adding floor and casting platform

[Justfishing]

I have a 16' aluminum fishing boat with the 4 bench seats.

I want to do 2 modifications.

1st I want to add a casting platform by laying something over the 2 front seats. Plywood is an obvious chioce. Is there anything else to use, particularly something light weight. Also I want it to be easily removeable for storage underneath.

2nd I want to create a flat floor between the rear seats. There is a lip at the side of the boat to rest the floor on. so I would just need to support it towards the middle. I would also like this to be light weight.

Any suggestion on what to use and where to buy the materials. Also, is there a source showing how to do this.

I have just a 10hp motor so I dont want to add to much weight.

[Hemlock]

Just fishing,

I think treated plywood is the way to go, possibly plastic if you can find it. What I did for a casting platform in the bow of my 14 foot small fishing/duck boat was totally encase the front two seats in, and integrated a large storage hatch in the open area. It is a combination of support for the platform and doubles as your storage area. I keep two small merc fuel cans in it as well as a couple life jackets and there is still room for more. Just a thought...

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[Justfishing]

I have a 16' aluminum fishing boat with the 4 bench seats.

I want to do 2 modifications.

1st I want to add a casting platform by laying something over the 2 front seats. Plywood is an obvious chioce. Is there anything else to use, particularly something light weight. Also I want it to be easily removeable for storage underneath.

2nd I want to create a flat floor between the rear seats. There is a lip at the side of the boat to rest the floor on. so I would just need to support it towards the middle. I would also like this to be light weight.

Any suggestion on what to use and where to buy the materials. Also, is there a source showing how to do this.

I have just a 10hp motor so I dont want to add to much weight.

[Justfishing]

I had thought of plywood but was hoping to get something lighter. I took a look at the boat this weekend and can provide a little more detail info.

The platform will cover or sit on top of the 2 seats and span the area between them. The seats are 12" wide (each) and the area between is 31". So from front to back it is 55"

The width at the widest part is 58" and narrows to 22 at the front.

Where could a guy find a piece of aluminum, plastic or another light weight material that could cover it and be stong enough to stand on.

[Walleye Guy]

JF,

Many years ago I attempted to add a platform to the from of my fishing boat. Big mistake. The problem was in the construction or the materials. The problem was the balance of the boat. Adding a platform on top of the seats raised the center of gravity and made the boat very unstable and tippy. Standing on the platform made it worse.

The boat I did this on was a 14 ft Alumacraft. By no means a super deep boat.

I just don't want you to make the sam mistake I did.

[Justfishing]

I have a 16' boat. sitting next to a 14' its seems a lot bigger and deeper. I have stood on the front seats to cast and it seems stable. I figure I can afford the price of some plywood if it doesnt work out. But I would realy like to go with something light weight.

[Fishn'Lady]

We did the same thing to our boat many years ago. It's a Crestliner 14' extra wide, extra deep boat. It also had the 3 regular bench seats and the tiny one up front. The hubby took 3/4" treated plywood and covered the tiny front bench and the next one for one big platform. I believe he reinforced where the pedestal seat went with steel support bars spanning between the two benches. We covered the plywood first with that outdoor carpeting to give extra protection.

We have two doors one on each side of the boat. We store our life jackets there as well as any extras like coolers, smaller tackle boxes, etc.

We haven't had a problem with it being tippy. We don't cruise across the lake though with the seat on the high pedestal, we take that out so the seat sits next to the platform.

I'm sure glad that he modified our boat. It gives you a bigger walking / storage area.

Good luck, I hope yours turns out as well as ours did.

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Fishn'Lady

[Justfishing]

Decided to go with plywood. Going to mount angle iron -actullay aluminum- along the side of the seats. A piece of carpeted plywood will rest on top - flush with the seats.

Thanks to everyone for the input.

[Steve Foss]

Justfishing:

You can bolster the plywood by running 2X4s along the bottom, like they are floor joists in a house, fastening the plywood to them with screws so it won't flex as much.

You can build a frame out of the 2X4s, letting the plywood hang over the front and back a few inches so you can fasten it to the angle brackets, and the fram will stiffen the whole thing. Will add 20 pounds or so, but the run between the seats is long enough so that the plywood will bounce alot if you don't add stiffeners.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[Justfishing]

I finished it over the weekend. I wish I could post a picture because it turned out great.

I didnt cover the bench seat but installed the platform between the seats. The top of the platform is flush with the top of the seats. The platform is covered with marine carpet.

The platform sits of angle iron brackets mounted to the side of the seats. The platform is 3/4 treated plywood with 2x2 supports. I made it in 2 halves to make it easier to remove.

Including the seats I have 55" of deck space at the front of the boat.

I can't wait to get it on the water and try it out.

I am going to West Okoboji on the 14th. It will get a good test.

The floor project is on hold.

[This message has been edited by Justfishing (edited 08-04-2003).]