i own a 14' simi V aluminum boat that has 3 seats built in its a DMI. Dont know who makes DMI it but its rated for up to a 15hp and i just got that briggs 5 hp. all 3 seats have the flotation built in to them. Well im thinking about cutting out the center seat and making a deck on the bow platform. Since ive owned the boat ive ordered carpet from cabelas and its all carpeted since i use it only in fresh water. The bow of the boat has a area that is bigger than most utilitie boats and its flat in the point so there i have mounted a foot controlled trolling motor. This boat is like a Mod V most of the bottom is flat like you can walk around in it but i glued carpet to the sides and bottom all except in the center where the boat drains. Its rated for 960 pounds and like 1100 with motor pers and gear. something like that. so im thinking about decking from the front V til the back of the front seat or a little farther back from that. The middle seat i want to install a livewell but some of the flotation has to go. really i want to take the middle seat out so there is like a lower flat area in the boat and in the rear i want to deck out the back seat and make the area between the back seat and transom like a casting deck too with hatches to the gas tanks and bilge pump. As of now i have no bilge cause the boat does not leak a drop and i get dropped off on my days off in the morning at 6 and clock and chain my traylor to a tree and picked up at 6 in the afternoon. So i have 2 trolling batt's but usually one does ok. so any advice would be healpful!!!!!
Keep the center seat and use it for the casting deck support. It is important to keep the foam in there. Also with only 5hp to push it, keeping the weight down is a must! You are underpowered without the extra weight you plan to add. I had a 12' that I did the same thing too and trust me...Every lb and placement of it counts!
I believe DMI is Discovery Marine Inc. It was a small aluminum boat mfg out of Preble, NY. As far as I know, they are out of business, but very similiar designs are found in Harbour Mist (or is that Misty Harbour?) boats. Is the boat a brownish/yellow color? Can you post a pic of your boat? The capacities you mentioned seem high compared to a max 15hp engine. The Discovery semi-Vs I am familiar with, I am pretty sure maitained a shallow v at the transom. I am wondering if you have one of their wide-beam flat-bottom jon boats, that had just a pointy V in the front.
Maybe with some pics we could see what the structure of the boat is like........but often the middle seat is an integral part of the boats overall structure. If you take it out then there is the possibility of hull flex which could loosen some rivets and cause leaking. Like I said not all aluminums are like that, but its something to consider. Also a problem with casting decks on top of the existing seat level, is that it will raise your center of gravity quite a bit and you will lose A LOT of stability.........which is something you may not have a lot to play with given your rig is maxed at 15hp.I really badly wanted to take out my middle bench seat and add a floor and make casting decks in my 14 footer, but didnt want to damage the structure of the boat or its stability.......I really wanted a flat floor and something to keep my feet off the aluminum in colder weather fishing. I made a 3 piece removeable floor out of some 2x4 and plywood which I upolstered with outdoor grade carpet and some locktite adhesive. The front section I did in roofing rubber because I keep an anchor on it.Here are some pics of it.Inside Pics......they are a bit big, so I thumbnailed them (click them )
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As to advice - Leave the center seat as is. It is vital for the structural integrity. Next - I don't think the briggs is going to cut it if you want the rig to plane. It will plane with the 15 unless you go nuts with adding stuff (weight).I have a 13'er with a 9.9 that works well with two adults. But then I don't have batteries, decking etc.
well the bigest pond and lake im fishing is like 100 acres so i dont need the boat to plane. just move faster than my trolling motor. and i prob wont cut the seat out i went out and looked and it seems like it might b a structural part of the boat. I have placed a loose piece of plywood over the front and center seat and it rested on a hook on the inside of the bow from where the wench hook is on the outside of the bow. i can walk all around on there and there is no problems with the boat tipping over and such. this is less stable however the less weight i have in the back of the boat. so thinking of putting the trolling batteries there. usually when i fish i get dropped off at the pond or lake at like 7 or 8 in the morn and picked up at like 5 or 6 in the afternoon. wife takes the truck to work as i am not going to drive howm after all day on the hot pond and 12 beers in me lol. so with those 2 batteries back there it makes it pretty stable. But empty boat and it is a little shaky as i walk around. so i figure id make like a small back deck and have some hatches where the gas tank, batteries and onbord charger is stored. if i leave the center seat in though there wont b verry much room in lower deck like in between the middle seat and the rear seat and thats all. Thanks for any and all insight sofay guys giving me a lot to think about.
well i just noticed that the middle seat was a structural part of the boat. Im still going to cut it out. I had a piece of steel that goes along the side and bottom to do the same thing. so now its cut out. im going to start construction on the front deck and its so far so good cause my boat has the quick relese for the powerdrive trolling motor. i am going to deck out the back seat too and the trolling batteries are going on the oppisite side of the livewell only back farther near the gas tanks. should b sweet when im finished!
hey drewmitch, i was considering the same thing, except my boat is layed out a little different. Keep us updated, i would love to see how it turns out. any advice would be great.
ok i think im going to leave in the center seat just deck out from the bow tip to about half way between the front seat and the middle seat. I have some pictures of the boat now i just dont know how to post em on here. I have a bunch of 1 1/2 inch aluminum angle and im thing about using that for the framing of the decks. If anyone knows how to attach pictures in this post i would apreciate it.
Look man, on a 100 acre lake who cares. You can do what you want and if the boat sinks, which I doubt, swim for shore.....with your life jacket on, that the Coast Guard Requires you to have on board......oh no Coast Guard on a 100 acre lake? Probably not, but get and wear you preserver none the less.You don't give a hoot about structural integrity or cg on a body of water that small. Now if you were out in open water with a high hp outboard yea verily......but you aren't. Different strokes for different folks. Keep things in proper perspective.Mark
hello; you are on the right track with the aluminum angle; i have a 14' grumman boat that i put front and rear decks in; it not the style of your boat; mine is a modified V; i used aluminum square tubing in mine; I took a hacksaw and cut the end back on the corners about an inch or so; took and bent 2 sides back 90 degrees; and cut the other 2 sides off so they wouldnt hit; then i took self tapping screws to hold my square tubing together to build my frame; this is a very; very sturdy frame after you get finished; dont worry about trying to get right up to the sides of your boat; just make sure you have it spaced right for your desired support; on your seat take a piece of angle and rivet it with the back of angle toward the seat so the top flange of the angle is facing up and to the front of the boat; build your square tubing frame so it attaches to that angle; as far as the front you will have to work that out; do the back of the boat the same way; my boat i put a door that opens all the way up so i have access to the battery and gas tank; take some angle and rivet a few pieces to the door to make it sturdy; as far as something for deck material; i used a yield sign and a men working sign to make mine; worked perfect; hope this was helpful; need any more advise i will be glad to help!! if you want you can email me at pb4ugotobed38@yahoo.com
hello; you are on the right track with the aluminum angle; i have a 14' grumman boat that i put front and rear decks in; it not the style of your boat; mine is a modified V; i used aluminum square tubing in mine; I took a hacksaw and cut the end back on the corners about an inch or so; took and bent 2 sides back 90 degrees; and cut the other 2 sides off so they wouldnt hit; then i took self tapping screws to hold my square tubing together to build my frame; this is a very; very sturdy frame after you get finished; dont worry about trying to get right up to the sides of your boat; just make sure you have it spaced right for your desired support; on your seat take a piece of angle and rivet it with the back of angle toward the seat so the top flange of the angle is facing up and to the front of the boat; build your square tubing frame so it attaches to that angle; as far as the front you will have to work that out; do the back of the boat the same way; my boat i put a door that opens all the way up so i have access to the battery and gas tank; take some angle and rivet a few pieces to the door to make it sturdy; as far as something for deck material; i used a yield sign and a men working sign to make mine; worked perfect; hope this was helpful; need any more advise i will be glad to help!! if you want you can email me at pb4ugotobed38@yahoo.com
This thread was posted in January 27th, 2006 at 06:56 PM. Welcome to Iboats .
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Projects include: To many boats, to many outboards, and 1 I/O that I hope to be rid of soon.
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