New with an upcoming project.......12' V Sun Ray Conversion

[Pan Fisherman]

Hey all,

I was asking a question on another forum about modifying my new (used) boat and I was directed to this forum. I have been looking at some of the conversions and you guys do some fantastic work!

The subject for the conversion is pictured below......

I would like to deck it and put the deck in the front and storage under the front deck, in the back, and along the sides, and a mounted cooler and live well. It reminds me of a line in the Movie Jaws....."I think I'm going to need a Bigger Boat" :lol: :lol: :lol:

Great Forum!

John

 

[Johny25]

Welcome to the forum You have big plans for a small boat. You can probably accomplish all the things you have stated but your boat will be loaded down for sure. You may even have trouble getting your boat to plane if you get too carried away with mods. Also keep an eye on your weight limit... with 2 adults and heavy mods you can quickly exceed the maximum weight of a 12' tin.

 

[rickybobbybend]

Hi, John, and welcome aboard. This site is a great resource for gaining and sharing ideas. I have found that mod-ing a 12 footer is best done with caution and planing since it is a rather small hull and prone to being tippy. And the compromise between room for storage and room to move around is particularly severe. First off, be sure to use the boat to determine how you want the layout. If you want decking, you might stand on a seat while the boat is in the water and see how stable the hull is before you tart cutting and drilling. And, as always, the more weight is aded the greater the performance hit. Anyway have fun, ask questions and be sure to post pictures as you move ahead.

 

[Brandon]

Hi, John, and welcome aboard. This site is a great resource for gaining and sharing ideas. I have found that mod-ing a 12 footer is best done with caution and planing since it is a rather small hull and prone to being tippy. And the compromise between room for storage and room to move around is particularly severe. First off, be sure to use the boat to determine how you want the layout. If you want decking, you might stand on a seat while the boat is in the water and see how stable the hull is before you tart cutting and drilling. And, as always, the more weight is aded the greater the performance hit. Anyway have fun, ask questions and be sure to post pictures as you move ahead.

I love this site! Posts like yours really help us newbies. :mrgreen:

 

[rickybobbybend]

Hey Brandon, we 12-footers gotta' stick together! VBG

 

[CodyPomeroy]

Hey Brandon, we 12-footers gotta' stick together! VBG

+1.
I would keep it simple. You don't have to do a full mod to make your boat more user friendly.

 

[BrazosDon]

Yes you do need a bigger boat. 10' and 12'ters are to be used as they are. Added weight and building up a deck is very crucial on small boats. It is best to keep it simple(maybe no mod at all) and be safe especially with a V-bottom. I bought my boat for duck hunting and I wanted a wide and deep 14'ter flat bottom boat.(14'X48''X2') Now I am into anything from duck hunting, to fishing, to bow fishing. So I make everything where I can change it up, different mods(duck blind, bass fishing seating, or open deck, or back to original layout. with few holes drilled) for the same boat. Have fun but be safe!

BrazosDon

 

[Pan Fisherman]

WOW......... :shock: :shock: You guys just took the wind right out of my sails =D> =D> =D>

That is why I asked. Thanks for the honest replies, I truly appreciate it.

John

 

[wihil]

I put a half deck in the front of my 12'er - it's only about half way up the bench seat to just in front of the bow's peak - a little less than 3.5'x4' or so. Honestly it REALLY opened up the front of the boat for comfortable fishing. Two guys can easily fish without any issues, one off the front and one off the rear.

Even with careful planning and minimal structure, the weigh did cause a performance hit. Especially with two guys in it. Might be fine for a river, but anything with large open water and wind really sucked.

Sucked so much I'm contemplating removing the deck and going more minimal yet (which is easy enough to do, I made the deck removable in the first place and takes about 5 seconds to remove once the front seat's popped out). But now with a lead on a 16'er, the 12 may be finding a new home shortly so it's on the back burner until I figure out what's going on.

 

[Brandon]

Hey Brandon, we 12-footers gotta' stick together! VBG

+1.
I would keep it simple. You don't have to do a full mod to make your boat more user friendly.

Got that right rickybobbybend!

Cody, can you help us 12 footers out on what we should and shouldn't do to make our boats more user/fishing friendly? Purty please!? :LOL2:

 

[rickybobbybend]

Brandon, let me butt in and share a few thoughts and prejudices. First, know your boat, including weight and HP rating, and comply with both. Make sure it is sound (no leaks, strong transom, etc.). Use the boat before starting any mods so you know how you will use it, what you like and dislike, and how you will set it up for use (e.g. do you need an OB or a TM, or both?).

Remember that weight is your enemy (especially in smaller hulls) and flotation is your friend. And the weight you add must be properly distributed for optimum performance.

Understand that you might not be able to do everything you initially might want to do; at least I couldn't. My biggest frustration with my 12 footer was the lack of storage space and the resulting clutter that was always there to trip, snag a net or grab my fly line. So my objective was to reduce this "clutter factor". You can check out how I went about this in the link below. I just finished the "last" part of my mods this afternoon and wound up adding a total of 32 pounds to the boat. I will be going for a test run tomorrow and will update the project notes after that. But you may well have different priorities and preferences (What do you have when you get 10 tin-boaters in the same room? 20 different opinions.). Use the search function on this site and do not hesitate to ask questions

Finally this is your boat and it must meet your needs and budget. But be forewarned, tins are addictive. Have fun and post pics as you move ahead.