Last week and I'm ready to fish

Always Never drill into a project while holding it with your hand.

Well, I made it, this was the last week I had to get the boat fishable and I'm happy to say it's ready. It was a long and sometimes frustrating journey and I'm pretty happy it's almost over, but I gotta say I'm glad I was able to accomplish all that I did. Everything that needed to get done is done and I'm happy to say I'll be fishing next week. I do however have to wait for the weather to get a little warmer to finish it off. I'm going to wait until it's a pretty constant 60-70 degree range in order to lay the linoleum and carpet on the front deck. The warmer weather will allow the linoleum to be more pliable and will help cure the glue, so that's all I'm really waiting on to be done. Oh, and I haven't put the name on the boat yet either, I'm not sure if that will wait for next year or not. I will also need a new brag board with the new boat name on it, that shouldn't be too hard to get done, but it might wait 'til next year too.

port side

starboard side

I used pins on either side of the battery box to keep it closed

battery box with trolling batteries hooked up and charged. I actually made it a little too high so I'll need another step

new LED brake lights

and marker lights with new tires and bearing buddies

Now all I need is to get it out for the shakeout cruise next week. I think I'm going to go to Hamilton Lake and try to catch a pike or two. Assuming everything will work the way it's supposed to after next week it'll be time to start watching the weather to try and get up to the big pond. I've been watching and they're starting to catch some coho.... I can't wait.

P.S.- Can someone help me clean my garage?

This is the aftermath of hunting season and boat fixing season combined.

 Garage cleaning days: Rainy days I'm not working... Completion date....?

Running out of time... or am I?

Got quite a bit done this week, but the closer I get to April the more I have to do. The only good news in this is the fish just aren't on the bite on the big lake yet. I check every week just to see where I'm at and it's starting to look like a late start this year. I still want to be done and fishing by April but if I get another week to work on the boat I won't be mad, especially after reading how nobody's catching fish yet.
So, with that, I still have to finish the battery box, *recut at least one of the rear portions of the deck, get the fenders and marking lights back on, and get the oil changed on the truck. I know it doesn't sound like much but that's a good couple days work for me.
This is what I/we got done this week:

got the whole front deck screwed down also got the hole drilled for the front mast

brought the boat over to Jake's barn and changed the bearings and tires

*I should've left a section of wood here, you'll understand when I get it done next week

Week 2 update

Well, the weather has been heating up along with my urgency to get the boat finished. This week I got the front deck cut and put the hatches in, along with getting my battery charger wires ran. Next week I'll be going into the Fort for a dental appt and I will be stopping to get some led lights (for the house) and some wire to finish the wiring on the boat. Once the wiring is done I can put the front deck together. I am going to wait until the weather warms before gluing anything in place. I would hate to have to trash 70 some dollars worth of carpet because it the glue didn't cure correctly. Anyway, here's the update pics.

still gotta tack the onboard charger down

put the wires inside a pvc pipe to protect them

the top wire is fed back to charge the starting battery

these are the connections for the starting battery

the battery box will be built here to house the 2 batteries for the trolling motor

the front deck just needed installed, what a pain in the ass to put together, prefabbed hatches would've been easier

 Still to do for next week: finish wiring, install deck, build battery box, drill hole for the mast in front deck and once all that is complete I will be ready to haul the whole mess over to my buddies garage and change the bearings and put the new tires on. Really hoping to get this stuff done by next week, March is almost over. However, I guess the good news is that there is still icebergs on the big lake and the lakes around here still have a hard coating.
I still have some time.... 

The start of boat fixit month

Once the boat is done I will get the hunt numbers for the year out.
I only worked a couple hours on the boat this week, it was a bit chilly in the garage so I heated the garage with my kerosene heater. The kerosene I had was super clean burning and had no smell, needless to say, I ran out and had to get more. I got the wrong stuff and wow was that a mistake, it was smelly and gave me a headache. So I got some more of the same stuff I had for next week.
Anywho, even with only working a couple hours-6 or so in the two days. I did get quite a bit accomplished here are the pics.
Day 1:

got the whole floor riveted down

got the front piece of aluminum on and ready for the front deck.

Day 2:

measured and cut out the hole in the deck for my chair base

got the rest of the decking on and riveted in under the back step

I didn't get a pic of it but I started running the electrical i.e. setting up the battery charger and figuring how I want to do my battery box/housing.
 Even though I got the whole deck on I will wait to get the linoleum on until it warms up outside. I need the heat to be able to role out the linoleum and for the glue to cure better. I'm still undecided if I am going to do the same for the front deck. I got my carpet for it last week but I might wait until it's warmer to make sure the glue sets right.