14 foot alluminum fishing boat flexing

xmr1000

Recruit
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
1
hey, I have a 14 foot aluminum fishing boat that flexes pretty bad on the floor. The boat has 4 seats and the original bracing is on bottoms of the first 3 seats from the back. They are 4 inches long "L" brackets at the centre bottoms of each seat and is riveted to to the seat and floor of the boat. The boat was made in the 70s and do to the age all the bracket are snapped. I put short 2x4s in place of where the brackets were it stopped it a bit but still flexes pretty bad. The reason I think it flexes so bad is because it has no cross braces on the floor. Any ideas on any fixes? I was thinking about removing the second seat from the rear and figuring out a way to mount a piece of plywood to the floor to secure it from flexing. Then using another piece of plywood on top of the 3 and 4 fourth seats at front to make a platform. I will send picture more toward the spring I am just trying to get ideas.


I found this picture online of the boats looks like he has posts mounted to the seats going down to the floor.

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Thank you,
brad
 

Renderwurx

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
189
If you are saying the floor buckles under foot pressure, you could cut foam insulation sheet into planks to fill the gaps between the ribs, then lay a 1/2" - 5/8" plywood floor over top... this will distribute the pressure more evenly. Making a deck like you mention across 2 of the bench seats can tie it together as well. Often you will need to also build some framework between the two seats for the plywood to sit o and be supported.

Here is a link of a youtube video that shows one variation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GlKkkP_CQI

Doing a google search for jon boat deck or jon boat to bass boat will give you tons of ideas and options. Be sure to look at images search to hone in on tings fast.
 
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