Building Custom Fiberglass Leaning Post?

[crazy J]

I have a 22' Center Console that I use strictly for fishing.. right now my bait tank is under a fold up seat in the front of the console (approximately 20gal) and my "leaning post" is a swing arm over cooler setup which I do not like for many reasons.. I've seen custom leaning posts available that have baitwells and storage integrated into them but they go for $1200+.. for that price I was thinking I could custom build myself one, and cut out my old baitwell and make dry storage under the console.. (I'm pretty good with woodworking but inexperienced with fiberglass) my idea was to build a frame out of marine plywood, taking into account where my bait tanks, storage, rod holders, grab rails, and seating would be, then putting some sort of flexible mesh webbing around and applying resin, then fiberglassing over the top to give it a light, somewhat strong structure.. now here is where I hit a snag.. of course I want it to look good, and I'm confused as to how to proceed. Do I simply sand and even out with fillers, and then apply a gel coat over the top to give it that OEM look? and should the plywood frame and fiberglass be strong enough to support leaning/sitting(i.e. how thick should my mat be?) I'm curious if anyone else out there has done a similar project.. all the info I can find is for hull/deck repair and isn't particulary concerned with shaping and weight concerns.. any info would be greatly apprecriated, thanks in advance!

 

[ebry710]

Re: Building Custom Fiberglass Leaning Post?

All I can do is welcome you to iboats. I hope that some ideas come out of this. I think what you are proposing is a good idea.