TOPIC: Weighty Issue! How much would this "Cap" weigh?

Hello Everyone,

It has been 8 mths since I last joined the forum....Work has kept me going!

Now I have a question for you......I want to remove the "CAP" (Deck) from this project and use the hull more as a dinghy!

I have already done the Transom and new floor, and have made a simple Centre Console for her......But I was wondering how much weight I can save?

The Deck is fully moulded with almost a Car Dashboard which has been solidly reinforced. Just the Glass alone is over a 1/4" thick and in some places over 5/16th.....The deck is bulky and I am sure it is top heavy!

What is your advice please? I do just want a simple dinghy, and use a small power plant, not a big one!
Photo attached.

You will certainly loose a lot of weight removing that cap, however, you will also loose structural integrity. The sides of the boat will no longer be held apart by the cap, you will have to add lateral structure, for example gussets at the seats to support the sides. Plus you will have to make the remaining top edge rigid. You could attach furring strips along the entire gunnel to reinforce it.

Many have wanted to do this, some have just taken the gunwale dimension and carried it up to the bow. Leave a small area at the bow to mount a nav light, a cleat and maybe a trolling motor mount or anchor bracket. Remove every thing else forward of the dash...

Then fab the down turned inside edge to your new gunwale.

This is my favorite conversion, what is often called a bow-ectomy.



He didn't go CenterConsole, but you can see he cut the bow foredeck out ^^^

IMO, unless you ONLY fish solo, or will only fish solo out of this boat, a small 15ft+/- boat, not designed as a center console, might feel crowded quick.

Might consider a single side console, which puts all the open deck (floor) space on 1 side of a console, and the console could be pushed up tight to the gunwale.

As shown in Sleeper6s build:


See how the starboard side of the helm console is tapered to the side of the hull as it comes down to the deck. Helm is 'full' size at the dash, but narrower at the base to conserve deck space. See how little deck is left to the port side of it. On a CenterConsole, that area would be 1/2 as wide, since it'll be split on each side of the console.

My $0.02

Nice looking boat though, an MFG?

you might save a lot of time, money, and headaches if you could just trade it for something that you really want.

Sell the boat and buy a dinghy. You'll have a safe, purpose-built vessel.

RWJData56,

I believe that Refishpirates & Nautilus are 100% correct. = What you want to do is likely to end up being either VERY costly, marginal in usefulness for your intended purpose or possibly both.

just my OPINION, satx

Thanks for your input. I understand there is some work to be done, but I am up for the challenge. There is plenty of good work been done on the forums to guide me thru the work. I have built before.
Thanks again

I like your ideas, My hull has four Foam Filled Stringers and is in great nick, so I will go ahead. My Cap (Deck)comes up rather high and makes it difficult to work with, so I'd just rip the cap off and make a simple looking gunwale like sleeper6's. I don't need to get elaborate inside thou. Reason is I also have a 4.8m Glass hull to do and I am using the first as a quick fix, get my eye in reno, so I can do the second one properly for my retirement in 5yrs time.

I will send some photos shortly of the work done todate.

Cheers

This sounds too easy.....I respect the safe, purpose built bit.....I am very mindful of it having spent lots of time on the water. I would not renovate and take short cuts, then sell it to some unsuspecting. I do plenty of research, and love this particular hull, it was very strong and is still in sound condition. I am getting it ready for now, so I can then start my Retirement fund boat, which will take a few years, at my pace.

Cheers

It will be useful for me for quite a few years, hence I want the challenge to remove the cap, and work on it. I am also using some newer technologies using Sika Flex adhesives and Vacuum Bagging with Epoxy. I need to play with these and get used to them for my next project 4.8m Boat. I work in the construction industry, and have good sources for these products, so the costs are not extreme. So far, I have spent A$350 on stuff to do the floor and Transom. I enjoy the challenges and it gives me a creative pastime, while my kids just like to watch TV & play with their Ipods.

Cheers for now!