Jon boat ribs

Hello,
Looking for some advise/help. I bought this 1988 Monark 1648 used a few weeks ago. The wiring and flooring was bad, had to replace. This boat also had interior side panels. After removing the side panels we noticed that the ribs are much shorter than the typical jon boat I see, also has only 4 rivets in the sides. We like the added floor space from removing the side panels but I noticed the side of the boat flexes more without the side panels. Question: Did I make the boat unsafe by removing the panels? ... Is there anything I can do to make the sides more rigid without putting back on the panels? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, Mark

My brother has that same boat. When he got it, he pulled it apart, but eventually put the panels and flooring back as they were, but with new wood and carpet. The boat looks great. The couple of inches of extra width probably aren't worth what you lose.

thill said:

My brother has that same boat. When he got it, he pulled it apart, but eventually put the panels and flooring back as they were, but with new wood and carpet. The boat looks great. The couple of inches of extra width probably aren't worth what you lose.

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TH, Yeah, we decided to put back in the side panels, felt too weak without them.