GAS! GAS! GAS!

[FisherofmenNJ]

Hey guys hope all are doing good and the holidays are going well.

I am planning on starting my front casting deck on my 1999 16’ sea nymph hopefully in a few weeks but have a few thoughts to nail down and hope you can help.
Not sure if I should change the current 6gal portable gas tank and put a permanent one under the Casting deck 2/3 of the boat forward. I currently have a 15hp evinrude that does surprisingly well and the tank Is in te stern behind the back seat. It rides well where it’s at but I am planning on being a 25-30hp this year or next and I am thinking when that happens I may wish I had the tank forward to help with weight distribution especially if I have someone else fishing with me. Please share your experiences and opinions! And any pointers on how to do it correctly I know if I’m gonna put it under the deck m gonna have to vent it to prevent fume build up.

 

[airshot]

Having a fuel tank plus a fishing passenger in the front sounds like to much weight forward. You might need to actually experiment with weight estimates while actually on the water to know for sure.

 

[Buster]

With a smallish boat I'm for keeping the fuel tank portable. Easier to grab and fill, easier to drain for winter (if you deal with winter) easier to move around to improve weight distribution. The inconvenience of it taking up precious floor space is real, but outweighed by the benefits of portability. Of course, your analysis may come to a different conclusion.

 

[KMixson]

I have heard that gas repels fish. If you have a permanent tank under the casting deck and spill any fuel on the deck while filling the tank, any bait or lures that you drop on the deck will find that spot.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

My vote would be to keep the 6gal portable tank which will give you flexibility in placement for different varying loads. Depending on our deck plans, in can still be located there as long as the area is well ventilated.

 

[davidj65]

My vote would be to keep the 6gal portable tank which will give you flexibility in placement for different varying loads. Depending on our deck plans, in can still be located there as long as the area is well ventilated.

I was actually looking for something else, and came across this thread. When you built the forward casting deck, did you remove a seat? The back side of it remains open? What did you do for rigidity across the open span? 3/4" plywood?

I am planning on putting a casting deck in this year. I have a bench seat up front and then a hammer bench seat right up against the bow. My thoughts were to use aluminum and lay it over both benches and cover it in the same vinyl that the rest of the boat has. Not sure about 1/16 or 1/8 aluminum, especially if I add a hatch. Weitsmans being around the corner, the alum is not too bad.

 

[FuzzyGrub]

I was actually looking for something else, and came across this thread. When you built the forward casting deck, did you remove a seat? The back side of it remains open? What did you do for rigidity across the open span? 3/4" plywood?

I am planning on putting a casting deck in this year. I have a bench seat up front and then a hammer bench seat right up against the bow. My thoughts were to use aluminum and lay it over both benches and cover it in the same vinyl that the rest of the boat has. Not sure about 1/16 or 1/8 aluminum, especially if I add a hatch. Weitsmans being around the corner, the alum is not too bad.

Yes, I retained the original wood bench seat. It has a sturdy "I" beam structure that makes it plenty strong. You can see the lip of the seat that the hatch seals against. It is 1/2" ext ply. Back of casting deck has an aluminum "L" sandwich under and over it. A single "L" under would have been enough for support. You would want something for top edge protection though. It was tied in to console frame and a sealed 2x6 block on port side. The front of the casting deck has 2x6 blocks for support.

Make sure your boat is stable enough for a high casting deck. Practice by standing on your front bench on your next outing. While this boat was, a 14' Fishmaster I have, was not. Even in this boat, you want to stay mostly near the centerline.

 

[thill]

I was actually looking for something else, and came across this thread. When you built the forward casting deck, did you remove a seat? The back side of it remains open? What did you do for rigidity across the open span? 3/4" plywood?

I am planning on putting a casting deck in this year. I have a bench seat up front and then a hammer bench seat right up against the bow. My thoughts were to use aluminum and lay it over both benches and cover it in the same vinyl that the rest of the boat has. Not sure about 1/16 or 1/8 aluminum, especially if I add a hatch. Weitsmans being around the corner, the alum is not too bad.

I've done this numerous times. It works well. I always put a hatch in there, to access storage. That's the hardest part. This pic was taken before the hatch went in. I used carpet, to dampen sound and make it more comfortable inside. Worked great for quite a few years. I sold the boat last year, and I miss it. My latest boat has a much better ride, but this one was very, very useful and dependable.

 

[airshot]

I take many steps to be sure I have no fuel spills from filling my built-in tank. In many states, it is illegal to fill a portable tank inside the boat, must be removed !
My deck fill in in the splash well, I use numerous rags to absorb any fuel spills from getting back into the water, then dispose of them properly. Never fill your built-in tank to completely full, leave room for air and expansion.....

 

[davidj65]

Yes, I retained the original wood bench seat. It has a sturdy "I" beam structure that makes it plenty strong. You can see the lip of the seat that the hatch seals against. It is 1/2" ext ply. Back of casting deck has an aluminum "L" sandwich under and over it. A single "L" under would have been enough for support. You would want something for top edge protection though. It was tied in to console frame and a sealed 2x6 block on port side. The front of the casting deck has 2x6 blocks for support.

Make sure your boat is stable enough for a high casting deck. Practice by standing on your front bench on your next outing. While this boat was, a 14' Fishmaster I have, was not. Even in this boat, you want to stay mostly near the centerline.

Yes, I was planning on an aluminum L bracket for the lip of the aluminum. I've casted quite a lot from the seat, and it's fine. Slightly dicey if it's very wavy, but that's mainly because there isn't room to plant my feet far enough apart on the bench seat. I'm a short guy and pretty good on my feet(for the moment!), and I think it's plenty safe in warm weather. I'd use a lot more caution in cold water. It is a pretty deep, solid boat. The 2'x6s are a nice simple solution for support. I didnt want to go to 1/8" aluminum if I didn't have to. Although, thinking about it, if I want to cut a hatch at some point, probably better to do it with 1/8"

 

[Crazyboat]

I vote for portable. It helps when you don't have a consistent load.

 

[FisherofmenNJ]

My vote would be to keep the 6gal portable tank which will give you flexibility in placement for different varying loads. Depending on our deck plans, in can still be located there as long as the area is well ventilated.

That s a cool set up.

 

[airshot]

I vote for portable. It helps when you don't have a consistent load.

I always thought the same thing, built-in tanks always seemed to be in the wrong spot ! My current Sylvan side console has an 18 gallon tank in the floor in the perfect spot for balance. Could not have positioned it better if I tried...
Not having to constantly fill the small tanks is great, I can get easily three good fishing trips and still have almost half a tank left. The tank is centered in the boat about 3' plus forward of the transom and about 4' in length. Whether full or empty, no noticeable difference in balance....location can be everything !

 

[Crazyboat]

I always thought the same thing, built-in tanks always seemed to be in the wrong spot ! My current Sylvan side console has an 18 gallon tank in the floor in the perfect spot for balance. Could not have positioned it better if I tried...
Not having to constantly fill the small tanks is great, I can get easily three good fishing trips and still have almost half a tank left. The tank is centered in the boat about 3' plus forward of the transom and about 4' in length. Whether full or empty, no noticeable difference in balance....location can be everything !

The bigger the boat the less a little weight matters. When I had my 12' tinner, If I was alone the car went up front. When with another person it went in back with me. I found once you hit 16' the gas can position matters less and less. Of course it also depends on how much gas you haul.

 

[airshot]

I remember back in my youth, a 10' jon boat with a 5hp outboard from 1954 when they were heavy....a pkg of peanuts could shift the load in that boat!
Lol......

 

[Buster]

I was actually looking for something else, and came across this thread. When you built the forward casting deck, did you remove a seat? The back side of it remains open? What did you do for rigidity across the open span? 3/4" plywood?

I am planning on putting a casting deck in this year. I have a bench seat up front and then a hammer bench seat right up against the bow. My thoughts were to use aluminum and lay it over both benches and cover it in the same vinyl that the rest of the boat has. Not sure about 1/16 or 1/8 aluminum, especially if I add a hatch. Weitsmans being around the corner, the alum is not too bad.

I have a different boat than shown but I found that putting a bow casting deck at the height of the seats was too high and felt very unbalanced. I ended up going a few inches lower. Did some prototyping with pink foam and plywood before finishing it for real using 1/2" Coosa board. By planning your spans and/or filling with foam you can get by with a lighter aluminum or other material. Just from my experience I think many people overbuild their decks but we all have different methods and needs so maybe not. I have had no problems doing it my way but I don't have any traditional hatches. My access is screwed in place.

 

[thill]

I've done a number of them, in 14' and 16', some Jon boats, mod-V and full V-bottoms.

In all of them, I went with the platform at the seat height, and they worked great. Some guys make them at gunnel height, and I don't like that at all.

I don't have many pictures, but here are a couple of my 16' Princecraft:


It had 3 bunks that I put 5/8" floor-sheathing rated plywood. I sealed it well with Thompsons and put carpet over top.

Later, I added a rear deck between the floatation seats/bunks at the same height and section of flat flooring in the forward area. I never did the flat floor in the back.



This is a 16' factory Tracker TX, re-decked. They make their decks higher than I like, but no issues with balance. Still, it's a lot easier to step off the edge, if you aren't looking. At least there is a little lip to help warn you.


Sorry, I don't have many pics in this computer.

 

[davidj65]

I've done a number of them, in 14' and 16', some Jon boats, mod-V and full V-bottoms.

In all of them, I went with the platform at the seat height, and they worked great. Some guys make them at gunnel height, and I don't like that at all.

I don't have many pictures, but here are a couple of my 16' Princecraft:
View attachment 124205

It had 3 bunks that I put 5/8" floor-sheathing rated plywood. I sealed it well with Thompsons and put carpet over top. View attachment 124207

Later, I added a rear deck between the floatation seats/bunks at the same height and section of flat flooring in the forward area. I never did the flat floor in the back.

View attachment 124208View attachment 124206

This is a 16' factory Tracker TX, re-decked. They make their decks higher than I like, but no issues with balance. Still, it's a lot easier to step off the edge, if you aren't looking. At least there is a little lip to help warn you.
View attachment 124209

Sorry, I don't have many pics in this computer.

Thanks, that is helpful. That's about what I am planning. I was originally thinking aluminum, but I think 5/8 cdx, sealed with epoxy and covered with the vinyl that the rest of the deck has. I do need some sort of hatch storage, so I'm not sure about how to proceed with that(open to suggestions on that). Not necessarily dry hatches, but eventually I'd like to put a couple LifePo batteries under the front deck after my lead acid batteries wear out. And an anchor, ropes, etc. I thought about making a lift-out hatch out of solid teak with slat-type design for venting, and possibly putting the gas tank under there as well.

On this boat, the seat height is comfortable for me for casting. Gunnel height, I'd be in the water in no time. A big part of the reason I want to do this is that the entire bow is just really inefficient. I rarely have a passenger, the bench is too small to really cast from, and the space between the benches gets cluttered.

 

[airshot]

Everyone needs to look at how they fish and what their boat is used for. Many small boat owners over build their decks and floors, but many things need considered. When I added floors to my 14' tinnie, I used 5/8" 5 ply exterior plywood, suspended between seats 4' apart with no center support....worked fine with 2, 175lb adults ! In the front, I added a hatch then bought a cheap plastic waste basket to set under the hatch, used a heat gun to soften the plastic and molded the trashcan to the hull to store my anchor. I fish Lake Erie, so not about to sit on a high platform/ deck or I would be swimming. I see lots of high deck bass boats on the big lake, but very few people sitting up there and no people are standing up there...on my current boat, the casting deck sees almost no use, when I deploy my trolling motor, I am on hands and knees for stability, stand up when feet are in the floor with something to hang onto. Gotta consider how your boat will be used, how much weight needs to be supported, what kind if water you will fish in, etc, etc. Do your build according to what you need.