ideas how to put deck in aluminum boat

[madjoe56]

i finaly swapped around and got a wide alum flat bottom just for crappie fishing. i intend to rig for side by side fishing seats. i would also like to put a slightly raised deck say 4 inches. here is where i run out of ideas how do i fasten plywood to boat short of drilling cross supports on drilling holes in boat? if i do this right i might be able to convince better half we really need that g3 in addiction to ''that high priced man toy bass boat''

[jimp]

check out tinboatsdotnet for some tips and ideas on what you want to do. Lots of experience over there.,

[ga carpkiller]

X2 on tinboats

[crappielimits]

Be careful the higher you go the less stable it will be.

[newly]

I think you may have to find someone to do a little welding for a cross member to attach plywood to if you don't go all aluminum. Here is a pict of mine the works for ol smokey. 17.5 ft. The deck was all the way at the top before. Going to put 3 seat pedestal plates in the front with 3 tabes. Will take Picts when finished.



Here was a pic before. I didn't like sitting so high.



Hope this gives you an idea.

[Idunno]

I used non-skid, 3/4 Starboard for decking. I screwed blocks to the bottom of the starboard. The blocks fit in between the ribs. I can lift the decks straingt up, and out. No unscrewing anything.

[madjoe56]

thanks for advice

[Semo]

I bought this 1872 PolarKraft with a 35hp johnson on it for a song about ten years ago. So, when I decided it was time to let my brother have the jump seat in my Dad's boat I decked it out (literally) for trolling. Deck is all wood, 2x6&8 pressure treated runners carpetted marine grade decking. Did the paint from a stencil kit from Basspro


Only used it one year and traded it for a motor for my Jeep, ran across it at Kentucky Lake last year beat all to pieces, about made me cry.

[zrdc28]

Where did you get that apparatus for the steering wheel.?

[bubbinator]

Light on ideas for design but do have some experience with long term aluminum "bass boat" designs you are looking at with decks. My first good boat was a 1979 Fisher Marine Water Strider III, a 16.9' aluminum "bass boat" with fore and aft decks, a console and live-well in front of the console(a cooler w/seat top and aerator) and 2 pedestal seats and a bench seat at the console. Over the years the major problem I found with the boat constuction was the use of sheet metal screws every where! They vibrated loose and after a while fialed to hold tight. Next issue over time was deck hatches. They were plywood in aluminum frames-not marine plywood at that, and they rotted over time and needed replacement as did the seats for the same reason. A neighbor skilled in such issues recarpetted the boat and replaced all the visible screws with pop-rivets. Much more secure than before and easier to redo if needed. Hatch covered were replaced with marine plywood in the original frames after being cut to fit, sealed with marine varnish and once put into the frames, resealed with polyeurethane over the whole unit then carpetted. I sold the boat in 2011 for $1500 with the still running 100% 35HP Johnson motor, a 1980 model that came on the boat. Young man who bought it is happy as a lark and fishes it weekly on the AL River and local lakes. Redo is actually better than factory quality.