Thad's Boat Project (Any ideas?)

[Thad]

1994 14' Aluminum "V" Bottom

I got this boat about a year ago as a gift but didn't get to use it. I've decided to do a little remodeling to it to make it more user-friendly for my fishing. Basically I want to make it more like a bigger bass boat. I'll be using this boat on smaller lakes and the New River.

Before Christmas I stripped it down and then it got cold on me. I plan to start working on it within the next week or so. I'm just trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to do with it.

You can see there use to be three rows of seating. I'm almost positive I'm going to make a deck extending back to the second row and then make the third row another platform without a seat so someone else can stand there and two people can sit on it when using the bigger motor. I never sit while I fish so there is no need for seats.

I also want to make a couple storage places in it. Preferably an area for tackle and another area that I can make a dry box. Some kind of livewell would be good too. In my college club there are a couple guys that don't have boats and it would be good if they could use it for our club tournaments.

I have two options for a trolling motor. One is an old 34 lb thrust Motor Guide that I really don't want to use but it works. The other is a newer 46 lb thrust Motor Guide that has something wrong with it. It use to be on my dad's bass boat before he upgraded. The last time we used it the wires crossed where the plug connects on the front of the deck and it quit working. We fixed the wires and it started working again until we put it in the water. So it works out of the water but it shuts off when it is in the water. Any ideas on what's wrong with it?

The bigger motor I have is an old 6hp Evinrude.

This is what I have to work with so while I try to come up with some kind of floor plan please feel free to give my some ideas. Or if you see any potential problems with this boat let me know.

[Way2slow]

That boat will be very weight sensitive so be carefull how much extra you add.  The next thing is adding a deck.  Before you spend a bunch of time and money adding one, rig something temporarily to use as something so you can stand up there with the boat in the water.  I would wait until the water was warm and make sure it's only a couple of feet deep when you try it.  Oh! and wear a bathing suit.

[Fishing Rhino]

Twice this past year, I've pulled people out of the water because they stood up in similar boats, and capsized them.

Neither had raised decks on them.  They just got close to the side, and over they went.

In both cases, rods, reels, tackle boxes, miscellaneous gear, and a battery ended up on the bottom of the pond.

The advantage of boats of this type is their lightness and portability. 

This also makes them less stable, and, prone to swamping if weight is moved (person or gear) away from the centerline.

Some make them work.  But some can also walk a tightrope.

Boats are designed for specific purposes.  Modifying them can make them less stable, in some cases, dangerously so. 

[Grey Wolf]

Good luck. Buy yourself a very good life vest. That's going to be a very unstable boat to stand in.

[bassfisherjk]

Way2slow has it right,put a temp. deck in and try it out 1st.

[simplejoe]

That boat's not wide enough too be stable when standing. My advice is build the new seats and put the boat back together, don't platform it and just fish out of it until you outgrow it and just sell it. There's alot of boats out there that will suit you better. 

[NJBass12]

I have a boat similar to yours that I converted to a mini bass boat years ago. My boat is 14 feet, 56 inch beam. I added a front casting deck and floor boards throughout. Everything is covered with marine carpeting from Bass Pro Shops. There are three storage compartments under the front deck, one for the trolling motor battery and the other two are for storage. I have a butt seat up front and a swivel seat in the back. It's a great boat, especailly for smaller bodies of water that only allow trolling motors or where there is a 9.9 restriction. I have a bow mount trolling motor and fishfinder on the front deck. Two people can fish comfortably out of it. I've one several tournaments out if it. It's not as stable as my Bass Cat but it is the perfect boat for smaller bodies of water.

[cart7t]

I had a similar boat.  I took the middle bench out and put a floor across the bottom.  I put a pedestal base about midship and used a standard fishing seat on a basic 11" tall pedestal.  Even with just that, the boat was way too unstable. 

Redo the benches and fish out of it that way. 

[Thad]

Stability was definitely what I meant when I asked for any potential problems. Thank you guys for preventing me from doing the deck. I would like the option of using it on the New River so safety and stability are definitely concerns.

I think I'll look at removing the first and second row. Then I may put a thin piece of plywood on the floor to give it a flat surface to walk on. If I did this and maybe add a pedestal up front do you think that would be safe? I'll of course check out the stability before making anything permanent.

Thanks guys.

[Wayne P.]

If you are going to be New River fishing in that boat, fill the seat tanks with foam floatation material. It's a good idea to do it regardless of it's use.

[Fishing Rhino]

Don't take out any of the seats, They provide structural stiffness across the hull of the boat.

Remove them, and it won't take much to collapse the sides of the boat.

Clean it up, and as was suggested, fill the seats with styrofoam to provide flotation.  You can make a light removable deck to give you a flat platform between the seats.

As it is, cleaned up and a bit of work to refurbish the seat, you'll have a fine vessel for the water you plan to fish.

Plus it will still be fairly light and easy to manage even when you fish solo.

[Grey Wolf]

Don't take out any of the seats, They provide structural stiffness across the hull of the boat.

Remove them, and it won't take much to collapse the sides of the boat.

Clean it up, and as was suggested, fill the seats with styrofoam to provide flotation. You can make a light removable deck to give you a flat platform between the seats.

As it is, cleaned up and a bit of work to refurbish the seat, you'll have a fine vessel for the water you plan to fish.

Plus it will still be fairly light and easy to manage even when you fish solo.

Totally agree , do not take out the seats.

[Thad]

If you are going to be New River fishing in that boat, fill the seat tanks with foam floatation material. It's a good idea to do it regardless of it's use.

What foam should I use for this and where can I get it? I've been looking on the internet and everything I find is really expensive.

[Wayne P.]

Thad, it should be a closed cell foam like the Styrofoam coolers are made of so it won't' soak up liquid. I have seen it available in 4' X 8' sheets for building insulation and is real cheap.

There may be an easily/cheap available spray-in type also, but all I have seen is somewhat open cell.

[1inStripes]

Paint it black and put a big gold R on it. 

[Thad]

Thad, it should be a closed cell foam like the Styrofoam coolers are made of so it won't' soak up liquid. I have seen it available in 4' X 8' sheets for building insulation and is real cheap.

There may be an easily/cheap available spray-in type also, but all I have seen is somewhat open cell.

Thanks, I was getting a little worried about the prices I was seeing on the internet.

Paint it black and put a big gold R on it.

Now that's a good idea.

[stew6371]

Your boat looks like a deep"v" hull. I have a semi "v" that I decked the front and rear and two people can stand and fish fine. I will tell you this, I will fall in the water before my boat tips over. In the pic of the boat upside down, you can see how flat the bottom is.

[Thad]

Thanks for the pics. That looks great.

[stew6371]

Thanks

[Thad]

Well I got my trolling motor fixed. All it needed was a new switch. I'll be on spring break this coming week so I plan to fix my boat up finally.

My question right now is where should I put my trolling battery? In the front, back, middle?

[backpain...]

The first thing to do is measure the floor of the boat at it's widest point. This will tell wether or not decking it will be a problem. I have a Lowe 1467, which is 48" (I believe) at the widest point of the floor. Mine is perfectly stable for two people to fish out of with a front and rear deck at the bench top level. Lowe offers 1467s with casting decks, a floor with no middle bench, and the like so with proper bracing it can be safely done, I wasn't comfortable doing so personally.

My point is this, do your homework. Use common sense. Test your design with a temporary template and see what it does. Pay close attention to capacity limits, and remember that no matter what you do to it it will never be a "bigger bass boat" so you always have to be careful and wise in your use of the boat.