86 SN rebuild

A 2X8 is actually 1.5 inches thick. Everything I used was 2X Fir. Even the smaller blocks are from 2X fir. I just planed them to be 3/4 inch thick

Jeff

I cant tell you how handy a heater is... whether its early morning or early/late season, its really nice to have! We dont quite have SoCal's climate though.

Your plan for the electronics is a good one, though Im not sure how far forward youre planning to carpet, which may complicate things. The kick and side panels hide that whole airbox area, so no carpet required- very utilitarian. I think you'll find that the space gained without it is not very significant- but I suppose every little but helps on these smaller boats.

I guess when I get to that part of the rebuild, I might change my mind. I'll keep my options open. I appreciate your experience and thoughts.

It looks as though you ran your duct's similar to what I want to do, pushed as far forward as possible. It still looks to me that if the box wasn't there, you would have additional floor area. As far as the electronics. I was going to laminate a flat piece of ply on the side of the hull. I could then mount what I wanted and keep it off the floor. As far as room for a heater. Maybe it's my age, but if I need a heater, I stay home.

Jeff

Jeff,
Are you planning to re-foam the stringers? Also i sent you a email about wood dimensions.

BuffaloBFN wrote: The air box is also where the kickboard and side board mount.

I think this is the airbox's only function. On the earlier boats, it went full width, as only a kickboard mounted to it. Without it, mounting the kick and other panels gets a little tricky. Those panels serve as a footrest for the driver, as well as hide the mechanicals (bilge line, wire harness, shift and steering cables, air hoses) from plain sight. It also provides some "high ground" to mount electronics, heaters, etc.

Obviously some sort of ventilation for the engine is required, hence the three 3" lines running from the bow to the bulkhead. The factory used woefully inadequate dryer vent tubing. Most here replace with something superior, like schedule 40 hard PVC. I used flexible PVC in the BFN, which made routing it a little easier. I believe Greg used some hard corrugated plastic tubing. Roger's custom fiberglass tubes are awesome, but need to be made special. Lots of options though.

8122pbrainard wrote: BTW, as a reference, CQ has got a pretty decent sound system in his boat

By who's standards Pete? Yours or a closet Tuber?

I don't think it does anything at all. It's a box of foam. I'm going to run the same air duct's, I'm just not going to add the foam block.

I'm intending on routing the duct's as close to the starbord side as I can. I might try to build my own out of fiberglass like UK1979 did. I really don't want to spend the extra time, but I want it to be a clean install. So, if I can't find anything suitable, I'll try to build it.

Jeff

Jeff both are set in foam but the back battery box is only 1/8 off the hull, you can see my boxes start around the line of the dash so the front box is not that big, its just to stow away things but it will take beer too, just has a hinged lid on it.
I'm not a 2001 guy, Joe your man there , but would think you need to check on how much the bow slopes I think its more than a Mk 2 SN and the height of the deck, you may have more or less room ? to do it as Tim said may need to bring the boxes back towards the pylon.

May be of help when thinking which way to go.

Joe's battery box looks to be located in the same spot as the "aft" of the 2 batt boxes his boat originally came with. It still requires the "cantelevered" observer seat that I mentioned above. Here's a shot of an original early 80's set up:



I wasnt comfortable with 12" of the seat overhanging the battery box, nor did I want to be stepping on the lid every time I got in the drivers seat... but a bunch of boats came from the factory that way so its certainly a viable option.

I suppose theres no reason you technically need a box vs. a tray if youre going to be going with a fully draining, foamless design. I chose to go essentially foamless and drain all of the underfloor cavities together- but not to the bilge. I also sealed my battery box off. I figure that any path for the water to escape is also an intrusion point (and the low lying batt boxes on my other boats seem to always collect water) and I didnt want ANY water below the floor, if I could help it. I did provide means to get the water back out though, should it find its way in somehow... I just wasnt going to invite it in. Thats about the only reason I can think of against going with the tray idea. One benefit is that you'd end up with a lot more room with the same sized opening, as the factory battery box tapers quite a bit.

If you do decide not to reuse the battery box in your rebuild and you'd be willing to part with it, Id be interested in it for one of my other boats- so drop me a line if you decide to sell it.

Pbrain,

I’ll go ahead and admit it. I had to read your post 10 times before I figured out what PN was. But I still can’t figure out CQ.

And no, I haven’t been at PN.

Jeff

Here is the only picture I found showing the relative location..

Jeff,
I've got to ask why the 2 batteries? You may want to rethink the issue.

BTW, as a reference, CQ has got a pretty decent sound system in his boat and only has one battery!! You haven't been spending too much time over on PN have you?

Another bridge crossed. Looking good. I was going to do a 2 battery box but in the end there was not room in the Skier. You may be able to get away with it in the SN since its bigger. After listening to a lot of the guys on here I was beginning to question needing the second battery anyway. Unless you are going to beach it and pump tunes all day through a massive stereo system...

Update:
We're still motoring along. The port main is bedded and the port secondary is almost finished. Everything is running alone pretty smooth. We're almost to the point the we can start glassing in the stringers.

Jeff