'66 Sunchief. Layout ideas.

[jsonnebe]

Hi all,

Bought this beauty to fish Lk. St. Clair comfortably. Looking for ideas on interior layout. It will be used mainly as a fishing boat. What are some must-haves? Some don't do's? I am on a strict budget, so I am OK with middle of the road solutions and DIY hacks.

Also, I am sure I am going to have lots of questions as I put this thing together. Is it best to post here or in the restoration forum?

Thanks.

 

[Gibbles]

To me that looks like it's asking to be a center console.
The front section you could make into storage for fishing gear, jackets, etc.

I have been watching the Haulover outlet YouTube channel before bed for the past few weeks on the big tv.
Seeing some of the different layouts is eye opening.
I obviously have a "type" of boat that gets me excited.

When I did my other boats, I liked to go to the local boat exo shows to look at layouts and products.

I skipped it this year, now with the islander I'm not doing a redesign, just a freshen up.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Do add flotation foam

Don't use treated lumber

Budget and boating are a dichotomy

May want to consider fold down stern seating

May want to consider convertible bow seating that can turn into a platform

 

[Sharpie223]

Do add rib and chine bracing.
Do check for pitting under the keel and transom areas.

 

[Gibbles]

Most of us use the closed cell foam from the local hardware stores.
Not the white foam!
Most like to lay it on top of the ribs, leaving a nice air gap for draining water.

I left a very tight gap in the Chief, opting for maximum floatation foam, plus i deleted a little from the front compartments in favor of more storage, so i wanted to ensure i had made up for it elsewhere.