Battery Compartment Inside Bow Bench

[Tin Man]

Considering battery placement for a bow mount TM (one 12V group 27 DC). I can place battery just behind the bow bench on front deck and would be the easiest way to carry the battery.

I am considering a cleaner, out of the way, place to store the battery. I was thinking directly under the bow bench but there is not enough room as the bow angle rises steeply and does not allow for a battery to sit directly under bench.

I was thinking about cutting a rectangular hole out of the bench seat and building a tray that drops into the hole and stops at a predesignated depth. This depth would be approx. 5"-6" (blue tape on battery box). The tray would be alum angle on top where tray would stop, and the tray where battery sits could be 1.5" aluminum flat bar or panels made the full length and width. All alum pieces would be riveted together using 3/16" blind rivets.

The battery box and battery would be housed in tray and lowered into hole. Weight is down lower than if mounted on top of bench, but not as low as if mounted directly under the bench at deck level. TM deck will be built to mount on gunnels above battery.

Thoughts?

 

[LDUBS]

Here is some head scratching blue sky stuff -- same idea but instead of cutting a rectangular hole in the bench top, how about cutting more of a notch so the batter would slide in instead of drop in. Same depth as your planning. Front of battery box would be flush with front of bench. Use a strap to secure it. Not sure if it has many benefits, Just an option to think about.

 

[airshot]

I would add it to the back side of the bow seat then make a small deck across the whole thing. Better wider place to stand when needed. Cutting thru that seat might reduce support in that area. Unless you boat in smooth water, add a piece of closed cell foam under that battery to act as a shock absorber, batteries dont like harsh pounding if you boat in any chop. I have used some 1 1/2" thick foam and it worked well. What ever you choose let us see the finnished product !!

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Support from the seats isint as big a deal as most people think it is.

I completely removed all three seats from my 14’ mirrocraft and used it like that while building it back up over two years, never even looked like it was flexing.

I wouldn’t take it through haulover on a rough day, but I wouldn’t take any 14’ boat through there.

 

[thill]

Personally, I would just put it on the floor right behind that front bench.

Actually, I would build a deck extension over that front bench and the battery, carr it all the way to the bow. Carpet the whole thing and it would make a clean little step/casting platform.



I would hesitate to cut big holes in my boat.

 

[Macintosh]

Is there a reason you want the battery that far forward?
Not sure what boat, but my 2 cents from playing in small boats is that with you and a battery all the way forward, plus a big trolling motor , it's not unlikely you wind up with too much weight forward if you are alone in a smaller 14-16' boat--especially if you eventually add a second battery. I was never able to get a full day of fishing on a single grp 29 battery if there was any real wind, and I quickly added a second battery. If all that weight up front while you are fishing up there causes your stern to come out of the water at all, it'll make using that trolling motor a royal PITA. For decent handling you need the stern to act as a rudder even with you all the way up front, and enough weight in the stern to balance the weight in the bow for less "sail" effect--essentially the boat needs to displace so that when you are fishing in a wind, either it blows the bow downwind of the stern, or it is even and blows you horizontally without swinging at all. If weight in the bow pushes the stern out of the water enough that it gets blown downwind of the bow, your steering will be exponentially harder and with less control, which is the whole reason to have a bow trolling motor in the first place. For this reason I would personally put the battery tray just in front of the middle seat, (under the deck if you add one, which was not clear to me), or if you mod a seat I would do it in the middle seat, not the bow.
Also, it wasn't clear if you were talking about adding a full casting deck, or using the existing floor-height deck and just a small platform for a bow TM? If you are going to add a casting deck set it directly on the seats so you aren't top-heavy the way a lot of boats with add-on decks are. You'll still only have 8"-ish gunwales above this it looks like, even flipping you should be able to clear that when fishing, and it'll make it easier to reach the water to get ahold of a fish, and keep your weight lower so the boat is more stable. If you want you can incorporate a small step or "wall" into the deck just at the bow, into which you can build the plug for the trolling motor, a small storage cubby, small platform for sonar, electrical panel, cupholder, etc. If you do put battery all the way forward just remember to leave room on the deck for the foot pedal in front of where you'll usually stand to fish--depending on type of trolling motor you'll need room for the steering cable to clear in front of the pedal, so the battery may not work well there.

 

[Tin Man]

A couple of notes...

1. Tiller steered.... so me (260#), fuel, starting battery, and OB are all near/at stern.
2. Small TM deck is what I am currently contemplating.
3. I removed 100# of weight that was in two 50# bags at forward-most bow area under small forward bench. This weight was used to help get boat on plane much quicker. Works very well.
4. TM and one 12V battery will restore this weight and then some.

A casting deck, as you mentioned (on top of both middle and small forward benches) is also a thought. Just not sure how stable the side to side rocking would be. I agree...if I did install this deck, then maybe the battery should be in front of middle bench rather that behind small forward bench.

 

[Macintosh]

Not sure if you have the TM yet, but even a 12v is usually 40lb or more, so that'll help right there. Bet the battery up there in front of middle seat will do what you need, but try fishing up front alone on a breezy day before you cut anything, so you can see where it needs to be to avoid having the stern get blown around you--trust me, you want to avoid that at all costs. I'd put that battery as far rearward as I could while maintaining acceptable balance for using the big motor. Do you have power trim? If so that will also help a ton with getting on plane faster with more weight in the stern if you find it's a hard balance.
re: deck, if its the boat in your signature, I have the exact same boat only 25 years older than yours. I'm 200 lb, 6'3", I stand and fish from the top of the middle seat plenty. I'm generally in my bigger boat on rougher lakes, but I find it plenty stable on smaller water--my other boat is a bigger bass boat so I'm kind of spoiled when it comes to a stable fishing platform, I was pretty surprised how stable it was standing on the seat. Bigger guy and a higher deck, that's where you might start feeling like it was kinda tippy.

 

[thill]

Here is what a casting deck from the front bench to the bow looks like in my boat. It's very useful.

 

[airshot]

A couple of notes...

1. Tiller steered.... so me (260#), fuel, starting battery, and OB are all near/at stern.
2. Small TM deck is what I am currently contemplating.
3. I removed 100# of weight that was in two 50# bags at forward-most bow area under small forward bench. This weight was used to help get boat on plane much quicker. Works very well.
4. TM and one 12V battery will restore this weight and then some.

A casting deck, as you mentioned (on top of both middle and small forward benches) is also a thought. Just not sure how stable the side to side rocking would be. I agree...if I did install this deck, then maybe the battery should be in front of middle bench rather that behind small forward bench.

Sounds like your thinking this thru, put it in the water and start moving things around for testing. They dont have to be in the "exact" position for you to know whether it is good or bad. Whether batteries or sand bags just keep the weight near to actual, stand on the seats and see where the balance is. Even a couple 2x4's laid across the seats will allow you to move around for testing. Let us know what works !!

 

[Tin Man]

Sounds like your thinking this thru, put it in the water and start moving things around for testing. They dont have to be in the "exact" position for you to know whether it is good or bad. Whether batteries or sand bags just keep the weight near to actual, stand on the seats and see where the balance is. Even a couple 2x4's laid across the seats will allow you to move around for testing. Let us know what works !!

Now that I ordered a new boat, the Alumacraft V16 will be sold. No additional projects planned.

 

[airshot]

Now that I ordered a new boat, the Alumacraft V16 will be sold. No additional projects planned.

Bummer...was looking forward to it!! So what is the new toy?? Need pics!!

 

[Tin Man]

'23 Tracker Pro Guide V16SC with Merc 60hp.....pics to come when I get her!