Modifications........

[Laukia]

This first one is probably pretty basic, Mac might have intended it to be done, but I rigged up a 5 or 6 ft. length of 1/2 inch yacht braid between the 2 cleats of the in deck fish boxes. It makes single handed lifting of the boxes a lot easier.

Also on the transom bait well system......Mac made a couple modifications for me. I have a drain on the upper port side of the tank. A low profile inlet on the starboard side. The stand pipe drain is eliminated and the "end of day" drain is a bathtup type plug at the bottom of the tank. It makes for a more open tank with less obstructions for the baits to run into. I also sealed up the inner top rim of the tank where it meets the lid with Life Seal so there is no water draining into the bilge. And finally I replaced the blue 1/2 inch high pressure rigid tube from the pump to the inlet port with 5/8 flexible reinforced hose and the Shurflo female fittings to the pump and inlet. This cut the noise from the bait pump by 100%.

Art for arts sake........I replaced the vent in the cabin. I opted not to get the air conditioning, seeing as how the weather in So. Cal. is always perfect.......except for the occasional earthquake, firestorm, flash flood, landslide or 60+ knot devil wind. Anyway, my new "non vent":

[TwinFin]

Hi Dave

Dave:

I'm curious - how did you carve "Laukia" into the wood. It looks like an exact replica of your decal.

[Laukia]

"non vent"

Hey Steve, glad to see you showed up here.

It turns out the font of the lettering in the printers world is known as 'hobo'. I had the piece of mahogany left over from replacing the wood on an old Boston Whaler Sport. My carpenter buddy cut it down to size and routered the grooves in it. Then we took it to a sign maker we know who does the signs for the Forestry Dept. He stenciled in the lettering and then sandblasted it out to that depth. Pretty custom detailing.

[Split Decision]

I really like the way that looks. I might have to make one for my boat when I get it.

[TwinFin]

Hi Dave

Hi Dave. That turned out very well!

I like this thread. Anyboby else interested in sharing ideas about modifications you are contemplating but have not yet made?

Here is one I am wrestling with. I intend to add a 6 man life raft this winter. I'm torn between;

a valise unit that would be stowed below when slipped and brought up on deck each trip and placed behind the bench seat along with my ditch bag (something I would probably grow to dislike)

or

a canister unit mounted on a custom bracket that straddles my radome (out of the way but maybe not the smartest location as the raft could get snagged in the tower if it were ever auto deployed)

The fore deck is another option but I can't bring myself to mount it up there.

[backman]

Raft behind helm seat

My valise goes behind the helm seat and the ditch bag goes on top if it, It fits nicely in the space and is more or less out of the way.

I think putting 100 pounds of weight up high is a bad thing in general and I also wasn't convinced that if the boat were going down and the raft deployed up there that it would float free.