Bow ice chest for a sylvan Sea breeze

Hi,
Just bought my first boat (yay!). It's a Sylvan Sea Breeze 1409 TL. It's a pretty simple boat, but I'm happy to be able o have something for fishing
The boat:
http://www.sylvanmarine.com/showroo...ype=Utilities&Series=Sea Breeze&Model=1400 TL

My question:
Do you know if anyone makes a cooler/ice chest type thing that could be dropped into the bow area? I have a 15hp engine and even with my wife on board, there is still plenty of room for weight up front so I actually need to add something up there...especially if I go out alone. Plus, it'd be pretty nice to have.

Also, I bought two seats and they are currently mounted on the benches - is there something I can get to put the seats on a post or something between the bench areas? Or is that a bad idea? My seat, in back, is mounted off to the side so I can access the arm on the motor. As a result, the boat leans to the right. Thus, I thought if I could put the sea between the two back bench areas, I could center it.

Thanks!

Re: Bow ice chest for a sylvan Sea breeze

Cd - find a cooler you like and fab some brackets that will hold it in place. I don't think anyone make one that will fit out of the box.

On the seats unless you have a floor, mounting a seat would mean holes in the hull. This can be done, but not the most popular idea.

I have a seat that is mounted to the bench, fuel tank and battery are on the port side to offset the weight.

Re: Bow ice chest for a sylvan Sea breeze

Congrats on your boat. My last boat was similar to yours. It was a 13 foot Sylvan Alaskan Deluxe. Had a full vinyl floor. Great boat but had to trade up because the max HP was limited to a 25hp. I figured a 25 hp on that boat plus gear would be too dangerous with 3 or 4 people too.

I've used the same cooler for my last 3 boats. I like the ballistic nylon type with the plastic insert, so they never leak. I think it's an Igloo that I bought in a Walmart. I just bungee it up front so it doesn't move around. You are on the right track balancing gear around on your boat. It makes a big difference with a small boat.

Iboats carrys something similar to the one I have. it's priced fair too as decent ones run from $40 to $50! Mine is probably like 10 years old already and still looks new! I cover it with a wet towel and a life preserver over it to further insulate it from the hot sun and it keeps food and beer cold for like 8-10 hours with one bag of ice.
http://www.iboats.com/Norcross-24-P...9342796--session_id.459574542--view_id.373945

Re: Bow ice chest for a sylvan Sea breeze

Thanks Guys!
I'll try to remember to post some pics when I finish building it - really, my very talented neighbor would get that credit, I'm just technology nerd