Posts by mrmike

    Slow day but I managed 5 lobster and a flounder. I need to retune my flopper, I lost a decent strawberry grouper because of it

    Congrats! My neighbor had one but I never fished it. I suppose that means the business is doing well. You still talk to any of the guys that used to frequent here? Hau, Steven, Judah?

    I did, then sold it for a profit and bought a 26’ that I’ll restore and probably do the same with until I find the perfect boat. I’m thinking a 30’ power catamaran is what I’ll be happiest with. I joined the plastic navy a couple years ago and really enjoy using the kayak for solo trips. The boat will be nice for the wife and I to cross to the Bahamas, or get a couple of the guys together for diving

    It’s been a while since I’ve been on here but I’ll be diving just south of Atlantic blvd Saturday morning. 2 kayaks if anyone is around stop by and say hello. I’ll try to post pics and be more active from now on

    The fenders didn't fit in the original location after swapping to torsion axles, after a couples hours and some ingenuity



    Wiring, electronics and interior









    Garmin (before the switches were installed)




    Old switch panel turned into a fire extinguisher holder because of the relocated switches



    Bow rail removed




    Crows nest is in the works but its still in pieces in the garage, I'm trying to replicate the original Mako design



    The bracket





    The bracket will look similar to this once mounted and with the transom door folded down should allow for ample access for diving


    Some may have noticed I've been absent from thr forum for several months, fact is I haven't done any diving in far too long and unfortunately won't get to do any for several more months.


    Last January I had the opportunity to buy a boat I had had my eye on for quite some time. It was parked next to a friend's house and always caught my eye. When I finally was able to speak to the owner I got the entire backstory on the boat, here it goes: In 1987 Mr. Mardene went down to the Mako facility in Miami and placed an order for a Tuppen's tournament edition Mako 231. A very nice boat with all the frills, a 225hp Evinrude outboard, and aluminum trailer for the price of ~26k (this number always makes me laugh when compared to boats today). Mr. Mardene, an electrician, decided to name the boat the "Sea Phase" and had a painter come out and lay it on thick in brown and tan with brick red border paint. He used the boat for personal and charter use for 9 years. In 1996 the boat was parked on its trailer in front of his house where it would remain until January of 2013. Mr. Mardene passed away from health complications in November of 2012, at which time his widow decided it was time to sell his beloved boat and fishing equipment to help offset funeral costs. She spread the word around the neighborhood that if anyone knew someone who might be interested to pass her number along and to get in touch with her. This is where I come in.


    My good friend Eric, neighbor to the Mardene family, calls me up and says the Mako is up for sale and tells me that I should try to schedule a time to perform an inspection. This is when I discover that the boat has been sitting for ~16 years. It was obvious it hadn't been used in quite some time but I never expected that. It had typical abandoned boat attributes such as flat tires, rusty trailer, and tattered cover. But upon removing the cover I discovered how pristine the boat was, original and unmolested. Sure it was covered in several pounds of cat hair from all of the neighbor cats but I could see through that. Further inspection revealed that the Florida heat had taken its toll. Anything plastic or rubber would crumble when touched, and the transom made a hollow thump sound when tapped with a fist. Removal of the engine cowl revealed a toothless flywheel, corrosion had destroyed everything metallic. Based on my findings I make a fair offer considering it will need a restoration involving no less than new wiring, hoses, transom and powerplant.


    A month goes by before I get a response from Mrs. Mardene. She has agreed to my offer and to save herself the extra hassle would like to include all of the old electronics (loran c :laughing3:)and fishing gear. I arrive at her house and inspect the trailer in preparation to tow it home, or so I thought. A quick Aaron Rodgers-esque discount double check reveals that the trailer isn't road worthy. I immediately inform her that I will need more than just tires to get it out of her yard. I placed several calls to find new axles, tires, tongue, lights and wiring. A week later I have arranged to spend a weekend rebuilding the trailer and removing her 25 year old yard decoration. And so begins the project and restoration. First order of business it to get the trailer jacked up and safely placed on jackstands. Then the wheels come off and I proceed to mount and balance 4 new radial tires at work. Back in the driveway I use a breaker bar and several wrenches to just break the suspension bolts off of the trailer frame. With everything out of the way and nothing but bare aluminum I-beam I can now locate and mount the new torsion axles, hubs, and eventually the wheels. Moving to the tongue of the trailer I just need to install something that can get me home, I can and will add brakes later on, but for now I just want to be out of her driveway. With the help of some basic stick on lights I can now tow her home where the real fun will begin.


    At this point, Jan 2013, the boat is movable and has been stored. I still have my Proline and the urge to fish/dive really cuts into progress on the Mako. Really cuts into it as in nothing gets done for several months. I am now paying to store 2 boats, one of which I use regularly and the other which is unusable. Frustrated by shelling out 285/month in storage fees I get a wild hair and decide to cut into the Mako and get to work on the transom. I set aside a weekend and remove the old seized outboard. Remove the aluminum transom cap and get out the electric chainsaw, circular saw, and air powered die grinder. As the sun sets I peel away the outer transom skin to reveal lots and lots of paper mache. It's bad and worse than I expected... I lose my mojo and the Mako gets parked for several more months while I enjoy my Proline and ignore the looming project.


    Fast forward to earlier this year. The Proline is becoming more and more of a marginal fishing machine and I want more and more to sell it and start/finish the Mako. I post the craigslist ad and make up a couple for sale ads on several forums and just kind of wait. I figure tax season will roll around and somebody will be in the market. Voila! I have a buyer lined up the inspection and seatrial go well. I'm ready to deliver the boat the following week and sign the title over pending they have the cash. So now it's Tuesday night and I've been requested to deliver the boat to Hollywood Wednesday morning. I have all of the paperwork gathered up and all of the boating accessories packed for the new owner. I decide I'm going to go out with a couple friends for a little bit of a celebration. 9PM and I get a text: "I'm sorry Mike but due to a pending IRS investigation I will no longer be able to buy your boat tomorrow." :frustrated1: Long story shortened, I reposted all of the for sale ads and low and behold a buyer comes along and I get what I'm looking to make out of it. I can't be happier and am now forced to work on the Mako, no more procrastinating or putting it off for fishing.


    Back to digging out the transom, removing all the old wiring, and basically stripping the boat down to the fiberglass hull. I did pressure test the tank and it held 5 PSI for several hours. Good enough for me! It did however need to be cleaned out and pumped dry. A quick google search revealed that homemade tank cleaner fuel treatment was cheap and easy after a trip to Home Depot. Total cleaner yield was 5 gallons... after a month of towing the boat back and forth to the house to work on it on weekends I pumped out 47 gallons of funky gooey 16 year old gasoline. :@ YUCK! I can however say that the tank is clean and a second pressure test gave me the same results as before (I became concerned that gelled gas may have been plugging pinholes in the tank). Many hours were spent at night on the web researching and ordering new pieces and parts to get the job done. My USPS, UPS, and Fedex guy are all on a first name basis now. some days I would have 1-2 packages, other days all three carriers would deliver multiple packages. I've enjoyed this christmas-like couple of months and lots of progress has been made as a result.


    Now for a quick backstory on me. After high school I enrolled in college in pursuit of a career in Air Traffic Control. I'll skip the boring college BS and just fast forward to my graduation in 2009. Fast forward again to the present day and I have finally gotten a job offer and class date at the FAA academy in Oklahoma City, OK. That's right, just as I'm nearing completion of the Mako and ready to get back on the water, I will have to pack up and move halfway across the country. The good news is that I will only be gone for 3 months and then have a job waiting in Miami (assuming I pass the academy). My dad has agreed to continue work on the Mako as he has been involved every step of the way.


    Back to the boat, I completely rewired the entire thing and installed all new electronics. I have removed almost all of teak items from the boat and replaced them with black starboard. The transom is nearing completion but will not be done before my move. I opted to add an engine bracket and picked that up on Friday from A&J Marine in Miami. The last key component required to finish the boat is an outboard and I am happy to say that Saturday morning, pending seatrial and every mechanical test I can perform, I will be bringing home a 2010 mercury optimax 250 pro xs with all rigging, guages, and prop. I hit the road on Monday or Tuesday for Oklahoma and begin class on the 23rd. My dad hopes to finish the boat while I am gone and as much as I would like that I almost hope that he doesn't just so that I can be here to finish it up and drop it in the water for the first time since 1996. Now for the pictures:


    Preparing to rebuild the trailer, my dad has helped every step of the way









    Ready to go home




    Cleanup begins




    Engine removed and transom tear out














    Wings being added to incorporate a folding transom door




    The door up and down






    1996 Proline Stalker 20 with Mercury 150hp outboard and 2004 Continental trailer. I am the second owner, I purchased the boat in October 2010.


    Specs:
    Length 20'11"
    Beam 8'6"
    Draft 14"
    Dry Weight 2600 pounds
    Fuel Capacity 70 gallons
    Livewell 30 gallons
    Passengers 7


    Very roomy 20 foot boat because of the open floor plan and wide beam. With a medium load and the 2 stroke Mercury 150 the cruise speed is around 30 mph and WOT is 42 mph.


    Features:
    Garmin 521s GPS/fishfinder combo unit
    Fusion IPOD radio with Alpine Type R speakers
    Large livewell
    Lots of rod holders
    In-gunnel rod storage
    Aluminum leaning post with cushion, 3 rod holders and 2 cup holders
    Bimini Top
    Swim platform and dive ladder
    Outriggers
    Canon Downrigger with transom mounted base
    Full USCG kit
    Upgraded "no-feedback" steering system
    Large forward fish box
    Bow anchor locker with anchor
    2 new batteries
    New bilge pump


    Trailer is a 2004 tandem axle Continental with 2 new radial tires.


    Need to sell so I can finish my new project, $7000. Located in Coral Springs, Florida.

    If any of you broward guys (with boats) are crazy enough to go offshore and attempt to shoot blackfin and skipjack now is the time to do it. Watch for birds, the tuna were thick on sunday in 400-500 feet of water hitting anything that moved. We trolled up 15 of them, a bonito, and 2 mahi... best day I've had in years and only took me 3 hours.

    When I rebuilt the trailer under my Mako I went with torsion axles and I highly recommend them. Cost was comparable for me to replace every leaf spring component or convert. I dealt with continental directly and they were very helpful. Torsion is nice because they ride nicer and have less moving parts, maintenance etc etc. If you haven't already pulled the trigger I would seriously consider converting.

    I ran into about 2 dozen schoolies with lockjaw a couple weeks ago. Wouldn't even take live bait, really wished I'd had my gun that day... Live and learn