# Dive/Fishing Boat Project



## RaceCarGuy (Feb 28, 2009)

Check out my dive boat project. I guess I have giving up on race cars for a while. This scuba diving is depleting my bank account. First day home with it about three weeks ago










about a week into it










Around $6000.00 dollars andtwo weeks of hard labor later she has come a long way!










Hopefully about three more weeks and she will be ready to roll. Most of the hard stuff is done. Motor controls, motor wiring, graphics, and install a new gps/sonar is all thats left.

PS I need the platform part of this swim platform. Anybody got one?


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## BIGRIGZ (Oct 2, 2007)

Congratulations man!! It looks great! Were you able to buy the boat as a hull without a motor?

I've been having serious thoughts about looking for a Walk-around / cuddy instead of a Center console.

Please, Post up more pics as you progress!!


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## Florabama (Oct 19, 2007)

That is exactly what I want to do and I was looking at an older Pro-line to do it with. The only difference was that I was thinking of adding a full Armstrong bracket instead of thesingle engine brack and letting the bracket be my dive platform. Would you mind sayinghow much you have in it?


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## Pinksnappertrapper (Dec 7, 2007)

Where did you order the Proline stickers from? How much did you give for the motor and where did you find it? Thanks, Joe


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## HateCheese (Oct 2, 2007)

Lookin nice :clap:clap

Looks like it will be a great setup when its all done.


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## Brandy (Sep 28, 2007)

Boat is looking great. What electronics are you going to use?


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## RaceCarGuy (Feb 28, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I have been working like a slave on this boat and to hear Ya'll like it makes it all seem worth it.

I wanted it to be ready for opening week end of snapper season, but I don't think I will make it. Anyone have an open spot for June 5 or 6th I would love to go.

Answers to some of the questions

A full Armstrong bracket would have been nice but since it had a factory installed single bracket I left it on. I have around 14,000 in it now and will probably be in the 15,000 range when it is finished, that includes a 1000.00 spent on the trailer. Everything on it is now new. Axles, spring, rollers, wiring, tires, ect. It should be good to go for several years.

The motor is a 2004 Mercury 225 optimax with 428 hrs. I believe it will be a good one, it sure looks good. I will let you know how it runs in a few days. I am over budget on it some, I was hoping to get it going for around 13,000, but you know how it goes, every time you do something you find something else to do and add more cost. It should really be a nice dependable boat when it is finished, and give me many years of trouble free use, I HOPE!

A Garmin 540s is what I am thinking of using. It seems like a good choice in the reasonable priced units. I don't need a lot of bells and whistles, just a good gps/sonar combo. What do ya'll use? Do you think I will be happy with the Gramin 540s? It will be the last thing purchased so I have a few more days to make my choice.

The graphics will be custom designed to match the Mercury, not proline stuff.

Ya'll will be seeing it soon on the water!


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## Brandy (Sep 28, 2007)

I use Eagle electronics on our boat. I spearfish only so im never trying to mark anything in over 200ft of water. Got my gps (Eagle also) on ebay. It gets me where im going. Sounds like your going to be doing some fishing so Garmin would be a good choice for the price.


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## Florabama (Oct 19, 2007)

> *RaceCarGuy (5/27/2009)*Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I have been working like a slave on this boat and to hear Ya'll like it makes it all seem worth it.
> 
> I wanted it to be ready for opening week end of snapper season, but I don't think I will make it. Anyone have an open spot for June 5 or 6th I would love to go.
> 
> ...


Sweet! That's not much money for a great dive boat like that.


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## Out Align (Oct 18, 2007)

Nice rig, I hope to see it on the water soon.

I have a Garmin 540s, I just use it for a chartplotter. I have not installed the transducer cause I just have that as a back up in case my furuno goes out. I don't think I could use it as chartplotter and fishfinder because of the screen size. That being said I love it as a chartplotter.


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## FelixH (Sep 28, 2007)

Good job, the boat looks Great!!

As for electronics, I'd prefer two separate units for ease of use, but I have used several combo units on friends' boats. They work well, but having to run them in split-screen mode cuts down on the picture you're seeing for each function. 

Really, a good bottom machine is worth its weight in gold. I had a cheap bottom machine on my boat, and regretted it every trip out... spend the money on a good bottom machine. For gps, even a cheap unit will get you close to the spot, so spending a bunch of money on that isnot as crucial as the bottom machine.


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## stokedog (Oct 24, 2008)

you need to hurry up and get that boat going i'm ready to get wet.


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