Red Posted July 26, 2009 Posted July 26, 2009 Well i missed all but five hours of work last week due to my back being messed up, again. this time muscle spasms (sp?) and inflamation around the discs, it is a mess but slowly getting better, for now. sitting in my little boat on the hard plastic seat for hours is not helping it. so i was considering a mod or two to help me out. first, here is the boat. now a padded seat is definetly going to be added in place of one of the plastic ones. another idea i had was to attach a piece of 3/4 inch plywood(with indoor/outdoor carpeting) to the floor to make it more stable for standing. then i would put the new padded seat on a short pedestal so i could stand and lean my arse against it so i dont have to sit all day. i can stand right now but the floor is "hollow" and a bit spongy, making it hard to keep balance. do you think this would work? any other ideas? i guess i have to either find a way to be able to stand comfortably or shorten my trips. shortening my trips is out of the question so i dont have much choice. ;D any ideas are much appreciated!! thanks Cliff Quote
skillet Posted July 26, 2009 Posted July 26, 2009 Even standing part time doesn't help some days . IMHO the way you have to hold your arms is as bad as the sitting. Never fished out of one of those (so don't know about the standing). How were you gonna attach it? skillet Quote
Red Posted July 26, 2009 Author Posted July 26, 2009 well i was going to just lay it in there and see how i like it. if i liked it enough i was going to carpet it and use some liquid nail to hold it down. or just leave it unattached if it seems ok like that. i know standing isnt always better, but with my back i need to be able to stretch it out some. thanks Cliff Quote
skillet Posted July 27, 2009 Posted July 27, 2009 That was about the only way I figured you could do it. You might want to put something on the bottom of the plywood (to keep it from slipping) until you decide to make it permanent or not... skillet Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted July 27, 2009 Super User Posted July 27, 2009 I have two of these http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_37967____SearchResults on portable jon boat mounts I use in my jons and they actually sit pretty good. I to have back, muscle and joint problems and had some of those seats years ago. After a couple of trips, they went. For my big boats, I bought four thick, plush seats for a Stratos 201. Those sit great but would be a little big and heavy for your applicatlion. Quote
Andy Taylor Posted July 27, 2009 Posted July 27, 2009 That floor looks pretty flat now, isn't it? If anything, I would use a much thinner piece of plywood(to keep the weight down). 3/8" is probably all you'd need, and maybe wrap it with carpet. I also have back problems, and I alternate sitting and standing in my boat. I normally don't fish two days in a row either. Quote
AndyPlaysDrums Posted August 2, 2009 Posted August 2, 2009 I just picked up a well-used, but free, boat very similar to this, and have been thinking of doing the same thing with the floor. My floor has a raised section to hold in a battery for a trolling motor, so I think I'm going to have to attach some strips of the same thickness as the height of the raised battery "holder" (only about 3/4" of an inch or so), to keep the floor level. I was thinking about using 3/8" ply and covering it with carpet. Best of luck! Quote
Dennis1022 Posted August 3, 2009 Posted August 3, 2009 I have the same type of boat except mine is a 10E. I have disc problem as well also I had 5 disc removed and bolts & screws with plate in the neck,then I had my rotor cuff operated on twice. So I know how that hurts , what I have done is put one of those padded folding seats from Wal-Mart. As for moving the boat in and out of the truck. I made a cart with straps with 3/4" plywood and I can move it to the pond with my hand just keeping it balanced. I have the motor 55 thrust Minn Kota and battery rods& reels and PFD and drinks. Oh yes you can stand up on those just have to get use to it. Hope this helps! Fish Safe today, if you don't there won't be a tomorrow! Practice Catch, Measure, Photo, Release! ( CMPR ) Dennis Quote
Red Posted August 3, 2009 Author Posted August 3, 2009 i made a test piece today at work, 21 (20 3/4 to make room for carpet) inches wide and about as long as my foot. i beveled the edges and it fit perfectly. then i stood on it and it was amazing, like a solid floor. i am going to do this with a single piece the full length of the floor. i think it will make a big difference. as for loading and unloading, what i do is remove the battery and cooler and set aside. pull the end off and set it down on ground, then go grab the other end still on truck and set it down, reload the stuff and slide her in the water. reverse process for loading. i too am going the get a new paddes seat, and i am considering raising it too. maybe on an adjustable pedestal to when i am standing i can lean on it or something. thanks Cliff Quote
Red Posted August 7, 2009 Author Posted August 7, 2009 i got the full length piece cut today, it fits good. however the board is not completely flat, so i will have to find a way to fasten it if i decide i like it. i really want to keep it "removeable", but obviously do not want to add too many holes, especially in the bottom. my idea would be to use a 90 degree bracket fastened to the top of the board then to the inner side of the boat. a bit of caulking and it is water tight. anyway i will let you all know how it works on the water after i get out tomorrow or this weekend. thanks Cliff Quote
Red Posted August 8, 2009 Author Posted August 8, 2009 Well I had it out for a test run today, and let me tell you it was great! I was able to stand comfortably and fish while running the TM, even in fairly choppy water. I would recommend this to those with this style boat if you would prefer to stand, it really makes a difference. Thanks Cliff Quote
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