Advice please--

[fullbush]

Ok here it is, I have a beautiful boat w/ all the bells and whistles, but after 2 years theres things that I wish I would have done different, mostly interior layout. My question, should I sell the boat (even though it performs like a dream), and build another one the way I want it (taking a chance it doesn't perform as well), or should I gut the interior, extend the house 1 ft and refit it the way that suits me as I age on the one I have now? I don't know if I have it in me to deal w/ another boat build. I would appreciate some suggestions for a good interior boat carpenter. One that understands fitting interiors in aluminum boats. Thanks

[JOAT]

The hull is everything. Interior work is far easier and cheaper. Aluminum is endlessly forgiving when it comes to modifications. Rebuild the cabin. IMHO

[kodiakrain]

Rebuild the cabin, here too,

Considering, all those other things, you already know and like about this boat,
far too risky to have to do the new build, and work your way to the place you are in now with this one.

Def, the cool thing about Aluminum, and Interior Carpentry, easy to adjust, even adding to the house,
Wish I knew of a good carpenter for ya,

but it would seem there must be some good ones around Homer area,
home of the Wood Boat Festival and all, right?

[rambling raven]

I have the old aluminum boat In perpetual change for years. Have the new hard to and still working on the interior - Long way to go yet but a labor of love. Keep what you have and modify it would be my advice. A buddy of mine went with a new build and has spent the last 2 summers trying to work the bugs out. Has been a real pain. Good luck!

[potbuilder]

If you like the boat just gut the interior and start over, its only a pile of plywood, i'm gonna have one to finish next winter also, can't wait to get it here, fish it all summer and dream up what i need to do to it to be comfortable, dickinson stove, nice bunk, small galley and lots of sounddown to keep it quiet. What more could a guy want.

[Albradley]

Ok here it is, I have a beautiful boat w/ all the bells and whistles, but after 2 years theres things that I wish I would have done different, mostly interior layout. My question, should I sell the boat (even though it performs like a dream), and build another one the way I want it (taking a chance it doesn't perform as well), or should I gut the interior, extend the house 1 ft and refit it the way that suits me as I age on the one I have now? I don't know if I have it in me to deal w/ another boat build. I would appreciate some suggestions for a good interior boat carpenter. One that understands fitting interiors in aluminum boats. Thanks

Shoot FB If you have an aluminum boat can I have your Coffee Table jetter???

[fullbush]

Shoot FB If you have an aluminum boat can I have your Coffee Table jetter???

I promised it to the Smithsonian Al but you're more worthy so she's all yours!

[fullbush]

Thanks for the advice fella. The main issue is my stove. Like the potbuilder, I'm old school and have to have a big diesel stove. I have to have its its a security blanket for me. Theres nothing like the heat that you get from a diesel stove, plus I have to have an oven, I can't always eat fried food. It takes up so much room I didn't get the dinette arrangement the way I wanted. The top bunk is too small, my helm console is just a tad to high and my dash is too low. What I ultimately need is another foot on my house....The boat is all I ever dreamed of, now of course I want more, I wish I was just satisfied it would be less stressful

[kodiakrain]

So, to get this all clear, you're saying this is NOT the boat in your avatar pic, that were talking about here? (grin)

actually, I'm thinking of your old avatar, are you talking about the bowpicker you used to have up, got Pics?

And Yeah, I sure agree on the security blanket of those diesel stove, that's THE KIND of heat for the ocean environment

[fullbush]

Yes Kodiakrain the boat in my old avatar. I was thinking of cutting the cabin right behind the side windows and adding a foot there. ( The pic--- the north end of kayak island looking toward Cape Suckling)

[rambling raven]

I think to give better advice I would need to spend a day out halibut fishing on the boat. It is pretty hard to give good advice from looking at the picture (no matter how nice it looks)

[kodiakrain]

I sure do like the lines of that bowpicker, looks tough too
I've always wanted one of those, just look laid out so well.

So, you're talking about just adding to the house, right, or hull also?
and you would slide the house forward with extension, or bring it further aft ?

Looks relatively low impact to me, shouldn't be too traumatic
Nice Rig, Fullbush thanks for the pic

[fullbush]

I think to give better advice I would need to spend a day out halibut fishing on the boat. It is pretty hard to give good advice from looking at the picture (no matter how nice it looks)

I'm halibut fishing in the picture. My halibut prowess leaves something to be desired, although not seconds after this pic was snapped I tied into what I think was a heckuva halibut but after about 2 minutes I lost him, I reeled in my jig only to find out one of the treble hooks was snapped off . I'm starting to finally get serious about enjoying the recreational aspect of my surrounding so after 30 years I just recently bought a new halibut jigging rod w/ a decent reel and some decent tackle and you're welcome anytime RR, maybe a fall deer hunt??

I sure do like the lines of that bowpicker, looks tough too
I've always wanted one of those, just look laid out so well.

So, you're talking about just adding to the house, right, or hull also?
and you would slide the house forward with extension, or bring it further aft ?

Looks relatively low impact to me, shouldn't be too traumatic
Nice Rig, Fullbush thanks for the pic

I would come forward w/ the house maybe a foot I guess. The dilemma would be my fishhold and hatch covers. I already have to guide the hook out of the hold to keep the scales they use to weigh the fish from hitting the front window.
<edit> I would love to extend the whole boat 1 foot but that would make it too long for BB which would drastically reduce the marketability of the vessel

[rambling raven]

I'm halibut fishing in the picture. My halibut prowess leaves something to be desired, although not seconds after this pic was snapped I tied into what I think was a heckuva halibut but after about 2 minutes I lost him, I reeled in my jig only to find out one of the treble hooks was snapped off . I'm starting to finally get serious about enjoying the recreational aspect of my surrounding so after 30 years I just recently bought a new halibut jigging rod w/ a decent reel and some decent tackle and you're welcome anytime RR, maybe a fall deer hunt??

You know what it takes to get a guys attention - Fall deer hunting would be a lot better way to test that diesel stove. I haven't hunted deer since southeast a long time ago, watched them a lot in the summer but haven't hunted them. We keep threatening to go but it would mean flying in somewhere since I am the owner of a toy boat thats to scared to take it out late in the year.

[fullbush]

You know what it takes to get a guys attention - Fall deer hunting would be a lot better way to test that diesel stove. I haven't hunted deer since southeast a long time ago, watched them a lot in the summer but haven't hunted them. We keep threatening to go but it would mean flying in somewhere since I am the owner of a toy boat thats to scared to take it out late in the year.

I've decided I'm done w/ the stress of trailering the boat to Wasilla, besides the hunting sucks on this side of the sound. Although I don't like leaving the boat in the Cordova climate because of the temp variances (the interior has a tendency to mold), it winters really well in the dry climate of the Mat-Su. I figure w/ the new high speed ferry its much more reasonable to leave it in its homeport of Cordova, where I can enjoy it throughout the year. I'm always squeamish in the fall that it's going to snow and the boat will be stuck in Whittier so I'm always in a hurry to get it home. Anyway you bet! there'll be many good hunting opportunities this winter, and I would also like to take advantage of some recreational crabbing as well as winter kings. I'll need to bring all the friends I can to help w/ gas! I hope that doesn't mean I'm a guide?


Oh did I mention the mofo that assesses our taxes here in the Mat-Su wanted to list my boat that was sitting on a trailer in my yard because it was commercial? I wanted to gut shoot him but instead I politely told him it was on a trailer and short lived in my yard. The friggn nerve of the borough when my taxes already support their committee committed to putting me out of business