Lm18 madison wi

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Pics

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After lots of travel for work and family, I finally had a bunch of hours to spend on the boat. I managed to tack down and then radius all bulk heads. This was a major task. I borrowed a buddies laser level, man was it awesome. I have a couple older ones but this thing was awesome. It made the task pretty easy. The pictures are 8 hours of work. My process was level, tack (like your would for welding), then final gluing. Hopefully, I can get glass on it tonight. If not, it will have to wait for the weekend.

Thanks

[Jeff]

Nice progress!! Jeff

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Finished all the floor cleats this morning. Next is foam.

[Bogieman]

[fallguy1000]

Coming along nicely!

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Getting ready for foam. I cut the deck and gunnel long, so that I can set them after I have fully designed the console.

Next steps
Foam compartments
Install floor panels, but not main sole, or decks.
Finalize each compartment. Sand, fair, and paint front and rear hatches. I might gel coat them white but not sure.

[Jeff]

Nice progress!!! Jeff

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Lots of small things getting figured out.
1. Gas tank figured out and ready for final install.
I have 1/4 neoprene rubber for underneath and 1/2 neoprene foam on top for expansion. I will also put 1/2 foam on sides.
Cut 3 inspection areas into the front hatch for tightening hose and check for leaks after the deck goes on. 1 near the overflow, 1 in the middle, and one on the fill side. I'm hoping not to put an inspection hatch in the top deck. I will use lexan as covers with gaskets.
2. Electrical is 98% figured out.
1 Small starting battery for the merc 40 . It is the size of a motor cycle battery and weighs 13 lbs. Its sole function is to start the motor.
1 Gel cell group 31 (more like 80 lbs) mounted in the front. This will be the house. It will run everything else including the trolling motor. Number
2awg wire will carry current to the back of the boat via case tube, and can be used to start the motor if needed.
1 65 amp ACR and Switch combiner. So once the little starting battery is charged back to 13 volts the ARC will kick in and start charging the house.
I have a much larger version of this on my big boat. It ensures that even if I kill the house battery with the trolling motor the main battery will
start motor and push enough juice to run a dead house battery.
I have also mapped out the majority of the wiring except for the console. I also found a 3 bank battery charger I had laying around that will be installed.
I found these little marine nav lights that I will post in a picture.
I have most of the terminal blocks, but am still waiting on a 60 amp fuse for the trolling motor and a 140 amp fuse as a "just in case fault switch"
from those #2 wires crossing.
3. I figured out the bucket system I talked about.
I'm a bucket guy. This boat will eventually be parked on a lift, and at the end of the day, I need to pull most things out for cleaning, and put away. So things like cast nets, anchors, coolers, garbage, fit nicely in 5 gallon buckets. So attached was my design I sketched up, and pics of the start of that build.
4. Sole Deck Drain System
I think I have spent 4-5 hours thinking and designing one single piece of wood. It is a channel of 1.25" cut into a cleat, that will catch water and direct it to the drains using cedar shims. The sole will stop 1.25 from the last frame so that any water on the deck will be trapped in this area and drain out 2 1.5" gemlux drains. Additionally, I cut one of the drains in half to separate the duckbill section from the flange. This is because I want my live well over flow to drain out the same hole.

Pic to follow

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Here are the pics.