Adding Seats to 16' Aluminum Boat

[zubrick]

Hi,

I'm buying a 16' Mirrocraft aluminum boat and would like to add bench seats along the sides (not across). I've read through the forums, but couldn't find anything too similar to what I am looking to do. I figure I could mount some aluminum angle to the sides and then build them with wood from there. My main question is how do you mount the aluminum to the aluminum sides, rivets, nuts and bolts? Any advise would be great. Thanks.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Adding Seats to 16' Aluminum Boat

Welcome to iBoats!

Pics of your boat always help us to help you. Best way to post em, is to open a Free Photobucket account, upload your pics to the library, and then use the IMG Code to copy and paste your pics back to iBoats.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Adding Seats to 16' Aluminum Boat

Yep ^^^ & which MirroCraft you're buying, some have pretty light gauge aluminum hulls that may not support gunwale mounted benches very well.

 

[zubrick]

Re: Adding Seats to 16' Aluminum Boat

OK. I will get some more pictures up soon. Picking the boat up on Thursday. Thanks.

 

[zubrick]

Re: Adding Seats to 16' Aluminum Boat

Sorry. Got busy over the holiday weekend. Anyway, I have the boat now and think I have a solution. There is already a sturdy bench seat in the front of the boat that is bolted to some previously welded angle as well as a nice sturdy board running in front of the transom. I plan to just bolt a board on either side to these existing mount points, add a center support and call it a day. Simple, but I think it will work for what I'm looking for. Thanks for the advise, steered me away from doing something stupid. I'll show pictures when its done.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Adding Seats to 16' Aluminum Boat

Just no pressure treated wood.

 

[zubrick]

Re: Adding Seats to 16' Aluminum Boat

Loud and clear. Saw a lot about the danger of pressure treated wood during my research. Would have never thought of it otherwise. I think I'm going to use some fir and marine varnish.