cuddy mods

[trafton421]

I have a 86 bayliner capri cuddy, boat in very good cond. i was wondering if it is possible to open up cuddy, and will it still be safe and sound.

 

[Mark42]

Re: cuddy mods

I think the answer depends on the design of the cuddy, now much you want to open it up, and what new support structure may be needed.

Got a pic of the boat and details on how you want to " open up" the cuddy?

I basically removed the cuddy door and fixed panel under the dash of my Capri, leaving just a 4 inch wide vertical support. It opens up the cuddy, and in my boat, it made no difference in strength or performance. Thats because the panel under the dash was not attached to the hull, only two screws at the bottom, and one or two at the top. It did act as a vertical support for the dash top, so that's why I left a narrow piece. It is now through bolted with locking nuts and washers. Very rigid.

Now if you want to cut away the top of the cuddy to make more of an open bow or a casting deck, that gets more extensive.

So lets see the pics!

 

[trafton421]

Re: cuddy mods

I was thinking of turning it into bow rider. I was going to leave 3 to 4 inches infront of the winshield, 4 inches from top and follow same angle to front.

 

[xeddog]

Re: cuddy mods

I always thought it would be kool to take my cuddy and make a convertible out of it. Bow rider in the summer and cuddy in the winter.

Wayne

 

[Mark42]

Re: cuddy mods

I was thinking of turning it into bow rider. I was going to leave 3 to 4 inches infront of the winshield, 4 inches from top and follow same angle to front.

I don't recall anyone on the forums making that particular modification that I could point you to. My initial thoughts are that:

1) It will take a lot of work to make it look finished and not just cut up.

2) Its a cuddy, so the front deck is rather high. Plan on raising the seating area so the passengers can see out? If the V birth area is raised for seating, then that could affect the boats handling by raising the center of gravity. Could make it handle differently when turning.

3) A bulkhead on each side of the pass through will need to be firmly attached to the outer hull and the deck to keep some rigidity that was lost by removing the top of the cuddy. Otherwise the whole front will flap around and the windshield will not close or line up correctly (assuming the cuddy has a crawl through windshield).

Might want to price out an open bow before modifying your cuddy.

 

[trafton421]

Re: cuddy mods

Thanks thats what i was thinking.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: cuddy mods

This is an interesting topic, I really like what Starcraft did back in the 70s with their 22' Capri cuddy model. The forward part of the bow was an open bow section with room for 2-3 folk to sit, and the actual cabin was in the middle like QC's boat.

This allows to have a small head/changing room without losing the passenger/fishing space up front.

 

[produceguy]

Re: cuddy mods

That would be cool on your cuddy. Hope you can pull it off. I would think support would be the hardest to acomplish,but man that would be sweet. Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[4Winns2]

Re: cuddy mods

I don't know how anyone could do such a conversion and have it look good afterwards. Sell the boat and go buy a bow rider.

 

[oops!]

Re: cuddy mods

I don't know how anyone could do such a conversion and have it look good afterwards. Sell the boat and go buy a bow rider.

its your boat....you can do anything you want to it.

however the above is true......you will de value your boat.
there are very few glass people that could pull it off well.
the cost to do it would be staggering (pro) (dyi- 1500)

but....if ya wanna drag it up here to kelowna......i have a little glass left over.

 

[trafton421]

Re: cuddy mods

This has been an idea i have had, only paid a grand for the boat 2nd owner i am, still tossing idea around will keep u all posted.

 

[Mark42]

Re: cuddy mods

This has been an idea i have had, only paid a grand for the boat 2nd owner i am, still tossing idea around will keep u all posted.

A good way to decide if you want to do the mod or not is to take a few photos of the boat. Do side, front, 3/4 view, etc. Then print them out on regular paper (use draft mode to save ink and make it easier to draw over), then draw the finished product on the photos. Can even cut away pieces of the boat with a razor blade and put a clean sheet under it and draw the changes, what ever works.

Another option is to made the changes to the photos on the PC using photoshop or MS paint, etc.

Its a good way to get an idea of how it will look and what other changes might be needed.

I changed a photo of my boat to see what the hard top would look like. It gave me the incentive to go ahead and take the next step of making a full scale cardboard mock up of the hard top.

Before - The original photo. I knew that I could stand under the navy top with one or two inches clearance above my head.

After using MS Paint - Using the navy top as a reference, the photo was painted over making the windshield more upright.

Believe me, I am no artist. MSPaint is sooooo simple it fit my needs. Pretty effective, no?

Its a great way to see your idea in virtual reality.

The end result is this real photo of the boat about 2 years later:

Because projects are always more expensive than you think, it is well worth the time that is spent in planning. Plan, plan, plan, research, research, research. Find all the materials you will need, keep a list (easier on the PC) of the parts, the cost, and where to get them.

I bet by the time you plan out the mods you want, and see the real cost when every little nut and bolt (in 318 stainless, of course) is added in, it will be cheaper to buy a bow rider. But if you really want to modify your boat, and not get half way through a project just to be frustrated and abandon it, start planning, planning, planning.....

Good luck.

 

[4Winns2]

Re: cuddy mods

Mark42:

I've seen your thread on your hardtop project: very nice job. And, I agree that one should research and plan to avoid the potential disappointment of getting halfway in and winding up with a depressing mess that leaves you scraping the project.

 

[trafton421]

Re: cuddy mods

Thanks for the comments fellas, as far as research goes that is why im on here because on everybodys knowledge. Thanks again

 

[Windykid]

Re: cuddy mods

Might want to check max persons tag also. Dont want to modify a boat if you cant reallly use it the way you want.

P.S. Doesnt anyone take naps on the water anymore???