relocating console

[va boy]

I have been doing some work on an old boat I have. Its a 16 ft aluminum flat bottom. I am thinking about moving the side console to the center and further towards the front of the boat. Im trying to make more room in the boat and want to remove the passenger seat. With the boat leaning to console side, I figure this will only make the balance worse. I'm wondering what peoples thoughts are on relocating a console. I know it would involve fabricating a different console and relocating steering linkage, ignition, transmission cables. Theres not a lot of room in the floor for cables and wires. Is it too difficult? If I do all that work, is the steering linkage still going to be hanging of one side of the console?

 

[alldodge]

I have been doing some work on an old boat I have. Its a 16 ft aluminum flat bottom. I am thinking about moving the side console to the center and further towards the front of the boat. Im trying to make more room in the boat and want to remove the passenger seat. With the boat leaning to console side, I figure this will only make the balance worse. I'm wondering what peoples thoughts are on relocating a console. I know it would involve fabricating a different console and relocating steering linkage, ignition, transmission cables. Theres not a lot of room in the floor for cables and wires. Is it too difficult? If I do all that work, is the steering linkage still going to be hanging of one side of the console?

:welcome: to iboats

I would say just about anything can be done, but we would also need to see what your looking at. Have any pics

 

[roscoe]

I put a center console into an old Starcraft 16SS.
It was a narrow console, so I just rotated the helm unit 90*, so the cable went almost straight down into the floor.
Your cables will need to be longer than you think, measure twice.

 

[ondarvr]

I dislike small boats with center consoles, the console takes up a great deal of room and is always in the way.

 

[64osby]

As was stated it would help to see what hull is being discussed.

If the boat leans to the console side try adjusting the weight of things like the battery, gas tank, and other items that could offset the lean.

 

[va boy]

I have pictures but im not sure how to load a picture into the message. I have moved gas tanks, batteries, and other gear but it doesn't seem to help. My reasoning for putting the console in the middle was so i could remove both seats, and just have one behind the console. The idea is to get as much space and weight capacity as possible. Im using it as a duck boat, so I want to stuff as many decoys as possible on it and then once its anchored, have it open for me and a friend to have room to hunt out of. The floor width down the majority of the boat is less than 48"

 

[64osby]

A 15" wide center console would give you about 16" on each side of it.

At 48" a side console would give you the most usable deck space.

The only other option would be converting it to a tiller operated boat. That would maximize the open deck space.

 

[ondarvr]

The most room in a small boat = tiller.

 

[va boy]

I will have to think about what i'm going to do. If i was starting from scratch I would have bought a tiller, but its an old bass boat that i'm converting for hunting. I thought I would be able to make a smaller console to sit in the middle, but it sounds like the boat it just too small to have enough room.

 

[64osby]

Go to photobucket and open your free account. Load on photos. Copy the url of the photo and paste that in the upload attachment pane.

Pictures may help with some good options.