Re: Bayliner project updated.
Yes, I'm still planning on lowering the floor to bilge level. If I drop the floor to the bottom of the stringers, that will still leave a two to three inch deep bilge area (due to the V shapped keel) and give me an additional 5" headroom. The area between the seat bases, and the length of the seat bases, would be affected. Thats about a 23 x 30" area. The deck in front of and behind the seat bases would remain stock height. So once you enter the boat from the swim platform, it would be one 5" step down as you walk under the hard top roof. The extra headroom is not needed for my 5'8" height or my wife at 5' 1". But my brother will appreciate it, he's about 6'.
I'm also playing around with a new seat design. Remove the two back to back lounge seats and replace with a bench seat that will hold three on the port side, and two swivel captians chairs on the starboard side. That should maximize seating in the cockpit. I don't need lounge seats with the cabin, and having a small bench seat makes more sense for my use. Like I said, I'm still playing around with the design.
The cabin folding door will probably get tossed because its heavy and not very attractive. Will replace with a tinted plexy door. The cabin wall under the helm will probably be replaced with tinted plexy also. There will be a single center post for the cabin door to close against, a single diagonal brace on the starboard side, and one or two toe holds on the center post to make climbing up/out the opening port windshield easy.
I'm leaning towards making the starboard windshield non-opening. This is for a few reasons. 1) its easier to have a windshield wiper on a window that does not open. 2) A non-opening windshield will add more rigidity to the top. 3) the windshield windows are big - about 24"x30" and hardware to support and manage the opening windshield is expensive. 4) the side windows will slide open, so there is plenty of ventilation available.