Adding a casting deck to 12' boat?

[Tjames09]

Looking at a winter project, I've seen some mods online where people add floors, casting decks, live wells, etc to their aluminum boats.

 

I was wondering if anyone here has done anything like that. I've read a lot of replies saying it makes the boat unstable and isn't recommended, but I also see a lot of people doing the mods anyways. I know you shouldn't remove the seats as they offer structural support. But I wouldn't mind a casting deck up front and maybe a floor at the back for storage of the battery.

[Korber]

I would be interested in peoples take on this as well. I have a 14' aluminum and was thinking about doing the same idea for my winter project.

[DanD]

No do not remove a bench, work around them. Casting deck no higher then the front bench. Move battery(s) up front under deck for ballist.

Floor only 1/4 as wide as gunnel hight.

Follow these ball park guide lines and most any boat can have what you're wanting.

 

Dan.

[Tjames09]

Thanks Dan. Ya I had no intentions on removing the seats I know they have structural integrity. My plan was essentially that to add a deck the height of the seat.

[grimsbylander]

I'd move fuel forward before batteries.

[Tjames09]

Ya right now the fuel is in the middle and battery at the back. I don't know how I'm going to move the battery. I have a transom trolling motor and the cable on those things is really short

[misfish]

I wish I had my old pics of my 14 ft Sylvan I did. Turned out really well for my first time.

 

I did a quick paint pic of what I did. If you want to ask any questions, feel free. I can try and explain what I did.

 

I made the casting deck from the front bench to the bow. I cut a hole for the battery. Made a SS drop box in the floor for it. The live well, I cut the size of the well I made from aluminum and welded in the middle seat. Removed the styrofoam so it fit snug and flush with the seat.

 

Im not much for describing, but those that fished with me when I had it, can tell you it was well thought out and worked just fine. Battery in front, gas in the back. I also had a control panel so I could activate the well, bildge pump, finder and cut the power to the front trolling motor.

 

All what I did ,came from help of the great board members here years ago.

 

A member I sold the boat to here, still owns this boat. Last I heard. Maybe if he see,s this, he can chime in on how it,s still going for him.

 

[misfish]

Also, get large pieces of cardboard to get your deck layout right. TEMPLATE.

[Terry]

oh yeah he had a folding front casting chair too

[misfish]

oh yeah he had a folding front casting chair too

 

Hey I improved it after you broke it. LOL

[Pikeslayer]

 

A member I sold the boat to here, still owns this boat. Last I heard. Maybe if he see,s this, he can chime in on how it,s still going for him.

 

BOAT LAY OUT.png

Sorry to let you know it sunk. On what is now known as Sunken Boat Bay on our home lake. Great structure now, 3 yrs later

[misfish]

Hope your kidding. Davis is the one that bought it.

[AKRISONER]

I did exactly this, its very very simple to do and I personally would highly recommend it...on the following conditions

 

1. You have a 12 foot tinner, not entirely sure what kind of hull you are on, but unless your hull is over 60 inches wide I would be very very wary of doing it.

 

I fished a small 12 footer like this

 

free image host

 

and it was sketchy as hell to even stand up in the hull never mind up on a platform.

 

My suggestion, try standing up on your seats and fish it...if you dont feel safe, then dont put in a casting deck.

 

2. Dont let anyone over the age of 50 try fish from it or anyone who you dont consider to have a good set of balance. my dad is 65 and he just doesnt have the same balance that he used to, its not safe for someone like him to fish from.

 

3. if you do it...do not make the same mistake me and a buddy did. The casting deck has absolutely no issues at all in my 14 foot starcraft...its totally stable, we fish white caps standing up no problem at all. However last fall we had a close call where we had just landed a beauty 4.5lb smallmouth, Dave reached over to net the fish and I was sitting closer to the side while he was netting it...sure enough the boat hit a wave and rolled and we nearly capsized...i jumped across the seats just in time to stop the boat from flipping, but dave ended up going in the drink...luckily he has his witts about him, was able to simply swim back to the boat and climb in...but it could have been ugly. Novemeber fishing...he doesnt wear a lifejacket (stupid i know lol) and ended up ruining his phone and lost his fishing rod to the deep. Material crap, he still has his life. We now coordinate our movements around the boat to avoid this from happening again, regardless of season. Only time we crouch is if a big boat wake passes, or we are moving very quickly through chop from one spot to the next.

 

 

Heres how I did it and it works absolutely perfectly

 

My boat came with a small platform at the very front of the boat this was pretty darn close to level with the first row of seats in the boat. I took a 1/8ths...possibly less? sheet of plywood and drew a jig out of the front of the boat ensuring that i took measurements of dimensions at various points for accuracy. I cut the jig and ensured the fitment was accurate.

 

I then took a 3/4 inch sheet of plywood (you can go marine grade, id argue its not neccesary for a removeable casting deck that can be dried out easily.)

 

I traced the jig onto the 3/4 plywood and took a jigsaw and cut it out. I then took an electric sander and rounded all of the corners on the wood and smoothed the top surface out as much as possible to remove any weird spots. Rounding the edges made the carpeting a breeze and also stops the edges from cutting anything from vibration.

 

I then bought some outdoor grade carpet from home depot (looked at marine but it was wayyyyy too expensive)

 

cut out my material, took 3m spray glue and glued the top surface on and then folded the carpet over the edges and stapled it to the back. what you are left with is something that looks like this.

 

 

I then placed the deck into my boat and measured where the edge of the front seat would rest and strapped a 2x2 along the bottom to stop the deck from being allowed to slide backwards. Its wedged against the front and the 2x2 is resting against the edge of the front seat. It literally doesnt budge while going through the worst chop. Its also totally removeable and only weighs about 20 lbs.

 

 

 

I also considering boxing in the back of the boat, but it became very quickly apparent that two guys, a trolling motor, battery, casting deck, gas tank, safety equipment and fishing gear really weighed down the boat a lot. I quickly realized that adding a rear casting deck was now out of the question due to the amount of weight it would entail.

 

As a rule of thumb the battery is installed underneath the casting deck and ive left a gap at the very nose of the boat that allows me to run both my power cables, sonar cable and even tuck excess foot pedal cable below the casting deck. You are left with a pretty clean install that has turned my 14 foot tinner into a true fishing machine. Now i just need a chartplotter

 

Here is me fishing it last weekend

 

image sharing

Edited September 8, 2016 by AKRISONER

[DanD]

Ya right now the fuel is in the middle and battery at the back. I don't know how I'm going to move the battery. I have a transom trolling motor and the cable on those things is really short

Run #4 cables (+ -) front to rear before the floor goes down. Bring the cables up through the floor at the rear. Fix the cables to an insulated item; like the transom if its wood or make something that you can easily connect accessories to.

 

Dan.

[Tjames09]

I did exactly this, its very very simple to do and I personally would highly recommend it...on the following conditions

 

sharing

 

Thanks for the awesome reply. Im not sure how wide the boat is, but it is 12' long. I stand in the boat as it is now front or back with no issues, even with waves or wake. ive stood on the front seat before and havent felt unsafe. I would probably not feel super safe in any good chop.

[AKRISONER]

 

Thanks for the awesome reply. Im not sure how wide the boat is, but it is 12' long. I stand in the boat as it is now front or back with no issues, even with waves or wake. ive stood on the front seat before and havent felt unsafe. I would probably not feel super safe in any good chop.

 

Then I say go for it! if you need any further details, pm me and i can provide you with as many tips as possible from what i can remember

[jimmer]

I think that it's dangerous, that's probably why they don't manufacture 12' tin boats with casting platforms. Just my opinion though.

[AKRISONER]

I think that it's dangerous, that's probably why they don't manufacture 12' tin boats with casting platforms. Just my opinion though.

as with most things, some people should partake while others should not...i wouldnt advise a 60 year old man to hop on a skateboard either...people still make them

 

know what you are getting yourself into and be prepared for the consequences.

[misfish]

 

 

2. Dont let anyone over the age of 50 try fish from it or anyone who you dont consider to have a good set of balance. my dad is 65 and he just doesnt have the same balance that he used to, its not safe for someone like him to fish from.

 

 

What the hell does that mean??????????????????? LMAO

[Pikeslayer]

Hope your kidding. Davis is the one that bought it.

Hehe, I was celebrating my birthday and..........just couldn't resist

[leaf4]

Personally I'd try and try and find a 15'and spend my time on something a little larger for more comfort, and space to add more. plus it likely would be wider and more stable

[Dara]

I don't know many 30 year olds that can keep up with me and I turned 60 last month

 

I don't think much of a casting deck in a 12 footer

A floor may be nice but not a deck

Edited September 9, 2016 by Dara

[purekgw]

Here are a few pics of the deck i put in this spring, boat is a 14' princecraft so it is a wider boat

boat is still stable in the water but it does add some weight to the front so i shifted both my batteries to the rear of the boat with my gas tank, still does 19mph with a 15hp merc

Edited September 9, 2016 by Pure

[misfish]

Nice job Pure.

[KLINKER]

the problem here is that boats are made to a standard and it is not legal to modify a boat without the manufacturers consent. You might say it's a nanny state thing but it protects the consumer from buying dangerously modified boats.