What I am looking at

[lowe]

Sorry for the two posts basically about the same thing. I should have done this to begin with. Below is my best attempt at the layout of the boat now, and what I have to work with when adding more storage. Anyone with experience in doing this, feel free to chime in. The white area where I have not typed anything is the area I am going to be upgrading. I should also add the area were you see the opening and foam in the front is covered by a front deck and all the items in the back like the tanks, batteries and foam is also covered with a back deck. The area that is all white is a step down off the two decks. Thank you.

 

[SlimeTime]

What are the dimensions of the boat?

ST

 

[dedawg1149]

looks good as long as your boat is wide enough to be stable with the decks

 

[lowe]

Slimetime - the size of the boat is a 16ft lowe with a 6 ft beam.

dedawg1149 - the front and back decks are standard on the boat from the factory as is the console and seats. The boat has two lives wells under the seats. This boat is a Lowe Bass Catcher Pro 1983 model with a 60hp Johnson outboard that I saved from the grave a few months ago.

I am just wanting to add additional storage in the opening instead of having it just open and wasted.
I cut out a template today, but mother nature didn't work with me as it started raining and I also had to come to work.

I think I have the storage pretty much figured out now with how I am going to place the three extra storage compartments.

 

[SlimeTime]

So you're probably 48-50" at the floor? Is the area to the front & left of the console raised deck (or a deck you plan to raise)? I think I'd want it straight across the front of the console to give you more leg-room.

Are there seats on the front & rear decks?

ST

 

[lowe]

So you're probably 48-50" at the floor? Is the area to the front & left of the console raised deck (or a deck you plan to raise)? I think I'd want it straight across the front of the console to give you more leg-room.

Are there seats on the front & rear decks?

ST

The area in front and left of the console is not raised, and you are correct on me wanting to raise the deck height there to be level with the factory front deck. From the front deck to the floor, the drop is 11 1/2" to the floor of the boat. As for seating room, I am 6'4" and I laid the template down today and got in the passenger seat to check the leg room, which was plenty for me. I am only bringing the new decking half way back. For example, it will only come back towards the seats, half the length of the console. I know in the picture I made the mistake of showing it coming back even with the console, but it will not. Only half way.

It would be much easier to make it straight across in front of the console, but by coming back towards the seats halfway of the console depth, I will be able to add another substantial storage compartment from the way it looks.

And yes there is seats on both the front and back decks. That have aluminum plates bolted to the decks with holes that the seat stand sets down in. I can remove them when I need to by just pulling them out of the holes. The two 6 gallon tanks and two batteries set underneath the back deck with foam on each side. This is from the factory. As for the front deck, it has an open compartment in the middle of it, which I store life jackets in now with foam on each side. Again, a factory design. One thing I have been thinking about is installing new foam. The back deck can be taken off to access the foam. I am just wondering if today's foam is better advanced than the 1983 foam. Or is foam just that, foam?

As for the front foam, I would have to take a cutting tool and cut away the aluminum deck, which I really don't want to do to gain access to the foam up front.

Besides the 60hp Johnson that is on the boat, I also added a CMC PT-135 tilt and trim unit to the boat, which added about 45lbs to the rear of the boat and set the engine back six inches from factory mounts. With about 440 lbs of people in the boat, it seems to set pretty well in the water. I have never looked to see how the boat sets in the water with two people in it. However, I have seen it beached and it sits from what I can see, about the same way a beached Tracker Pro 165 sits.

 

[Quackrstackr]

I had that same exact boat once upon a time with a 40hp Mercury. It was a real slug with all of the weight of the plywood that is in those boats.

Pray that you never have to replace the decks that are in that boat. My dad and I replaced them and cursed that thing from beginning to end. Those decks basically form the shape of the boat at the beam. When you cut them loose, the whole hull will spring outward at the gunwales.

 

[SlimeTime]

Are you able to post pics of the boat by chance (or add a link if you already have)? Probably just looks more akward at the seating area (for legroom) because it's not to scale. I looks like it might be an easy place to step-into by accident....lol, but then again I'm not known for my grace.

What about the area under the 2 seats behind the console, are there plans for storage there?

ST

 

[lowe]

I had that same exact boat once upon a time with a 40hp Mercury. It was a real slug with all of the weight of the plywood that is in those boats.

Pray that you never have to replace the decks that are in that boat. My dad and I replaced them and cursed that thing from beginning to end. Those decks basically form the shape of the boat at the beam. When you cut them loose, the whole hull will spring outward at the gunwales.

Quackrstackr - Don't know about the boat you owned, but the only piece of wood on this boat is the back deck, which can be easily removed by taking out a handful of stainless steel bolts. The front deck is aluminum from the factory as is the rest of the boat. The transom was also wood, but I have changed it over to aluminum now. With the 60hp Johnson and two people, the boat will scoot across the water with no problem. I am guessing around 35-40 mph but not sure. There were two models of this boat. One was the Bass Catcher Pro, which is the one I own, and there was a Bass Catcher. Don't know anything about it though. The tag on the inside of the boat calls for a 60 hp engine as well.

SlimeTime - The area under the two seats are live wells. One under each seat. As for the opening in the back of the boat, it already contains the two six gallon fuel tanks along with the two batteries I run. I assume that is factory because there is a lip riveted into the bottom of the boat, which looks factory to hold the tanks in place, and also the two battery boxes are riveted in place.

The only storage in the boat from factory that I can tell was between the two foam compartments under the front deck. It will hold four life jackets fairly easy. Because of the factory foam on each side of the front and back fishing seats, I cannot make storage there. My only option is to make the storage in front of the console. The more I think about it, the more I may just bring the decking straight across in front of the console and not bend it around the console as first planned.

I see were you are coming from with the stepping down into such a small opening by someone not familiar with the boat.
If the rain holds out tomorrow, I will snap some pictures of the boat to give you a better understanding of what I am talking about.

 

[Quackrstackr]

Mine was Pro model as well but did have some wood in the front deck. The rear deck was attached with ss hardware to some aluminum brackets on the side and was also rated for a 60. When that rear deck is taken loose, the whole boat will spring apart. We had to use a set of heavy duty ratchet straps to pull it back together and bolt it back up.

The door for that front compartment will eat your arms up if you have to reach very far up into the bow. :lol:

 

[lowe]

Mine was Pro model as well but did have some wood in the front deck. The rear deck was attached with ss hardware to some aluminum brackets on the side and was also rated for a 60. When that rear deck is taken loose, the whole boat will spring apart. We had to use a set of heavy duty ratchet straps to pull it back together and bolt it back up.

The door for that front compartment will eat your arms up if you have to reach very far up into the bow. :lol:

I closed off the front compartment Quackrstackr. I know first hand about the front compartment eating your arms up. LOL. When I replaced the main front deck, which you are correct, is wood, I had to reach up in there and tighten it down along with tightening down the trolling motor mounts also. It was not a pleasant experience. The main fishing deck in the front of the boat I have is all aluminum. No wood that I can tell. As for the back deck, I have had it off and the boat did not move what so ever that I could tell.

I went ahead today while I had time and made the additonal decking. Now I have to cut the three door slots and carpet it. Didn't have time to take any photographs today.

 

[kemical]

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