I'm the captain now...

[DarthWaderTroj]

So I bought a 14ft aluminum boat this weekend and hoping to paint it and build a blind on it. Anyone have any advice? I've never been a boat guy so I'm taking it real slow.

[bucky]

Watch out for the pirates! lol Good luck with her and be safe out there, our bigger lakes can get dicey

Edited March 11 by bucky

[JD48]

Good Luck

[Bonefreak]

Welcome to the Dark Side Darth!!  Congrats n good luck!  
 

I have had good success with using Parker’s duck boat paint. Usually got it down in Tuckerton at Tips hardware…which I guess is now the new Shooters on Rt 9. 
 

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/parker-coatings-duck-boat-paint?irclickid=&irpid=102623&irmpname=JMG Marketing Group LLC&sharedid=&irgwc=1&cm_soc=AFF&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas|Search|DSA|CatchAll|General|NAud|NVol|NMT&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw17qvBhBrEiwA1rU9w1e89PPDThqEWXUQyPGrbSnFkhqA0hxeVWMg26YDgesm4b-5Un6dyhoC0QsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[1957Buck]

look into wrapping  one for $221 there are many brands and patterns Paint can be hit and miss depending on the surfaces and application even the Motor   come in Kits also 

Edited March 11 by 1957Buck

[Merkel]

Can’t offer any advice but good luck. Nice boat.

[NJNewbie]

I basically did the exact same project in the late summer/early fall on a 14ft aluminum boat. Used Parker duck boat paint in dead grass color, PM me if you have any questions. 

[DarthWaderTroj]

On 3/11/2024 at 9:17 AM, 1957Buck said:

look into wrapping  one for $221 there are many brands and patterns Paint can be hit and miss depending on the surfaces and application even the Motor   come in Kits also 

Where did you get yours wrapped?

[ratherbhunting]

Check the trailer bearings and keep them greased, and get a spare tire.

[Rather Be Hunting]

Have the same project going this year. But bought the blind and still looking for a boat. Bought one of these Drake boat blinds. Will fit a 14-16’ boat and currently 1/2 price. Then if you sign up for there email you can save another 15-20%  

https://www.drakewaterfowl.com/collections/waterfowl-blinds/products/ghillie-boat-blind-with-no-shadow-dual-action-top?variant=39431885619267

[mazzgolf]

I'm shocked @DarthWaderTroj got a boat!    

Let's see ... so many things. OK, Wayne --- here's my thoughts...

First, some background. My dad got a new Tracker Grizzly with a 60hp Mercury in summer of 2020 (he wanted us to go out fishing and hunting with it). So going on 4 years now. I knew nothing about boats or motors - I still know very little. But after learning some lessons the hard way, I'm basically taking charge of maintaining this boat. Here's what I am learning and what I would say as advice to a new boat owner (and this is coming from a new boat owner - so realize I still don't know what I don't know):

Research how to maintain that Suzuki motor. Read the motor manual. Find out what the manufacturer says needs to be done (if you don't have the manual, you can get it online - just use your serial number and I'm sure Suzuki website can point you to the manual). Learn how many hours or years you can go before the recommended maintenance needs to be done, and find out what needs to be done and when - replace oil, filter, fuel filter, lower gear lube, spark plugs, grease/lube, etc. Make sure you do it  If you want to do it yourself, it's fairly easy to do the basic maintenance (like oil change, gear lube change), and you can save yourself some money by doing just those (I just did it for the first time this weekend on our boat). Watch a bunch of YouTube videos on how to do it. Find videos where people are working on the same motor as what you have (or as close to it as  possible).

After every trip - especially if in salt water - flush the motor and wash down the trailer. Buy a pair of those "ear muffs" that connect to your hose and go over the motor intake - you use that to flush the motor with fresh water.

You have a trolling motor - so I guess you'll have a second battery (?). Or is that motor pull-start only?? I dunno... In my case, I am always afraid the battery is going to die and I can't start the motor If you have a second battery, you can always just get a battery switch and in an emergency switch over to the trolling motor battery as a backup to start the motor. Anyway - take care of your batteries. Replace them before they go bad, not after (which will almost assuredly happen when you are out on the water ). I plan on replacing my boat's battery every 3 years.

Tools and spare parts on the boat - look to see what kind of emergency spare parts you might need to get out of a jam. Learn where all the fuses are on your boat. There's probably at least one coming off the battery to the trolling motor, I assume; plus the fuse box in the motor.  Look at the types and amperage ratings of all the fuses and buy some spares. Put them in a zip lock bag and put that bag in a tool box. Fill that tool box with some basic tools (adjustable wrench, allen wrenches, screwdriver, small hammer to bang things back in their place  , etc)  I went to Harbor Freight and bought some inexpensive tools, along with fuses and things like that and put it all in waterproof tool box.

Learn how to maintain the trailer. Buy a spare tire and a tire mount and put it on your trailer (right under the bow by your winch looks like a good spot for it). Make sure to remember to check your tires at the beginning of the season; don't forget to check the air in the spare, too! Use wheel bearing protectors ("bearing buddies") if you don't have them already, and keep them greased properly.

Speaking of grease, buy a grease gun and a tube of marine grease and learn where and how to grease up your wheel bearings and motor. If you have that stuff already, you won't think twice about greasing often. If you don't have that stuff, you'll put it off ("I'll have the shop do it for me when I take it in for maintenance"). This is one thing I learned the hard way - our steering arm froze because we weren't greasing it. That cost stupid money to fix - stupid because it was so easy to avoid.

Where are you planning on taking it? I'm guessing with that small motor, that trolling motor being a freshwater model, and it only being 14' that you will be freshwater only?  I ask because if it's going in the back bays in salt water, watch the leaf springs on the trailer. You can spray them with something like Fluid Film to help ward off rust. In just 3 years, our brand new Tracker Grizzly has completely rusted springs, brackets, and bolts. Wish I had treated it when we first got it, that might have stopped the worst from happening. I'm looking to eventually get these replaced. I'm hoping this isn't as bad as it looks... but this is what you can expect if you dunk it in salt water (and note: this is even with us washing it down with the hose after every trip).

If you are going to be hunting on tidal waters, buy a good anchor. One thing I fear is my motor dying and having the boat get swept in the tide in sub-freezing temps . Anchor will let you hold position so you can at least have time to gather yourself and think about what to do and not have to rush around because the tide is pushing you out. I guess the same could happen in freshwater on windy days, but coastal hunting is just a different beast 

Keep a maintenance log. Log when you did anything to the boat and trailer and what you did. I do this on a Google doc. I document the links to the parts I buy (like Amazon links) so I can remember what they were if I need to buy them again. I wrote down all the part numbers of all the parts I might need in my Google doc - I got that info from the manual and online parts website that Mercury has - I'm sure Suzuki has something similar. My Google doc has everything I need to know about maintaining the motor - the motor model number, serial number (in case I need to talk to a shop to get work done - that will tell them exactly the motor I have), all part numbers for all the parts I might need (oil filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, all the way down to the plugs and washers for the lower gear unit drain and vent holes). I even got all the torque specs for everything on the motor in case I want to be very precise when doing things like, oh, I don' t know, like putting the prop back on and I want to make sure it doesn't fly off while going 20mph on the water . I also put in this doc links to YouTube videos that showed me how to do these maintenance things so I can refresh my memory on how to do it. This all might be overkill, but like I say, this is all new to me. So having everything written down helps me remember what I'm sure I will forget later.

That's about all I can think of. Again, I'm not a person to give expert advice on boat ownership  But those are just some things I learned to do along the way.

[Rusty]

Very nice, best of luck and enjoy it!  

[Lunatic]

7 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

I'm shocked @DarthWaderTroj got a boat!    

Let's see ... so many things. OK, Wayne --- here's my thoughts...

First, some background. My dad got a new Tracker Grizzly with a 60hp Mercury in summer of 2020 (he wanted us to go out fishing and hunting with it). So going on 4 years now. I knew nothing about boats or motors - I still know very little. But after learning some lessons the hard way, I'm basically taking charge of maintaining this boat. Here's what I am learning and what I would say as advice to a new boat owner (and this is coming from a new boat owner - so realize I still don't know what I don't know):

Research how to maintain that Suzuki motor. Read the motor manual. Find out what the manufacturer says needs to be done (if you don't have the manual, you can get it online - just use your serial number and I'm sure Suzuki website can point you to the manual). Learn how many hours or years you can go before the recommended maintenance needs to be done, and find out what needs to be done and when - replace oil, filter, fuel filter, lower gear lube, spark plugs, grease/lube, etc. Make sure you do it  If you want to do it yourself, it's fairly easy to do the basic maintenance (like oil change, gear lube change), and you can save yourself some money by doing just those (I just did it for the first time this weekend on our boat). Watch a bunch of YouTube videos on how to do it. Find videos where people are working on the same motor as what you have (or as close to it as  possible).

After every trip - especially if in salt water - flush the motor and wash down the trailer. Buy a pair of those "ear muffs" that connect to your hose and go over the motor intake - you use that to flush the motor with fresh water.

You have a trolling motor - so I guess you'll have a second battery (?). Or is that motor pull-start only?? I dunno... In my case, I am always afraid the battery is going to die and I can't start the motor If you have a second battery, you can always just get a battery switch and in an emergency switch over to the trolling motor battery as a backup to start the motor. Anyway - take care of your batteries. Replace them before they go bad, not after (which will almost assuredly happen when you are out on the water ). I plan on replacing my boat's battery every 3 years.

Tools and spare parts on the boat - look to see what kind of emergency spare parts you might need to get out of a jam. Learn where all the fuses are on your boat. There's probably at least one coming off the battery to the trolling motor, I assume; plus the fuse box in the motor.  Look at the types and amperage ratings of all the fuses and buy some spares. Put them in a zip lock bag and put that bag in a tool box. Fill that tool box with some basic tools (adjustable wrench, allen wrenches, screwdriver, small hammer to bang things back in their place  , etc)  I went to Harbor Freight and bought some inexpensive tools, along with fuses and things like that and put it all in waterproof tool box.

Learn how to maintain the trailer. Buy a spare tire and a tire mount and put it on your trailer (right under the bow by your winch looks like a good spot for it). Make sure to remember to check your tires at the beginning of the season; don't forget to check the air in the spare, too! Use wheel bearing protectors ("bearing buddies") if you don't have them already, and keep them greased properly.

Speaking of grease, buy a grease gun and a tube of marine grease and learn where and how to grease up your wheel bearings and motor. If you have that stuff already, you won't think twice about greasing often. If you don't have that stuff, you'll put it off ("I'll have the shop do it for me when I take it in for maintenance"). This is one thing I learned the hard way - our steering arm froze because we weren't greasing it. That cost stupid money to fix - stupid because it was so easy to avoid.

Where are you planning on taking it? I'm guessing with that small motor, that trolling motor being a freshwater model, and it only being 14' that you will be freshwater only?  I ask because if it's going in the back bays in salt water, watch the leaf springs on the trailer. You can spray them with something like Fluid Film to help ward off rust. In just 3 years, our brand new Tracker Grizzly has completely rusted springs, brackets, and bolts. Wish I had treated it when we first got it, that might have stopped the worst from happening. I'm looking to eventually get these replaced. I'm hoping this isn't as bad as it looks... but this is what you can expect if you dunk it in salt water (and note: this is even with us washing it down with the hose after every trip).

If you are going to be hunting on tidal waters, buy a good anchor. One thing I fear is my motor dying and having the boat get swept in the tide in sub-freezing temps . Anchor will let you hold position so you can at least have time to gather yourself and think about what to do and not have to rush around because the tide is pushing you out. I guess the same could happen in freshwater on windy days, but coastal hunting is just a different beast 

Keep a maintenance log. Log when you did anything to the boat and trailer and what you did. I do this on a Google doc. I document the links to the parts I buy (like Amazon links) so I can remember what they were if I need to buy them again. I wrote down all the part numbers of all the parts I might need in my Google doc - I got that info from the manual and online parts website that Mercury has - I'm sure Suzuki has something similar. My Google doc has everything I need to know about maintaining the motor - the motor model number, serial number (in case I need to talk to a shop to get work done - that will tell them exactly the motor I have), all part numbers for all the parts I might need (oil filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, all the way down to the plugs and washers for the lower gear unit drain and vent holes). I even got all the torque specs for everything on the motor in case I want to be very precise when doing things like, oh, I don' t know, like putting the prop back on and I want to make sure it doesn't fly off while going 20mph on the water . I also put in this doc links to YouTube videos that showed me how to do these maintenance things so I can refresh my memory on how to do it. This all might be overkill, but like I say, this is all new to me. So having everything written down helps me remember what I'm sure I will forget later.

That's about all I can think of. Again, I'm not a person to give expert advice on boat ownership  But those are just some things I learned to do along the way.

If he read all this I’m sure he is in process of selling the boat !!

[mazzgolf]

6 hours ago, Lunatic said:

If he read all this I’m sure he is in process of selling the boat !!

When we first got our boat, I was completely oblivious to any of this... bahhhhh... maintenance? grease? emergency toolbox? Pffft...  just have fun with the boat and I guess every year we'll bring it to the shop for an oil change... what could go wrong?

Let's see... what could go wrong.. 

• "Why is our Garmin down? Do we remember how to get back to the ramp without GPS? Crap... our fuse blew"
• "Why is the steering wheel locked and we can't steer the boat? I hope we can get back to the dock limping with the motor turning right! Crap... we are supposed to grease the steering arm periodically? "
• Oh! Here's another one, Wayne!  Make sure either (a) your bow line is short enough not to reach the prop or (b) you stow the bow line away after launch. Otherwise, the line will drop into the water... wrap around the prop.. and then this happens, "Why isn't the motor turning over? (quickly go over in your mind all the possible catastrophic possibilities). Crap, the bow line got wrapped up in the prop."

... and on... and on... 

Don't ask me how I know all of those things can and will happen 

Yeah, when you buy a new boat for the first time, it is overwhelming what you need to know that no one tells you about (unless you want to be naive about it and live on the edge lol)

(just to be clear...  yes, yes, all three of those above actually happened to us. I admit it. )

Edited March 18 by mazzgolf

[Lunatic]

2 hours ago, mazzgolf said:

When we first got our boat, I was completely oblivious to any of this... bahhhhh... maintenance? grease? emergency toolbox? Pffft...  just have fun with the boat and I guess every year we'll bring it to the shop for an oil change... what could go wrong?

Let's see... what could go wrong.. 

• "Why is our Garmin down? Do we remember how to get back to the ramp without GPS? Crap... our fuse blew"
• "Why is the steering wheel locked and we can't steer the boat? I hope we can get back to the dock limping with the motor turning right! Crap... we are supposed to grease the steering arm periodically? "
• Oh! Here's another one, Wayne!  Make sure either (a) your bow line is short enough not to reach the prop or (b) you stow the bow line away after launch. Otherwise, the line will drop into the water... wrap around the prop.. and then this happens, "Why isn't the motor turning over? (quickly go over in your mind all the possible catastrophic possibilities). Crap, the bow line got wrapped up in the prop."

... and on... and on... 

Don't ask me how I know all of those things can and will happen  

Yeah, when you buy a new boat for the first time, it is overwhelming what you need to know that no one tells you about (unless you want to be naive about it and live on the edge lol)

Whatever makes you live in peace. 

My house is 300’ from Raritan Bay and I had boats all my live. Your approach of “if and where’s” would make me sell my kayak