Mercury Ocean Runner 430 Build Thread

[ba_fisher]

Hi everyone,

I'll try to use this thread to document my progress, and more importantly, ask for help.

Here's what I am starting with, a new Mercury Ocean Runner 430 hull:



and build it into something like this:




I've never done anything like this before. The closest thing I have done that could be remotely called DIY is to change a flat tire. So it would be, eh, fun.

Let the journey begin.

[ba_fisher]

The boat hasn't arrived yet, so I am just buying parts and planning.

I don't like the look of the standard seat from Mercury. Also it's too big and wastes a lot of deck space.





The boat will be mainly used for fishing, so I am thinking of getting a cooler seat instead. The problem is the part of the deck that's flat is too narrow. The deck under the pontoons (really it's just the sides of the boat) are slanted. This becomes a challenge for installing any seat that's wide enough for two people.

You can see that the standard seat bottom is slanted on both ends to allow for the shape of the deck.



But all the cooler seats that I can find have flat bottoms:

Wise 70 Qt Swingback Cooler Seat:




Wise 15.5 gal livewell/cooler seat:

[ba_fisher]

So here's what I am planning to do:



I'll bolt the seat to a stainless steel sheet cut to the same size as the bottom of the seat. The SS sheet will be screwed on top of a few King StarBoard studs.

At the front bottom of the seat, I will seal the space with a piece of 3/4" King StarBoard, screwed onto the front end of the studs. I don't want any toes or fish to be wedged in there.

Some gaps will be left at the bottom to allow water to flow through. I will probably cut a few holes bigger than depicted above.

Depending on the width of the seat and the angle of the deck, I may need more than 1 inch height of stud.



QUESTION: what thickness of SS sheet should I use? I think .1 inch (.25cm) should be more than enough, but it would cost about $100 to be cut-to-size and shipped to my home. Can I get away with something thinner and cheaper?

[Peter_C]

Why not build the base for the seat out of ABS? Then you could make it yourself with a pattern and a router. It would be reasonably light weight, completely weather proof for more years than the tubes, and easy to "glue" together. Starboard could even be utilized through the middle for support as your drawing shows.

Either way, first make a cardboard pattern, then a wood one to use as a pattern against a router follower bit.

Where are the battery, fuel tank, and boat accessories going to go? Did you decide on a console yet?

I bet you are getting excited.

[ba_fisher]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Why not build the base for the seat out of ABS? Then you could make it yourself with a pattern and a router. It would be reasonably light weight, completely weather proof for more years than the tubes, and easy to "glue" together. Starboard could even be utilized through the middle for support as your drawing shows.

Either way, first make a cardboard pattern, then a wood one to use as a pattern against a router follower bit.

Not sure about ABS, so I will read more about that first.

I thought about building a fiberglass base for the seat, but I am not sure if I can make it to the right strength (e.g., if I messed up with mixing the resin), and I don't want to find out only when the seat breaks free.

Where are the battery, fuel tank, and boat accessories going to go? Did you decide on a console yet?

The portable fuel tank goes behind the seat. I'll just tie it down.

The battery goes inside the console. My console (from Defender) should arrive tomorrow.

[ba_fisher]

The motor arrived today. The boat should arrive tomorrow. I'll have to buy a chain hoist from Home Depot to lift the motor. It's a Suzuki DF30ATL, at 168lb it's claimed to be the lightest of its class. Still, I'll get two buddies to help with the lifting and mounting.

The motor came by fedex on a pallet.




Hopefully my ladder will be strong enough. It's rated for 600 lb



There's a lifting hook once you remove the cowling.

[ncp]

ABS or Starboard - no need for any stainless. Everything looks good so far!

[Bombardc2]

This is my 340 that I converted last year


Sent from my iPhone using RIB Net

[Peter_C]

You should be able to toss the motor in place with two reasonably strong people. If you want to use a crane of some kind I can understand as that is how I move my outboard around. You can use shims once in place on the transom to get everything set before drilling.

Today West Marine special is...
LOWRANCE HDS-5 Gen2 Fishfinder/GPS Chartplotter with 50/200kHz Transducer | West Marine

The reviews are bad there but better on Amazon.
Amazon.com: Lowrance HDS-5 Gen2 Lake Insight Transducer: GPS & Navigation

It does not appear to come with maps so factor that into the price, but it does come with the transducer. Very good price for brand new. Your call, just throwing it out there.

[ba_fisher]

Peter, I saw the west marine ad, too. Yes, tempting. I was looking at the Lowrance HDS7 touch with the structure scan bundle. It costs $1000 after rebate. It might be good for finding rocks where the rock fish live, but not sure if it's that much better than the HDS5.

Also I went to harbor freight trying to buy a chain hoist, but the guy there heard my plans about putting it on a ladder and dissuaded me from doing it for safety reasons. So I'll just get a couple of guys to help me lift it.

[ba_fisher]

Unloading the boat from the truck. The good folks at Pacific Trailer in Newark, CA help me unload and set up the boat on the trailer. I can't say enough good things about them. Highly recommended!



The shipping company, and the Mercury packaging, on the other hand, leave much to be desired. The crate that held the boat was just fragile. One hole in the fabric!



That scared the heck out of me, but luckily it was just the canvas bag that wrapped the boat. Whew...

Sam at pacific trailer also helped me break down the crate, while I had to make a conference call for work.



Unwrapped, ready to be hoisted.




One small piece of the rub rail also go chipped during transport. Oh well.

[ba_fisher]

On the trailer, still waiting for the bunks to be adjusted



All done! Ready to go.



Arrived safely without hitting any one. Quite an accomplishment for my first towing experience.



Being inspected carefully by a prospective passenger.

[ba_fisher]

I pulled the trigger and bought the HDS5 fish finder that Peter forwarded. The price just can't be beat. I guess if it doesn't work out I can always sell it and won't lose too much. Thanks Peter!

[ba_fisher]

Put my console on there for a try out. The boat is more spacious than I thought. Looks like my friend and I can go with 4 kids at the same time. 2 kids on the trailer, and two kids on the bow box.





We will probably go out with kids in real flat safe places, like these sloughs near Alviso. By the way, Alviso has free launch, free parking and free water wash down.

[tworotorturbo]

Looks great! Good choice on the console. I have a folding engine hoist if you are ever in the east bay and want to borrow it. Keep it coming with the pics.

[ba_fisher]

Thanks tworotor. I'll see if 4 middle age guys can wing it without breaking any backs, but if I need to have to lift the engine again in the future, I'll definitely come and borrow your hoist.

[ba_fisher]

Mounted the motor with the help of two friends. We just held the motor upright and the back up the trailer. With the trailer's tongue jack fully up, the stern is low enough that we needed to lift the motor for about 3 inches up over the transom.

The motor is held in place with two clamps now. I'll drill 4 holes to bolt the engine down.






And the boat is feeling right at home in my garage. Except the bow locker has a really strong fiberglass smell, so I am using a fan to try to vent it out.

[Peter_C]

You can ask the motor manufacturer, or maybe a more experienced Ribnetter could answer, but you may only want to drill the two lower mounting holes for the motor. Make it so the motor can be adjusted up or down, and safety tie the clamps at the top so they can't come loose.

Unless you plan to add a bilge pump in, make sure to carry approximately a 1 gallon bailing bucket. One panicked crew member can quickly bail a lot of water

Looking good so far. Your maiden voyage should be coming up soon enough.

[ncp]

What Peter said on drilling holes.

Read up on engine mounting height before you just hang the engine on the transom and just start drilling. Also, when you do look inside, check the core and make sure it's not something that you need to seal with resin before proceeding.

[ba_fisher]

The motor's manual says that the bottom of the boat should be within 0~25mm from the anti-cavitation plate. I am at 30mm. Should I worry too much about the 5mm?