Support for engine deck

[mitchell2345]

Hello,

Not sure if I am posting in the right forum or not but I am looking for ideas to strengthen the deck over my engine compartment. The boat is a 95 Dynasty. I have noticed the engine covers flex considerably when walking over them. I have two issues that I see.

1. The worst is the ledge that the cover sit on is actually warped/borken so its pointing more downwards instead of straight out. Here is a pic:

I am trying to come up with some way to reduce or remove the load from seat rest. I am not coming up with anything good because the seat actually overhangs the engine. My only idea is to try and fabricate something that connects on to this piece of wood that holds the back of the seat rest up and supports it off the seat mounts.

What material would you use?

2. The second problem is the plywood/structure in the seat covers. It seems like 1/2 plywood with 1x1" runners along each side for support. Some of the runners are partially loose so the plywood flex's. Since I cant really fasten anything to the plywood because it will just pull through. I am thinking once i get #1 fixed i can glue/screw some new plywood on the bottom. as long as im supported on front and rear the new plywood should support it while the screws area really only for lifting the seat up. Thoughts?

Let me know if this doesnt make sense...its hard to explain.

Thanks,
Mitchell

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Support for engine deck

Back off with the camera just a bit so we can get a better perspective.

 

[mitchell2345]

Re: Support for engine deck

Back off with the camera just a bit so we can get a better perspective.

Maybe this will help...


In this pic you can see my quick attempt this spring. The 2x3's help but dont fix it....

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: Support for engine deck

What about something like this:

It provides both lateral and vertical support...

You could use either aluminum angle or wood coated in epoxy, or even coated in fiberglass and painted to match... Since its in the engine compartment and fairly protected from the elements (and hidden from the eye 90% of the time), you could probably get by with what I like to call the "Barbara Streisand" approach (i.e. not pretty, but effective)...

Hope this helps...

 

[mitchell2345]

Re: Support for engine deck

Yea that would def help. How would you attach it to the decking? I would want it somewhat removable for engine service. I would pry opt for wood as I dont have many metal capable tools.

Also, i started tearing into it and was able to remove the "ledge"


If I combined your idea with brackets such as this:

The red box is the bracket i could make and the black arrow is how its attached today...just 5 bolts with washers attaching above on the backrest. It looks like the PO did some "Barbara Streisand" on it by screwing more up into the backrest. But thats not cutting it.

This could give me more support over the engine part in the split of the covers.

I also found out why the outside corners are so bad...the vertical part of the plywood looks like its just glued to the hoizental point and this seem has separated. I think if I cut out 4 big braces & your idea it should fix it.

Mitchell