet.

Here is the cut out waiting for the mounting.

Show me another aluminum that has full (not half) 3" pipe rails from stern to bow and I will buy you a beer! These boats are built tuff like no other. One piece 1/4" hull and sides to boot. Welded up the middle.

 

[Sculpin]

I have some other issues to deal with as well.

Some cracking on the swim platform.

I'm going to gouge that out and re-weld it and put a brace under to help support it.

I'm replacing the bolt on ss cleats (who does this on a welded aluminum boat?) with some weld on ones.

Go Canada Go!!!

I know I know, I need some more weld on that. Ha ha.

 

[Sculpin]

Oh yeah here is another thing that reared it's ugly head.

Fricken hydraulic steering is leaking!!


Getting there.

Still have to move the downriggers to new mounts on the rails. Install a new wash down pump within the new cabinet. New Scotty plugs on the sides of the cabinet. Rewire a bunch of stuff onto a proper distribution block next to a new battery switch/ or switches (haven't decide how I'm going to do it yet). Rewire my rear fish finder cables (they take a sh*t kickin due to being outside all the time).

This is the lastest start to the season I can remember. Good thing we had a kick butt year last year with lot's of fishing, prawning etc.. We'll have to fish extra hard to make up for lost time!!!!

 

[Sculpin]

nice report sculpin, cant wait to see the final repairs, hey, what are ya gonna do with those pinecones tho?,lol,jk....holmes*

I'm so discusted with myself for letting her go this bad holmes. I hope to have her cleaned up real nice over the weekend. A great fellow and friend of mine from a local shop here in town is going to do the electrical for me early next week. I still have to pull the gas tank and check all that out. I never have pulled it before and I want to check the sleepers that it sits on and it is in it's own chamber so to speak and make sure there is no water in there.

I will keep posting up photos as I go.

Next year there won't be any FIR cones! Ha ha caught you on your joke. I'm going to build a kick butt boat shelter for her and take better care of her from now on. I promise.

 

[Sculpin]

ive deffinately seen worse, thats for sure, looks like there were some things that needed attention anyway, aluminum is the way to go in my opinion....holmes*

I have too but really she should be taken better care of and I will in the future for expense wise etc. I love aluminum boats and this is my second. I want to build a bigger kick butt fishing machine (better than No Banana's) ha ha.

It helps to own a welding shop for doing the mod's etc. but sucks for building a boat because I can't take up the production space that makes me money!

 

[Sculpin]

Well the cabinet is ready to be installed.

Hope to have it installed in a couple of hours.

 

[Sculpin]

Test fit. Needed a little trimming here and there but it went in.

One flaw I noticed already is that it sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the boat!!

 

[eaglemaniac]

It's Sweet!! Use the right side for fresh beverages. eman

 

[Sculpin]

It's Sweet!! Use the right side for fresh beverages. eman

Hey you might be onto something.

I still have to stuff two or three batteries, a washdown pump, distribution block, new battery switches, and something else I forgot.

I'm going to leave the washdown hose on the outside with the switch just under the gunnel. New style Scotty plugs (finally) on the sides just under the gunnel. The Racor will stay where it is for now. I may switch styles and move it into the cabinet as well.

 

[Sculpin]

Well I got the cabinet welded in, the cleats welded on, and made up some new downrigger mounts up a little higher and forward a bit. I was tired of being jammed in the corner.

You can see the holes where the old bases were mounted in the corner.

Some of the new goodies going in over the weekend.

 

[spring fever]

Looks like a skookum job sculpin but youse bad for not doin it in the fall or the Spring-now you want the fish gods to repay your hard but tardy work . Looks great now go kill some fish!!!

 

[Fish Assassin]

I am glad to see your riggers comming forward. I moved mine last spring. Best thing ever. Looks great.

 

[Sculpin]

Looks like a skookum job sculpin but youse bad for not doin it in the fall or the Spring-now you want the fish gods to repay your hard but tardy work . Looks great now go kill some fish!!!

Yeah my bad big time. All the latest reports are killing me.

 

[Highliner]

Great post Sculpin. I love the mods. That's the great thing about aluminum. I wish I had those kind of skills. I love those new cleats and DR mounts. Keep the reports of your progress coming!

 

[Sculpin]

Well today was kind of a tinker day. Making nicknacks and mounting the lights etc.

I mounted a couple of waterproof halogens to light up the deck when getting ready in the morning or picking up crab and prawn traps late in the evening.

I made up a bunch of adapters for oar holders, halibut harpoon, gaff's etc. I will weld these onto the inside of the cockpit walls.

Got the riggers mounted too.

I bent the support braces for the swim grid and will mount them tomorrow.

Thanks for all the encouraging comments fella's. It means alot to me. I was embarrassed at first with the way I left her this winter but I'm having fun now that she is looking better.

 

[Sculpin]

666 views..............is this a omen. Ha ha.

 

[Sculpin]

Well I mounted the braces under the swim platform. I hope this helps with the cracking I was experiencing before.

I mounted the old scotty plug holders that were against the transom. The new style will fit right in. I put them right under the rigger mounts and will chop the cord to suit.

I mounted some of the oar adapters that I made up but don't like them. Not quite right. I think I will put them closer together and overlap the blades of the oars so I can mount another set for a boat hook.

All ready to roll for the wiring tomorrow night by a sparky buddy of mine who works at the local chandlery. I used 1/2 thick cutting board material and mounted them on aluminum spacer blocks that are drilled and tapped then welded to the inside of the transom. Should give him lots of space for the switch, dual bus bar, and charging relay. The one on the side of the cabinet is for the battery charger. The wash down pump will go in the empty space on the right side of the picture.

I'll post up some shots of the wiring when it's all done. Should be way better than the snakes nest I had before and all cozy in the new waterproof cabinet.

 

[Sculpin]

Next up after the wiring will be pulling the fuel tank. It's a 105 gal. tank with the lid made a couple of inches bigger all around and just fit in the hole of the deck and bolted all around with sealant between the lid and the deck.

I have never had it out and I just have to see what is under there. If the seal was leaking there could be quite a bit of water in that chamber. I want to see what the sleepers look like as well. I am assuming it is sitting on some kind of rubber on the hull ribs.

The design was ok I guess in that you can yank the tank right out of there with out cutting out the deck etc. but the sending unit for the fuel gauge is a bit of a pain in the azz.

 

[Lipripper]

Sounds like not too much grief......

Been following on the red and black site as well...

Some wicked improvements on that chunk of aluminum!

 

[Sculpin]

Sounds like not too much grief......

Been following on the red and black site as well...

Some wicked improvements on that chunk of aluminum!

Thanks Lipripper. In my line of work it's alot easier to work on than tupperware. Long overdue though man. I want her to be sound and reliable. The new electrical will be like a whole new foundation.

I love that site as well. It rocks big time. Good bunch of folks over there with great avatar's.