# Rescued a Tin Can Today



## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Guys, I've got a fever. A little background info first:

I've fished a small lake here in Lake City off and on and always saw this fairly large aluminum boat half under the owner's dock and partially submerged with all the rainwater in it. Every time I fished that lake I wanted to get that boat more and more. Finally, with a lot of help from my neighbor who is not as scared as I am of randomly walking up to a stranger's door, I met the owner. She was widowed and it was her late husband's boat. We settled on a price, and my buddy (neighbor) and I spent the evening dredging the plant life and water out of the boat so I could paddle it to the landing and take it home. This was quite a process and I wish I had the camera at that time. Here's some pics of her safely on land and (kind of) dry.










It's on my buddy's trailer now but will have to share the Magic Tilt with the Riverhawk indefinitely.



















In the last picture you may be able to see some of the aquatic life still in it. It literally had everything, and was a mussel farm to boot. At this time I think my girlfriend is going to stay after this impulse buy (I'm lucky). The boat is 15'9" long, 69" wide at the gunnel tops and is rated for 35 h.p. I'm not really sure what I'm going to make it into, but am thinking about using my home made camo stencil to give her a nice look. Decks and a false floor will surely come later. For now I've got to get the substrate off and remove the soaking, rotten foam from under the benches. I've also got to lay low from the DEP and EPA, because I'm sure I broke some law in removing this thing from its latter state. ;D


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

You TRANSPLANTED the aquatic plants!

Nice find.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

looks like a great start to a great project  get a good pressure washer on it and soak it down with some chlorine  she should clean up well


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## silverking91 (Feb 23, 2007)

Very nice, looks like a decent deck on the front to start with. What are you thinking for power??


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

I wish I had a pressure washer and all those other niceties. Good thing my awesome neighbor has some of the stuff. I'll probably attack it with an angle grinder with the wire brush attachment after I do the initial bleach and wash trick. 

Honestly I have no intentions right now on powering it. I've got a lot going on, may need to sell the four wheeler I bought a couple months ago because I'm moving to Jax in a couple of weeks. That in itself will be an expensive and time consuming endeavor. Hopefully eventually maybe a 15 or 25 for it. If I get a 15 I can use it for my 15'4" as well.


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## silverking91 (Feb 23, 2007)

I was gonna say a 25 two stroke would be my choice but if you can make a 15 work double duty that would probably be the way to go. Good luck with the grinding, thats tough work. If you're trying to take it down to bare metal look into soda blasting. My buddy had his twelve footer done for a couple hundred bucks, then he had the whole boat powder coated and it turned out sweet.


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

That is a great boat. I had one just like it for duck hunting. A 15 HP will make it go and a 25 HP should make it go real good.

Aluminium will react quickly with chlorine. I would try a small spot first and see what happens. Scotch brite pads and laundry detergent should clean it up. If it doesn't then try a small spot with washing soda (not baking soda).

Best regards,
Frank_S


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

Oh and one more thing, do it ASAP as if it gets really dry it will be harder to clean.

Frank_S


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## beyondhelp (Nov 6, 2008)

Got a carwash nearby? Hose it down with some Simple Green and let it soak on the way over then blast it out at the carwash. Close enough to a pressure cleaner.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies and help guys. I spent all day scrubbing away with bleach and Scotch Brite pads. Needless to say I'm exhausted. I wish I had seen your post before I did the bleach thing Frank. Fortunately, I just did small areas at a time and then sprayed down almost immediately. The whole inside is clean and half-primered. I'd post some pics but too dang tired, so they'll go up tomorrow.

As it cleans up, I'm getting more and more excited. I hope it will do double duty as a duck boat and oyster bar banger when I'm done. For now the boat looks almost presentable, but my front yard is now a Superfund site. Good thing I'm moving in less than two weeks!  ;D


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

I did more cleaning on this thing today. It's starting to become "that project". I've been through eight spray cans of primer, countless Scotch-Brite pads, and my second set of blisters already and have decided that "winging it" is not the best way to go.









*Part way through the cleaning process.*









*Foam ripped out from under the front deck. Do y'all think it looks bad?*









*Foam from under front bench. It looks okay once I rip out the bottom inch or two.*









*Looks all nice and clean right.....*









*Not!*









*I'm not sure how well it shows in the picture, but there is slight corrosion on the outside. I'm going to have to do some good sanding to take out the imperfections.*

What do you all think? I thought the hard part (inside) was done, but the outside is going to be tough. I'm hesitant to pull the rest of the existing foam out because it entails removing the two benches and I don't want to have the holes and re-riveting issues involved. Does anyone know what type of foam this is, and possibly the unit weight so I can compare the blocks I already have out and find a moisture content?

My dog came in and blew chunks all over the carpet.  [smiley=1-whoops1.gif] Must have been eating the dead mussels again.  [smiley=1-headache.gif]


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## Amsoil_Man (Feb 2, 2010)

Wow, do good work. The inside looks amazing. I cant wait to see the final project


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## silverking91 (Feb 23, 2007)

Good job man, lookin real good.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Between moving, rain and wind I've managed to make some progress on my aluminum skiff, Frankenskiff.

The boat is all primed up and in it's completely bootleg paint booth in this picture:









I have so much in Krylon in this thing it may have been cheaper to have gone the fancy route and gotten Interlux or something. Here's after six cans of green base coat:









First camo coat was brown:









Second was khaki:









Well, I wasn't happy with the look as it wasn't what I was going for. One of these days I will learn to think before doing things, as I did the opposite with this paint job. I decided to break the cardinal rule of camouflaging and added black after the khaki. It made it look quite a bit better as it broke up the pattern and added more depth, but it's still not exactly what I'm looking for.









It does look better than the last picture suggests. Once I'm done with the paint I'm going to move straight into the decking. I plan to bridge the area between the front deck and first bench seat with epoxy-coated plywood on top of the 2x4s that are currently holding up the "paint booth". I think I will carpet the deck with some synthetic stuff as well as false floors.

I've got some fun ideas, like putting LED lights under the proposed deck. If anyone has any other cool thoughts please feel free to share them!  

-Josh


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## nate. (Nov 12, 2009)

looks like a fun project. i had one of those. a lil smaller though. that foam will not absorb water. its the same foam that crab trap bouys and foam coffee cups are made of. 

whats your choice of power gonna be?


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

sweet


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Power will most likely be 25 horses, maybe a mud motor. We'll see.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

A little update on this:

I'm about halfway through the front deck process. I've now spent way more money on this thing than I bought it for, yet I'm still trying to keep it cheap. The 2X4s I used for my "paint booth" were cut down and reused for the deck supports. The two in the middle were cut higher to "prestress" the deck over them. Thanks for the idea Brett.

Here is the support system before being cut to shape lengthwise, epoxy coated and bolted in:









I used MAS epoxy resin and hardener, and found my biggest disappointment of this whole project. None of that beautiful fiberglass epoxy smell with this stuff.  Oh well.....

Here is the deck being test fitted. I have some minor cuts to do to it, plus the hatch cutouts, but it is already being epoxy coated. 









Do you all think it's big enough???  I didn't realize the size until the test fit, but there's no turning back now. 
Of course, it has started raining here although it wasn't supposed to, so I hope the stuff has set well enough it won't be bothered by the moisture.

Boathouse Discount Marine here in Jax is having their grand opening sale this weekend, so stainless bolts, screws and other hardware are BOGO,which made my day. I hope to do some more work tomorrow to finish the deck and get the false floor going, as well as deepen the camo pattern if I can find some place that has brown in stock.


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

I used the EPS foam last time. (expanded polystyrene foam) It isn't that pricey for a small boat and it will not absorb water. The 3" is about $2/ft² and you may be able to cut it and slide it up under the seats. A perfect fit isn't needed and you can hold it in place with a few SS pan head sheet metal screws. Great stuff!

Best regards,
Frank_S


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

> I used the EPS foam last time. (expanded polystyrene foam) It isn't that pricey for a small boat and it will not absorb water. The 3" is about $2/ft² and you may be able to cut it and slide it up under the seats. A perfect fit isn't needed and you can hold it in place with a few SS pan head sheet metal screws. Great stuff!
> 
> Best regards,
> Frank_S


Thanks Frank! That's exactly the advice I was looking for. I'll definitely look into it.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

I guess it's appropriate to resurrect my post from the dead for a boat named "Frankenskiff".

I thought I had posted more progress shots but apparently not. After some trouble with my camouflage pattern, I made things right. After trouble with polyester resin, I sanded it off and laid biaxial cloth with epoxy resin. And after a lot of research I found my flooring compromise. I did some math and found that the vinyl marine carpet I got was actually cheaper than anything else I found anywhere except for cheapo Home Depot outdoor carpet.














































The ironic thing is that I don't even fly fish yet. But I can dance while catching fish anytime I want, lol.

The boat is almost done except for some punchlist items, then who knows what's next in store for it. I need a battery to see if my wiring is hooked up right. So far I only have under deck LED lights but have the capacity to add more electronics later (I actually planned ahead for once). 

So far I'm really impressed with the flooring. It was easy to cut and work with, and seems to repel water. It's also got a good texture so I know it will never get slippery, and will not mold. As I said, the best part was the price point. I got it from a place called www.yourautotrim.com and it was a lot cheaper than I found elsewhere, at only about $20 per yard length at 74". I thought it was almost too good to be true, but nonetheless the customer service was great and I had delivery of the "carpet" before I had even finished prepping the floor surface.


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## Capt Dan Medina (Apr 28, 2008)

looking good! thats exactly how I want my skiff to be....


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

Nice rig. Great progress! Its tough to decide which motor you will need depending on the areas you will be fishing. Personally, my family and I have property in Perry and I prefer the 23 LongTail. It gets the job done and I have even used it around Keaton area on the flats. Its hard to kill a longtail. Great job on the rebuild.


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

Keaton Beach = scallops! Super nice on the boat. It should be a great duck and fly fishing rig.

Frank_S


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Thanks guys! We'll have to see how things work out in the next couple of months. Next step is to take it on it's maiden voyage and maybe a new christening.


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## pds07d (Jul 19, 2010)

looks great! I would suggest putting a longtail 23 on there like after hours said, but a 25 outboard would push that puppy up on a plane faster then you need to go.

if you do go the mud motor route you should wait till february when duck hunting season closes and the price on used and new motors goes down 25%.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Thanks for the input. I actually don't have any plans yet for it, although a good friend of mine has an 18 hp longtail with no boat...


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## Swamp (Jul 12, 2010)

You know, motors don't do well when they sit a long time... 

Swamp


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

> You know, motors don't do well when they sit a long time...
> 
> Swamp


Hey, that's my motto and what I tell my GF every weekend.  ;D [smiley=1-lmao.gif]


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Sold my tin can to one of my best friends a couple of weeks ago. We had to first work some magic and came up with the perfect trailer and motor fit. Serendipity.



















For fun, I made the custom light enclosure out of fiberglass. I threw in a few other tricks as well.










We painted his motor to match over a few beers.










Unfortunately the pictures don't do this setup justice. I couldn't keep my eyes off this thing after we got it all set up.


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## pole_position (Dec 5, 2009)

The thread caught my eye because me and my Bro just went in half on a "tin can" ;D ;D

That is a great looking job! How did you get the camo pattern? Looks GREAT!


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## joshuabward (Apr 3, 2010)

I don't know how your last post escaped me for that long. It came out sweet. I will be stealing your light enclosure idea for sure, last time I was out gigging I was thinking about how I could get rid of the glare, and you figured it out for me.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Thanks for the compliments guys. The camo came from a stencil I made myself out of one of those illegal (in most places) commercial/ political signs you see staked down everywhere. I used Krylon camo spray paint and did multiple iterations until it really started to break up.

The light box was a real fun project for me to see how well I could fiberglass. I made the mold out of some cheap thin Home Depot wood, then covered it with Crisco cooking grease. I layered it so that each side was covered at least twice, and all the layers interlocked each other. The Crisco worked great for allowing it to pop right off my mold. It came out pretty well and I finished the edges up with some cheap radiator tubing from Autozone.


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## Micha_Mixon (Nov 27, 2010)

Gotta Love a Jon Boat!!! ;D


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## Robert_Baltean (Feb 26, 2011)

I just picked up a 15.5' aluminum boat with plans of making it into a flats boat. I will have to "borrow" your floor idea. It was well written. Good post.


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## chandler315 (Feb 28, 2011)

Dude, you must have plenty of time on your hands. Thats looks like a big project, but I must say it looks really good. new member with nothing to do. Oh yeah, found you by 1 of your post about the 17 Flicker by Sundance. Thinking of getting by the way


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## Robert_Baltean (Feb 26, 2011)

> Dude, you must have plenty of time on your hands. Thats looks like a big project, but I must say it looks really good. new member with nothing to do. Oh yeah, found you by 1 of your post about the 17 Flicker by Sundance. Thinking of getting by the way


 [smiley=watching-you.gif] I've been discovered!


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

> Dude, you must have plenty of time on your hands. Thats looks like a big project, but I must say it looks really good. new member with nothing to do. Oh yeah, found you by 1 of your post about the 17 Flicker by Sundance. Thinking of getting by the way


IMO, for the same price you can buy the real deal (Mitzi) and have a boat with better fit and trim.


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## rashouri87 (Jul 2, 2009)

nice work with the boat, I had a 23 gdlt on a 1436 and it was a screamer, scary fast at WOT.


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