Alumacraft

[Topshelf]

Well I just picked up a "new to me" 1970's 16 ft deep V Alumacaft boat. The layout is it has three bench seats and a little V shaped bow seat? Anyway I have a couple of questions for you guys.

1) A previous owner must have worked on the transom and they removed the aluminum corner caps on the stern. So basiclly you have the raw aluminum edge from the stern facing up. I need to come up with something to cover that edge. I was thinking I would get a local welder to come up with a steel cap of some kind and just paint it black?

2) I need to recover the bench seats with some kind of indoor out door carpet or something? Any Ideas on something durable and cool.

[Bucket-Back]

You should replace the corner caps with stainless steel or aluminum to prevent disimilar metal corrision problems,the caps give strength to the transom and gunwales.Carpet on the seats would hold water and be wet on your seat,maybe try some light colored vinyl or boat canvas or splinter free wood.

[Swamp Monster]

For the seats, a light colored marine vinyl...available from any marina or BPS and Cabelas. If not vinyl, I'd go with some sort of spray on bed liner material etc. The softer types work well in boats to deaden sound and give grip.....I do the floor as well.

Those corner caps are pretty important to the transom so definitely get them fixed if your running any size engine on there.

[Topshelf]

I think its possible to weld aluminum right? Probably cost me a fortune to get it done but I guess thats the price of boats.

The original seat covering is that 70's carpet?. Pretty nasty stuff. That bed liner stuff sounds like a great idea for the bottom. I think you can buy that stuff in a can if I remember correct and just roll it on. Maybe I will price it out locally at a truck bed liner place. The problem with the seats is the bench portion is plywood. Not sure if that will work on ply or not?

[Swamp Monster]

Bedliner spray will work on on wood as well...at least some of the stuff does. The roll on stuff does as a friend did his utility trailer with it and I am considering it for mine. You can also use low nap marine carpeting for the seats but like mentioned, it will hold moisture. It's doable if you plan on mounting swivel seats so your not sitting on wet carpet. Carpet also helps with sound a bit. Both carpet and vinyl will wear faster than some sort of spray or roll on liner. (a number of boat companies line Crestliner are lining there utility boats in similar marterial and companies like SeaArk have been using it for years)


For the corner caps, I bet you could easily make (or have some made) some braces of some sort and bolt them in. Might be a cheaper option.
Aluminum can be welded and it would only take a couple pieces of heavy alumimum and not much welding really. Not sure what kind of cost would be involved but I bet there are folks here in the M-S world that could get it done pretty reasonably???

[Topshelf]

It has three swivil seats on removable old school U shaped brackets that fit over the bench and screw in place to the front and back of the bench. I cleaned up the seats backs and cushions and dried them out and they look fine and should work good. The majority of the bench's, (sides and ends) are aluminum its just the center section thats like 3/8" Marine Plywood. I'm thinking about just going over the top of the existing ply with new ply and then covering that with something? Cabellas has this vinyl flooring that looks decent and just glues down. To remove the old plywood and insert new into the U shaped brackets on the sides will be a seroius :rant: job. Much easier to just screw down som new ply to the tops on the benchs and then cover with something.

I'm going to go see a local welder this afternoon to see what he can do for me.. I have a 25 hp Evinrude thats going on it that wont stress the transom to much but I was sorta worried about those corners.

I'm working on adjusting my trailer rollers to the new boat hull and rewiring the darn thing. It looks like Moe, Larry and Curly were the electricians on the existing stuff. Its right out of the 60's commercial building scrap switches :(
Plus I have my GPS/graph, Trolling motor, new running lights and some extra accessory lights for whipping that I want to add. Hopefully it will be up and running for the maiden voyage Saturday!

Overall its a nice deep sided boat with a good layout that should be pretty safe in choppy water.
My old boat was a 16 ft John boat that was hairy if it got even a little choppy:yikes:

[Swamp Monster]

Sounds like a fun project....every boat is a project though! Be sure to post some pics!

[Topshelf]

I wish I would have taken some pre cleaning pic's. It was full of leaves, dirt, stuff that was unidentifable and smelled nasty. Now its clean and smells alot better :). I mounted my motor and my trolling motor, replaced the bow light and cleaned the seats up. Next I'm going to start the wiring process by stripping the old stuff out and putting in all new. Should get started tonight on it weather permitting. I need to mount the battery box not sure on the best location yet? I ordered a new fuse/switch panel the other day, should be in by the end of the week. So once the wiring is done, its just a matter of recovering the bench seats.

Before and after pic's will be posted. Thanks for the input guys!

I picked up some real nice marine/Automotive type carpet from the local surplus store for the bench's this afternoon. 12 bucks for 4 yards x 5ft wide. More than enough to do what I want.

Also stopped at a local sheet metal fab shop and they can make the corner braces out of some nice aluminum stock they have. Dropping off the drawing tomorrow and should be done by the afternoon :)