Time to finish this BS boat build up.  Saturday between rain storms we finished building a rear battery box and installed the battery (note bungee holding the battery down).  The fact that this battery is nearly impossible to get in and out of the boat probably means I need to invest in one of those in_the_boat charger dealies.  Maybe next year.  
 
My dad also spent a bit of time rewiring some of the squirrel-nest that was my boat's wiring.  We moved the power source for the CB and the fish finder to the new front battery.  I'll be adding leads for submersible lights and the pump for my bait well to that battery.  And maybe a future radio/speakers.  I installed that battery this evening.  
 
Also installed the fuel/water separator in the rear compartment and ran hoses from the gas tank and out to the engines.  Just need to put the squeeze_valve and connector piece on (already have this, set aside from last season) and make a jumper for the kicker.  Some pictures of all that work follow:



 

Pics of the front battery.  Looks like it might be in the way, but actually my feet come nowhere near that.  I'll get a shot of me sitting in the driver seat at some point but for now just take my word for it.  Plenty of room under this console.  

Oh, and since when are battery core charges EIGHTEEN fricking dollars?  That's just robbery.  But I didn't want to drive the earth looking for a battery, and this one fit the holder I had perfectly.  So they got their blood money.  Bastards.  Need to put a fire extinguisher back in there on the left of the battery.  And I may put some wire chase over those wires.  Not that they are all that in the way as-is.  

Things left to do:
FUEL/ENGINE
- make fuel line jumper for kicker
- attach fuel bulb/connector to hose from fuel/water separator
- fill boat with new fuel
- test run both engines
WIRING
- attach all wires to rear battery incl both engines
- add leads for aux hookups front and back (lights and baitwell)
MISC
- attach rear floor panel
- have snap on cover made for rear compartment
- place cooler seat in back of boat
- place baitwell in boat
- attach tool holder in rear of boat
- make boards for cap rail (possibly azek/pvc boards, possibly wood+poly)
- make drawer for passenger glovebox compartment
- find and attach cargo net for life vests under passenger console
- attach 2x 3 rod holders on fronts of consoles
 
And boom, all done!  Ha.  Some of that isn't 100% necessary before test running the boat.  Which I hope to do this Sunday.  Trip to NC OBX looming and I need this thing wrapped up and GTG before I tow it Xhundred miles to the coast.  
 
The floor came out very nice I think.  The proof will be in the use.  But my dad bled all over the floor while working on it Saturday and it wiped right up.  Hoping to test that better with some fish blood very soon.  I'll try to get some full boat with seats and everything put up this weekend, plus maybe even a few floating.  Fingers crossed.  
 

python73
Pics of the front battery.  Looks like it might be in the way, but actually my feet come nowhere near that.  I'll get a shot of me sitting in the driver seat at some point but for now just take my word for it.  Plenty of room under this console.  

Oh, and since when are battery core charges EIGHTEEN fricking dollars?  That's just robbery.  But I didn't want to drive the earth looking for a battery, and this one fit the holder I had perfectly.  So they got their blood money.  Bastards.  Need to put a fire extinguisher back in there on the left of the battery.  And I may put some wire chase over those wires.  Not that they are all that in the way as-is.  

should have went to Battery Outlet at 29th and Liberty for your Batteries

Nice of your Dad to provide some blood, to test the easy clean up...
 
Looking good.  Hope you hit your Sunday deadline.  Sounds like a good bit of stuff to do, but definitely the home stretch.  Got to be a great feeling!  Hopefully some doormat sized flounder flopping around on the new floor soon enough.

brinkstershould have went to Battery Outlet at 29th and Liberty for your Batteries

 
Also apparently some place in New Castle also.  But like I said, world travel to save a few bucks wasn't on my agenda.  With this crazy rain, work, umpiring, etc my window for boat part shopping is very small.  
 
Pork - you KNOW I'm posting 20 pictures of any flounder I deck in this thing.  And trout for that matter.  CANNOT WAIT.  Only reason I haven't sunk the thing in the swamp across the street and claimed salvage price.  

Lookin good Sam, go get em!

Some updates from this weekend.  Got the fuel system connected up on Friday night and hooked everything up to the batteries.  First casualty: gas gauge.  SIGH.  No fixing that now, though it might be the gauge itself and not the float/tank.  Could NOT get gas into the **** engine.  Went and got parts, replaced the bulb, nothing.  Got the filter to fill with fuel but it just wouldn't fill the ball.  Got angry and tore out all the filter nonsense, plumbed it direct.  STILL NO FUEL!!  So I pulled the line from the ball to the engine and replaced it with 6' of clear vinyl hose.  Then I sucked gas into it (gas is tasty and good eats) and connected the end back up.  
 
After all that mess I was able to run the engine.  Removed the clear hose and put a new piece of fuel line back in and it worked, though I still can't get the ball to stay solid.  I swear there's a leak inside the engine that's screwing with me.  
 
Wanted to leave at 9am, finally left at 2:30pm and drove up to Shenago.  Launched at Clark, which was a mistake, since the dock isn't at the ramp.  Who designed that crap?  Jumped in the boat to launch and my wife backed the boat the last 8 feet, managed to jackknife it 6 times in those 8 feet.  Motor idles rough and was generally a PITA.  But we got past the bridge and dropped the hammer and it MOVED.  Got 30mhp at not quite full throttle with my wife and I in the boat and a full gas tank.  That'll get us out to the perch grounds with no problems.  
 
Struggled a bit with the connector arm that goes to the kicker.  Since it wasn't connected it kept flopping around and jamming, but that was my fault.  Should have disconnected it before we left.  
 
Good news:  not a drop of water in the back/bottom.  So my new plugs are good.  Floor is awesome, seats are awesome.  Should fish like a monster.

Awesome. Congrats.  Hopefully those perch are showing up in Erie now.

ZelieSam, best get yourself a couple bottles of Star-Tron, get it into that gas tank, and get that engine runnin' right before a high mileage, expensive fishin' trip, only to be disappointed with a bum motor when ya get there. I've been there; done that!! (Well, it wasn't my motor; lost a trailer bearing. PITA to cut off a bearing and dress up an axle with a file to fit a new hub).