I'm reviving my build thread from the dead because I've had a change of heart. After fishing/cruising with it in it's current design, I realize that it's 1) Way too light in the bow 2) very difficult to fish from/anchor without access to the bow 3) short on deck space when I bring the family & dogs.
So, I've decided to remove the bow cap... I know people don't like to see these old runabouts modified, and I'm not sure if I'll like the new setup, but I have good news. The cap on these boats is extremely easy to remove and does no permanent damage to the cap or the boat. I literally had the cap removed by myself in 10 minutes.
First impression: I can't believe how much room there is that was of no use to me before.
I have a layout in mind that I've been working on while getting paid to do other things in the office. Basically, I'm making it a side console and moving the drivers seat back one bench. I already have a seat there, so it's really just a matter of moving the controls. As a side bonus, my control cables were always too short to hide under the deck, so they have had to ride on top of the gunwale which is extremely annoying to me. With the new setup, I will be able to hide them completely since I'm moving the control box back about 3 feet.
Here's a pic of my initial mock up of the design. Picture a console in there between the cooler and the wheel. This will give me a nice amount of space out front for a casting deck, my new trolling motor (Minn Kota Powerdrive V2 55# with I-Pilot), and my new RTIC cooler that I ordered. Of course, the cooler in the boat now is just a cheap, broken one I have but it's good enough for laying things out. This is the cooler that will go in that space and be recessed into the deck by 6":
The deck will be 6" higher than the bench which will still leave some of the side walls exposed and keep the deck a bit lower for stability. I don't need or want a deck that's flush to the gunwales. The 2x4's in this pic roughly show where the deck height will be:
In the end I want to be able to have a nice pedestal seat in the front and also move some weight up under that front deck. I think with the new TM, two batteries, and anchors along with the decking should balance out my boat quite nicely.
I got a bunch of crap removed last night that was in the way and installed the first board across the bench to use as reference to build the rest of the framing. I'll keep you posted. Basically, I'm doing the same style as MassFisherman did on his Starcraft https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=19040
At this point I'm looking at building my console myself out of wood unless someone has a cheap side console laying around. I don't want to pay what they're asking for one of the aluminum drop-in ones, although they look nice. So, if you have one that you think might work, PM me!
