[water snake 2]

My welds are looking a little better at this point, haha View attachment 182178

Started laying down some paint after the rail was finished View attachment 182186

Getting the lights mounted up View attachment 182194

Started wiring up the lights today, and it's turning out great so far. View attachment 182202

She ain't all the way done yet, but I have it back on the trailer and I'm planning on doing a test run on the water tomorrow, but for a high school kid on a relatively tight budget, I'm more than happy with her so far. Hopefully this is the start of a great welding and fabrication career for me! Thanks for looking, and as always, I'm open to any suggestions or comments. I'm glad I finally got to make her a really nice rig, even if she is a 1648 and not a 2072 haha. This boat is lots more than a hunk of aluminum to me, it's all the time and effort put into it that makes her special!

like it!! what lights are those??

 

[water snake 2]

So I finally got her out for her water test yesterday, and she did ok but I wasn't as impressed with the stability as I thought. I like how it sits on the water with 3 guys up front, even though there was virtually no weight in the back at all as of yesterday. So I know this question has been asked 67,459,000 times on here, but is there ANY way I can help out the stability. If I put more weight in the back so the boat sits down in the water more will that help because there will be more boat in the water? Or am I wasting my time on a boat that's too small.

We did a 1448 that wasn,t going to be stable or haul the weight that's when we put 20 foot alum pipes on the boat worked amazingly well!!

 

[water snake 2]

How did you put pipes on it, ha mean like pontoons?

Yes ,there are some pictures on[ bowfishing boats forum] think by now on about page 12 under [test post] will be able to see what they look like on a boat if you have questions will try to answer.

 

[water snake 2]

are the back tires touching the ground?

Not the way it,s sitting the rear axel is a torsion axel when you are sitting on a bump sometimes it is not touching. the pipes extend below the bottom of the boat about 5 inches so you get to use all of their floating ability my horse power is not quite enough to get up totally on the pipes when wide open if I could it would really boggy kinda like a tri-hull. other than the hull the pipes and the pods are the only floatation we have shouldn,t sink.

 

[water snake 2]

Not the way it,s sitting the rear axel is a torsion axel when you are sitting on a bump sometimes it is not touching. the pipes extend below the bottom of the boat about 5 inches so you get to use all of their floating ability my horse power is not quite enough to get up totally on the pipes when wide open if I could it would really boggy kinda like a tri-hull. other than the hull the pipes and the pods are the only floatation we have shouldn,t sink.

Couple of other points iput 14 inch walk ways from the deck to the back and I split the side rail with them 1/2 inside the other half outside the boat should have put the walkway all outside over the pipes would have given a lot more room inside the boat. the fan is a 6 blade now we double stacked it and put side panels from the deck to the back the boat now has about 34 inch sides.

 

[water snake 2]

The engine is 1978 85 hp merc. just guessing between 25 to 28 mph. with 3 people really need a more modern motor 115 to 125 hp. but don,t know if the old bottom would handle it this was and old boat we had for years really was kinda beat up. If you scrounge for materials and I already had the trailers took 2 and made one already had some alum. and the seats did all the work myself already had the 85 horse merc. still I put about 6800 dollars into it. The pipes were between 12 and 15 dollars per running foot and the shipping from Nebraska was almost as much as the cost of the pipes.

 

[water snake 2]

Actually now that I have some experience with the pipes think I like that way better it adds a margin of safety and balance!

 

[water snake 2]

Yep it was about 1000 bucks for the pipes by the time they were on the boat.

 

[water snake 2]

I just built a 1648 this year myself, looks identical to your hull. I have to say I love it. Favorite boat thus far. I see your from southern Indiana too I live on the Ohio river roughly 45-55 minutes south of Patoka lake. I got 5 batteries and 6 gal fuel in back of mine adding beavertail pods this coming weekend.

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good job on the boat like that deck!!

 

[water snake 2]

Can,t wear crocks here Fire ants will get between your toes!!