Re: Help reconfiguring a bowrider to a fishing machine.
To add , weight can be an issue. Click my link and see what I did. I initially just wanted a center console, then later added a casting deck that just bolted onto the bowrider seats. It worked, but as I kept adding stuff, I kept adding weight. It got bloated and heavy, and I lost speed and economy. I used it for three seasons until I decided I needed to do something. I removed and eliminated the upper deck altogether, along with the center console. Once again I was back down to the bare shell with floor and thats it. I decided to do something a bit more bassy so I created a 7 foot long casting deck. I built the new casting deck out of 1/2 inch ply and used 5/8th ply as support members, utilizing a grid network. I used 5/8th wood as the gunnels all the way around. I ended up shaving enough weight where I gained almost ten mph and was able to go from a 17 pitch prop to a 19 inch prop. Within the last month I worked it again installing the original windshields (because 40 mph in 29 degree weather sucks) and power trim.
My best advice is to decide for sure what the boat will be used for and design in some accommodation for other things besides fishing. My boat sees 90 percent fishing duty, with ten percent quality time with the wife. That is why when I did the second changover this year I built the casting deck to 7 feet. It allows two people to lay out comfortably, in addition to allowing aircraft carrier sized casting action. That one consideration made the boat much more useful.
I didn't spend hardly any money on my second changeover because I had the materials on hand, but I did spend a good amount of time. Don't be afraid to design and be creative, and since it will all be apart, build for convenience, safety and light weight. Weight is the enemy, that was my first mistake on my initial build. Do lots of research, maybe go to a boat show and see what sort of things are out there that you might want to incorporate. Good luck...
