# 14' Mckee Craft



## Ryan Anderson

? Don't mean to be rude, but, if you view it and have any idea of how to answer my question, then please respond.


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## bryson

32mph is not a bad top speed at all. I know some people put more power on those boats, but I wouldn't look at repowering if your current engine is running fine. Remember the smaller engines are lighter, and will float you in shallower water.

If I were you, I'd fish the crap out of that boat just as it is. If you fish bait right now, try to learn to fish strictly artificials. If you already do that, focus in on sight-fishing only. If you already do that, pick up fly fishing. If you've got money burning a hole in your pocket, I'd spend it on gear to acquire a new set of skills.

Working on boats is fun, though -- I definitely understand that part. It all depends on your goal for the boat. I don't know if those boats pole well, but they can't be all bad -- add some push pole holders and a push pole if you have the desire to fish really shallow. Add a poling platform or a casting platform. Maybe learn how to rewire the boat, depending on the age. It sucks to upgrade parts of the boat but have the basic stuff (like nav lights) not working.


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## SWFLrunner

You'll put your eye out kid. 
LOL.....
OK I'll bite, let's get to it. 
Your questions are too general. Make it stand out? You want it to stand out? Spray paint it orange, air brush a girl beaver on the side in a bikini and call it Beaver Squeezer and you'll get plenty of attention. 
Better? better at what? See what I mean?
On the speed thing, I get it, speed is fun right? But I think your barking up the wrong tree on this hull. A 70 two stroke is about as much as you can reasonably go on this hull and that might get you to 40. That's meh for the money to me. The hull doesn't have enough displacement at the transom to go bigger and you're going to be weight shifting forward to get it to come out right I think. These small trihulls max out pretty early on the hp vs top end thing and have alot of drag.
If speed is the priority I'd be looking at a hull that could hit at least 50 with a reasonable amount of hp. Now if you can get to 60, that's when the fun starts.
Now get off my lawn.


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## Ryan Anderson

Thanks for the comments guys. SWFLrunner, I see what you mean. What I want to do is make a crappy boat into something that I like going out in. Right now, I don't like going out in it because I see super expensive flats boats go by in the water and to be honest, I'm jealous. But I don't have even $5000 to buy an old flats boat. I live in Savannah, GA, so sight fishing isn't really an option for us since you can't see more than an inch in the water. I like flats boats, but mainly for their looks and speed. A poling platform would be cool, but I wouldn't use it. I would love a casting platform, but my boat isn't suited for it. See where I'm going? I just want to make this boat look like a flats boat by putting stuff on it for under $2000. I know, the budget's tight. But I'm 15 and even though I work at my marina, a budget is limited with a 15 year old. 

I called the guy at Mckee Crafts(I know! They're back in business!) and he said there was a "newer" style side console that I could get for about $175. I also asked if there was anything else to put on the boat to make it look nicer and cleaner, but hasn't responded yet. So, hopefully between you guys and him, I can come up with something to make this boat nicer. Thanks again.


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## devrep

Ryan, my dad fished an old 14 ft aluminum FeatherCraft his entire life. He bought it new when I was 2 years old and had it until he passed away 45 years later. He caught more fish than most people will ever dream of and had his picture in Sports Afield magazine 3 times (way before the internet). It's not about the boat. You have plenty of time to work up to a big ego skiff. Have fun.


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## GG34

Ryan, there are great places to sight fish in savannah. Don't rule it out. You are 15. Be grateful you can go fish. You are lucky. Enjoy what you have. Don't waste money. Wait until you can afford it.


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## SWFLrunner

Good for you, you've got interest and drive, that counts.
If you think a platform would be cool that's reason enough. Maybe you just hang out up there, whatever, nothing wrong with that. Put some sweat into it. Make the glass look good. Learn what it takes to resore it to a shine. Get new decals for the hull after. An old boat with good glass gets you cred in my book, more than tooling by in an off the shelf super expensive flats boat. Plenty of people flats boat up hulls like this. Learn how to put decks in it, or go classic 13 Whaler with it and do some wood work inside. Effort = Reward. Google whaler flats boat and get some ideas.
One thing though, I'd take cruising around the river in a "crappy" Mckee craft over walkin' any day and don't forget to go fishin'.


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## Ryan Anderson

Thanks guys. The whaler flats boats have definitely given me some inspiration. I just saw a 14' McKee Craft with a teak back deck/bench. i think i will do something like that instead of fiberglass since I have almost no experience with fiberglass. I will search up how to make a poling platform and casting platform(cheap! though). Probably will try to find an inexpensive trolling motor and fish in it until I have enough money to get a bigger engine. What is your suggestion for making the interior and exterior look brand new? I don't have access to paint it, or a sprayer, and my dad wouldn't go for taking everything off the boat to paint it. Thanks again. I have never really thought about the whalers as inspiration!


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## bryson

@Ryan Anderson rethink sight fishing. Charleston has similar water. You aren't ever sight fishing like the clear water boys in the Keys (okay, maybe in the winter you see a few "laid up" fish), but you're looking for movement on the water. Tails, wakes, pushes, anything to let you know there is a fish just below the surface of that chocolate milk we deal with. Trust me, it's exhilarating and it will eat you up once you get a feel for it. Go to local events and meet some guys that know what they are doing, and they can give you pointers to shorten up the learning curve.

There's not much worse than the guy with the 60k flats boat that has no idea what he's doing, and makes huge monthly payments on it just to live the "salt life." Don't be that guy. Most everyone has more respect for a good captain/fisherman in an older boat than they do for the wannabe in a high-end skiff.


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## Ryan Anderson

Ok. Thanks. Will definitely consider sight fishing


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## TylertheTrout2

@bryson nailed it!! Ryan, go fish! Stop worrying about your image out there, I know your generation is documenting every damn move y'all make on social media so I'm sure you've got buddies with nice stuff or see other boats out there that are badass, whatever, so I can see why you wana "look cool" or "legit" on someone else's phone screen due to the condition of your boat. Your incredibly fortunate to have the boat at your age, I had a POS 13' Gheenoe with a 7hp on the back when I was your age and worshiped that thing lol. Step back, appreciate where you are and what you have...and go focus on being a better angler through and through! That way when your googan buddy wants to take you on his badass skiff you can show him how to actually fish OR when you parents see you progressing as an angler and captain...maybe they'll get you that used Mitzi or Saltmarsh or Maverick or whatever! I can understand that you want to make the boat look a bit nicer tho, clean her up real nice...add some rod holders, etc. Good luck dude, GO FISH!!!


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## fsae99

Are you catching a lot of fish out of it now? If so, do nothing to the boat and fish more. If not, do nothing to the boat and fish more. 

If you fish the bejesus out of that boat the way it is, I promise you in 40 years you will look back on it as some of the best times of your life.


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## Ryan Anderson

Fsae and tyler, thanks for the encouragement. Would be your best way to clean the boat and make it spotless?


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## TylertheTrout2

@Ryan Anderson Head to ACE or wherever and get you some boat soap, a scrub brush and maybe some Starbright Rust Remover for the rust stains, maybe some On/Off spray too if you have some tuff stains that don't want to come up. Hey...YOUTUBE IT!!!!!  Cheers


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## fsae99

I use tide with bleach and CLR cleaner, do not mix together.


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## Mike C

If it's your boat, then have a heart to heart with your dad about what your desires are. Guarantee he will tell you some things you don't want to hear.

If you want it to look nice, then clean and shine it up like posted above. The other option is to sand, fill, roll and tip it in the colors you like. Don't cut corners on the prep work or materials though.

If you like music then put a Bluetooth receiver and a couple of speakers in it. You'll probably want an amplifier also.
If you do that, you'll need a deep cycle battery.

You mentioned a trolling motor. Mount it up front where it belongs. If you buy a transom mount motor. Pull the screw at the top of the shaft and spin the head around.

You can spend a ton of time and money on it, and it will never be what you want it to be.

Another option mentioned above (more than once), just fish the crap out of it.

I see old and young guys out in crappy looking boats all the time. One thing most have in common is they catch fish. It's not the boat, it's the guy holding the rod.

Save money and buy your dream boat when you can afford it.

Waiting sucks.
We've all been there.

Don't forget, you need wheels to tow it to the water. Do you have a truck or other capable towing vehicle?
You'll need money for that too. 

Set REALISTIC priorities and post them on your wall so you can see them daily. Include pics too.
Your priorities will change from month to month and even weekly if they are visible. Ask anyone that has built a custom home.

It's tough being in an older boat and seeing the shiny new ones go ripping by.

Don't forget though, you have a boat and there are tons of people that envy YOU for having it.

I say clean it up really well and fish in the living crap out of it.
Learn what will work for you by using this McKee to its full potential.

Then, and only then will you have a real idea what you need and want


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## Pierson

Dude you are 15! Be pumped you have a fisheable platform with a running motor. With that boat you can fish and leisure cruise all day long. Try not get jealous when you see those flats boats go by (i know its hard....) When I was your age all I wanted to do was pour money into my john boat and kayak to make it look cool and add flats boat features. I ended up spending more time doing that than fishing. It was when i sold both and got a paddle board that I realized the beauty of less is more. A damn surfboard with a cooler and a paddle has brought more fish to hand than you could ever imagine. Take that boat and fish fish fish! These are the golden years when you can get out on the water more than ever. TAKE ADVANTAGE. Spend your time fishing and mastering your skills. That way when you get older and have less time to spend on the water and more money to spend, you can pull the trigger on that perfect bad ass flats boat. 

As far as looking cool, nothing looks cooler than FISH IN THE BOAT. Remember that. No matter what platform you use.


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## WhiteDog70810

You are waaaay ahead of the game. Own it!

I always liked McKee Craft boats. They are solid, multi-purpose, do anything workhorses. Does the engine start when you turn the key? Does it try to sink underneath you? Do parts fall off when you trailer it down the road? If not, at the 15 years old, you have a better boat than many guys twice your age. If you are getting 32 mph out of a workhorse, rock on! I would be tickled to get 25 mph from my boat. A bigger motor is a waste of money and fuel (more money) on that hull and it would result in a loss of fishing performance. 

As stated, if you want to stand out, detail the snot out of it. Clean the rust/tannin stains, learn to fix gel coat blemishes, fair the previous owners' sloppy repairs, clean/sand/replace and varnish the brightwork (some McKees have wood benches, etc) and wax and buff the hull. You will make a much better impression like that than by being another stereotypical teenage male trying to overpower a work boat.

Nate


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## SWFLrunner

Get us some pictures Ryan, there's instructions on how to attach them here on the board somewhere.


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## Ryan Anderson




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## Ryan Anderson

I don't know why 4 pics of each posted


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## devrep

Seriously. I was expecting a piece of crap from the way you were talking. That's a pretty nice skiff with a good looking motor.


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## Ryan Anderson

Yes. I get your point. But after a while, it just gets kind of boring, if you know what I mean. I t just seems not like a piece of junk, but something that I could make way much much nicer and more suitable for my needs.


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## Mike C

A really good cleanup followed by waxing will make it look great. 
If you want it to look flashier, then sand the sides down and paint in your color choice. Remove any trace of wax before sanding. 
If you clean up the wiring and put it in a conduit or flex loom, it will look much better too. Don't let it look sloppy. It will change your opinion of the craft.
Have a place for everything to include your ropes. Put them away when you aren't using them.
If you don't have a helm seat, get on Craigslist and find one.
Lots of things can be done to spruce it up. 
The best looking boats don't have messy wiring and hardware. 
Rust spots and stains should be removed. Polish up the bright work and you'll be amazed at how good the I'll ol' girl will look.


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## Ryan Anderson

thanks for the responses guys. Will do all of these things and put pics up here when done. Any more suggestions before I start doing things?


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## Pierson

I would get rid of the rails up front, add a trolling motor, and like people have said detail the boat and find a place to stow all you miscellaneous boat stuff and that thing will be a mean fishing machine!! Clean boat man! I would be floored to have that at 15!


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## Ryan Anderson

Thanks Pierson! Here's the rundown of the goal to have it like: like you said, remove rails, add trolling motor, maybe paint the sides and or the interior?, wax and buff the heck out of it, fill in all random holes(there's probably like 50 of them), make a poling platform(if you guys have a link on how to make one or somebody that makes a fairly inexpensive one then I would love to know), make a casting platform(same with the poling platform, any help would be appreciated), get a new side console(I'm in touch with the guy at mckee craft boats and said there were a lot of the newer style side console for sale, I also will put in a new switch panel that I already have), clean up the back definitely, rub rail, will also make a teak back deck to replace the white bench and add storage, and fix any other fiberglass rough spots and rust stain. This is just temporary and the goal for this boat. Again, I am open to any other suggestions. Should I add this or not do this? Again, thanks for all your responses. You guys have been very helpful.


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## yobata

I have seen a few casting platforms made out of lawn furniture spec pvc tubing. You can even get it in black which looks a bit better than the white pvc. Do a search, I think LWalker did this on his 14' re-build.... or use a cooler


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## yobata

https://www.microskiff.com/threads/14-rivercraft-rebuild-into-flats-skiff.17276/page-11#post-121046


















Read thru that thread, it's very helpful for brainstorming some ideas...


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## LowHydrogen

Ryan Anderson said:


> Thanks Pierson! Here's the rundown of the goal to have it like: like you said, remove rails, add trolling motor, maybe paint the sides and or the interior?, wax and buff the heck out of it, fill in all random holes(there's probably like 50 of them), make a poling platform(if you guys have a link on how to make one or somebody that makes a fairly inexpensive one then I would love to know), make a casting platform(same with the poling platform, any help would be appreciated), get a new side console(I'm in touch with the guy at mckee craft boats and said there were a lot of the newer style side console for sale, I also will put in a new switch panel that I already have), clean up the back definitely, rub rail, will also make a teak back deck to replace the white bench and add storage, and fix any other fiberglass rough spots and rust stain. This is just temporary and the goal for this boat. Again, I am open to any other suggestions. Should I add this or not do this? Again, thanks for all your responses. You guys have been very helpful.


Use a cooler for a casting platform, it's cheaper and eliminates having to take up more space with a cooler since you'll need one anyway.

Edit: to add, my comment depends on what kind of cooler you buy. If you buy a pimptastic cooler, then @yobata comment about the PVC approach will likely be the most economical.


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## Ryan Anderson

Thanks guys. This has been really helpful. Keep the ideas coming. I'm open to anything.


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## Ethan_W

Don't get discouraged by other people riding around in 40 - 50k skiffs. You have plenty of time to save and decide what kind of boat really fits with what you're trying to do. You're 15, and have a boat. Lots of kids your age would love to be in your position. Looks at the McKee Craft as a learning experience. Learn how to fix the holes. Learn how to make that gel coat shine. Learn some outboard maintenance. Don't be afraid to get in there, turn a wrench, and get your hands dirty. In 5 or 10 years from now you'll look back at it and be grateful for the experience. 

P.s. YouTube and google are your friend!!


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## SomaliPirate

That's an awesome skiff and I fished Savannah for many years in a nearly identical one. It's all you need brother. As for sight fishing, head out to Skidaway. On the flood tide reds pile up along the wooded area that runs next to the UGA Marine extension docks. You can see them tailing and pushing water all the time. Now you have a sweet skiff and one of my super secret spots. Good luck!


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## SomaliPirate

SWFLrunner said:


> You'll put your eye out kid.
> LOL.....
> OK I'll bite, let's get to it.
> Your questions are too general. Make it stand out? You want it to stand out? Spray paint it orange, air brush a girl beaver on the side in a bikini and call it Beaver Squeezer and you'll get plenty of attention.
> Better? better at what? See what I mean?
> On the speed thing, I get it, speed is fun right? But I think your barking up the wrong tree on this hull. A 70 two stroke is about as much as you can reasonably go on this hull and that might get you to 40. That's meh for the money to me. The hull doesn't have enough displacement at the transom to go bigger and you're going to be weight shifting forward to get it to come out right I think. These small trihulls max out pretty early on the hp vs top end thing and have alot of drag.
> If speed is the priority I'd be looking at a hull that could hit at least 50 with a reasonable amount of hp. Now if you can get to 60, that's when the fun starts.
> Now get off my lawn.


Thanks to your first paragraph, I literally laugh-spewed monster energy drink all over my keyboard. Well done, Sir.


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## SWFLrunner

Nice skiff man!
You should get that motor hood touched up. You can do the real small stuff with a sharpie, even on the decals with colors red and black. You "dot" it in like the decal where it fades from red to black. I have a similar year 25 and did it and you can't see anything even right up next to it. It sounds hokey but it works. The big one might need a little touch up with an art brush. Let it dry and buff and wax it. 

Also vote for removing the front rails and filling the holes.

You have a really good base to work with there.


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## SWFLrunner

SomaliPirate said:


> Thanks to your first paragraph, I literally laugh-spewed monster energy drink all over my keyboard. Well done, Sir.


If I had the cake and a bad ass as off shore racer, oh hell yes!


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## Ryan Anderson

Thanks guys. I don't mind comments! I will probably start this upcoming week since I am going on a youth trip this weekend.


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## Ryan Anderson

Slow so fat. But installed the new switch panel.


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## Mike C

Couple more things for you to consider.
If you don't need it, and I'm sure you don't, get rid of the extra tongue jack.
The other is to buy some aluma clean or air conditioner coil cleaner. Carefully spray down your aluminum parts of your trailer and it will shine nicely.
I would go with the cooler casting platform. You get two uses out of it and can transfer it to a different boat at a later time


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## Ryan Anderson

Mike C said:


> Couple more things for you to consider.
> If you don't need it, and I'm sure you don't, get rid of the extra tongue jack.
> The other is to buy some aluma clean or air conditioner coil cleaner. Carefully spray down your aluminum parts of your trailer and it will shine nicely.
> I would go with the cooler casting platform. You get two uses out of it and can transfer it to a different boat at a later time


thanks Mike. The only reason I have kep the extra jack is just in case it falls over and it will catch the boat. I think the boat might be a little heavy for the jack we keep it on. I think I will go with the cooler casting platform. Any suggestion as to which cooler I should use. If yeti, then size


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## Ryan Anderson

For the wood deck, I am going to buy wood. Any idea how thick it should be in order for people to sit on it and how to mount it to the boat. Going to get teak varnish to put on it.


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## devrep

yeti 45 is the perfect height.


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## Ryan Anderson

Ok. Do you have any opinions about the wood deck? I'm thinking on how to do storage under it, whether it's cutting out hatches from the wood and adding hinges or just leaving the bottom open, but I think the bottom being left open looks a little cheesy.


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## devrep

depends on how you are going to support it. I only 1 center support probably 3/4". To stay light and thin would require more supports. Whatever you use make sure it is fully wetted in with epoxy or it will rot in a few years. Lots of nice skiffs have the open access under front and sometimes rear decks.


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## Ryan Anderson

Ok. Will probably do that then. Should I screw them in directly to the fiberglass or put some stainless steel brackets under them?


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## devrep

not sure, you could epoxy some tabs on and screw the tabs in. Do a little reading online, there is a lot of info out there.


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## Ryan Anderson

Ok. Thanks


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## yobata

Don't use screws. Sand any areas that you want to build on, wipe with acetone, use high quality epoxy and tab things in. Read through some of the build threads on here or on the Bateau forums if you don't have fiberglass experience.


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## Ryan Anderson

ok. Thanks guys. I'm paying the guy at McKee Craft for the newer style side console the one without the poles, and a new floor panel. My floor panel is really soft.


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## FishermanSailor

Enjoy your boat. Thirty-two mph is fast enough for your hull. It is a displacement hull, you could put a 100 hp engine on it and it would only go as fast as the hull design will allow it to go. More horsepower = more gas = more money. Remember, if the horsepower exceeds the manufacturer's rating it may be uninsurable. 

You don't need a new console. Think about it...for the price of a new console how much bait, tackle, and fuel could you buy? And how much fishing time would you have lost? I like fixing things myself, but I would rather be fishing. The weather is warm now in Georgia. School is almost over. Enjoy your time fishing now. Save the projects for the winter time.

Yes, we do have sight fishing in Georgia. Like it was said earlier, we don't have the clear water as in Florida. But, tailing redfish on the flats and marshes are sight to behold. Crooked River in Brunswick is excellent for sight fishing.

Remember if you put holes in the boat, ie. screw something to it or take something off (hand rails) you must seal the holes with epoxy, resin and glass, or 5200. Holes lead to rotting and fiberglass failure.

Definition of a boat - a hole in the water that you throw money into.


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## Mattmjm90

Here's my 1977 14' McKee Craft that's being restored.


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## Ryan Anderson

Wow! That is a clean looking boat! What did you use for your rubrail and interior paint? I ordered a new side console from Mckee Craft and it should be here soon. Sorry for not posting anything in awhile. Things have been slow since I've got pretty much one and a half weeks left in school, so have to study for finals. I will be continuing on this great project soon and will post more pictures.


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## Mattmjm90

The rubrail is just the original color. I cleaned the rubrail with acetone. The interior paint was a color match of the original gelcoat from Home Depot. It was their exterior porch/patio oil paint (not impressed with the quality of it). The exterior paint I highly recommend. It's rustoleum professional high performance enamel.


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## Ryan Anderson

Thanks. Looking forward to more pics of yours and mine.


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## Ryan Anderson

Ok guys, sorry for not posting in a LONG time, but I've decided against the wood deck. I am seeing lots of old pics of these boats with the rear decks with storage and a livewell and I really want that since it will save space and look nice. Does anybody know how to get one of these or build one? Any help would be appreciated. Also, I'm going to get a poling platform, mainly for looks. Also, the new side console should be here in a few days now, so I will post more pics when it arrives. Thanks if anybody has been sticking with this drawn out project.


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## Seabreeze

Here you go this should help you get started on getting it spit shinned

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...B7310B678FBF206827DBB&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT


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## Ryan Anderson

does anybody know how to get one of the rear decks for the 14' McKee Craft or build one?


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## Ryan Anderson

I'm sorry guys, the new console still hasn't come in yet. As soon as it comes in, I will post pictures. I'm still open to ideas for the boat. But seriously, even if you don't know where or how to get one of the rear decks, then respond that you don't know how.


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## Ryan Anderson

sorry about that whole controversy thing earlier, but can you guys at least say you don't know where to get one of the rear decks?


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## Ryan Anderson

why won't anybody respond about the rear deck? I even posted a new thread. Please respond. I need this boat with a deck for the rest of the summer.


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## GG34

Ryan, most people probably have no idea where to find a mckee craft rear deck. Google it.


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## Ryan Anderson

I can't find anything on Google. The latest post I saw on it was from 8 and 9 years ago. So...


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## mtoddsolomon

Dude, just fish it how it is or make one. Yelling at all of us for not knowing about your boat isn't going to do anything. Nobody answers because we don't know.


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## WhiteDog70810

I expect you will have to make one, but call up McKee Craft and ask. Maybe you'll get lucky and it will be a standard bolt-on part in one of their current models. If you have to make one, the epoxy work is straight forward and a rear deck is an easy project to learn on because there are no curves. Until you can get the time and supplies together, go fishing. 

McKee Craft hulls are not terribly common on this forum, so I'd advise you to check out a McKee Craft forum if you need more specific advise.

Nate


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## noahvale

I had a 16' McKee for a long time. I removed the walk through windshield and put an aluminum center console on. It had a gas hungry 2 cycle 90 Merc on it. I got a plastic 25 gallon tank, mounted it on the rear floor and then built a rear deck out of treated 1/2" plywood with treated 2x4 supports. Not very pretty, but it worked great for many years before I sold it. Total cost a couple of hundred bucks. A proper deck will cost you quite a bit more.


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## POCtied

Ryan there are easier ways to meet girls...


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## Ryan Anderson

hey guys, its been a while, but i thought i should post this since i've been thinking about it. I want to move some weight forward in the boat, and i think i will get a 12-15 gallon gas tank and put it in the front of the boat. How do you think i should go about doing this?


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## Bayfun

My son is a bit younger than you and we just restored the same boat. He wanted a center console design and we jazzed it up with a new paint job. 45 Merc. 2 stroke. 32mph top speed is about ideal for this boat. Any faster and the tri-hull design starts to walk left and right on you. He is working on learning to weld and plans on building a T-Top for it. Great fishing boat for the shallows. Good luck to you and happy fishing.


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## Ryan Anderson

Looks great Bayfun. Unfortunately, I'm selling mine and upgrading to an older 18 Maverick


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