12ft Valco (V-Hull) with 15hp Yamaha

[HennaOjisan]

In that picture you see the seats on the boat with the 11" riser pole removed. Both the seat base and the riser pole have a 3/4" shaft that enters the base so I can use the seats at the position in the picture when we are cruising across the water and it takes a few seconds to lift the seat and insert the seat riser when we stop to fish.

Here is a link the the actual seat supports that I ordered: https://www.cabelas.com/product/Boa..._l=SBC;cat104794380;cat104705280;cat104492880

Jason

 

[ejlarson]

That response is SO helpful, THANK YOU!!!!! =D>

You saved me a ton of time trying to figure out how to do that!

I just bought a 12 footer myself for me and my son to go out in, and your build is the one that really motivates me to mod mine.

Your boat looks so amazing!

Thanks for posting it on here!

 

[HennaOjisan]

No problem - I think it took me around 1 month to do most of the work (working every eve for a few hours) and some on weekends.

The 12 footer is a tad small but works out great. The only thing I would do differently would be to plan my tackle storage a bit better. The 12 has limited space where a 14 or 16 is a bit bigger and storage is better. I was space limited in the garage so this was what fit.

Good luck and it's been worth every penny and drop of sweat!

 

[12_Tinner]

Great mod, what speeds are you getting with that 15hp? I'm adding in some deck wood and stuff like you did to my 12' and want to power it with a 8-15hp motor...still in the searching process.

 

[HennaOjisan]

With wifey I can hit 19 mph (by GPS), with my buddie a bit slower as he's got a few more lbs on her. I haven't ran it solo but I'd guess around 20ish.

Buddie and I fished the CA Delta all day today and we had no issues with both of us standing while bass fishing. Might go with a leaning post up front instead of a seat though as we stood all day long. Really happy with the mods so far!

 

[FishyItch]

How far back does that front deck extend from the bow? Looks to be about three feet?

 

[HennaOjisan]

I think it's about 50" so just over 4 feet from the point of the deck to the rear. The deck where the trolling motor sits covers about 10-12" of the deck, but your feet can go under it and it's pretty far forward so you wouldn't want to stand up there anyways...

The rear deck is 3 feet deep and it would be nice if it was closer to 4 feet really. I've built storage on the left side in the middle of the boat and have started working on the same storage for the right. It's nice as it provides much more storage and is a good place to set the extra rods and tackle.

I'll grab a pic tonight - it's coming together nicely though...

 

[HennaOjisan]

Here are some pics of the side storage - still need to build the right side...

Looking aft:

 

[clarkbre]

Thats a great looking boat! Those valcos are awesome boats. I grew up fishing out of a 12' and that was my first tin I modded. Great job!

 

[FishyItch]

Looks cool, man. If you don't mind I might have to borrow some of your design ideas. It's simple, which is good for a smaller boat like the one I have too.

 

[HennaOjisan]

Steal as many ideas as you can (I did :wink: )... I'm glad I stumbled across this site - lots of creative people that helped me figure out what I wanted from a layout.

 

[jdret]

I love the lines on those Valco boats. Wish I could find one in as good as shape as that one. I'd like to mod it into quick little runabout.

 

[HennaOjisan]

Been spending weekends on the CA Delta and this has worked perfectly. The 12 footer is a little small for rougher water but we have enough slough's here where you can escape the rough water... It'll run 22mph on GPS with just me in it which works fine for covering water. Hull is pretty good for the rougher stuff and cuts through pretty well.

I have a transom mounted trolling motor that I mounted on the bow - I ended up buying a foot switch for turning it on/off which makes life much better. Looking for a deal on a foot control as a replacement but this is working very well. Overall - extremely happy with this build!

Here's a few pics from Sat..

 

[Shake n Bake]

Awesome job on the boat I really like it. What kind of wood did you use for your supports under the decking? It looks smaller than 2x4's.

 

[HennaOjisan]

Supports are 2x2 Doug Fir. Just the right size and support IMO.. 5/8" ply deck and all wood is poly'd and painted to water proof... Decks are SOLID - no soft spots or movement...

 

[Shake n Bake]

Well it looks really good and the 2x2's save some weight over 2x4's too, great job. It looks like you painted the inside of the boat and the wood framing all with the same paint, what kind of paint did you use? Nice pig in that last pic by the way I would love to fish the delta some day.

 

[HennaOjisan]

The gray paint was just some good quality rattle can paint. I primed with an aluminum primer spray paint then shot it with the gray. It's working out good, not flaking and wearing very well...

 

[De Hoog]

Really like your build. Looking to do something along the same line with the side storage. Is there anyway you could post a picture of the inside? I'd like to get an idea of how you attached/supported/framed it. Thanks!

 

[HennaOjisan]

Really like your build. Looking to do something along the same line with the side storage. Is there anyway you could post a picture of the inside? I'd like to get an idea of how you attached/supported/framed it. Thanks!

I'll grab a couple pictures later (camera battery was dead..). It was fairly simple actually as an add-on. I had already built the front and rear decks as well as the center floor. I wanted side storage with the lids at the same height as the f/r decks and the width was about 10" at the top rear. I basically measured out what the side piece dimensions would be so that the top of that piece supported the outside edge of the lid. It was a snug fit once it was carpeted and I used some "L" brackets along the bottom and at both ends (top/bottom). I used a piece of foam to make a template for the lid so that the outside edge matched the angle of the edge of the boat. Cut the top out of same ply I used for the decks and sides (waterproofed of course) and carpeted. I then used 3 - 6" stainless piano hinges that I bolted to the sides of the boat that the lid attached to. I was leery of drilling holes in the side but couldn't figure out a decent way of supporting that edge. It has worked out great and it will support my weight while sitting on it. I used some clear silicone to seal the holes (they are above the waterline anyway) and no probs...

Works great for storage and really helps when fishing - I can lay my rods across them as well as my lure boxes. Really no framing and the brackets hold the side support in place perfectly.

I'll post some pics later...

 

[Jim]

Nice simple design and great paint job! Good job man! =D>