First round of questions

I have a 15.5 ft Lowes Jon boat that is 69" at the beam that I want to put a fishing deck on. I must this is the place for information. I am little overwhelmed with all the ideas. The boat has a very small deck at the front and two benches. This boat will be used primarily for bass fishing on our local lake which is a no-wake lake. I have a 9.9 Niassan tiller steer on it, but mostly have been using a transom mount trolling motor to get around. I have a bow mount foot controlled MotorGuide 44 to put on the front.

Thinking running the deck back to 92" (even with the rear of the first bench) or maybe 112" which is the next set of ribs back. I would want to maximize storage space.

1. What are the advantages of a single level deck versus a multilevel deck?

2. Wood versus aluminum frame? I have most wood tools and can cut and rivet but I can't weld aluminum.

3. Planning on using marine plywood for the deck. 3/4" is about I can find around here. Do you still put a sealer on top of marine plywood or use it as is.

I'll just start here. Many more to come.

Well first off congrats on jumping into the boat restoration life. Personally I am rebuilding an old bass tracker right now. With your situation, I would go all wood. You will spend all your time on the troller so speed is not an issue for you and is a hell of a lot easier to work with than aluminum. My boat will run a 50hp and I am still running wood for my decks. 3/4 in should be fine for your decks. Coat everything in sealant. It will prevent water absorbtion and deterioration. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

I was wondering the same thing, how much weight difference is there using wood vs aluminum?

I wouldn't rule out aluminum for framing. You can shop around and usually get a pretty good deal. Don't be intimidated, if you can run a jigsaw, drill and rivit, you can work with aluminum. I also find it's easier to attach to the hull than wood. I would use wood for decks though, you don't have to get marine grade, exterior grade coated with spar urethane or painted works just fine. For thickness, that depends on how you space your framing. For the lower deck (the one that attaches to the ribs, you can use 1/4" over blue board to help save on weight. Sinlge vs multi level deck is up to you and how comfortable you are up higher in the boat, layout may be simpler on single level.

After reading more I am leaning towards an aluminum frame under the deck. Now I am trying to decide welded verus riveted. I am thinking one or two rivets to build the mock up and then pay for a hour of welding to make it a solid piece. Of course it would have to be riveted to the ribs. What do you think? Tim

I bought enough aluminum at my local scrap yard last weekend for $26 to complete my deck frame. Check to see if you have one. Mine sells aluminum for a buck a pound. Pretty good deal.

Yep, a metal wholesaler is SO much cheaper than the big box stores.

And, an old ladder or two will yield a lot of buildable aluminum framing.

Good advice above about not bothering to use marine grade plywood. That stuff is expensive and it is that way because the plies do not have any voids. But, it is, IMHO, over-kill for a boat deck. If you were building a sailboat to cross the seas, then the use of marine grade plywood would be a good thing.

regards, richg99