Parker 1801 Upgrades

[DBthal]

With the help & inspiration of Classic Parker members I made several upgrades to my 1801 this Spring. I just bought the boat last September, so I needed to outfit the boat the way I wanted. A good tax refund helped too 8)

* I removed the cooler seat and installed a very nice leaning post made by Redman Fabricators in York Maine. They matched the Parker gelcoat and vinyl perfectly.
* Installed mid-ship cleats to match the OEM cleats on the boat.
* Replaced the cracked windscreen with a new one.
* Installed extra holders for rods, a boat hook, & paddle.
* Will be installing a bimini top purchased from a member of this forum - Striperon.

A special thanks to DaleH, Megabyte, & T-Bro for informative posts that made the projects successful.

Dan

 

[Megabyte]

Looks great Dan!
I really like that leaning post. 8)

 

[striperon]

You will love it!

 

[Sully]

That "Is" a nice looking boat !

 

[Flukenewsty]

gotta have the leaning post on the 1801, the swing back seat is worthless. I have the custom made leaning post attached right to the livewell. Its perfect.

 

[finfish1]

Hey DBthal-

I'm picking my 1800 1996 Parker up in North Carolina in a couple weeks once the new trailer is complete. Its got a 2005 Yamaha 115 two stroke with 140 hrs, runs really well.
Want to remove seat and install a leaning post, as you did, along with a number of other items as soon as I get my hands on it.
I like your leaning post.
Who built it, and what did it cost, looks a tad high end for my used Parker.
Just screw it to the deck?
I also have a 2520XL/2005, with a brand new F250, but thats another story.
You got tabs, and saltwater washdown too? Thats next.
Thanks,
Reel Job

 

[DBthal]

Hi Reel Job,

Congratulations on the new to you Parker. I've certainly enjoyed my 1801.

The leaning post was by far the best upgrade I have made to the boat. The cooler seat just didn't cut it. After searching for an economical leaning post, I ended up spending more to get all the features I wanted and it turned out to be a good decision. The leaning post was custom made at Redman Fabricators in York, Maine.

The installation was done with advise from the fabricator and experienced folks on this forum.

I got a deck & stringer layout from Parker (not sure this was 100% necessary). I drilled oversized holes (~5/8") in the deck at the leaning post attachment points. I only drilled deep enough to almost break through the bottom side of the deck. On the couple of holes where I did break through, I put small pieces of open cell foam in the bottom of the hole to keep the epoxy from running out. The holes were then filled with thickened epoxy. I kept filling the holes as the wood core soaked up the epoxy. After the epoxy had fully hardened, I drilled smaller holes in the epoxy sized for the heavy S.S. screws used to mount the leaning post. Small rubber washers were put over the screws between the deck and the feet of the leaning post (to prevent squeezing out all the adhesive when I tightened the screws). The feet were then bedded in 3M 5200 and tightened with a phillips head ratchet wrench. I used mineral spirits to remove excess 5200.

After two full seasons of use in choppy Maine water, the attachment is rock solid.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Dan

 

[Fly Rod]

Thanks for sharing that Dan. Ditching the cooler seat on my 1801 is also high on my to-do list. I have some additional questions about your beautiful leaning post.

(1) What are the dimensions (width, height to seat top, depth)?
(2) Is there storage in the seat bottom?
(3) What was the ballpark cost of having a fabricator make this for you?
(4) How did you determine where to mount it?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

-- Fly Rod

 

[DBthal]

Fly Rod,

Here are the answers to your questions:

(1) What are the dimensions (width, height to seat top, depth)? Not including the grab rail - 32" wide, 33" high, 22' deep (includes area with cup holders).
(2) Is there storage in the seat bottom? Yes - the seat frame is a fiberglass mold with a nice deep storage area under the swing up padded seat. Now that I've used it, I think this storage is a "must have".
(3) What was the ballpark cost of having a fabricator make this for you? $1300 - More than I planned to spend, but after a couple months you forget and have exactly what you want for years to come.
(4) How did you determine where to mount it? I placed the finished leaning post on the deck and adjusted the location until it felt right. I'm 6'2" and it is set back about an inch further than the factory mounted unit. Roughly 13" separates the closest point on the console and the leaning post.

Hope that helps.

Dan

 

[Mike S]

That's a very nice 1801, Dan. Configured very much like mine. I found I had a lot more room on deck once I ditched the swing-back helm seat - which I sold without a problem. The bait tank/leaning post means more fishing room and more fish in the boat.

 

[Fly Rod]

Hey Dan,

Thanks for those replies. All of that info is very useful and will save me a lot of head-scratching when I get around to dumping the swing-back seat on mine.

Do you (or anyone else following this thread) know of a pre-made leaning post that is similar to Dan's? Or do people generally have them custom made?

Thanks again,
Fly Rod

 

[Molson]

Any of you guys in maine still have those 1801 and want to sell let me know?
i am in massachusetts and looking for one! Just checking.. thanks!

 

[1801Steve]

Could you post photos of how/where you mounted rod holders etc.?

 

[1801Steve]

Here's another option. This is the livewell/seat from the Parker 21, with captain's chairs. I ordered my 1801 new and had this installed rather than the bench seat. Great change. Not sure how hard it would be retrofit but it could be done.

 

[Megabyte]

Wow ! I love that upgrade !

 

[WhalerToParker]

Fly Rod,

Here are the answers to your questions:

(1) What are the dimensions (width, height to seat top, depth)? Not including the grab rail - 32" wide, 33" high, 22' deep (includes area with cup holders).
(2) Is there storage in the seat bottom? Yes - the seat frame is a fiberglass mold with a nice deep storage area under the swing up padded seat. Now that I've used it, I think this storage is a "must have".
(3) What was the ballpark cost of having a fabricator make this for you? $1300 - More than I planned to spend, but after a couple months you forget and have exactly what you want for years to come.
(4) How did you determine where to mount it? I placed the finished leaning post on the deck and adjusted the location until it felt right. I'm 6'2" and it is set back about an inch further than the factory mounted unit. Roughly 13" separates the closest point on the console and the leaning post.

Hope that helps.

Dan

Quick question on the mounting of your leaning post. I have the old flip style cooler and I am going to replace it this winter. I can’t find the stringer layout but did you just use larger screws (2”) and use the same spacing as the old cooler? I don’t have a good feel fore how‘where the gas tank is and the last thing I want to do is hit that…but I also don’t want to just hit fiberglass decking. I would prefer to make sure I am hitting some solid deck core (when I do the epoxy trick like you mentioned.).

Thanks,
Brad