Scuba-doo build up

no excuses · 17 February 2009, 02:46

Bought a 5.4sr last August for $1200, main use will be for scuba diving, fishing and just playing around. This was advertised as a 1972 but was a 77. Tube and hull was in fair shape just needed a lil work. Trailer was pretty poor and not galvaniezed, came with the center console still in the plastic.

no excuses · 17 February 2009, 02:57

sold my old aluminum sled with the trailer that came with the SR for cash and a galvinized trailer. A friend from work sold me a 35hp tiller merc fo $75, it got me by for a while. Would do about 25mph with just me one on board and 20-21mph with two and dive gear wot. Found a set of 4 handles in a bargin bin from a local boat dealership, they had been on the shelf since 1998. They were asking $10 apiece and I talked them down to $5 a pop. Installed the center console, with a eagle VHF radio. Had to move the rear roller bunk up a ways because it hung past the end of the boat with the front roller as far back as it would go.

no excuses · 17 February 2009, 03:03

Also made up a set of trunks and opened up the a couple of holes. Used 3" PVC and some of the spare material that came with the boat, material came from a cover that was on the front of the boat.

no excuses · 17 February 2009, 03:07

girlfriend cut out the numbers for the boat and glued them on.

no excuses · 17 February 2009, 03:19

Installed a hummingbird 580 combo gps/depth finder and have the gps and vhf talking to each other. Also picked up a fresh rebuilt 92 yamaha 90hp. I am running a 17" prop and with me and 6 tanks, two weight belts and misc. gear it will get up to 44-45mph at 5500 rpms and slowly climbing. I have to watch the rpms or it will over rev. I might eventually go up to a 19" prop but really like how it comes out of the hole.

no excuses · 17 February 2009, 03:26

Ended up breaking my antenna from getting wipped around by the dive flag, even though I had it laying down by the tubes. So it was a good time to build a A frame to mount a flag pole, antenna mount, pole holders, and all around anchor light too. Also started to build a jockey seat that would hold a 12gal. or 45.5l tank and have a lil storage space also.

no excuses · 18 February 2009, 03:18

Had a local fab shop bend and weld me up a box out of 3.175mm marine. Also had them bend out a devider. There is a 25mm flange bent to the inside, will glue it down with 3m 4200 and also use stainless screws. Had a buddies wife sew up the seat, 13mm marine grade plywood, half circle foam 370mm x 812mm, and marine grade vinyl. I then used some 3mm x 25.4mm flat bar aluminum to protect the fabric from getting cut from the box frame. Then a stainless steel hinge was used to make it open and close.

no excuses · 18 February 2009, 03:24

opened up a few 25mm holes to let the tank have some fresh air to vent, some 4.76mm pop rivits hold the devider in place. Also used the rivits to hold the hinge to the seat base.

no excuses · 18 February 2009, 03:30

as it sits in the boat, not bolted or glued down yet. SHould get the A frame installed in a couple of days. Will be nice to have a seat that does not move, have been using a throwable cushin and it kept wanting to fly away whenever I would stand up lol.

JSP · 18 February 2009, 12:12

Coming along nicely

jyasaki · 18 February 2009, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by no excuses

Ended up breaking my antenna from getting wipped around by the dive flag, even though I had it laying down by the tubes.

I've left several dive flags somewhere out along the highway. Best I've found (other than finding an enclosed space to stow the flag) is to toss your weightbelt/pouches on the flag while trailering.

Probably wouldn't have helped your antenna.

jky

jyasaki · 18 February 2009, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by no excuses

opened up a few 25mm holes to let the tank have some fresh air to vent, some 4.76mm pop rivits hold the devider in place. Also used the rivits to hold the hinge to the seat base.

Make sure you drill some small holes in the bottom corners of the seat box. Otherwise, any water that gets in stays in. Not sure if you want to do that on the fuel side (but you should have some manner of getting spilled fuel cleaned up.)

jky

no excuses · 18 February 2009, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Make sure you drill some small holes in the bottom corners of the seat box. Otherwise, any water that gets in stays in. Not sure if you want to do that on the fuel side (but you should have some manner of getting spilled fuel cleaned up.)

jky

Have a couple of holes on the bottom on both ends to let water and gas vapor in and out. I could run a transom plug in them if needed to keep water out and fuel in. But would prefer to leave them unplugged.

stan

no excuses · 18 February 2009, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

I've left several dive flags somewhere out along the highway. Best I've found (other than finding an enclosed space to stow the flag) is to toss your weightbelt/pouches on the flag while trailering.

Probably wouldn't have helped your antenna.

jky

will def. place some weight on them next time lol, pan on tieing off the antenna to the center console to keep it from whipping around next time. Oh and no dive flags tied to the antenna to help break it.

no excuses · 01 March 2009, 17:22

a few pics of the A frame, only took a lil bit to bend it up. Will add a spot down the road for the all around light once I figure out which one I am going to run.

no excuses · 01 March 2009, 17:26

a couple of more pics bolted down and ready to go.

prairie tuber · 01 March 2009, 17:50

Looking great! Definitely DO NOT plug those holes at the bottom of the frame for the seat. It is very important that any water or fuel that spills on the floor within that box will immediately drain out of the boxed in area and onto the open deck.

stul · 01 March 2009, 18:33

Looks great, a lot of time an effort paying off and pretty quick boat you probably still got bits to do .How much has it cost you so far in total.
Stuart

no excuses · 01 March 2009, 23:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

Looking great! Definitely DO NOT plug those holes at the bottom of the frame for the seat. It is very important that any water or fuel that spills on the floor within that box will immediately drain out of the boxed in area and onto the open deck.

yeh not going to plug them now, I have the control cables running alll the way through the one side. Its a good spot to keep them from underfoot.

no excuses · 01 March 2009, 23:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by stul

Looks great, a lot of time an effort paying off and pretty quick boat you probably still got bits to do .How much has it cost you so far in total.
Stuart

about $5500 US or 3900 GBP. Not a whole lot more to go, going to build a back seat rest and intsall a access hatch into the front of the center console, with the seat installed it does not leave much room to access the console from the rear lol.