project bass/barra boat pics

[pilchardjones]

well after reading the extremely entertaining playpen and 7m shark cat rebuild threads, i thought i'd share my project.
it started as a 455R haines - with all the usual timber rot problems.
so it got new transom, stringers, floor, plus chopped deck to remodel into side console. bow and stern casting platforms, underfloor esky/livewell, underfloor fuel tank, electric motor deck extension at bow. i got a professional involved to widen the gunnells (foam extension, glass over, then fair out) and fabricate the console. the dash for the console is the dash from the boat before it got the chop. it just had klegecell front and side joined to it, and faired out.
its on a new trailer, i have the 90 yamaha so just need to paint, fit the furuno 600L and fit a 55lb minn kota. hopefully it will be the goods on townsville and hinchinbrook barra. i also plan on sending it up to weipa on a barge for a trip, if i can just get the thing finished..........
steve

[pilchardjones]

sub floor structure + new transom

[pilchardjones]

gunnell widened with foam, then glassed, then faired

[pilchardjones]

foam widening to transom

[pilchardjones]

stern casting platform structure. live bait tank with curved corners. these are just a bit of 200mm PVC pipe cut into quarters and glassed in. the engine well is salvaged from the boat and just cut down and joined to with the klegecell platform.

[pilchardjones]

console + faired gunnells

[pilchardjones]

transom awaiting paint prep

[pilchardjones]

electric mount pad extension to deck - solid glass.

[pilchardjones]

current state - ready for paint prep

[StevenM]

Looks good.

Please keep posting the progress. I love the work you guys do on this stuff.

Cheers

Steven

[shubeej]

looks pretty good what a transformation, who did the fibreglass work?
shubes

[Fishin_Dan]

Looking good Steve!!! Keep the updates going... (Everyone will get stuck into you if you don't ;))

I've been considering doing a similar thing with an old ski boat my brother has... But with the speed my other rebuild is going, I should be able to get to it in about 2014 ;D

[pilchardjones]

thanks guys. i'll post some more once there is some reasonable progress on the painting.
i have done most of the glass work myself - this is why its taking so long. but the tricky gunnell work and the console / fairing was a bit beyond my skill base so i got justin morris in townsville to do that.
i started the project mainly to learn glassing as i have always been interested, but never tried. i have found the old standard technique of building in ply, bogging in place, glassing over is quite easy.
but real skill comes into moulds / gelcoat, fairing curves etc.

steve