# 16' Aluminum boat Restoration/Mods



## midoh39

Hey all,
First time posting in this forum. Long story short my friend's grandma has had an old 16' aluminum boat sitting in here back yard for the last 7 years. We finally were able to talk her and his parents into letting us restore and modify the boat for our fishing needs. I have only seen it once, the frame itself is fine no dents or holes that we know of. The fishing platform/ benches are rotted so we will be pretty much gutting the boat. We are planning on making the fishing deck on the bow a tad larger, and we would also like to deck the bottom of the boat. We were lucky enough that the 25 hp engine was kept indoors since its last use. 
What would would like to do is outfit it with a trolling motor on the bow and a fish finder wherever we can manage to place it. Has any body ever restored an old boat, because we don't really have any idea where to start lol and we are looking for some good ideas on how to do this project right. I will post a picture of it when we start to work on it Thursday


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## fastwater

For starters...
...If you don't have any history on the boat as far as leaks goes...and since you are gutting the boat anyways... 1st step I would take after gutting the boat would be to put water in it to check for leaks. Replacing rivets or caulking if needed before putting the floor in. Second step would be to check the wood in the transom. Very good possibility with the age of the boat and setting out in the weather, it needs replaced.
You can go to _iboats.com_ and look in their 'aluminum boat' rebuild section for many tips and 'how to's ' on the various steps of the building process. Including replacing the transom wood, building the floor and platforms etc.

...forgot to add...DO NOT USE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD .
The chemicals used to treat the wood will eat the aluminum. Best to use untreated, primed and painted wood.

When you get to the engine, might as well plan on putting an impeller in it before you ever take it to the water. Very good possibility that some carb. work will be in order as well.


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## brent k

Take alot of pictures. Before and after. Take several pictures before you remove something and after you remove something. It ll serve you well as a guide. 
Also use only stainless hardware to limit rust and also limit corrosion if you attach to aluminum.
And be very generous when it comes to sealing wood and any surfaces. You cant be too generous with how many coats of sealers you apply just make sure you apply them correctly. Again as said above gut the boat and fill it with water to check for leaks. Yiu will want to replace and rivets while boat is gutted. Take and post some pictures so we can further help you. Without pics we are throwing darts blind.


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## midoh39

Thanks for the input guys. As is said my friend has already cleaned out the dirt and leaves. And removed the vinyal on the seats. I'll try to stop by today and get a few quick pictures.


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## brent k

midoh39 said:


> Thanks for the input guys. As is said my friend has already cleaned out the dirt and leaves. And removed the vinyal on the seats. I'll try to stop by today and get a few quick pictures.


Keep us posted


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## Phish_4_Bass

Soaping the hull and any seams makes pinpointing leaks easier when you can see bubbles


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## bountyhunter

look on U tube there a lot of info.


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## midoh39

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Here are some pics of what it looks like. Today we removed the front deck and the rear bench/seat. We didn't realize until we removed all the wood that inside the benches were big Styrofoam blocks that worked as an extra support below the plywood (Actually not a bad idea) and these seemed to be in pretty good shape so we can salvage them. We are going to use the front casting deck as a template for the one we would like to put in. So here she is guys, we are going to be power washing the inside on Thursday, and use the extra time to plan out our attack lol


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## brent k

That foam is also floation foam. The more foam u have in her the better she ll stay aloat if she capsizes. Just make sure it isnt water logged.


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## Fishingisfun

It looks like you have a good base for your project. Time to build the perfect fishing machine. Be mindful of what weight you add to the boat. Plywood is heavy and all the layers can make for the stated boat weight capacity being reduced. The weight of any decks and putting the anglers weight higher on the boat may effect the stability some. A neighbor had put casting decks and storage in his John boat the finished project was very heavy afterwards, so much so he reported to me stress cracks developed in the aluminum boat trailer it was on. He also believed he experienced shortened tire life due to the weight load. He believed he had over built the decks and structure supporting the decks. I believe 3/4" plywood and 2x4s was used. Best of luck with your project.


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## brent k

Can someone set up a link for the pics i cant view them from the outdoor hub app


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## midoh39

This happened before on a different thread I started lol, for some reason pictures uploaded from the members gallery won't show on the App


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## brent k

I c. Either way ill still post my suggestions. Ibgutted and restored my 16ft aluminum v last year. So i can be helpful. Pics do help alot tho.


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## HamiltonKdog

You may want to check this link http://www.tinboats.net/ the huys over there are very helpful. Plus the projects section shows many innovative solutions.

Flotation Foam is a 2 part liquid that you mix then pour in place. Great stuff and well worth the effort. Couple hundred extra pounds of flotation can make a disastrous day only a bad day. Also, since you are planning on a TM, add a manual bilge pump. Small boats tend to take on water mostly due to wind and wave action and a strategically located pump beats dipping every time.

Good luck and don't cut corners due to budget.


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## derekdiruz

If you need any other advice, I'd check out Tinboats.net. The people on that site know their stuff well. Also, there's hundreds-probably more, modifications just like this to sift through and read for information.


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## brent k

HamiltonKdog said:


> You may want to check this link http://www.tinboats.net/ the huys over there are very helpful. Plus the projects section shows many innovative solutions.
> 
> Flotation Foam is a 2 part liquid that you mix then pour in place. Great stuff and well worth the effort. Couple hundred extra pounds of flotation can make a disastrous day only a bad day. Also, since you are planning on a TM, add a manual bilge pump. Small boats tend to take on water mostly due to wind and wave action and a strategically located pump beats dipping every time.
> 
> Good luck and don't cut corners due to budget.


When pouring your foam you will want to make a dam so to speak to keep the foam from filling up your bilge and to keep foam from filling up along the keel so that you can have proper water drainage to your bilge. Keep that in mind. Also what you can do is build a form to make you foam blocks and then cut them to fit wherever you can fit them. Something for you to think about.


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## chatterbox

Way to go! Do not use any treated lumber because it will create a chemical action and eat holes in the aluminum. Great boat for a redo.


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## Gone Wishin

Pictures aren't working for me


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## midoh39

Hey guys 2 quick questions, we have successfully power washed the boat, and removed all from the benches. What would you guys suggest as a sealer that can be painted on the interior over the rivets? Ans what paint would you use to repaint a trailer. We are hoping to get this done Wednesday


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## Gone Wishin

The best sealer to use is called gluvit. There is a knock of called coat-it. It is much cheaper and works the same. Best option out.


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## derekdiruz

Gluv it inside on the seams, and steel flex on the outside covering the entire bottom. You'll never leak again.


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## midoh39

Well its been awhile but we are getting closer. We haven't been able to work on the boat with all the rain but we have made a template for the front deck. We are going to put new tires on the trailer and move it inside so we can work on it more consistently. We are going to carpet the front deck and benches, would lowes or menards have a carper that would work for this? My buddy's idea was to put in putting green carpet but I don't know how I feel about that lol. Any extra suggestions or input is more than welcome!


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## fastwater

I've been doing some bunk carpet shopping myself and haven't found anything here at Lowe's I wanted. The heaviest ounce outdoor carpet they had was the green almost shag carpet. But I want a short nap carpet for easier loading. Still need to check Menards. Am also considering plastic bunk skids as I usually load the deep v boat by myself and with only the 8hp tiller on the back, there's just not enough hp to run the boat up close enough to the bow eye to reach the winch strap before the boat stops short on the carpeted bunks. Bunks are adjusted as low as I can go. Tired of having to get feet wet backing the trailer down far enough to float boat on. Thinking the skids may help. 

You've probably already thought of this but with your new tires, install yourself some new wheel bearings and seals while you're at it.


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## ducman491

It might be hard to see in the pic but the guy that did my old boat used some stainless brackets bolted to the gunnel and the decking to brace the sides. Simple and effective. The blue carpet didn't get too hot in the sun, looked good and easy to hose off if a fish slimed it up. It was AstroTurf type indoor/outdoor carpet.


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## ducman491

ducman491 said:


> It might be hard to see in the pic but the guy that did my old boat used some stainless brackets bolted to the gunnel and the decking to brace the sides. Simple and effective. The blue carpet didn't get too hot in the sun, looked good and easy to hose off if a fish slimed it up. It was AstroTurf type indoor/outdoor carpet.


Also, one mod that I liked was he cut a hole in the front bench seat to mount a battery box for the bow troller and I wired the lights and fish finder to it as well. He covered it with wood and hinged it so it created a "cuddy" under the bow you could use it as storage but still sit on it if you wanted. I sat another battery in the back for the rear troller and fish finder which made them both last longer and there was still room for the outboard gas tank. 

The decking stopped about 18 inches from the transom so it would "lock" in the gas tank/battery and it wouldn't slide during trailering and still allow access to the drain plug and a visual if there was water under the decking.


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## midoh39

The boat has been moved inside and we are ready to start adding stuff


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## EyeCatchEm

My buddy added a wood "plank" onto his trailer to walk back and hook the winch on the bow during duck season to avoid getting wet. Thought it was a good idea


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## Wilecoyoteone

14’ sea nymph in progress


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## Wilecoyoteone

Gutted


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## Wilecoyoteone




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## fastwater

Looks great Wilecoyoteone!!!

FWIW...you added your pics to a 6yr old thread though. Your posts and excellent work may not get the recognition it deserves.


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