Would like to make a casting deck on a closed bow...

[Saskatoon2005]

Hello All,

I am interested in removing my windshield and cutting out my fiberglass closed bow and replacing it with a carpet over wood casting deck. I have a 40 H.P. Johnson mounted on the back, so the weight distribution should not be upset too much and the boat is only a 14 foot fiberglass. Has anyone ever done this and what is the best way to go about it? Thanks in advance for all help, you guys are great and have been extremely helpful to me in the past.

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: Would like to make a casting deck on a closed bow...

I performed a similar modification about 15 years ago on a late-60s Larson runabout. It wasn't pretty, but it was functional.

I removed the windshield, then cut the top out leaving about 6 inches of the top around the perimiter. Then I mounted 3/4 inch plywood cut to the contour of the hull about 8 inches below the remainder of the top and glassed it in place. I mounted a pedestal seat up there after carpeting it. You can sand the cut edge of the remainder of the top relatively smooth but some sort of edge trim would be better.

The boat looked funny without the windshield, but I was more intested in fishing than looks and doing anything more than this would have expanded the project beyond the "simple" and "cheap" qualities that were most important to me in that boat.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Would like to make a casting deck on a closed bow...

You can look through my link and see if it is helpful to you.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Would like to make a casting deck on a closed bow...

That is some amazing transformations. I have a few ideas which I want to do to mine now....thanks a million!