The Frog 1.0 (the working prototype)
I started with the idea of modifying a Modified V 1648 Split Seat w a 20" transom. This hull best fit the modification I wanted to make. I wanted the 20" transom to make the choice of engine easier, it would facilitate a normal shaft length instead of being stuck with a short shaft outboard.
The engine would be maxed out at 35 HP. Going with the theme of low maintenance I chose a 30 HP Evinrude E-Tec in white. I had some early aspirations to renovate an old 35 HP off Craigslist but I had a feeling that this would add weeks, if not months to the build and I wanted to be fishing as close to opener as possible.
Ideation:
So here's the first sketch I did within Photoshop. I took a JPEG off of Alumacraft.com and put some layers over it to get placement of some key parts.
Let's take a quick tour:
- Red box near the stern is the gas tank.
- Light blue box near the stern is the bilge pump.
These would be hidden under the back deck.
- Red circle on the corner of the stern is the anchor light pole mount.
- Purple squares are the seat post mounts.
- Green box would be the cockpit where two seats would go.
- Yellow boxes would be where the group 27 and group 34 batteries would go.
- Black rectangle across the front is the rod locker.
All of these features would be under the front deck.
- Purple rectangle is the trolling motor foot pedal.
- Blue arrow on the bow is the trolling motor mount.
- Red circle on the bow is the navigation light
- Red Rectangle is the fish finder.
The build:
Then I went to town with aluminum angle and a rivet gun.
The front deck was a series of boxes tied together with some angles for rigidity.
The cockpit floor was lined with insulation foam. It provided the support for the floor and some insulation during cold weather.
The front and back decks were originally made of plywood. I later replaced them with 1/2 inch plastic sheeting.
The trolling motor was tricky to get down. It turns out that the front deck from the factory wasn't as level as I hoped.
I didn't attach it right away as it was easier to drill the holes for the trolling motor with it off and I needed to sneak the carpet under it.
The counsel, where the steering system and all the wiring would come to.
You can see the throttle mount on the starboard side.
The back deck was put in place to maximize storage.
The anchor light pole and mount. I tried the sealer on some scrap and decided to keep them and add them to the boat.
The finished product - trolling motor mount and depth finder mount. All wood received three coats of Marine Sikkens.
The console was left open for the rigging team.
Off to get rigged!
I left the back compartment open and unfinished as I did not want to get in the way of the installation of the motor.
It floats!
Final thoughts and next steps:
I learned an immense amount from this project. I was also really happy with how the first iteration came out. I was not able to include the rod box on this build but I have plans for it in the future. Making space for 7' 3" rods inside a 16 foot boat turned out to be more problematic than I first thought. I also want to rework the hatch sizes. Combining them into one big hatch would simplify any maintenance to the batteries and would allow for a cleaner look. The trolling motor mount needs better access as well.The good news though, it works and I completed the majority of my features for this build. It floats in less than a foot of water when I want to fish skinny and I can achieve 28 MPH (measured by on board GPS) which is more than plenty for my 1,600 acre chain of lakes..
Moving forward, I will be redoing the front and back decks with plastic sheeting. I also will be putting the seat mounts under the deck as they do get quite hot in the sun. I will also take another look at the rod box but I think it might require the use of a TIG welder to accomplish the design.
Thanks for looking!
-Trevor
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