Winter Project

[JimBuck]

I have an 1987 Sylvan Backtroller and was interested in doing some renovation. I would like to replace the wood floors/carpeting in the boat and have little experience with this type of task. Is it something that I could handle on my own? I enjoy getting my hands dirty in projects and I thought this might be a good one for the winter. Does anyone have any experience doing this? Any resources or important tools/insight into construction would be greatly appreciated.

A few other things that I would like to add/modify on the boat would be...

-Install Speakers to 1/8" adapter for MP3 player.

-Lengthen Rod Locker from 6' to 7'6"

-Install additional door for front casting platform storage.

Thanks guys,

-Buck

[marine_man]

I would check out this thread:

Boilerguy's Misfit Boat for a pretty good breakdown of what Boilerguy did when he re-did his boat.

On one of your items:

Install Speakers to 1/8" adapter for MP3 Player

, would you need an amplifier of some sort to make that work? Just connecting your MP3 player to a set of speakers isn't going to give you much for volume.

marine_man

[JimBuck]

Thanks Marine_Man. I'll look into that thread. In regards to the speakers....I was under the impression that they would be self-amplified? I'm pretty out of touch with the marine-audio industry so that might sound a bit far-fetched. Any recommendations on speakers that can kick out some good sound and are fairly priced?

[Ralph Wiggum]

I can't help you but I have an '87 Backtroller, too. My rod locker is 7'. Are you sure yours is only 6'???

Mine has a radio and speakers, so if you have any questions about that, ask away.

[JimBuck]

Nice boat Ralph! Is the interior stock? Very clean. I have pretty much the same setup. As far as the rod locker goes...I have a few 7' sticks that I use often and have always found the locker a bit to small for comfort. More than anything it's just awkward placing more than 3 rods in there and then shutting it without readjusting etc. I like how you've added the rod holders near the gunwhales. I noticed that you installed the stereo over one of the storage spots. I was curious as to why you chose to place it there. Also, where are your speakers placed Ralph? I'm juggling around a few options on speaker placement but I'd like to hear what you came up with.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I actually just bought it this fall, and those photos are from before I bought it, so I didn't do any of the work. I think the layout is stock. I measured the rod locker at 7', but I would imagine some 7' sticks might be a tad too long. I've never used it yet since I have just cat and sturgeon fished out of it thus far and those rods are too big. The rod straps near the gunwales work out pretty well, though.

The stereo is stuck in one of the storage cubbies. It works, but I don't really put much in there under it.

As for speakers, there are two in the back (one by the fire extinguisher and one under the depth finder) and two up front (on the vertical wall where the front deck drops down). The back ones required some styrofoam to be cut out.

Since getting it, I have added RAM rod holders all around the gunwales and added some power plugs for things such as a spotlight and my H2Oc. Also put a swing tongue on the trailer. On the agenda for spring is adding a couple of new cleats for anchor ropes, a bowmount trolling motor, and installing my X67c up front. I want a new graph/GPS in the back, but budget only allows so much.

Do you have a bowmount on yours?

[glenn57]

i redid mine last winter, new wood and carpeting.wasnt that bad but my sun-in-law who does cabinetry for a living helped a ton. had to do a bit of creative thinking. used treated plywood, bought marine carpeting and contact cement, aluminum self tapping screws, and staple gun, we carefully took out the old wood to use as a pattern recarpeted it and rescrewed it back in. used the contact cement and stapeler to attach carpet to plywood. added an anchormate for the misses, tolat cost about $1100.

[JimBuck]

That's a good idea for speaker placement. I typically don't use those cubbies in the back too often and there easy to get at so that's a good option. So your speakers run off of the amplifier built into the cd player right? I was looking for a way that I could install a simple 1/8" jack instead of purchasing a cd player but then I have to worry about an amplifier.

This year I picked up a 522i that sits on a ram mount close to where your x67c resides. I love the unit but have one problem. When fishing from the bow and looking back at the GPS/graph. I can't see the contour depths from my lakemaster chip since they don't scale with the zoom function. Now, I don't want to go out and drop the dough on another 522 for the front since money is tight. I've thought about adding an additional ram mount closer to the bow so I can place my graph/GPS there. I also thought it'd be nice to hook up a small screen in the front that could somehow connect the 522's "video out" allowing you to see whats happening on the unit in back. These small screens are super cheap these days and would be a cost efficient alternative to buying another new unit.

I do own a bowmount. 55lb. Co-Pilot I purchased a few years back. Besides the control board frying out it's been a good motor. It can get tight up front without the motor in the water though. When I redo my boat I'm pushing that front casting deck back another 4 inches along with the seat mount. I'd also like to remove that storage door from the top of the platform and put it on the side where you had mounted your speakers.

[JimBuck]

i redid mine last winter, new wood and carpeting.wasnt that bad but my sun-in-law who does cabinetry for a living helped a ton. had to do a bit of creative thinking. used treated plywood, bought marine carpeting and contact cement, aluminum self tapping screws, and staple gun, we carefully took out the old wood to use as a pattern recarpeted it and rescrewed it back in. used the contact cement and stapeler to attach carpet to plywood. added an anchormate for the misses, tolat cost about $1100.

Glenn, what size of boat do you have? Is it a console? I'm asking because I've been trying to do some estimates to see if I can swing it (fiscally) and I'm coming out with around $600

[Ralph Wiggum]

Cool, I was going to go with a 55 lb. Is that plenty of power?

The only graph I have right now is an old Eagle in the back. I have an X67c I use for icefishing, so I figure I will plop that up front and buy an new sonar/GPS in a year or so for the back.

Yeah, the speakers are run off of the amp in the radio. It's an ancient stereo, but it works.

I agree that the front deck is small. That's my one beef with the boat. But, it was in nice shape and the price was right. Plus, the front deck doesn't really matter in cat and sturgeon fishing, and most of my bass fishing is done at my in-laws cabin, where there is another boat, so it's not too big of deal for me.

What do you have for a motor? Mine's a 1993 Merc 60. It'll scoot about 35 MPH on the GPS with just me, but it likes to porpoise with a light load.

[JimBuck]

I think the 55lb. is plenty for me. I'm not fishing much in serious chop and even then... A windsock works wonders. I've got an 88' 45hp. Mariner. She's been a good running engine.....idle's nicely but like most older 2 strokes she loves the petrol. I've clocked myself at 27mph on a good day. Porpoising occurs sometimes under a light load but nothing too drastic. I think this boat is just a great all around boat. Wide enough to handle some decent chop, but super light so it sits high in the water and is easy to land/maneuver. What do you run for lighting on your rig? I recently bought the HK Best LED's for the shack and they seem to work very well. I might be picking up a few of those for the boat.

[glenn57]

i have a 16 ft lund stinger and no its a tiller. my costs also included about $180 for fuel for the shed we used to work in so the glue would dry. the layout is similar to R.W. pictures of his boat. with that i also had some leftover carpeting and wood and screws. used wood and screwa to redo my snowmobile trailer.

[Ralph Wiggum]

What do you run for lighting on your rig?

Nothing. Other than the two courtesty lights in there which I rarely use, I just use headlamps. And if I need something brighter, I generally have two spotlights onboard.

[sparcebag]

Wiggum could you post a pic of your boat inside bow? Thanks

[Ralph Wiggum]

This is the best I can do right now. It's in storage for the winter. This is from the day I took it to storage.

[Eric Wettschreck]

JimBuck, Good thing you're planning on doing this for a winter project. When I redid my boat it took way longer than I thought it would. It was truely a labor of love. However, I'm totally pleased with the outcome. You have the option of building things exactially how you want them.

Good luck to ya. Can't wait to see some pictures.

[JimBuck]

BoilerGuy, I had a chance to check out your thread from your own building adventure. Very inspirational and well documented. Was there any special equipment that you didn't expect to use during the project? I have most of the basic tools (power saw, drill etc.) and plan on using wood for the floor. Did it end up costing more than you imagined?

Cheers,

-Jim

[Eric Wettschreck]

Mine actually came in under budget. However, it should be known that I built a lot of stuff myself. What I didn't build, I had laying around. (I have a lot of stuff)

Doesn't take much for special tools. A good jig saw is a must. Don't skimp and go cheap on the carpet glue, either. I found out that there's a big difference in the cheap junk and the higher quality stuff.

Also, all your fasteners should be either stainless steel or aluminum. I went with aluminum rivets and stainless everything else.

Iffin you get stumped or have questions, fire away my man.