Aluminum boat

Got a older 15 ft mirrocraft boat recently. I want to make storage areas under the seats. Foam is currently under the seats. A friend of mine re-did a flatbottom boat really nice. He put foam on the bottom of the boat, then a sheet of aluminum, then carpet. His original seats are now empty for storage.<br />Are there any books out there, or drawings or whatever that can help me customize this Al boat?

Re: Aluminum boat

Hi Sal C,<br /><br /> Welcome to the post. Lots has been asked and said in the past about putting flotation in an aluminum boat. Take a moment to go to the top of the page and do a search on "flotation" and you should pick up lots of tips that have already been posted. <br /><br /> Being a strong beliver in safety first I have a safety thought for you. <br /><br /> The U.S. Coast Guard test all mass produced boats. They fill them with water fully loaded and then try to enter the boat from the water. If you can't do this from either the side or one end the boat it fails. The floatation in a small aluminum boat is under the seat high up in the boat rather than low down in the boat. This will allow the boat to float upright if swamped. If you add floatation to the floor, this will allow the boat float better upside down rather than upright. If you try to enter a boat with floatation in the floor it will flip when full of water. The only safe place to add it would be if you add it to the underside of the bow or rear deck and under seats.<br /><br /> Good luck and let us know how you fare.

Re: Aluminum boat

Hi there, I'm thinking of adding foam to my 16.5 aluminum, just read a post FYI, you don't want to put foam down low in boat, need to put it up high(under seats, transom cover, bow) so it provides floatation UPRIGHT when swamped, if flotation sits to high, boat could float better when tipped over as opposed to upright. I think the idea Coast Guard has is to be able to stay IN boat if swamped. Let me know what all you find out, Heinz

Re: Aluminum boat

Coast guard regs for production boats require LEVEL flotation LOADED to specified capacities of weight and HP. You may modify the boat to your needs though. BUT: If you remove flotation in middle seat, calculate flotation removed and reduce gross load of boat corrispondingly.<br />1 gal. = 8 lbs.<br />1 gal. = .1337 cu. ft.<br />1 gal. = 231 cu. in.<br /><br />live well foam removal is 12"x12"x24" <br /> = 1728 cu. in. divided by 231 = 7.48 gal. displaced x 8 lbs. = 59.8 lbs of flotation lost.<br /><br />Boats capacity is 800lbs persons, motor and gear, now is roughly 740 lbs persons motor and gear. Placing live well at last seat in boat could make the boat sit transom submerged loaded even though you're under the gross load rating after modifications or vise-a-versa if the front seat is used. Keep the boat balanced relative to the FLOTATION.<br /> Another words, YES you can do it without adding floatation, jus' keep in mind what your doing to the boat and where.

Re: Aluminum boat

Thanks for all the tips on the foam placement for my Al boat. Got some good ideas and will start shopping for some foam. At least I know now I don't want to put any low in the boat.<br />Great site