Fiberglass boat question.....

[Aquaman01]

16' fiberglass runabout, early 1960's. It has a closed bow and I'd rather have a casting platform with a seat, storage floor, anchor winch & trolling motor mount. Is the molded bow panel structural? If I cut into it or eliminate it, do I need to install some cross bracing? Any experiences & opinions are gratefully accepted.

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Aquaman
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"I think we're gonna need a bigger boat."

[musky hunter]

Sounds like you are eager to take on a very labor intensive project! Without seeing the boat I could not make an engineering evaluation as to whether or not the enclosed bow is structural. Undoubtedly it contributes to the rigidity of the boat. But being a 1960's boat, you don't have much to lose by modifying it. In all likelyhood, with much work, a platform could probably be fitted in it's place. And since it's fiberglass, I'd use a combination of plywood and additional fiberglass reinforcing to fashion the modification. Good luck.