This is a project that has been long overdue. I bought the boat new used it every day for six years and then with a growing family made the decision to focus on other things than my fishing career. Now with the kids all grown up it is time to do what I want again. Then the best thing ever happened my youngest son thought a career in fishing was what he wanted. So now we need to look for a boat, and we did look at a lot of them. As we looked at the features and the prices I kept comparing them to the first boat I bought when I was 25 years old. After some back and forth we came to the conclusion it would be best to restore the old Gemini. Since my son and I have built a few custom cars together we figured this was the best way to go so we would have something that would better represent our taste and personalities. Here is how it is going so far.
We began by taking off the wind shields and then the trolling motor. The carpet and paint are what we would tackle first. To do this right we needed to take off anything that was in the way or that would be replaced. The carpet has to go first; to do this we took off all the hatch covers as the carpet wraps around the doors on all four sides. After the doors are removed the carpet scraped off pretty easily. With the carpet under the hinges they needed to be removed, and they were riveted to the doors, so we drilled out the rivets. The rivets used were made of aluminum so this was quick and easy. With the locks and hinges gone the carpet came off good and clean with some old dried glue left behind. The next step will be to use a sander to remove as much glue as possible. It only took about one hour to get to this point and really got us pumped up to continue. We have taken some pics and videos so you can follow along. We will continue to post about this project as we go on so you can see it’s not only possible but something most anyone can do on their own or with the help of some friends. Here is a helpful hint: cold drinks and food are a good way to get some of the help you might need. We realize there will be surprises along the way but we plan on using them as an opportunity to do some cool and unique things.
If you plan on taking on a project like this we do have a few suggestions. Pick a boat you can be happy with for a long time, there are many classic designs that will perform well but look for something that will accept any new additions you are going to add. If you know exactly what you are going to use your boat for the choice should be easy, don’t settle for less. You don’t want to put 100s of hours and 1, 000′s of dollars into something you’re not going to be happy with. With room for 20 rods, 3 live wells, a huge deck, a very fast hull and room for all the latest accessories we are very pleased with our choice of the old Gemini to restore. Many memories are yet to be shared on this classic vessel.
As we continue with our project you will come to see that for the most part we are learning as we go so if you can add any help we are definitely willing to listen. Also if you are working on any boat project from re-carpet to repaint or anything in between we’d love to see your progress as well. As always, thanks for your support that is what pushes us to continue and expand Bad Poncho Outdoors.
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