Category: Power tools (Page 1 of 2)

My heroic Johnson outboard motor took all my attempts at maintenance and repair in stride, so I decided to finish the project off with a flourish by adding a tachometer.

Tachometers serve many important functions, but my main reason for wanting to install this one was that it looked spiffy:

Having bought ANOTHER boat–a 1985 Bass Tracker–I promptly set about refurbishing it. Unlike the previous two, this one had been partially restored by a previous owner.

As I’ve mentioned, I didn’t agree with all of the decisions made along the way. The bright blue marine carpet, for example, was a bit garish for my tastes.

More importantly, the boat was underpowered: unless you’re in no hurry, a hull weighing 840 pounds needs more than 25 horsepower to push it.

Although I was tempted, the cost of a new engine far exceeded my budget. So it was that I entered the brave new world of used outboard motors.

By the time this spring rolled around, the 14-foot 1976 Gregor U-141 I refurbished last year was set up just the way I liked it: plenty of storage, a robust electrical system (patterned after the one on my old Mirro Craft), new paint, a reliable outboard, all mounted on a well-maintained trailer.

Whenever the subject came up, I proudly announced that “This is the last boat I’ll ever buy.”

When I noticed a partially refurbished 1985 Bass Tracker for sale on Facebook Marketplace, however, I was intrigued. “It can’t hurt just to look,” I told myself.

And so it happened that I bought my third boat in as many years, surprising no one–except myself.

I opened my can of Aluma Hawk Jon Boat Green at first light, having first etched the aluminum hull with white vinegar. After about 15 minutes I wiped off the vinegar with isopropyl alcohol.

Blue painter’s tape across the stern kept my lines straight, but gunwales and strakes served the same purpose–without tape–on the sides.

I’ll spare you the suspense: the hatch installation went better than I feared.

First, I was very careful to align the hinges so the hatches would open without binding.

Using a single “piano” hinge instead of separate cabinet hinges would’ve made this much easier, but that’s not how I roll.

Woodworking has never been my forte, nor has wood finishing.

Unfortunately, there was plenty of both ahead.

Now that the trailer was all set, it was time to get started on the boat.

First I removed all of the old hardware: more than half of the bolts on the boat were rusted to the point where they wouldn’t turn and just sheared off.

I also removed the old battery rack. It was well put together (other than the corroded bolts), but I needed to get at the deck under it to clean and paint.

My only complaint about my 12′ MirroCraft is that it’s a little cramped.

Although I usually go to the lake alone, I thought it would be nice, once in a while, to invite a buddy along without worrying about snagging a hook in his ear or, if he was of any size at all, about foundering the boat under our combined weights.

So it was that less than a year after buying my first boat I started checking the listings again. I was looking for another MirroCraft–but bigger–since I knew and trusted that brand. I thought a 16-footer would be about right.

Unfortunately, none were available, at least not in my price range. I eventually widened my search and found this 1976 14′ Gregor all-welded aluminum boat online.

I previously claimed that the boat project was complete, but it turns out that was a lie.

I took my freshly-painted rowboat out several times last month.

Late October brought freshening winds, and the last time I went out I had to crab so severely into the wind to hold my course that I made very little headway.

To add insult to injury, the fish were moving to the far end of the lake, out of range of my trolling motor, and–unless I had a lot of time to spare–of my oars.