1448 Grizzly drop in deck extension project

[Boisarc]

Grizzly 1448 needed more front deck area so I made a removable drop in deck. Its made of 2x2 cedar, 2x3 cedar and Pressure treated outdoor grade plywood. All the screws are exterior grade deck screws so no rusting problems. The top of the deck area will be covered with a thick patio and deck paint that fills small cracks and has a grip to the surface. The braces and underside will be sealed with a waterproof sealer. Just haven't done that part yet. It has an area for the trolling battery on the centerline of the boat and has a split deck that can be quickly removed allowing the entire unit to be taken out by one person. I'm guessing the entire thing weighs about 60 lbs. It locks into place pretty tightly and wont move around when towing or running down the lake. Moving the trolling battery center/forward actually makes the boat plane quicker and run smoother....no porpoising when trimming out the boat. Easy to cast from plus extra storage..... and I can take the entire thing out if I want to go duck hunting.

 

[PA Delaware Fisher]

Looks good! =D> Anything to make you more comfortable on the water.

 

[jigngrub]

Consider losing the PT plywood, PT chemicals and aluminum don't get along well at all because they're corrosive. Regular exterior grade plywood sealed with paint will last quite a while.

 

[overboard]

Welcome! I also did a front deck extension on a 1654 FB GRIZZLEY, not as long as yours, but all aluminum. Nice job you did, and I like that it's removable.
Been posted time and time on here about the PT wood/plywood, get rid of it!
Make good use of the TRAC, using 1/4" SS carriage bolts and some fabricated brackets you will be able to mount almost anything to that boat without drilling holes.

 

[Boisarc]

No PT and aluminum......should have known. [-X Good catch...just before I went to the trouble of applying the deck paint. This is why I posted this...somebody has done this before and found out about this the hard way. I wanted to do this with aluminum but I don't have the tools for it. Good tip about the using the TRAC and 1/4" carriage bolts. Thanks
New shopping list: One gal. deck paint and one 4x8 sheet of exterior plywood.

 

[overboard]

Here's how I used the TRAC. I used it to mount almost everything I needed on the boat.

 

[WPS]

Yeah, I agree with the other members!

Do NOT use PT wood anywhere near aluminum!... I'm a welder and weld aluminum everyday.. I have seen a lot of aluminum damaged because someone used PT wood on a boat.... Especially on the transom!

Also, make sure you use aluminum ''with'' aluminum, Don't use steel metal with aluminum.. When the steel rusts, it will leave some bad pits in the aluminum and eat it up!.. Did a lot of repairs on trailers because someone used steel metal against aluminum!