# 1981 Sea Nymph Fishing Machine 16'



## baitguy

I just bought a 1981 Sea Nymph Fishing Machine. It's a project boat, 16'. It's solid, just been neglected, will be tearing out the floor, check for leaks, replacing the foam if needed, new carpet and etc. The motor is console steering, a Johnson 55 HP, I believe it's also an '81, and a 15 HP Johnson kicker of unknown age but probably around then as well. Does anyone have any input good or bad about the boat and the motors? Any suggestions for the refurbishing project would be welcome. Thanks


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## derekdiruz

www.tinboats.net

look around their jon boat resto section, it's quite awesome what some people do with their boats.


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## All Eyes

In 2001 I gutted my 1989 Sea Nymph down to the hull and rebuilt it with a different layout. The original boat had an aluminum bench seat in the bow which acted as the front support for the casting deck that I added. My livewell used to sit in front of the console, and now is under the center of the deck along with 2 storage hatches on either side. On the front of the deck I mounted stereo speakers and a light. My console used to be completely bare, and as you can see I added switch panels, compass, lighter, and temp gauge. Somewhere on a disc I have pictures of the rebuild with good before and after shots. I was very happy with the results because I wanted it to look factory and for the most part it does. Other than the motor and rebuilt transom, this is what it looks like now. It's a completely different looking boat than the original. It had carpet, but no storage hatches so all my gear (life jackets, anchor, etc) would just lay on the floor. It was so nice to finally be able to tuck all of it away and out of sight. The back was also a bench seat that is now decked over.
Whatever you decide on, just use marine grade wood and try to avoid the budget grade carpet. That stuff just doesn't hold up very well. Good luck and please post some pictures.


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## fastwater

Looks great All Eyes. You did an excellent job.


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## bountyhunter

had a 1985 ,was a very good boat. mine had a 48hp ,and it,d fly. do it right and it,ll be around a very long time.


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## Lewis

I have a Sea Nymph fishing machine I've had for over 20 years. It's a great boat!


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## baitguy

That's a really nice looking boat Eyes Laugh that's not quite what mine looks like now, whoever did the last work used a chain saw to cut plywood that kinda sorta fit close to where it should, fastened it down with self tapping sheet metal screws, and didn't bother to treat or cover it with anything, so it's all delaminating ... I'll take some before picts and try to put them up ... a couple questions ... did you replace the foam with spray in stuff or lay in? How long / wide is that boat? Did you glue the carpet? Did you do anything below the deck to facilitate water removal like a bilge pump type thing?


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## All Eyes

Thank you for the nice comments everyone. Here is a picture I found that shows what the interior of my boat looked like before the rebuild. It's a Fishing Machine 146. The carpet was sun baked pretty bad and looked almost pink. The floor was rotting and spongy. You can see the spot where the livewell was before I removed it. It's the box shown sitting up front where it is now. Once I took it out I realized that it was the exact same height as the front bench seat. That's when the idea occurred to me that it was a perfect support for a deck. The 3rd photo shows the sub floor support and the shape of my storage hatches underneath. The top layer not shown goes over top with the hatch covers. (if that makes any sense) I also added a front cleat for my pedestal mount butt seat. The round gauges on the console were just drawn on paper and stuck there for looks while trying to decide what would work best. I ended up with switch panels that fit perfectly for the space I had. More time was spent thinking about all of this than actually doing it.

Baitguy- Not sure I would recommend a chain saw to cut your new floor boards. LOL! That's terrible! The good news is that once all that hokey stuff is removed, you can make it look like a brand new boat. Regarding the foam, I removed all the old stuff under the floor and bunks and replaced it with spray in foam. It swells quite a bit and had to be shaved level to accept the new wood. The carpet was glued down with marine carpet adhesive using a beaded trowel, and then screwed down with stainless screws. One thing I did that worked out great is I ran a section of 2" PVC pipe down the center under the floor from front to back into the battery compartment. All the wiring for the trolling motor, lights, horn, speakers, livewell, etc, run through it. What's nice is that you can add or replace electronics or whatever to the bow and run the wires from front to back without any restrictions or taking the floor back out. Access to the tube is under the bow hatch. The old wiring was run through the bunk rail and was a pain to try and feed wire through it. A bilge pump was added to the rear although it rarely gets used because the boat doesn't leak a drop. I've never had to snug any rivets or do anything to make it water tight. It's just never leaked since I bought it in 93.
When it comes to replacing your carpet, make sure that you run every piece with the nap or grain running the same way. If you see two pieces butted together with the nap running in different directions, it's easy to see what I mean. It almost looks like two different colors of carpet the way the light hits it. Another recommendation I have is to screw down a thin waterproof laminate (preferably one with a texture) to the top side of your flooring and glue the carpet to it instead of the plywood itself. It helps cut down any bulges from swelling wood over time. Let me know if you have any questions along the way. Best of luck! John


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## Lewis

All Eyes, I have the exact same boat, only in blue. Nice job!


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## All Eyes

TY Lewis. They are great little boats. Never met anyone with a Sea Nymph that didn't like it. They haven't made them in a long time since Lowe bought them out, but I still see them quite often. They made them in red, blue, and a tan/brown color.


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## baitguy

Eyes, or anyone else feel free to chip in your 2 cents ... what did you use to fasten the floor to the boat frame? I'm planning on using 5/8 or 3/4" plywood, looking into rivets but they don't seem to make any that are long enough, I'm thinking they'd have to be inch and a half. I'm concerned that screws might back out from the vibration and pounding. Haven't torn the carpet up yet, but the previous "rebuilder" had either a fascination with, or a large supply of, self tapping sheet metal screws with a hex head and from the bumps I see under the short pile indoor carpeting that he installed there's a good chance that's what he used for that. So likely no help there seeing what they did at the factory.


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## bountyhunter

when I did mine I used stainless screws thats what the factory used.


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## All Eyes

bountyhunter said:


> when I did mine I used stainless screws thats what the factory used.


X 2. Never had any problems with them backing out.


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## All Eyes

When screwing your decking down to the framework, just try to work around any existing holes that are there and make new ones where possible. Pre-drill a small diameter hole and sink the screws in with a drill. They bite into the aluminum really well. I carpeted my deck pieces before screwing them down which left me access to tighten them later. I have only found a couple that have needed it from time to time.


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## baitguy

So you put the carpet on the floor boards first, then fastened thru both? I'm assuming you used some sort of self tapping screw? Were they Phillips or square head screws? There must have been at least 2 or 3 pieces, do any of the seams leak at all?


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## All Eyes

baitguy said:


> So you put the carpet on the floor boards first, then fastened thru both? I'm assuming you used some sort of self tapping screw? Were they Phillips or square head screws? There must have been at least 2 or 3 pieces, do any of the seams leak at all?


Not sure what you mean about seams leaking. The screws only go into the supports and not the hull itself. Look at the pic I posted of the gutted boat and you can see the support frame that the boards get fastened to. The carpet was wrapped and glued to every piece before they were screwed down. I gave myself a 3" overlap of carpet for every piece and once glued down I used stainless staples to fasten the bottom edges. The screws I used are phillips head and not self tapping. And though it may sound impossible, there are 22 individual pieces that have carpeting in my boat. 8 hatch lids, 2 bunk boards, 4 floor boards, 2 pieces on the console, 2 deck support walls, and 4 pieces on the floor inside the storage hatches. I also put a 2" drain hole in each corner of the rear floor and capped them with drain covers. They help a bit with standing water on the floor when it rains.


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## bountyhunter

follow EYES directions ,I did mine the same way, lot of pieces and a lot of pre drilling .drill a hole put a screw in . .10,000 screws later you,ll be done.[ you don,t need a million screws about every 12 inchs ]


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## baitguy

I understand the floor is fastened to the supports and not the hull, was thinking of the places on the floor, anywhere really, where 2 pieces butt, if you did them all separately there would be a seam there. I took another look at your picts, looks like one of those floor seams is right by the drivers station? I guess if you snugged them tight the carpet would compress a bit and prevent that. I was under the impression that the carpet would be put over the floor in one piece covering the fasteners. lol at least that's how they did it in a couple of the videos I've watched. I know I'm gonna be a drilling and screwing machine. Trying to get as much of this sorted out before I start so I have time to get as much of everything I need as I can and able to keep forging ahead when I get started, some of it may take a while to find and acquire. If the screws you used weren't self tapping, how do they stay tight? were you able to thread the holes or put nuts on them somehow? The drain holes sound like a good idea ... my framework might be somewhat different, you seem to have a metal bulkhead in front of the transom that I don't have on mine, the floor goes all the way to the back. Do you store your fuel tank underneath in that area in front of the motor?


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## bountyhunter

baitguy said:


> I understand the floor is fastened to the supports and not the hull, was thinking of the places on the floor, anywhere really, where 2 pieces butt, if you did them all separately there would be a seam there. I took another look at your picts, looks like one of those floor seams is right by the drivers station? I guess if you snugged them tight the carpet would compress a bit and prevent that. I was under the impression that the carpet would be put over the floor in one piece covering the fasteners. lol at least that's how they did it in a couple of the videos I've watched. I know I'm gonna be a drilling and screwing machine. Trying to get as much of this sorted out before I start so I have time to get as much of everything I need as I can and able to keep forging ahead when I get started, some of it may take a while to find and acquire. If the screws you used weren't self tapping, how do they stay tight? were you able to thread the holes or put nuts on them somehow? The drain holes sound like a good idea ... my framework might be somewhat different, you seem to have a metal bulkhead in front of the transom that I don't have on mine, the floor goes all the way to the back. Do you store your fuel tank underneath in that area in front of the motor?


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## bountyhunter

puting down in one piece in my opinion is a no, no, in pieces you can lift one out,make a repair of some thing and put it back. the screws will hold not being tapped ,take a piece of aluminum and do a test.the screw will thread itself in tight and won,t come out.


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## All Eyes

The factory floor was 3 pieces. Front, middle, and rear. I basically put the same back in except for a small additional piece in the battery compartment under the drivers seat bench area. The fuel tank is in the rear compartment. There is only one visible seam on the floor in front of the passenger seat where the bunks end. The seam butts very tight together and is a non issue. If anything seams help with water drainage. A one piece wood floor may not be the best idea IMO. There is a certain amount of flexing that goes on and one big piece would have more tendency to warp and twist. The stainless screws I used have a fairly deep thread and bite really well. No nut needed. Other than a couple, mine have stayed tight for many years. The wood swells to a degree and helps hold them in place also. Over time, you may want to go over your screws and check them for tightness. It's why I suggested screwing through the carpet. Otherwise, if one backs out and it's trapped underneath it will bulge and eventually tear a hole. If you are worried about the screws backing out, you can always put some glue or rtv sealant in the holes prior to screwing them down. Good luck and be sure to post some pics. John


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## All Eyes

The deck addition was like getting a brand new boat when I was done. Especially to the kids. No more sitting on the floor with the anchor and life jackets.  To save some money on hatch pull hardware, I used loops of black material that is like indestructible felt and screwed them to the underside of the hatch lids. Not only was it inexpensive, but it's comfortable to walk and lay on, and hooks don't get stuck in it like they will with other stuff like nylon. Just something to consider. 
This other picture shows my cd player which is under the console. I mounted it inside a glove box that I added. The access door is on the front side of the console and there is enough room next to the head unit for wallets, sun glasses, etc. You can also see the front light up under the bow. Really helps getting in and out of the boat at night and finding stuff.















View attachment 201161


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## All Eyes

bountyhunter said:


> follow EYES directions ,I did mine the same way, lot of pieces and a lot of pre drilling .drill a hole put a screw in . .10,000 screws later you,ll be done.[ you don,t need a million screws about every 12 inchs ]


It sure feels like 10,000 when you're done.  Projects like these are when it's nice to have 2 batteries for your drill. I killed my battery and switched to the corded drill in between charges. Wish I kept track of how many screws there are. It's a bunch.


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## moondog5814

All Eyes said:


> Thank you for the nice comments everyone. Here is a picture I found that shows what the interior of my boat looked like before the rebuild. It's a Fishing Machine 146. The carpet was sun baked pretty bad and looked almost pink. The floor was rotting and spongy. You can see the spot where the livewell was before I removed it. It's the box shown sitting up front where it is now. Once I took it out I realized that it was the exact same height as the front bench seat. That's when the idea occurred to me that it was a perfect support for a deck. The 3rd photo shows the sub floor support and the shape of my storage hatches underneath. The top layer not shown goes over top with the hatch covers. (if that makes any sense) I also added a front cleat for my pedestal mount butt seat. The round gauges on the console were just drawn on paper and stuck there for looks while trying to decide what would work best. I ended up with switch panels that fit perfectly for the space I had. More time was spent thinking about all of this than actually doing it.
> 
> Baitguy- Not sure I would recommend a chain saw to cut your new floor boards. LOL! That's terrible! The good news is that once all that hokey stuff is removed, you can make it look like a brand new boat. Regarding the foam, I removed all the old stuff under the floor and bunks and replaced it with spray in foam. It swells quite a bit and had to be shaved level to accept the new wood. The carpet was glued down with marine carpet adhesive using a beaded trowel, and then screwed down with stainless screws. One thing I did that worked out great is I ran a section of 2" PVC pipe down the center under the floor from front to back into the battery compartment. All the wiring for the trolling motor, lights, horn, speakers, livewell, etc, run through it. What's nice is that you can add or replace electronics or whatever to the bow and run the wires from front to back without any restrictions or taking the floor back out. Access to the tube is under the bow hatch. The old wiring was run through the bunk rail and was a pain to try and feed wire through it. A bilge pump was added to the rear although it rarely gets used because the boat doesn't leak a drop. I've never had to snug any rivets or do anything to make it water tight. It's just never leaked since I bought it in 93.
> When it comes to replacing your carpet, make sure that you run every piece with the nap or grain running the same way. If you see two pieces butted together with the nap running in different directions, it's easy to see what I mean. It almost looks like two different colors of carpet the way the light hits it. Another recommendation I have is to screw down a thin waterproof laminate (preferably one with a texture) to the top side of your flooring and glue the carpet to it instead of the plywood itself. It helps cut down any bulges from swelling wood over time. Let me know if you have any questions along the way. Best of luck! John
> View attachment 200838
> View attachment 200839
> View attachment 200840
> View attachment 200841
> View attachment 200843


Nice job on your boat. I would like to re-do the inside of my Crestliner one of these days. I need to build a bigger garage, then I could work all winter on it.


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## baitguy

OK, got almost everything torn out, all the foam is gone down to metal that needs power washing ... the foam was soaked, I guess 35 years of neglect will do that for you. I didn't get much chance to inspect closely, worked my butt off for 3 days getting it done, but doesn't seem to be much damage. Right now it's too cold to work on it, so getting things ready to forge ahead soon. Couple questions for the rebuild;

1) An associate has suggested drilling holes thru the ribs big enough to allow water to pass thru to the back. I don't think there's nothing of that nature now, so figuring it wasn't designed that way, and I'm not interested in trying to re-engineer it structurally. I don't see a bilge area for the water to collect and be pumped out. It's been mentioned here that if everything is tight water shouldn't get there. There's a small area, maybe 10 x 10, in the middle of the rear floor that's about 4" deep that drains, that seems to be it. Do your boats have bilge pumps? 

2) The hull under the floor was only about 75-80% filled w/foam. Not sure if that was for expense or something else. Planning on filling it all the way unless there's a reason I shouldn't. Doing it before floor install so can get it full and cut off excess. I'm seeing 4# foam recommended below the water line because it's denser and better resists absorbing water and petroleum products. I'm considering 2# for the 2 rear compartments to save weight, it may even have better flotation. Any thoughts on 2 vs. 4# foam? Planning on running some conduit under the floor and thru the side compartments for cables, wires and such. Does anyone know a local distributor to buy the mix and pour foam? Or should I just get it on the internet....

3) Thinking of putting the 2 batteries in front. There's room in the back but doing it for weight distribution. Is there a reason they should be in the back, nearer the motors? Do you see any issue with them getting bounced around more being in the front? Would running the cables to the motors 16' to the rear, 55 Johnson and 55 Minn Kota, be to much of a draw and run the batteries down faster? Or hinder charging in some way? Any other pros/cons either way?


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## baitguy

Another thing came up during consultation at Mabels ... Vinyl vs. carpet ... From my research the vinyl is supposed to clean better, or at least easier than carpet, and a couple questions came up;

1) Does vinyl clean a lot or a little easier? Or easier at all? Dirt, fish guts, smashed worms, spilled beer, you know
2) Does it get hotter / retain heat more than carpet?
3) Which one is more durable?
4) Is the 16 / 20 oz. carpet sufficient or would the 24 / 28 wear better?


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## Overwatchmike

baitguy said:


> Another thing came up during consultation at Mabels ... Vinyl vs. carpet ... From my research the vinyl is supposed to clean better, or at least easier than carpet, and a couple questions came up;
> 
> 1) Does vinyl clean a lot or a little easier? Or easier at all? Dirt, fish guts, smashed worms, spilled beer, you know
> 2) Does it get hotter / retain heat more than carpet?
> 3) Which one is more durable?
> 4) Is the 16 / 20 oz. carpet sufficient or would the 24 / 28 wear better?


Having 2 boats, one with vinyl and the other with carpeting I'll give you my .02.

Vinyl is so much easier to clean!!! You can vacuum it, scrub it, even use a pressure washer on it. It won't snag hooks and holds up extremely well.
Only downfall is that it will get hot and slippery with worm guts, fish slime.....

Carpeting is nice looking and won't heat up like vinyl. Problems are that it always seems dirty, a day fishing will trash it and you can never seem to get it clean. 

I have to beach my boats at my cabin and by the end of the week the carpet looks like its been in a house for 20 years and never cleaned. The vinyl is dirty but a quick spray with a hose and it looks like new.


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