Todd in NY

That sucks! She looks like a yearling. Hope it's not something that can affect the local heard.

Great catch, thanks for the report! How deep are they biting?

Turns out that this boat was made by Lowe, according to the HIN that starts with LWN.

A great winter project indeed. This boat will replace my little Sea Nymph 14A, which is only 13' 6". Now I can fish 3 people comfortably without taking my 19ft boat out. The weather forecast looks good enough this Sunday for a test run. Maybe I can land some trout on a small local lake. I'll keep working on it this winter as long as the weather holds out. I wish there was a way to figure out who made this boat. The manufacturer is listed as Sears and the model # is 286-61416. I'll replace the transom wood in the spring time, but I like how the transom is built. Here's a pic of the transom supports inside the boat, and the capacity plate...

More pics... I have to re-center the motor before I use the boat (we were working in the rain when I bought the boat, and we put the motor back on real fast after running it in the test barrel). I'll also replace the old Garmin with my Helix 5 DI GPS fish finder. I have to add a battery box and my transom mount 40# trolling motor and I'll be set to fish. It already has 4 Berkley rod holders for trolling. I also have to re-name the boat to "Rock Bottom", because it's a basic boat that I can operate on a rock bottom budget

Its a 1974 Sears 16ft aluminum boat with a 65" beam. Max HP rating is 25, max load is 950 pounds, actual length is 15'10". The boat came with a trailer and a 1973 Evinrude 25hp outboard, converted over to electric start, with all new wiring and new coils. It also came with an anchor, Garmin 240 FF with speed and temp, and 2 oars. I'm on my cell phone now, but I will try to post pics. Ok, only one pic would post. I'll try to attach more pics tomorrow from my computer. The lower unit has rust stains from the test barrel. I'll try some CLR to remove them. Looking forward to hitting the water with this boat. It looks and feels very solid, and I'm impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of the hull and transom.

Ok, thanks. I just bought a small tinny with an older 25hp Evinrude on it.

Is this manual still available?

Do you have any pictures you can post? Where are you located?

Will do! I've looked at a few other forums like I boats and tin boats. I talked to a local boat repair guy who works at a nearby marina. He's a friend of a friend, so I think he would give me a reasonable price if it turns out to be something I don't want to tackle on my own. The job seems pretty straight forward, but only with the proper tools, equipment, work space and time. Either way, it can't happen until April anyway due to our unpredictable weather, and the fact that I don't have a garage that my boat will fit into. That gives me all winter to think about it.

Thanks Frogger, I'll look into the Seacast product. I take on a little water during a 6 hour trip on a calm inland lake, but it's never enough to make the bilge pump turn on. But on Lake O, fishing in 4 footers, the water comes in through the 2 rubber boots that I want to replace before next season. I also want to re-caulk that splash well area just in case there is water coming in through the caulked seems.

Thanks for all the great tips and advice Rolmops! I maintain my boats as if I'm going to keep them for a lifetime, so if I ever sell it, the new buyer will get a very reliable, well maintained boat.

Good point about the coast guard boats. I've never seen one up close, so I didn't know they used all-aluminum transoms. Makes perfect sense though.

It looks like the wood can be replaced without removing the aluminum on the front and back. I'm thinking that if every bolt was removed (motors, transducers, etc), then remove the flat aluminum rail/cover, that it might be possible to pull the wood core out. The top rear corner braces might have to come off too, but it seems so much easier than removing the aluminum covering. Is that how your transom was replaced, by just removing the wood core?

Congrats on the fish and thanks for the report!

Yours might be like mine, it has aluminum on both sides (front and back), plus a flat aluminum rail that covers the wood across the top. But that aluminum piece isn't water tight, so when a wave comes in over the short transom it can seep in under that aluminum. In rough water, with the boat slamming onto the next swell, it seems to really pound the motor on the transom. It doesn't look loose, but I worry about it because of the age of the boat. I'd rather be safe than sorry.