Fish Beware! Build Thread...

[pjbrownva]

I've made so many changes to my V20, and I'm planning so many more, that I thought I'd start a "build thread", where I chronicle some the changes over time, and also share ideas and ask for advice.


I bought Fish Beware last summer (2020), from the previous owner on Cape Cod, who had taken wonderful care of this 1984 V20 steplift with 2003 Johnson (Suzuki) 140 HP 4 Stroke with under 350 hours.

The boat is clean and well loved, and I'm thrilled to be her owner.

Later I'll probably list all of the changes that I've made so far.

Right now I want to jump into the refit.

I've added an inexpensive tower, and now I just purchased a 7" Sonar / GPS multifunction display (MFD) from Raymarine.

I'm thinking about the best way to mount this new toy on the dash. Plus, I'd like to add Radar too, and now that I'm learning about the possibilities, I'm even considering an NMEA2000 wifi gateway, and maybe a 9" MFD as well.

I bought a Raymarine Axiom 7+ with side and down scanning sonar plus their "Real Vision" 3D sonar imaging. The unit is high resolution at 1280x800.

I'm now trying to figure out the best setup, including if I should add a 2nd screen, and if if so, what size.

More to come.

-Philip

 

[Destroyer]

WOW.. That's some serious $$$. Most of us, when making major changes like that to the dashboard like to make our own dashboard. Go to home Depot and buy a 2'x4' sheet of Starboard. Nice, white, 1/2 in thick plastic. Design your own dashboard according to your needs.

 

[charlie_the_tuna]

Did I miss the pictures?!?

 

[pjbrownva]

Nope. I talked a good game, so now I guess I've gotta deliver!

 

[pjbrownva]

Update.... wires, wires, wires!

OK. It's not a photo, but here's a graphic of the wiring upgrade I'm considering.



I've added a radar arch from Atlantic towers... but still need to wire up my spreader lights, antennas, etc. I'm also relocating the battery, adding a 2nd battery, and rewiring *everything* in the boat.... more to come on that, with pictures ... I *promise*

I want to relocate the battery from the stern to under the passenger seat, and also add a second battery, and an automatic charging relay.

I'm still trying to figure out if extra wire will allow the motor to start OK (suzuki DF140 2 stroke), or if I'm asking for problems. I plan to add 27' to each the positive and the negative leads of the starter circuit.

I'd like to use 4 AWG tinned copper if that will work, but might have to go with 2 AWG -- although I really don't know if either will work or cause problems.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!
-Phil

 

[SkunkBoat]

IMO;
You are over-thinking/over doing it with the battery. Leave it where it is. I ran a V20 cuddy with zuke DF140 on a single Grp27 Dual Purpose battery. Did that for 12 years. Replaced the battery about every 5 years. I did not even have a battery on/off switch.(although I would recommend that).
I had two sonar/chartplotters & VHF. I fished at night with lights. I ran 60 miles offshore. Kept boat in water all season.

If you need 2 batteries for peace of mind, an ACR will work but you might be able to use an aux charging wire from your DF140. With 2 batteries you need to decide how to rig it. Are you going to use one for HOUSE 12V and the other for dedicated Start battery? You going to use a 1/Both/2/OFF switch?

BTW, If your battery ever goes underwater you have bigger problems than what happens to the battery.


As for the 7" display, get some 1/2" Starboard and make a new flush mount dash.

You say "DF140 2 stroke" A DF140 is a Four stroke. A DT140 is a Two stroke


I can't see your diagram post...

 

[pjbrownva]

IMO;
You are over-thinking/over doing it with the battery. Leave it where it is. I ran a V20 cuddy with zuke DF140 on a single Grp27 Dual Purpose battery. Did that for 12 years. Replaced the battery about every 5 years. I did not even have a battery on/off switch.(although I would recommend that).
I had two sonar/chartplotters & VHF. I fished at night with lights. I ran 60 miles offshore. Kept boat in water all season.

If you need 2 batteries for peace of mind, an ACR will work but you might be able to use an aux charging wire from your DF140. With 2 batteries you need to decide how to rig it. Are you going to use one for HOUSE 12V and the other for dedicated Start battery? You going to use a 1/Both/2/OFF switch?

BTW, If your battery ever goes underwater you have bigger problems than what happens to the battery.


As for the 7" display, get some 1/2" Starboard and make a new flush mount dash.

You say "DF140 2 stroke" A DF140 is a Four stroke. A DT140 is a Two stroke


I can't see your diagram post...

That's sound advice, and I did not know that the engine can support an aux charging wire, I will have to look in to that.

For the usage. I plan to have one battery for start and bilge pumps, and the other as a house battery for everything else. That will give me the peace of mind that I can't kill my battery running electronics and find myself stranded.

That's great to hear that you ran 60 miles off shore. I'd like to go off-shore too. Some people have said that I'm nuts, but I believe with proper preparation, the V20 should do fine... and preparation includes checking the weather forecast and staying home or close to shore if you don't like it.

 

[nymack66]

I agree, my batteries are under the deck if they are covered with water it will be time for me to jump ship.

 

[pjbrownva]

Tower with Rocket launchers...

I agree, my batteries are under the deck if they are covered with water it will be time for me to jump ship.

OK. The dual batteries are going in the back under the deck.

Here's an update, and tease of things to come. I've got so many projects going at once, that it's hard for me to keep up!

I put on a tower-in-a-box from Atlantic tower, and I LOVE it! It took me FOREVER to install... it was far more work than I thought.... plus I had to cut four new access holes to connect the backing plates behind the 4 mounts, so now I have those to deal with. Two of them are going to house speakers for a small stereo. The other two will get an access panel installed, or maybe I'll just cut something into a square shape and cover them with 4 screws... we'll see.


Here's what **a** V20 looks like with the tower... mine looks very much like this... but that one isn't MY Vee... more to come.

 

[pjbrownva]

Electrical Panels and rewiring

Nope. I talked a good game, so now I guess I've gotta deliver!

I decided to start a mini-thread for each of my projects.

This one is for the re-wiring which is coming along.


I bought this switch panel, which has 8 switches with circuit breakers. It comes with stickers for each function and it can be back lit.

The switches aren't the best quality, but I think they'll do. I melted one of them by accident with my heat gun! I also re-wired the back of it... I'm using heat shrink connectors, and then putting heat shrink over that.
View attachment 8212


It's time consuming, but I'm making progress!!

Here are photos of some of the products I purchased and am using.

I'll get photos of the install to post too.

I decided to re-wire most of the boat!

 

[charlie_the_tuna]

So.... is it just me?!?

 

[pjbrownva]

So.... is it just me?!?

Nope. I looked and most of the photos didn't post.

I will take some on my phone tomorrow and try again....

I've got about 10 things goin' on at once!

1) I put in a bronze clam shell with a seacock, mounted a live well pump and a raw water washdown

2) I'm rewiring almost everything

3) 2nd battery install with automatic charge relay

4) Got a Raymarine Axiom+, the 7" model

5) Put on a fishing arch / radar tower from atlantic marine

6) Have spreader lights that can be white or blue

7) Have dual VHF radios each w/ their own antenna

8) Have an Icom Marine M-710 Medium and High Frequency radio -- 150 watts. I got the required FCC licenses, plus recently upgraded my HAM license to general class, so I can transmit on the HAM bands too.

9) Have a special antenna for the M-710, called an "outbacker"... it has a jumper where you move where a wire connects

and still more... but I'll wait to show it, rather than just talk!

 

[pjbrownva]

Tower and Radar arch (first images)

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0l5VaUrzjGhqV;CF21F6F1-E929-4151-9937-71346991AD63

So.... is it just me?!?

Here are some photos... at last! I will take better ones today and post them this weekend. (I'm hosting the photos on icloud in an apple photos album that is publicly "shared").

Here she is... Fish Beware!

I added a tower-in-a-box from atlantic towers...

and here...

...

I cut the front bow railing, and added some eyelets designed for the end of a bimini to, just to give it a finished look.

... Obviously I don't go boating with the spare tire on the bow. I still have to re-mount my spare tire carrier.

The reason I removed part of the railing is for trailering.
I felt like a contortionist every time I wanted to climb from the trailer onto the bow or vice-versa while at the boat ramp. Now it's much easier!

More to come!

$%#$%#$%.... foiled again! I thought that would work, but obviously not... I will try another way!

 

[pjbrownva]

Towing mirrors for my truck (4Runner)

There really are no good options for mirrors on a 4Runner, and my V20 is so big that I can’t see when backing up.

I found a solution.

I purchased some convex motor cycle mirrors off of Amazon

Then I got an expanding rubber bushing with a nut in it from Home Depot plus a 1/4” stainless steel screw.

After disassembling the mounts for the motorcycle mirrors, I was almost done.

I drilled a 1/2 inch hole high up on each of my factory mirror housings, making sure to leave enough clearance to not interfere with the mirror glass, and after inserting the bushing in the hole, you tighten down the screw and you’re done.

What a difference!

Here’s a photo… it looks clear in my factory mirror… but wait!!!







Focus on the extended mirror and you can see that a dumpster and a Ford suv are behind me!

I’m very happy with this setup.

 

[pjbrownva]

OK... here's some work on my trailer... WITH PHOTOS !!!

I had rollers and I hated them....

Plus, in 2 years I've lost three of the roller wheels (all replaced) and one of the metal arms broke off.

The result is 3 places where there are gouges in the gel coat that I'll need to repair.

It was winter and below 32, so I didn't want to launch my boat into the water... in case the ramp was icy, that wouldn't be good!
... plus, I'm half done with adding brakes to my trailer... so I really don't want to pull it anywhere until the brakes are done!

Here's what I did instead.

I went to a tire place and got some old steel rims, and several old tires. I tied off the back of the boat to a huge RV parked behind me, (Old, ratty... hasn't moved in over a decade) and gently lowered the boat onto my goods.

(Trailer w/ rollers still on. Wood is just laying there... Note the Mag wheels! I added those @ $103 a rim... I'm hoping to clean everything up when I'm done).

Found it through a listing on craig's list. The seller does wood work in his walk-out basement, and I guess he was willing to liquidate some of the massive amounts of lumber he had collected over the years.

Used an angle grinder to cut off all of the rollers and related hardware.
Left on the angle brackets that attach to the cross members... They will work perfectly to hold secure the wood.

Here's a test-fit of the wood... after the cut off all of the rollers and related parts that I didn't want.
An angle grinder is your friend!

In photo I put bolts through the wood and brackets at the rear cross member.
The front cross members are free to move, but I shimmed them 3" higher using pieces of metal that I got when I cut all the roller stuff off.

It was 25 degrees outside and snowing... I guess you could say I had gotten cabin fever!

Here I am loading the boat onto the bunks for a test fit.
I put on a electric winch last year ($100 off craig's list... 20+ years old, but NEVER used... still in a the original box... but the box was in sorry shape).

I used a "snatch block" that came with the winch. It's a hook and pulley. Connected the hook to the boat, and ran the steel cable from the winch, through the pulley, and anchored back on the trailer near the winch.

The result is that the boat moves forward at 1/2 the speed, but the winch can apply twice the force.


Steady as she goes... It went on, but I nicked up some of the gel coat at the very tip of the bow. The boards started to push apart some... I had to use some 4x4's to keep them from separating any more, and the bow-eye started to pull out some... I guess I compressed the fiberglass or whatever is backing it.

So, I've got some additional work that needs doin'. I think I'll pay someone to fix that part, when I'm done with the other work.

Note the tower... It's from Atlantic towers! I put it on. It was another craig's list find... about 10 yrs old... brand new, never installed, but a 2 hr drive away. I got about a 1/3 discount compared to buying brand new from Atlantic towers at today's prices. I love the tower! It's MUCH, MUCH better than than the $200 thinner tower that I tried.

What's next?

I got a raymarine 24" color HD Radar. I have a raymarine 7" MFD, and just bought a 2nd one used from ebay.

AND... I have at least 3 more "surprises"... but I'll wait until I have photos to share them.

More to come... I'll work on it some more Saturday morning and then on Sunday.

-Philip