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| I was thinking about all the stuff i wanted to do to the boat for this summer and was wonderin..........I have a 14' aluminum v-hull (like the type of boats you rent for cheap) for the 10 hp lakes in the area and i was thinking of taking out the middle bench seat, and making a flat bottom. I was thinking about just drilling out the rivets and pulling it out. Would this weaken the entire structure or is it ok to remove it??? would the sides need a new type of support across the middle be needed to keep the boat solid???? Have you ever done it and if so did it work out ok? |
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Posts: 625
Location: ashtabula ohio | yeah i did it on a 12 footer i had a while back... drilled out the rivets on the sides and the bottom,then re riveted the holes and put that "outdoor goop" glue stuff on all the rivets, it never leaked. as far as a floor i just used plywood with outdoor carpet stapled to it. but you should really seal the wood first then carpet it...ive heard other guys say marine grade plywood sucks and you should seal it yourself. i will search out that thread on another board and post what they used... |
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Posts: 625
Location: ashtabula ohio | welp, couldnt find it. im sure if you do a search on this site,you could come up with something,tons of info here.good luck... |
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| Thank you very much for the reply. Did the boat stay stable as far as torque and such, since the middle bench isnt there to hold the middle together?? Thanks again |
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Posts: 625
Location: ashtabula ohio | yeah i found there was no difference at all, even though yours is 2 feet longer i doubt it will matter... i was able to put the seat back in when i sold it too... |
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Posts: 3861
| The previous owner of my 14' Blue Finn did almost exactly what you are conidering, EXCEPT, he pulled the front seat, too. He then carefully trimmed the middle seat and placed it about a foot back from where the original front seat was located. Added a wooden floor for a great, sturdy little boat. |
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| I did the same thing with a 14' mirrocraft, only I removed all the seats. I used 1/2" plywood on the floor, front and rear casting decks. The brackets that the seats attach to I left in and ran a 1x4 stringer or stiffener down each side, bent in to the shape of the hull fairly easy. I then made side boxes out of 1/2" ply took the foam out of the seats cut it for fit and put the foam inside, kinda made like level floatation out of it. My gas tank I put in the front under the casting deck, access is through a hatch in the deck, also store rain gear and such in there. Rear deck has an access for trolling batts, bilge pump, and drain plug. Wiring for running lights, interior lights,{for night fishing},bow mount troller, and the gas line run through the side box.Before I put the floor in I sprayed marine grade foam on the hull proper, except for an area right down the middle used for water drainage. All plywood components should have the edges sealed with fiberglass resin mixed with hardener, then paint with a marine enamel before carpeting. This seals the plywood and basicaly waterproofs it. I used 1/2 inch pvc pipe [flexable] fpr conduit for the bow wiring, keeps it away from gas line. The troller I added later so you'll have to run 3/4 or so in order to handle the added wiring.
This boat was a1973 model and I did all the work on it when I bought it in 1981, my late partner and I used this boat on Winnie and Leech and never had a problem with it, stable as can be, even with two guys kneeling on the gunnel with a fish in the net. Outboard was a thirty five horse evinrude, max for the boat rating, handled big water just fine. I used this boat up until last year when I sold it for almost as much as I paid for it [upgraded to a ranger]. Teh floor and everything is just as solid as when I built it. One more thing use stainless steel screws to put it together and you should have no problem.
Let them all go
Muskychaser |
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| Thanks everyone. I will let you know how the little project turns out. Good luck this spring. Thanks again |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | Chaser-
Very interesting post. What did you put under the plywood to keep it from sagging? I want to add a floor to my '73 16 foot Lund. Do I make sure any joists I put under the floor are true to the slope of the boat, or just use 2x4s in line with the length of the boat?
Thank You,
Don |
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| Don;
I used sheet stainless made up to fit the bottom ribs of the boat that run cross way to the keel. Don't know if your boat has them or not. If I had to do it today I'd use aluminum angle for cross pieces or stiffeners and the same from the stiffener to the ribs. Lighter and cheaper. When I did the floor I measured down from the gunnel to get the floor placement and made cardboard templates to cut the stainless to. It was nice to work at a place where you could come in on Sat and do all the cutting and bending that was required. Like I said if I had to do it today I'd use aluminum angle. I got most of the floor and deck measurements from a 81 crestliner 14' and changed as needed to fit the mirrocraft, almost the same hull. I put in two pedistal seats and where they go you should add a piece of 2x4 for added support. My peds only have 4 screws thru the floor so 2 support pieces were added. Good cabin fever project.
Muskychaser |
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Question for small boat owners