Boat Profile:
The Metal Man - Jim Day
What kind of person converts a 14 foot aluminum skiff to an offshore fishing machine?The Metal Man - Jim Day
The starboard motor has the original Suzuki steering and throttle cables. Jim fabricated the necessary parts to attach the port motor. Note the Doel-fin hydroplanes. The two motors are not counter-rotating, but are small enough so that torque steering is not a problem.
The motors can be tilted completely out of the water. As mention earlier, fuel economy with the single motor is outstanding. Jim usually trolls with just a single motor.
Rather than try to get a binnacle dual-motor control for the small Suzukis, Jim simply added a second single-engine control to the left side of the console. The console is narrow enough that having the throttles split like this has not been a problem.
Jim installed a Racor water separator filter to help protect fuel. It is located along the starboard gunwhale, where it is easily inspected and serviced if needed.
The small console holds a Ritchie compass, VHF radio, full-size sonar, handheld GPS, and a Raymarine Sportpilot+ autopilot. The I-Top mounts the JRC radome, which was chosen because of it's light weight.
Also note the electrical accessory plug. This little box is mounted on the left side of the top crossbar of the I-Top. It's used for powering squid lights. The plugs / sockets are actually units designed for electric guitars. These heavily-chromed connectors form a pretty solid connection, and have proven to be very rust-resistant.
Jim uses AGM deep-cycle wheelchair batteries, rather than conventional marine batteries. They are considerably smaller than regular batteries, like all AGM batteries can be mounted in any position, and have a reasonable electrical capacity. Also relatively cheap compared to marine AGM batteries.
One of the benefits of being a welder and making your own rails: Jim added this custom mount for his Scotty electric downrigger, built into the stern rail
Note the rod racks in the front of the I-Top (right)
Here's a neat trick...Jim built his own collapsible / autoextending outriggers. The units telescope when raised, but when lowered, the tension cord automatically extends the outrigger. The tension cord also reinforces the 'rigger, and reduces flexing to the rear. The 'riggers are hinged at the base
The 30 gallon livewell was custom-built out of 10 gauge aluminum. When the plexiglas cover with a seat cushion is in place, the livewell becomes a seat in the perfect location for a fisherman hooked up to a large fish. From this positon, the solo angler can easily reach both engine controls, as well as steer the boat and work the radio. Note the corner pieces that "round out" the interior.
Page 4 of 5 pages for this article : « First < 2 3 4 5 >
