Thread: making my alicraft watertight

I bought the same model Allicraft new from Fife Industries in 1992. Still have it despite a harsh life on the Kaipara netting, fishing and duckshooting.
Couple of things I did to mine. Made up floorboards from untreated ply and gave them 3 coats of Everdure. They are still in good condition. I used to run a 15hp long shaft Evinrude on mine but changed to a 25Hp long shaft Yamaha ( which it was rated for). However I took it to an engineering shop and got Gussets put on all the corners of the transom and outboard well. Also got them to weld 2 pieces of Aluminium angle iron from the transom, forward to the box section at the front of the outboard well to give it extra strength. When the 25hp Yamaha was sold, my hunting buddy who owned his own boat/outboard shop cobbled together a replacement outboard on a 25hp Yamaha shell and stuck a brand new 30hp powerhead under the hood. It tops out at 35knots (measured with a gps) with just me and in light trim ...but it is very 'lively' lol. Will do 25knots with 2 up, 30 decoys and all our duck shooting gear

While it was at the engineers, I got them to cut a hole in the quarterdeck on the starboard side and weld in an anchor well which was big enough to take a small Danforth style anchor with chain and rope. They also welded a small 'spigot' on the lowest point of the well and one over the inside of a hole cut in the bow...a piece of clear plastic tube connects them and allows the anchor well to self drain. It means the anchor is kept out of the footwell where the front passenger sits and is always ready to deploy.

About 12 years ago I found rot in the wood that forms the transom........got a large piece of Kauri and made a new transom piece using the the old one as a pattern.......then split it in 2, glued the pieces back together by reversing one and coated it with everdure. in effect 'laminating it.

Will post up pics if you want them or if you are in Auckland you can come around and have a look.

Another tip....My hunting buddy had a similar sized riveted Fyran which had a riveted hull which leaked from various places. We replaced the rivets that were loose, then sprayed the hull with car underseal both outside a inside to a point 2" above the waterline...it sealed all the leaky rivets and lasted 10 more years.

The Allicraft is a great hull design and with the deep V and gullwing hull punches well above its weight compared with similar sized boats when conditions are not calm......