# Kenner 18v - my other project



## GSTORY (Nov 22, 2010)

Ready to see how this turns out, Kenner has always been my favorite!


----------



## jrod0785 (Aug 26, 2009)

Awesome project man!! I am really considering and looking for a bigger boat for me, the wife and kids (of course keep my small boat for the hardcore fishing). And after all the boats I look at, Kenner seems to have my most attention. Cant wait to see what you do with this baby!!!


----------



## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

love these boats! Certain years of this boat are sought after in my area. They don't last too long on the market. Looks like a great start to get her back in shape. Not going to lie, picturing that soft carpet under my toes felt pretty good! ...I would've removed it too though. Keep us posted


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

They are definitely a tried and true hull. I actually consider cutting a tunnel in it and getting a jack plate, but that was a bit too ambitious.

Yeah, the carpet is nice on the feet, but it is down right oogly and holds a lot of moisture. It is very expensive to finish the cockpit into a smooth surface, but they are going to do what they can, then we are going to do a light blue splatter. I am not a huge fan of splatter, so I've asked to go sparing.

More than likely, I'll be adding SeaDek to the main stepping spots. Definitely a helm pad, then a bow pad. I need to look at the size and price it out. I don't want to do the entire boat though.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Here are a few more pictures.  Here is the hull getting sprayed:










And here is the stern which is in great shape:










I am doing the ice blue on the outside as well.  And here is the leaning post that will be replacing the bulky, cooler seat that was useless while driving:










The leaning post was custom built by Pro-Line Aluminum, the fabrication company owned with New Water Boats, the maker of the Stilt, Ibis and Curlew:

New Water Boats (check out the Stilt if you haven't seen it)
http://www.newwaterboatworks.com

Pro Line Aluminum
http://www.prolinealum.com


----------



## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

Is that the same hull that they are still producing? Still going to be a sweet all around rig when your finished..


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

2009 was the last year Kenner was made.  I believe they were bought by Tracker around 1999 or 2000, which they changed the style of the boat mainly on the inside. The hull remained the same for the most part.

The pre-Tracker boats are regarded as better models.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

More progress - the outside is sprayed, wet sanded, and gel coated.  I have to admit, I was very impressed seeing how good this turned out.  Exceeded expectations.



















Love the stern shot - especially the bend from the side to the stern - you can see how good the finish is.










And the console is ready for the same.  There were TONS of holes in the console, thanks to my brother and his drill.  It took them extra effort to get everything filled, but it was worth it.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

And here is the custom fly rod tube they made for me: 










This is not finished - he's going to round the top off and glass it in. This will allow me to trailer with the fly rods and not worry about the tips flapping around while running.


----------



## blondmonkey777 (Oct 18, 2012)

Sweet restore! Is Kenner a splashed pathfinder? Looks exactly the same as a 1806v or 1900 v


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

> Sweet restore! Is Kenner a splashed pathfinder? Looks exactly the same as a 1806v or 1900 v


Not that I am aware of or ever heard. I've seen the Pathfinder's in person and they are similar, but I never once thought it was the same hull.

The Kenner got the inside glassed this week. Final rigging is next. I should have some more pics up this weekend.


----------



## Otterdog (Feb 8, 2014)

Very nice, I guess this is the way to get your second horse in the barn. Certainly can be justified to the wife, will allow us to fish twice as much. I just have to get the first horse.

Thanks, nice work.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Here's progress from this week.  The interior color came out good - it's definitely blue.  The console came out better than I had hoped for.  Now I am really reluctant to put any holes in it.  





































This week is final rigging.  I am hoping to have her back by Friday.


----------



## PG350 (Jan 19, 2012)

Boat looks awesome and I love the color. Just the color alone make it feeler cooler on a hot day.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Getting closer, but not quite there yet.  It will be early next week now.  It's the little details now that start to come up - rigging choices, fit and finish of parts.  Bryan at McNeil Marine has done a good job of giving me my options, but I tend to gravitate towards the one that costs a bit more and ads a little more work.  But we are narrowed down to the final decisions.

Trolling motor, leaning post, upholstery and the hamby's keel guard got installed.  Hopefully the next post has the finished product.  She's definitely going to be one of a kind.










Console came out great:









Here are the fly rod holders with the custom tip protector they built for me:









And the leaning post:


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

Well, here she is. I'd say she's about 95% done. Sorry for the delay, I've actually been out on the water fishing her the past 2 weeks. The stripers, hybrids and whites are running right now and the water temp is right at 69 - 70, so it's prime time action. Also, the carp are schooling up for the spawn, so poor mans permit and bonefish training is in progress.

So far I am very happy with the boat. Not only is it so much more streamlined for fly fishing, but it came out looking brand new. Deciding to refinish the outside made a huge difference on the look of the boat. Same on patching and refinishing the console. 







































































That's not me with the dirty mustache. That's of my buddies and I made him put down a deposit before driving it.

I still need to get the new switches installed, get a new steering wheel cap, pop up cleats, and shore up some of the upholstery work, but what is done has already impressed me and my buddies. Here are the big hits so far:

Hamby's keel guard - not only did it hide a lot of the scuffs, but I have no worries beaching it, which is common in the lakes in my area.
Under the bow LED lights. No more pop up nav light to get in the way, and the new lights make the boat more aggressive looking.
Under the bow batteries rigged for 24 volts, complete with onboard charger and quick access plug for easy charging. Makes the next item even better.
70lb thrust Minn Kota salt water trolling motor with I-Pilot. The 24 volt system is a huge improvement, but the real upgrade is the I-Pilot feature. It is like having an extra mate on the boat. Spot lock has turned out to the priceless. I've been using it with the next item....
Raymarine Dragonfly 7" widescreen sounder/GPS with CHIRP. While I do a lot of sight casting fly fishing, there are times when I need to find the fish that are suspended and go with a heavy sink line. Finding fish and then hitting the spot lock on the Minn Kota has been worth their weight in gold. We pulled 30 fish up from 10' - 20' last weekend by doing this. Can't wait to use this when searching for tarpon at the coast.
Custom fly rod holders - the starboard side has a custom tip protector that holds 4 rods.
Leaning post with storage, foot rest, and 3 cup holders. The cup holders speak for themselves, obviously. But the storage underneath the seat has proven useful. Overall, it is just more comfortable while driving and taking a load off your feet.
Again, I am WAY satisfied with the work McNeil Marine did here in Austin on this boat. Bryan guided me through the entire process and gave me pros, cons with alternatives to EVERYTHING we did on the boat. Not only that, but he was honest and transparent with the pricing. And if something didn't come out the way he liked it - he redid it and told me. Highly recommended if you are in this area and are considering any type of marine work.

Thanks for humoring me on this post and coming along for the ride. I'll post once I get a few more things done and it's 99% done. I don't think any boat is ever 100% done - that's the fun of owning them.

Tights lines,

Coconut


----------



## jttracey (May 3, 2011)

Great looking boat man!


----------



## rkmurphy (Nov 2, 2008)

wow that looks fantastic. Many many years left in that thing. Beautiful boat my friend.


----------



## TidewateR (Nov 11, 2009)

what a beauty...turned out great


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Very nice boat you should be proud of your work


----------



## ou18582 (Jan 18, 2010)

Great job and a fine looking boat. I have a '97 model was stolen back in January but recovered on Super Bowl Sunday. The low lifes tried to jump start it and after doing as much damage as they could to the ignition switch and cutting the wiring, they finally left it in the water, tied up to the dock and took off with the trailer. 

Once my schedule levels out a bit I'm planning on getting into it. For now, I'm going to have to settle for a good cleaing, some repair on the cushions, replacing some of the wiring and some minor glass work. Then, later in the fall, when I head to the woods, I'm hoping to begin a deck off restoration and finish it out quite similar to what you did. 

I hope you don't mind if I drop you a line or two if I get hung up in the process. Once again, great job. 

Tight liens, Chris


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

> Great job and a fine looking boat. I have a '97 model was stolen back in January but recovered on Super Bowl Sunday. The low lifes tried to jump start it and after doing as much damage as they could to the ignition switch and cutting the wiring, they finally left it in the water, tied up to the dock and took off with the trailer.
> 
> Once my schedule levels out a bit I'm planning on getting into it. For now, I'm going to have to settle for a good cleaing, some repair on the cushions, replacing some of the wiring and some minor glass work. Then, later in the fall, when I head to the woods, I'm hoping to begin a deck off restoration and finish it out quite similar to what you did.
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear about that - at least you still have the boat.  Definitely drop me a line or two - I'd be happy to give you any advice I can.  So far I have been enjoying the hell out of it.  Spring time means wind at the Texas coast most of the time, so I've been on the lake targeting stripers, hybrids and carp on  the fly.  This boat now is like moving from coach to first class.  Very comfortable, streamlined, and just relaxing to be on.

Here are some shots of the draft:




























The side shot of the hull shows about 4" - 6" draft, but being a v-hull, of course it is actually deeper.  Take the back shot - the scupper is showing about 4" draft.  The picture of the stern below the engine is 11" draft.  Both are measured.  This is without anyone on the boat, but with nearly a full tank of gas, cooler and gear for two people.  Honestly, I am and always have been very impressed by how shallow this boat drafts for a v-hull.


----------



## ou18582 (Jan 18, 2010)

Thanks. Mine has the deck behind the cooler seat and I'm trying to decide if I want to leave it in or not. My hull also has the pocket tunnel which helps the draft quite a bit. 

But, if I have to get real skinny, I just pack my kayaks in alongside of the console and get to where I need to be. Actually paddling the kayak is in a lot of ways easier than poling the Kenner. 

Have a good weekend and I hope you're able to get out and find some fish. 

Tight lines, Chris


----------



## gchamp3 (Dec 28, 2020)

coconutgroves said:


> Sorry to hear about that - at least you still have the boat. Definitely drop me a line or two - I'd be happy to give you any advice I can. So far I have been enjoying the hell out of it. Spring time means wind at the Texas coast most of the time, so I've been on the lake targeting stripers, hybrids and carp on  the fly. This boat now is like moving from coach to first class. Very comfortable, streamlined, and just relaxing to be on.
> 
> Here are some shots of the draft:
> 
> ...


Hey there! I know this is an ancient post, but I have the exact same boat and I'm looking to mount the trolling motor batts in the front like you did. 

Would you happen to have a picture of the mounting and how much room you have? Also, now that it's been 5 years, would you do it again? With a 24v setup I have 4 batteries in the stern which I think keeps me from getting shallower than I otherwise might be able to.

Awesome work by the way.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

gchamp3 said:


> Hey there! I know this is an ancient post, but I have the exact same boat and I'm looking to mount the trolling motor batts in the front like you did.
> 
> Would you happen to have a picture of the mounting and how much room you have? Also, now that it's been 5 years, would you do it again? With a 24v setup I have 4 batteries in the stern which I think keeps me from getting shallower than I otherwise might be able to.
> 
> Awesome work by the way.


Great question, and while the post is old, this is exactly why this site is great - it provides record of restores and tips that helps others.

I did a 24v motor, but the shop had to build up two shelves (for lack of a better word) for the batteries in the bow storage. As you know, the bow storage is accessed through the bulkhead hatch, not a locker on the cap of the bow. That makes it tight in that compartment. I also added an onboard battery charger, mounted on the starboard bulkhead, just inside the hatch. That is connected to a plug where I can connect an extension cord and it will charge both batteries.

Would I do it again? Yes. There are not many options - it is only an 18.5' boat, and I did not pay to fill in the bulkhead hatch and cut one on the cap, which would be my first choice.

But, I've had to change batteries since then and it was a complete pain in the butt. Also, the extra weight does change how the boat rides. Two batteries adds 100 pounds to the nose, so in chop, it can list side to side. However, trimming the boat out helps mitigate it.

24v is the way to go - the power and how long the batteries are charged make a huge difference. I wish I had more space in there and a hatch on the bow cap for access, but that is in a perfect world.

Feel free to reach out, and DM me if needed. It is a great boat and my restore was worth every penny. I am going to hang a new 4 stroke on the back when a re-power is needed. The Dragonfly unit has been hit and miss, somewhat buggy, and it has limited storage. But the side scan for structure has been good, I've found many schools of fish using it. I regret not filling in the center console helm and starting fresh with gauges, but the cost was high at the time.


----------



## GoGataGo52__20 (Jun 26, 2016)

Man she came out sweet, she’s a beaut Clark!


----------



## gchamp3 (Dec 28, 2020)

coconutgroves said:


> Great question, and while the post is old, this is exactly why this site is great - it provides record of restores and tips that helps others.
> 
> I did a 24v motor, but the shop had to build up two shelves (for lack of a better word) for the batteries in the bow storage. As you know, the bow storage is accessed through the bulkhead hatch, not a locker on the cap of the bow. That makes it tight in that compartment. I also added an onboard battery charger, mounted on the starboard bulkhead, just inside the hatch. That is connected to a plug where I can connect an extension cord and it will charge both batteries.
> 
> ...


awesome thanks for the reply!

I have the bulkhead hatch AND an equal size hatch on the front deck, so access is super easy to the nose.

I was originally imagining putting the batteries and onboard charger right by the bulkhead for balance purposes, but I’m liking the idea of the far forward mount.

Any chance you could describe or photo the little shelf your folks built?

I bought the boat used and already mounted with a 24v motor guide. But I can’t wait until it dies so I have an excuse to upgrade to the Terrova 😈.


----------



## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

That is beautiful! I have a 2002 Nitro 2200 bay boat with the rolled-edge tunnel hull. The combination of light weight and size of the hull gives me a draft of 8". (I measured it). I've caught tailers from it and taken it 30 miles offshore. It has a poling platform, 80# I-Pilot, two Power Poles, and a150 Merc 4-stroke. (Third outboard since I've owned it). I should sell it since I don't use it much, but it's irreplaceable. I could get rid of my center console and skiff and go back to using the bay boat in place of both if necessary. Time to get the old girl painted and spiffed up. It's a wonderful boat.


----------



## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

I store the boat at my lake house, so I'll get a pic the next time I go up. You can imagine two shelves on port and starboard in the bow storage - that is pretty much it.


----------



## Kennerman (Oct 3, 2019)

gchamp3 said:


> awesome thanks for the reply!
> 
> I have the bulkhead hatch AND an equal size hatch on the front deck, so access is super easy to the nose.
> 
> ...


Here's what I did, that vertical bulkead hatch is worthless and the battery box makes a nice step to get up front. older you get the more you will appreciate it.


----------



## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

Sweet project!


----------



## Capt.Ron (Mar 5, 2014)

Kennah bruh


----------



## Tripletail (Apr 8, 2021)

I had the same boat, should have never sold it... ill get another one one day


----------



## Kennerman (Oct 3, 2019)

Since my last posting I finally modified my casting deck so it can swing up if wanted. As you know that deck is a can't live with it or without it. When it was fixed in place it was a huge pia to access battery etc but it sure was nice to stand on when fishing back there. So here's how it turned out.


----------



## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

What did you use to make the hinge portion of the flip up deck. I like the idea for sure


----------



## Kennerman (Oct 3, 2019)

I hope these pix do it. It rotates on a stainless bolt that goes thru a nylon sleeve into that turned up edge of the deck. a 3/8" bolt inside a 1/2" nylon sleeve. Then I used a section of that L aluminum bracket to reinforce it. Outside the hull you see the other end of the bolt. Notice I used several sections of that L aluminum bracket for the deck to fall against. It is so heavy that there is no need to screw it down.

















those L brackets beneath are important to distribute the stress and keep the deck from sliding down too far. Those stainless bolts and sleeves were left over from a previous power pole installation gone bad. That deck is very HEAVY so I won't be swinging it up and down out in rough water. Rather than hinge I'd call it a pivot point.


----------

