rusty.hook
Well-known member
My aluminum 2005 G3, 1548, 1996 Yamaha 25hp tiller model, from original style bare bones boat to a side console and now a conversion to a center console style.
The boat originally had a tiller style 25hp Yamaha pull start that was killing me. So I opted for a electric start 40hp Johnson, tiller style hoping to build the center console someday and converting it over to remote steering. I also wanted the 40hp because of the extra weight I was planning on adding and did not want to be under powered.
I had built this boat last year so my 83 year old uncle would have plenty of room to move around comfortably. He has a bum knee, so I wanted to make it easy for him. Now he can’t go anymore, I wanted to rebuild my boat the way I wanted when I first got it, a center console version, and man is it a project.
To start my rebuild of my boat, I removed the wooden side console I had built because I had wanted some place to install my depth finder and GPS, start, choke and kill button and bilge and light switches. no key start, because all of those switches and push buttons were not working on the tiller when I bought it. I also removed the side storage box with the big door in the right front, in front of the wood console with rod holders on top. The rear and front areas were left alone, no modifications needed. See pics.
A friend gave me a small used aluminum center console. I sanded and sprayed it with self etching primer then painted it with a medium gray color. The console was too short for my boat so I built a wood frame base from Fir, size 2” X 6”. I stacked 2 boards on top of each other and sandwiched with 5/8” plywood, screwed and glued together.
I added a board screwed to the bottom for mounting the base to the floor. This gave me my desired height of 32” from floor to top of the console. The base for the console is 21” wide and 25” deep. The aluminum console sits on the back of the base, and is mounted the console base with eight 3” screws. The front of the console has a flip up padded seat and the console itself has a padded back rest mounted on it when the passenger is sitting on the seat. The hinges are now mounted in the front of the seat. I carpeted the base with same carpet as rest of my boat. Mounted on the console are the GPS, depth finder, lights, bilge and start, choke and kill push button switches. I mounted the fuse panel under the console for easy access.
I installed a new steering wheel and cable, a good reconditioned side shifter converted to fit on the right side of the console.
There is more storage under the console. I mounted and secured the troll motor battery and the on-board 6 amp charger, in the front of the console base, and run the wires across the floor under a cover I made, and down the side behind the carpeted panel to the hand operated troll motor up front. The troll motor has a foot operated switch mounted on the front deck. Also mounted a side pull up bar on the left side of the console for helping me get out of the seat
I had a boat repair center cut a hole from the back of the factory mounted seat full of foam to the front of the seat and insert a 2” piece of PVC pipe for a rigging tunnel. All cables from the steering and shifter were run it and all wires from motor and the bilge pump.
I mounted a tall u shaped grab rail on the sides of the console and had a ¼” plexiglass windshield made and I installed it on the console also. In the first mod, I had mounted a small green/red navigation light on the bow, but with the trolling motor bracket there also, it was not visible enough to be legal. I ordered a pair of stainless steel tear drop lights, one red and one green off Ebay. I mounted these on each side of the console. They are Coast Guard legal.
The front deck was left in place, no changes needed. The back seating arrangement is still the same, except now the side seat base is not longer used, only the center. When driving, the rear seat pole extension is not in use, but when in the fishing mode the seat extension pole is used like the front seat, both front and rear pole extensions are 12” tall. When driving the passenger can either sit on the padded seat in front of the console or sit beside the driver on a temporary padded cushion or they can sit on the padded cooler in front of the console. The 48 quart cooler sits in front of the console.
There are a still a few small things left, like placing all the wires in their place under the console, etc. but will get them done very soon.
It is sure nice to sit low behind the windshield on a cool morning running down the “ol bayou” and also to be able to stand up and see when driving. It is also a lot safer sitting behind the center console rather than sitting on the side in a tiller style boat. A lot dryer also.
Now all I need to do is take the boat to the water for a test drive. But if I am going to the water, I might as well take the “ol fishin poles”. It was pretty windy and there was a little chop on the water, but it drove and handled great, and was a lot smoother ride and did not get a drop of water on me, man that’s real nice. No spray from the waves at all.
Best of all, I caught 7 red fish, but all were under the minimum limit of 20”, so I threw them all back, but at least I know my NEW BOAT catches fish. It’s like I always say: A bad day fishin is better than a good day at the office any day of the week!!
I am really going to enjoy MY NEW BOAT.
See original pics and then to the side console conversions and finally to finished boat, my “new” center console boat.
Pics below of original boat when I first bought it last year.
The boat originally had a tiller style 25hp Yamaha pull start that was killing me. So I opted for a electric start 40hp Johnson, tiller style hoping to build the center console someday and converting it over to remote steering. I also wanted the 40hp because of the extra weight I was planning on adding and did not want to be under powered.
I had built this boat last year so my 83 year old uncle would have plenty of room to move around comfortably. He has a bum knee, so I wanted to make it easy for him. Now he can’t go anymore, I wanted to rebuild my boat the way I wanted when I first got it, a center console version, and man is it a project.
To start my rebuild of my boat, I removed the wooden side console I had built because I had wanted some place to install my depth finder and GPS, start, choke and kill button and bilge and light switches. no key start, because all of those switches and push buttons were not working on the tiller when I bought it. I also removed the side storage box with the big door in the right front, in front of the wood console with rod holders on top. The rear and front areas were left alone, no modifications needed. See pics.
A friend gave me a small used aluminum center console. I sanded and sprayed it with self etching primer then painted it with a medium gray color. The console was too short for my boat so I built a wood frame base from Fir, size 2” X 6”. I stacked 2 boards on top of each other and sandwiched with 5/8” plywood, screwed and glued together.
I added a board screwed to the bottom for mounting the base to the floor. This gave me my desired height of 32” from floor to top of the console. The base for the console is 21” wide and 25” deep. The aluminum console sits on the back of the base, and is mounted the console base with eight 3” screws. The front of the console has a flip up padded seat and the console itself has a padded back rest mounted on it when the passenger is sitting on the seat. The hinges are now mounted in the front of the seat. I carpeted the base with same carpet as rest of my boat. Mounted on the console are the GPS, depth finder, lights, bilge and start, choke and kill push button switches. I mounted the fuse panel under the console for easy access.
I installed a new steering wheel and cable, a good reconditioned side shifter converted to fit on the right side of the console.
There is more storage under the console. I mounted and secured the troll motor battery and the on-board 6 amp charger, in the front of the console base, and run the wires across the floor under a cover I made, and down the side behind the carpeted panel to the hand operated troll motor up front. The troll motor has a foot operated switch mounted on the front deck. Also mounted a side pull up bar on the left side of the console for helping me get out of the seat
I had a boat repair center cut a hole from the back of the factory mounted seat full of foam to the front of the seat and insert a 2” piece of PVC pipe for a rigging tunnel. All cables from the steering and shifter were run it and all wires from motor and the bilge pump.
I mounted a tall u shaped grab rail on the sides of the console and had a ¼” plexiglass windshield made and I installed it on the console also. In the first mod, I had mounted a small green/red navigation light on the bow, but with the trolling motor bracket there also, it was not visible enough to be legal. I ordered a pair of stainless steel tear drop lights, one red and one green off Ebay. I mounted these on each side of the console. They are Coast Guard legal.
The front deck was left in place, no changes needed. The back seating arrangement is still the same, except now the side seat base is not longer used, only the center. When driving, the rear seat pole extension is not in use, but when in the fishing mode the seat extension pole is used like the front seat, both front and rear pole extensions are 12” tall. When driving the passenger can either sit on the padded seat in front of the console or sit beside the driver on a temporary padded cushion or they can sit on the padded cooler in front of the console. The 48 quart cooler sits in front of the console.
There are a still a few small things left, like placing all the wires in their place under the console, etc. but will get them done very soon.
It is sure nice to sit low behind the windshield on a cool morning running down the “ol bayou” and also to be able to stand up and see when driving. It is also a lot safer sitting behind the center console rather than sitting on the side in a tiller style boat. A lot dryer also.
Now all I need to do is take the boat to the water for a test drive. But if I am going to the water, I might as well take the “ol fishin poles”. It was pretty windy and there was a little chop on the water, but it drove and handled great, and was a lot smoother ride and did not get a drop of water on me, man that’s real nice. No spray from the waves at all.
Best of all, I caught 7 red fish, but all were under the minimum limit of 20”, so I threw them all back, but at least I know my NEW BOAT catches fish. It’s like I always say: A bad day fishin is better than a good day at the office any day of the week!!
I am really going to enjoy MY NEW BOAT.
See original pics and then to the side console conversions and finally to finished boat, my “new” center console boat.
Pics below of original boat when I first bought it last year.
