Need some advice on my boat project.

[fishbear]

Well, I am getting ready to start working on my boat.  I have materials lined up for the most part.  However, one thing keeps stumping me.  If you look at the picture below, you will see this little 14x14 baitwell in the boat.  I want it gone.  It is just in the way.  However, it is an added on unit (looks factory done) and is rivetted thru the hull and there is the issue of the drain hole thru the hull as well.   I am thinking of just using a cut off wheel and cutting it down till I can just put my floor panel over it.  I have decided for now to just use an aerator and cooler for a livewell for tourny days.  I want that whole middle section open with just a floor in place to make it level and safer/easier to walk on.

Any and all ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[NEBassMan]

if you don't want to drill the rivets and have the holes welded shut, i don't see why you can't do like you said and cut it down as low as you can and place you're floor over it.  Good luck.

Jason

[Alpster]

Fishbear,

Why not keep it and build a floor deck over the top of the whole box? You can raise your seats up on short pedistals and make dry storage around the livewell. This would give you a nice fishing platform as well. I can't tell how big the boat is, so stability might be an issue, but I would try to keep it if I could. My boat is 16' semi V-hull and works great.

Here's how I did mine, the livewell is under the door in front of the rear seat...

JMHO

Ronnie

[fishbear]

Fishbear,

Why not keep it and build a floor deck over the top of the whole box? You can raise your seats up on short pedistals and make dry storage around the livewell. This would give you a nice fishing platform as well. I can't tell how big the boat is, so stability might be an issue, but I would try to keep it if I could. JMHO

Ronnie

Ronnie,

I am building a casting deck covering the front from the seat forward.  However, I do not want to deck the entire boat, would like that middle area to be lower, and open.  If you have looked at LBH's boat, I am thinking the middle section on mine to be like his.  I am also gonna deck the back end, to cover the batteries, etc... i am putting a 8 in. pedestal in the back, and probably a 12 or 14 in the front.  The boat is a 14 ft. Fisher, inside width is 39 in.  across the bottom.  It is a very stable boat.  I just do not want to add more weight than neccesary.  

I guess my other question is this,  how do you tell if the hull is thick enough to weld on??????  I have found a local welder that does aluminum, however, I do not want him attempting to weld on the hull if it is not thick enough.

[Grey Wolf]

If I were you I would stick with your original idea.

[Alpster]

I think I get it. Another option that came to mind is deck the floor around the box and put matching carpet on the box as a seat for a third fisherman or a mount for you fish finder. I guess I see incorporating the box into the design as the easiest solution, if there's anyway to make it fit your vision. As far as welding the aliminum goes. If your man has the right equipment and is smart enough to weld aluminum, he will know if there is enough material to weld to. As an amatuer welder with a Square Wave Tig welder I can tell you that there are various solutions to thin material. Adding backing plates to beef up welded areas is the most common when welding thin aluminum.

I love reworking boats and I hope this helpfull.

Ronnie

[fishbear]

Thanks for the info.. as far as incorporating it into the design.  If you ever fished out of the boat, you would understand my feelings about it just being in the way(it is a shin whacker).  

I will check with this welder, to see what he thinks about the hull thickness.  I should have taken welding when I was in school..........lol

[Rose_Jackets67]

John - Any decent welder at any machine/fab shop in the area should have no problem welding whatever rivet holes are left if you do decide to go that route. I've watched a buddy cut apart a beer can with tin snips and then weld it back together - your hull should be more than thick enough.

All things considered, I'd just cut/grind it down enough to where your floor will cover it and just forget about it rather than pay the $75+ minimum shop  fee to get it welded.

Good luck, and hopefully I'll see you out at Varner tomorrow.

adam

[Gatorbassman]

Like you said, Just whack it off with a cutter. And weld the hole shut.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

two cents here.

I decked one of my boats in the rear like you want to do, to cover the batts.  Turned out to be more drama than it was worth.  Getting batt's in and out was a pain and that gap down there comes in handy when you have to deal with a motor.  Not having that gap, to put your feet down in, makes for an uncomfortable angle when addressing motors.  

Plus, it makes a good trash compartment,lol.  Cig butts, line, cups, etc, all get handed back and dropped in the rear.  We have a barrel at the house that we back down to where we keep the boats, At the end of the day we just back 'em in, hook the batteries up, empty the trash and call it a day.

Just my .02

Good luck and take pics of whatever you decide to do.

[fishbear]

OK, one more question, then hopefully I am actually building this weekend.   On the thickness of plywood.  

I have a 3/4"  thick  lip on the seats, (LBH understands)  Now, if I buy 3/4 ply and carpet it, is it not going to end up being like 7/8 " thick?????  So do I need to buy 5/8 ply so that after it is seald and carpet wrapped, it is actually 3/4"???????????????????

Man, did I just confuse myself???? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :-/ :-/