clarkbre
Well-known member
I just thought I’d start this thread to share what I’ve done to my boat. I live near Seattle, WA so I fish freshwater and crab saltwater. The main driver through all modifications has been clean and efficient usage. That meant building storage compartments, cleaning up wiring, and clearing the decks. Here are some of my mods:
Me and the boat at Jameson Lake. It’s a Lund WC16 powered by a 15hp Suzuki 2 stroke.
The first addition was to build a front deck. I did this for storage underneath and a flat deck to setting a cooler out of the way or laying in the sun. The hatch is fairly level with the deck surface and the whole thing is strong enough to walk on.
Also in this storage area, I mounted the battery and onboard charger. The only thing above deck is the 3 prong plug to charge the battery. The battery and charger are not in the pic but mounted in front of the bench seat.
This is the underside of the deck. In order to make it strong but light, I used angled aluminum. There’s almost no flex in the deck and the storage space underneath is huge. The aluminum also helps support the hatch.
During a crabbing outing, I got really annoyed with the fuel tank sitting on the floor of the boat. It was taking up valuable floor space for 4 crab pots, a bucket, and our feet. So here was my solution. I removed just enough foam to allow the fuel tank to sit inside the middle bench seat. I used a piano hinge on the seat. This has really cleaned up the floor of the boat.
I used the port side rear seat for electronic items. To run the wires from the front of the boat, I used ¾” PVC pipe for conduit. The pipe fits under the seat for a no-show wire system. On top of the seat I mounted a Humminbird depth sounder and a RAM mount for my Garmin GPS. On the side of the seat I installed a 4 switch panel that runs the depth sounder and the bilge pump you can see mounted on the left. I also added a plug for my trolling motor so I didn't have to use alligator clips on a battery.
The boat has a short, 15" transom but came with a 20" longshaft outboard. It worked okay but the Suzuki's cavitation plate was about 6" from the bottom of the boat. This caused lots of drag and poor performance from the engine. Rather than getting a short shaft engine, I had a 6" riser block built from aluminum and installed it. The cavitation plate is dead even with the bottom of the boat and it runs and rides flawlessly. Here you can see the cleanliness of the engine as well. Not bad for being a 1997. The previous owner and I have taken good care of it.
Lastly, for comfort in cooler weather, I set 2 screws to mount a Mr. Buddy heater in the boat. It works well and allows us to fish on cooler days.
And all these mods, put a smile on my face!
Me and the boat at Jameson Lake. It’s a Lund WC16 powered by a 15hp Suzuki 2 stroke.
The first addition was to build a front deck. I did this for storage underneath and a flat deck to setting a cooler out of the way or laying in the sun. The hatch is fairly level with the deck surface and the whole thing is strong enough to walk on.
Also in this storage area, I mounted the battery and onboard charger. The only thing above deck is the 3 prong plug to charge the battery. The battery and charger are not in the pic but mounted in front of the bench seat.
This is the underside of the deck. In order to make it strong but light, I used angled aluminum. There’s almost no flex in the deck and the storage space underneath is huge. The aluminum also helps support the hatch.
During a crabbing outing, I got really annoyed with the fuel tank sitting on the floor of the boat. It was taking up valuable floor space for 4 crab pots, a bucket, and our feet. So here was my solution. I removed just enough foam to allow the fuel tank to sit inside the middle bench seat. I used a piano hinge on the seat. This has really cleaned up the floor of the boat.
I used the port side rear seat for electronic items. To run the wires from the front of the boat, I used ¾” PVC pipe for conduit. The pipe fits under the seat for a no-show wire system. On top of the seat I mounted a Humminbird depth sounder and a RAM mount for my Garmin GPS. On the side of the seat I installed a 4 switch panel that runs the depth sounder and the bilge pump you can see mounted on the left. I also added a plug for my trolling motor so I didn't have to use alligator clips on a battery.
The boat has a short, 15" transom but came with a 20" longshaft outboard. It worked okay but the Suzuki's cavitation plate was about 6" from the bottom of the boat. This caused lots of drag and poor performance from the engine. Rather than getting a short shaft engine, I had a 6" riser block built from aluminum and installed it. The cavitation plate is dead even with the bottom of the boat and it runs and rides flawlessly. Here you can see the cleanliness of the engine as well. Not bad for being a 1997. The previous owner and I have taken good care of it.
Lastly, for comfort in cooler weather, I set 2 screws to mount a Mr. Buddy heater in the boat. It works well and allows us to fish on cooler days.
And all these mods, put a smile on my face!
