The Recreation is finally finished

The Recreation is finally finished

Well guys and girls, you may remember twelve months ago, Nico and I started a little project boat in my front driveway. Here's a couple of pics to refresh your memory.

Anyway, we started with a lot of enthusiasm and a wad of cash, (I sold my last boat for a princely sum) and we fixed the floor, put in pockets, installed a new dash and created a pod for the 150hp Johnson to sit on.

We got it in the water and running just before Christmas last year although we did not do everything we planned to do mainly because the fish were calling and the other half was getting sick of the mess in the driveway!!!

But even as she would agree, the boat just did not look finished because of the non-nautical colour scheme that thirty years ago Douglass Craft had chosen. What were they thinking?!!!

So five weeks ago, I stripped the ol' girl down again,

Put a couple of coats of white undercoat,

And started with lauderdale blue for the sides and snow white for the gunnels and bow top.

Finally, I had new rego numbers made up in silver vinyl and today we installed the gunnel rubber which is 40mm wide.

I also redid the windows and windscreen to make them more solid and robust.

All in all, it has taken us twelve months to finish and it owes me all up around $12000 and that includes the purchase of the boat, motor and all accessories. It has been agreed valued at twice that by the insurance company but I have no intention of selling it for hopefully a very long time.

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Wherever you go, there you are


Perry Home's picture

Posts: 434

Date Joined: 07/10/10

Hats off to you Dave

Sun, 2012-08-05 22:51

On a job well done. I'd like to have a go at a rebuild one day - probably in my retirement when the Mrs is otherwise gonna kill me cause I'll have nothing to do. I & a few others would appreciate a couple more photos of the interior fit out. BTW with the pod on how long does it make the beast and have you given thought to a name for her? Cheers

Posts: 245

Date Joined: 17/07/12

what happened

Sun, 2012-08-05 22:56

what happened to the old johnson on it mate?

Goatch's picture

Posts: 1011

Date Joined: 03/07/07

Nice work

Mon, 2012-08-06 03:54

Thats a credit too you , she certainly looks the goods .

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Just one more cast , honest !!!  

deepwater's picture

Posts: 1921

Date Joined: 09/05/07

Boat project

Mon, 2012-08-06 06:04

  Well done David,12 months and the old girl looks million dollars ,looks like she is going to be a fish killling mechine,look forward to seeing some fish pics david

 

 

 

 

 

       jeff

catchalittle's picture

Posts: 1875

Date Joined: 04/09/08

cool

Mon, 2012-08-06 08:54

cool

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Nathan

Jon H's picture

Posts: 17

Date Joined: 03/08/12

 Beautiful work - completing

Mon, 2012-08-06 11:15

 Beautiful work - completing a project like that yourself must fill you with pride everytime you take her out!

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UncutTriggerInWA's picture

Posts: 2692

Date Joined: 05/09/08

Great effort mate

Mon, 2012-08-06 11:28

She looks great. Now for a name.....

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Vince.
Work smart and fish often.
Member and die-hard supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles.

Rick's picture

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Date Joined: 22/12/06

Great Job

Mon, 2012-08-06 11:42

WOW looks like a new boat, well worth the effort thats for sure

 

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PGFC Member

 

SABRE's picture

Posts: 404

Date Joined: 17/05/12

Top job

Mon, 2012-08-06 11:53

Top job boys, have you managed to blood her yet. Be nice to see some pics of the finished interior ?

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If fishing is a sport I,m an elite athlete

davidbland50's picture

Posts: 392

Date Joined: 24/07/11

In answer to

Mon, 2012-08-06 15:35

firstly Perry, the name has been made up by my nine year old son and it is 'BLUE FLAME'. Pre pod the boat measured 5.9m or 19 feet in the old scale. With the pod, she added a further 700mm or 2.3 feet. We decided on the size of the pod for the purpose of extra fishing room as well as a great place to get on and off the boat into the water. The pod is made up of fibreglass and ply. Here are a few pics of her

The top being made and reinforced with plywood

The mould ready for the first coat of gelcoat

Two layers of gelcoat soon to have three layers of fibreglass on it

Then the ply reinforced ribs are glassed in

And finally, the pod is attached to the transom by fibreglass and bolted through the transom to the back of the motor mount

Secondly, Metromak, the old engine was sold with the alloy pod to a fellow from down south. The alloy pod was attached with about sixteen s/s nuts and bolts and then topped off with a large amount of sikaflex. It took a lot of elbow grease and even being pulled off with the car!! This is what the transom looked like after.

Thirdly, Sabre a couple of pics of the interior including the finished dashboard

Fourthly, as to being a killing machine, here are a few of the catches so far even taking her out 25 miles off Ocean Reef.

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Wherever you go, there you are

SABRE's picture

Posts: 404

Date Joined: 17/05/12

Thanks

Mon, 2012-08-06 16:00

thanks dave certainly looks the goods heaps of storage and deck space. Good to see some blood has been spilt. Well done be proud.

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If fishing is a sport I,m an elite athlete

Dreamtime's picture

Posts: 645

Date Joined: 21/09/09

nice

Mon, 2012-08-06 17:15

good work fellas, nice tub and love the name, classic! should be all you need to get amongst it? where you usually fish from mate? think ive seen it out somewhere?

davidbland50's picture

Posts: 392

Date Joined: 24/07/11

Depends

Mon, 2012-08-06 18:40

Dreamtime,

If the weather is good, we put her in at Ocean Reef or Hillarys, however if the weather is not comfortable, we go down to Maylands boat ramp.

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Wherever you go, there you are

davidbland50's picture

Posts: 392

Date Joined: 24/07/11

Where

Tue, 2012-08-07 08:55

Where do you put your boat in, Dreamtime

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crasny1's picture

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Date Joined: 16/10/08

A nine yr old came out with the name

Tue, 2012-08-07 11:44

Classic.

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"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk

davidbland50's picture

Posts: 392

Date Joined: 24/07/11

Thank you

Tue, 2012-08-07 14:25

to all those who have commented. It certainly has been a labour of love but it will be fun to get her out some more and do some serious fishing. Can't wait!!

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Wherever you go, there you are

mako magic's picture

Posts: 5785

Date Joined: 03/08/05

 Looks great seen it on the

Sat, 2012-08-11 17:32

 Looks great seen it on the water today parked up , and then back at the boat ramp , your electric winch was working its ass off , next time get the trailer in the water a touch more and it won't be so much of a strain 

davidbland50's picture

Posts: 392

Date Joined: 24/07/11

Which one?

Sat, 2012-08-11 18:50

Mako,

Where were you at the boat ramp? Were you the one that came in behind me or did you have your boat already on the trailer when I got there? I know what you mean about the trailer but I find that having her a little more out of the water is better when there are a lot of wakes around. It seems to do less damage to the keel. Don't be a stranger next time though and introduce yourself if you see me again. Always good to meet other fishwreckers.

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Wherever you go, there you are

mako magic's picture

Posts: 5785

Date Joined: 03/08/05

 Yeah I was still in the

Sat, 2012-08-11 19:25

 Yeah I was still in the water and got out just as you drove off , I had the commodore boat with the hard top and graphics on the hull , couldn't miss it 

davidbland50's picture

Posts: 392

Date Joined: 24/07/11

yes

Sat, 2012-08-11 19:55

I do remember your boat now. What an absolutely gorgeous boat! I was actually admiring it for quite some time. VERY NICE.

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Wherever you go, there you are

Perry Home's picture

Posts: 434

Date Joined: 07/10/10

Once again Congrats Dave

Sun, 2012-08-12 18:17

And well done to your young fella on coming up with a classic name for the boat.