Whats up guys. Havent posted in awhile. Hunted a grand total of 3 times this year due to school.

Ive been telling myself I am going to paint my boat for about 2 years now. I got this boat in 2007. 1998 Sea Ark Pro-V CC, put a 2008 yamaha 2-stroke 50hp on it in 08. It spend every off day I had on the water from the mouth of the colorado to san luis pass for 3 years until I got laid off and had to move in 2010 to DFW. It still gets used regularly, but not as much. On the coast it was kept at my dads house, who was always doing something with it (tinkerer). So I rarely had to do any maintenance. Moved up here and shortly realized that I had it made down there. Well over about a year of being rarely used, little things started popping up here and there. I was going to sell it to pay some bills and what-not, but decided I wasnt ready to part w/ it. Here are some before pictures.











First up, steering. Cables had locked up and it was all I could do to turn it. Fooled around with it for a month before I realized it was a simple fix. $120 cable, 10 minute replacement and its smooth as butter.

Second up, carb issues. I run an inline filter, but noticed that it had a 'dead zone' in the throttle. Its done this before. Cleaned carbs and replaced filter. Good as new.

Third, replace some bunk carpeting...easy enough.

Now on to the good stuff. Like I said, I have been wanting to paint it for awhile, the 'seafoam green' just wasnt doing it anymore. The floors, as you can see below were BARE aluminum (used to be painted from the factory). While this was useful when people on my boat smarted off (cut throttle watch them go down), it was a problem. The front and back decks were carpet, that I have been replacing (well, my dad has) every year. I decided to tackle this first. I started looking around and decided to go with Tuff-Coat in Tan. This stuff is real similar to a truck bedliner but a little harder to the touch. Started with the prep work. You have to take your surface down to bare metal and rough it up good for this to adhere properly, I read quite a few reviews saying it peeled up fast and most chalked it up to bad prep. After about 20 hrs of scraping carpet adhesive, sanding with 60grit, grinding w/ a wire wheel, taping, cleaning, priming w/ self-etching primer, and laid it down with Tuff-Coats recommended textured brush. Put it down on both decks, the livewell lid in front of the console, and the actual floor of the boat. One gallon BARELY covered it with 2 coats. Drank LOTS of beer during this whole process. Here is a pic.



Alright, done w/ floors. On to paint. I researched and brainstormed different options. Solid colors? Camo? Stencil? Wrap? After looking on various sites and hundreds of pics. I decided to go with a 'natgear' scheme but with a little more tan overall look. Ordered licensed stencils off Ebay for $45 from a member on another site. Went back to Cabelas and got Parkers Duck Boat Paint in Sand Tan. Came home and did another 20 hrs of prep work. Scuffed it up (old paint was good, just oxidized) with #1 steel wool, top and bottom. I didnt take the engine off, just taped and draped what I needed to, I have a manual jackplate and didnt care about overspray there, so it wasnt that hard to keep it off the engine. Used floor jacks to elevate from the trailer so I could get to the bottom. Used self-etching primer on the bare aluminum. A friend let me borrow a HVLP gravity feed paint sprayer, and I rented a compressor from Home Depot. Then I went to town. I taped off the floors but it was a lost cause, so I ended up just dusting the floors w/ the sprayer for an even look. 3 hrs, 2/3 gallon, 1 beer (got carried away w/ paint), and 2 coats later, this was the result...





Let the boat and myself rest for a week, went and got some Rustoleum Satin Nutmeg spray paint. I needed help w/ the camo pattern, 3 hands to hold the stencil over the curves of the boat, and one hand spraying. Its real awkward. My wife offered to help, which was surprising. First pattern down, and TX numbers sprayed flat black...

I contacted Sea Ark about getting some replacement decals on the left and right near the rear, and on the front of the console. They quoted me $100 bucks + shipping. To ____ with that. I printed something off to put in their place, blew it up and cut it out w/ an exacto knife. I used the same color as the 2nd stencil (Rustoleum Dark Brown Earth) and camo'd around that with the 2nd stencil. I had to take the spray paint away from the wife for this one, she screwed up of the right side of the below pic and made it fuzzy (hold it straight in front, perpendicular to the boat!!!). I like these alot better then the factory decals.



We started laying down the final stencil, but she only made it to one side before "her finger hurt". And she wont help me anymore. She took this picture on some 'instagram' iphone app and I guess it adds an antique looking effect to your pics. The 2nd coat isnt as dark as it looks here...I had to move the last pic to the 2nd post in the thread.



So there it is. I have just a bit more to do, and no one to help. Anyone live near The Colony and want to help? Ill buy you dinner and beer, and you get a spot on the boat whenever our schedules coincide!!!!!!

I Love Boat Projects. You have done Well!

I agree with Rob it looks great.

What else do you need help with?

The only thing I have completed 100% is that right side. The rest of the boat still needs the last stencil. I just need someone to spray a spray can while I hold the stencil, lol.

The SeaArk Lives again. Very nice transformation. Man you would be crazy to sell that boat. There are boats that go through mud, traverse deep waters, or lets just say a specific boat designed for all specific tasks. That Yamahammer 50 with just a plain old SeaArk center console will do a lot. Go duck hunting, fishing and I bet you could pull someone on a ski if you wanted to. Their easy to just hit it with a water hose and park it. Hang on to it she has a bunch of years left.

Looks awesome!

Lance when are you wanting go at it again and how much longer you think it will take? I've been gone a bunch lately but might find some time.

My 2 year old and I talked my wife into working on it some more yesterday afternoon, my daughter likes to get in the boat and 'play pirates'. Got all but about 1/4 of the outside (under the side bunk) and the inside done and I ran out of paint. Should take about 30 minutes to finish now.

I might be able to talk her in to helping me again Sunday. Im busy with working friday night, physical agility test for a job Sat morning, St. Patty's day parate saturday day/night. If you have some time Sunday and I havent gotten it done give me a call!

Will do. My daughter might make a good pirate as well!

Well I convinced her to help saturday afternoon. Got it done. Wanted to hit the water yesterday but the wind didnt agree.

Check it out.

Sweet ride man! I love boat projects, good job

That is sick man.

Fantastic job!!

Extremely nice. i am doing a spring makeover now. Duck seasons over. Time to put the soft seats and bimini top back on. Fresh paint. Yours looks great!! Wiring the stereo tonight.

Awesome looking

wlgorman,

You really need to be please with how your rig came out. You did a great job.

Hey, how about getting on the roof and taking a downward photo, so we can see the boat from up in the air perspective?

Awesome job

Im extremely pleased! I may do that. I was just up there getting my dog's dokken off after my wife threw it up there somehow. I took the boat out yesterday only to find that the carbs needed cleaning. Isolated the problem to the bottom carb float valve...like always. I hate carbs.