Question about older 14' lund

[Norm1980]

I have an older 14' Lund I would like to fix up a bit. My main problem is the Styrofoam under the bench seats is basically shot from sitting outside for years. I would assume the foam is their to help add Buoyancy to the boat. Does anyone know of a good Substitute to replace the old Styrofoam??

I would also like to possibly remove the middle bench seat has anyone tried this before? I will only have a 9.9hp on the boat.

[magnum mike]

After all your mods are complete, spray closed cell foam insulation in the cavities.

[jwmiller33]

removing the middle bench is a great way to open up the boat and give you more room. I have never had any problems arise from doing it on my 16 ft Lund, although some guys will tell you that you will lose stability, but none of them are telling you that from first hand experience.

Here is a link to a thread I created with pics about my boat remodel

Lund S-16 project

[jwmiller33]

As for the foam, there was already after market foam in my boat when I got it. The person before me removed the standard Lund foam and sprayed high density foam under the benches. When I removed my middle bench, there was no foam in the part I removed, so I wasn't worried about the loss of buoyancy, but that is something to consider. If you take out a bunch of foam, you should add some more in some other spots in the boat if at all possible.

[fishinfey8]

Remember if you take out the middle bench you are taking out 1/3 of the buoyancy if the thing does flip someday. Not sure on a 14ft. if you could even add more foam in any areas. Otherwise Jake is right, no problems taking it out(i also did this on my 14ft. lund).

[tunrevir]

The other thing to think about with the removal of the center bench is what the gunwales are going to do when in a heavy chop. I have an old 12' smokercraft and was going to remove the center bench and I thought better of it because after looking at the flex in the gunwales it appeared to me that that area would become a stress point. If you run in rough water a fair amount make sure you reinforce the center to reduce the flex with the mods you do. I replaced the center bench with a few mods so I can store a battery under the seat to make more flat space to fish from. If you don't fish in rough water then the center bench removal shouldn't be a problem. I had nightmares of fishing jet calm and then running into a large wake on the croix and watching my boat basically fold up at centerline.

Tunrevir~

[ozzie]

I wouldn't worry about the flex in the gunnels when you are in a 14' with a 9.9....I am sure you will not be in to big of water with big waves.....I have an old crestliner 14' and I am pretty sure that it was remodeled and that a middle section was taken out.....I have had no problems and I have been in some decent waves....

[RiverFish]

I have a 1980's mirrorcraft with a 73' 25 horse Johnson on it. I have removed the middle bench, I love the extra space it gives me.

I run her wide open at 22-23 miles per hour with no issues with stability. I've had her is some fairly decent waves with no problems as well.

[Down Deep]

I have never had any problems arise from doing it on my 16 ft Lund, although some guys will tell you that you will lose stability,

I don't think you will lose stability, but if foam was in the base of the center seat it was there for a reason, like level floatation in the event of capsize. I had a 84 S-14 deluxe and I remember the center seat had a gap with two storage compartments on either side. So the center seat is probably not all that necessary for a structural integrity, but remember this you heard it on the internet. Why not call Lund and ask them. Be careful and use due care before making any structural changes to your boat.

Marine Foam blocks are available. Spray foam may not have the buoyancy you are looking for.

[Norm1980]

Thanks for the ideas/suggestions.

I think I am going to remove the middle bench seat. I am only going to use this boat on smaller lakes and it won't ever see anything but a 9.9hp motor.

[MinnesotaMike]

I took out one of the seats on my 14' duck boat.

No problems at all.

Good Luck

Mike

[Musky hunter 82]

Norm, I removed the middle bench out of my 14' Lund as well as fixed her up. I added a floor and other things. But to solve the foam issue I just used a bunch of cans of expanding foam under the floor. Here's a couple of out dated pictures of it (I added a 25hp. and a bow mount trolling motor). All of the materials cost me around $250.

[Musky hunter 82]

As you can see I actiually removed both the back seats, leaving the front one in place. I have had it out in 1.5'-2' waves and not an issue with stability. The back compartments are attched through the sides of the boat and to the floor, eliminating any flex in the sides of the boat. The 25hp pushes me with a full tank of gas around 24-26mph. I added a home made livewell under the front platform, that works great.

[jwmiller33]

musky hunter-sweet looking boat! I love the mods you did to it. That thing should be a fishing machine! Nice work on the rod holders too. It is really hard to find a way to secure rods in those old Lund boats.

Before you did the mod's to it, was that boat the type that had the 3 benches across from side to side?

Could you possibly post a up close picture of how you secured the wood that the bow mount is mounted to? I have a similar type boat, only a 16 ft, and am looking to add a bow mount and am not sure how to go about mounting it. Thanks

[Musky hunter 82]

Yes my boat was the style that had the 3 benches from side to side. I wish it was a 16' though that's my only complaint so far. For the bow mount plate I just laid a piece of plywood acorss the bow of the boat and marked the bottom side with the edge of the boat, then cut it out with a jig saw. The piece where my trolling motor plugs into is also a piece of plywood that the top plate sits on. I wood glued it all together as well as using screws. I attached the whole thing to the bow and the platform. I drilled holes through the wood and the "lip" of the boat, and fastened it down with 8 10-32 x 2" phillips fasteners and nylock nuts. The live well also has a bilge pump in it that is connected to the drain so I can pump out water when I want to pump in fresh stuff.

[jwmiller33]

awesome pics! you are quite crafty. I love the cupholder up front, talk about an essential modification

so is the livewell up front? are you running one or two batteries in the boat?

[delmuts]

Looks good! Looks very well thought out!

[Musky hunter 82]

The livewell is up front under the casting platform (the lid is open in the first picture). Last year I ran off of 2 batteries, 1 deep cycle for the trolling motor, and one for everytihng else. This year I'm going to run the deep cycle for the trolling motor, and 3 small (they're computer battery back up batteries, they're the same size as a vexlair battery)batteries for the bilge pump/depth finder, the pump inside the livewell, and the pump to fill the livewell. That way if one of the batteries goes dead, I won't loose power to the others. Plus it weighs the same and takes up less room.