Projects for the "new" 26-footer

[Dan in Alaska]

A friend and I picked up a 2001 Hewescraft 26-foot Alaskan Sea Runner. The boat is set up pretty nice for fishing and hunting in Alaskan waters. It has room for 4 people to sleep, a 2-burner cook stove, icebox, and plenty of storage. We got a lucky break in the winter weather and picked it up couple weekends ago, and stuck in another friend's shop to thaw out. Photos are always nice, so I figured I hang a few with my first post on Wiley's new forum.

We had to dig the boat out of the snow & ice. It took some salt, ice chippers, propane heaters and a full set of tires chains on the truck, but we eventually got her freed from her winter slumber:

A rest stop on the way home. It's a good thing the scenery doesn't suck much.

In the spirit of boat ownership, we've spent a fair amount of money in the last couple of weeks on upgrades. We've installed a new Standard Horizon VHF, Sony CD-player, Rule bilge pumps & float switches, BEP battery switches and charging relays, Racor fuel filters, a pair Lowrance LMF 200's with fuel flow sensors & a speed sensor, and lots of rod holders.

Still in the works is a new fuse block under the dash, switch panel on the dash, new VHF antenna, an Endurance shrimp pot puller, the Garmin GPS-chartplotter from my current 22-foot boat, trailer brakes & bearings, re-wire/replace the trailer lights, and the usual basic outboard motor maintenance & fluid changes.

It's hard to get too excited about boating with several feet of snow on the ground, but we manage. We're hoping to get her splashed in mid-April for the opening weekend of the shrimping season.

I'll post more pictures, as we progress.

[Boz]

Great looking boat, Dan! And it looks like it's extremely well-suited for your neck of the woods. And, I might add, quite a beautiful neck of the woods!

What size Yamahaulers?

The upgrades sound like they'll make her a real joy.

Don't forget to load in some of that 12 year old scotch to go with the 12,000 year old ice.

But only one question ~~ No Air Conditioning??

[welder]

Sweet ride, let the fun begin .

I know a couple guys that run em'air boats and they are very happy with them .

[Dan in Alaska]

Don't forget to load in some of that 12 year old scotch to go with the 12,000 year old ice.

A whiskey sour is the best I could do on short notice.

Here's an ice collecting mission:

The boat currently has a set of 2001 F115's on it. We'd like to throw a set of Suzuki 150's or 175's on her, but that will have to wait a while. Next year we plan to upgrade the chart plotter/fish finder and add cabin heat. Espar makes a pretty sweet diesel heater, and that's how we prefer to have our air conditioning.

[Dan in Alaska]

Here's a photo of the dash. I still need to mount my old Garmin 238 on there, and we are planning to replace the switch panel. I can't like the twin 703 controls, but swapping them for a set of 704's probably won't happen. I'll just install more appropriate controls when we re-power. In a year or two.

Here's a shot of the shop we're using. It's pretty sweet for working on boats in the cold!

[welder]

Does that ice have any taste to it ?

I can't wait to try some .

[toolman]

that ice pic is cool!!!

[Dan in Alaska]

Does that ice have any taste to it ?

No, but the ice lasts a lot longer than regular ice. You can get a couple three drinks off one glass of ice. Drinks on glacier ice is just one of the many charms of hanging out in Prince William Sound.

Here are a few more........Spot Prawns!

[welder]

Dan, you have a extra room ................I'll bring my own Boat and Glass.

[ScarabChris]

Very cool post and congrats on the new rig. Being born and raised in Miami it looks very strange to see the boat in snow. Yes, that ice pic is neat as hell.