questions on hull conversion.

[peacekeeper6]

ok, i am in japan getting ready to return home, and being the gear head that i am i am looking for guess what... another damn boat. I have had lots of looks and posted some questions here about them as of late. well my latest find is a hull that is a performance hull. unfortuantly it is a cuddy cabin and being as i am from SC there is no i want anythign with acabbin. also has a rotted transom that an I/O sat in. i know the pros and cons of I/O VS OB. so we wont get into that but my questions are as follow. what i want to do is gut the boat completely, remove the cabin top and turn it into a walk around with a bow rider style front, or something like that. and i want to sea the transom and slap an outboard on it. how feasable is this since i am removing ALOT of weight and structural integrity from the front of the boat. i figure i am removing weight in all areas so it might balance it self out and give me some efficienct. i also thought about slapping a diesel I/O back there for ****s and giggles but still removing the cabin. any takers on this? the hull would be practically free if not close to it.

 

[redfury]

Re: questions on hull conversion.

If you have the capacity to take on a project like that, I say go for it and take lots of pictures while you do! If you are pitching the cap of the boat, then taking it off won't be much of a problem. You just need to fabricate a new cap with whatever you feel you can work with and will meet your needs. I don't see anything wrong with using aluminum if you are able to, or a lot of fiberglass, resin and wood to build what you are envisioning. The most important thing is to plan the work, and then work the plan! Things go much more smoothly if you know what your intended process is.

Oh, and take lots of measurements when you start ripping things apart for future reference!

 

[peacekeeper6]

Re: questions on hull conversion.

what i am thinking is that i would have to build a wooden strcture and thaen fiber glass it all in, then put cushions on it. but i guess my main concern is when i hack off the top "canopy cabin" would the hull fall apart or crack? i wouldnt think so but i dont know really. also the center of gravity comes into play alot with OB conversion, so could i slap a diesel in there since i am repowering? what size would i need/?

 

[sdunt]

Re: questions on hull conversion.

I am not a structural engineer or a boat engineer, but in looking at bow riders vs my runabout as an example. The designers of bowriders tend to attach the driver and passenger dash all of the way from the gunwale down to the floor. In effect bracing the gunwhale to the floor such that the boat does not flex outward at that point. I don't think the addition of the front seat structure can totally replace the structure of the deck, but you will want to keep this in mind as you are building.

Good luck.