Hatch storage question

[deerslayer]

I have a 1436 jon boat I just purchased for duck hunting and some creek fishing and crabbing. I do a lot of bass fishing but all the ponds here are getting over run and its just not as much fun so I am not building a deck boat. Basiclly I have a rear bench, a middle bench and a small deck maybe10 or 12 inches. I am awaiting some aluminum road signs from a friend of mine so I can do the floor, dont want to have to replace wood every couple years. Gonna put down closed cell foam between the ribs under the aluminum and then top it off with some hydroturf and repaint the whole boat flat olive or OD green. On to the question at hand, I have no storage space in the boat at all, what I would like to do is cut a hole in the middle bench, take out some of the foam and put a box or tray in with a lid. I want something that looks decent. I know some dont losing the floatation and I understand there reasoning but I need storage. I have no where to stor my life vest's, fire ext., flares ect and I hate having stuff lying around the boat. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could go about doing this? Possibly making a wood box and new lid from the signs or purchasing a hatch and tray from cabelas or tempress? Only thing that worries me about the cabelas/tempress hatches is they are plastic and I am worried about how they will hold up with someone sitting on them, but they say they are made to withstand high traffic areas so I dont know! If anyone can offer some suggestions or words of wisdom I would really appreciate it!

 

[SlimeTime]

If you're getting road signs, make the lids out of them as well. Or wood would also work, either one. If you're trying to stay "all aluminum", use the signs.

ST

 

[Sounds Good]

The foam inside the seats doesn't do you a bit of good for flotation unless your entire boat is full of water. Take out as much of it as you want, and just keep your boat right side up.

 

[Waterwings]

If you want, post some pics of your rig so the members can take a peek and offer suggestions

 

[bassboy1]

Why don't you build a box right behind the seat, that is the same height as the seat, and joins with the seat. If you carpet over both the new box, and the existing seat, it would just look as if you had a double thick bench, that has hatches on the back half. You could put a battery in the middle, and have a large hatch on either side. Lemme ask this though. Why do you want to build a hatch to store life jackets in? If mine isn't on me, it is on deck in easy reach. Not worth jeapardizing your safety to have life jackets out of the way. I can see storing anything else, but the PFD stays above.

 

[deerslayer]

I would rather not build anything additional in the boat, its a 1436 so its not huge and I need as much room as possible for crabbing and when we duck hunt. Thats kinda why I wanna use the bench as storage. As far as storing the life jackets, no I dont leave them out, dont usually wear one, kinda like a seat belt, I thinks its personal preference. If I cut out a hole in the center of the of the bench and use one of the aluminum signs to make a new top/door, do think it will still be sturdy enough for an adult to sit on? Figured I could put a thin piece of weather stripping around it to try and keep it mostly dry.

 

[SlimeTime]

I'd have to think the sign is heavier material than your boat is constructed from. If you have a way to form a 90* lip on the front & rear, it will add to it's rigidity. If your seats are curved, find a piece of pipe to use as a dolly, and hammer the sign over the pipe to match the radius of the seat. Same goes anytime you have a flat piece of material.....that's why angle iron is stiffer than a piece of flat stock the same gauge.

I wouldn't worry about sealing it.....life vests were made to get wet. If you have cell ph, camera, or other stuff, put them in a tupperware container.

ST

 

[RAPALA]

Use the alum. sign. to hinge go to a hardware store and get alum. or stainless steel panio hing.us alum. pop rivets to put it on with.You can take out as much foam as you want in the middle.fix it like you would a livewell box.Go to my post i have picture of the way it would look. Hope this helps

 

[deerslayer]

Well I am not much of a metal fabricator, what I have found today was a aluminum hatch, thats resessed with weather stripping, its a little expensive at $81.00 but it looks factory. What I have in mind now is to cut the hole for the hatch, remove the foam and use one of the signs, cut into strips, to put a floor in the botto of the bench, then install the hatch giving me one comlpete storage area. Thought I could put some type of mat, or the hydroturf in the bottom of the bench to keep things from rattling around. The one thing in the back of my mind is, how much flex does the foam in the bench take away? Having the foam in the seat, with the two small straps on the bottom to keep the foam off the floor, mite take away some sag if any when someone is sitting on it. I am not sure, but I think I may be willing to try it though! Just hate the thought of paying 80 bucks for the hatch when I only paid 100 for the boat

 

[SlimeTime]

I wouldn't spend $80 on a hatch, unless I had 1 fancy-arse boat. Measure the size your lid needs to be, take the sign to a metal shop (smaller one) or a heating & ac shop with a sheetmetal shop & ask them to shear & form it for you on their brake.....doubt they'd charge you much. I used to do stuff like that (5-10 minute job) for free for people.

If there's straps under the seat, then evidently your seat doesn't reach the floor, so the foam isn't providing support anyway, just flotation. Measure the opening at the bottom of the seat, cut a proper-sized piece of plywood, and place it underneath the seat, then fit it up into the opening at the bottom of the seat, screw it in from the sides, and you have a bottom in the compartment.

ST