woodbutcher
New member
Is there anyone who has installed a bracket on a center console?
I would like the added room but am worried about the weight.
I would like the added room but am worried about the weight.
bracket?
- Thread starter woodbutcher
- Start date
Bygracealone
God
I think some guys who have done it have mentioned a tendency for the boat to porpoise. However, trim tabs could probably alleviate that...
Do you currently have an I/O setup? If not, I'm not sure going with a bracket is going to give you much more space. If you really need more room, you might want to go with a bigger boat.
Just my two cents...
Do you currently have an I/O setup? If not, I'm not sure going with a bracket is going to give you much more space. If you really need more room, you might want to go with a bigger boat.
Just my two cents...
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RidgeRunner
God
Go for it. It is only $$$$
This reply is long. For that I am famous/sorry. I have a 1983 v20 cc. I had the cap off to repair the rotten wood in the floor. I got a little crazy with different ideas on how to improve the function of the boat. I ended up with a full transom with a Stainless Marine bracket with 30" setback. I had never done any glass work in my life. Luckily, I am not prone to itch. The project ran for 10 years off and on. The recently finished project hit the water a few months ago. The boat is absolutely AWESOME! I powered the boat with a 200Merc and it performs nice. It run out at 47.9 WOT full of fuel and water. I installed trim tabs but that was a waste of money and time. It doesn't need them.
In my case, I gained at least 6 square feet of useable floor space in the stern, as the splashwell used to come fore all the way to the lid in the floor over the livewell and there were two storage compartments. I cut the liner just behind the floor hatch then I made a mold that facilitated the glasswork required to make the cap match the hull and extended the floor back about 13" behind the floor hatch.
There are several problems with throwing a bracket on the back of a boat. Weight and strength. With the cap off you can easily solve the strength issue by glassing in knee braces to strengthen the transom.(adding more weight) So the weight problem needs to be adressed by shifting weight forward to compensate or else you may end up with too much weight in the stern. (I know I will catch flak on this one) This boat is not a self bailer anymore. I filled all of the holes in the transom and started from scratch. Not knowing how low she would sit in the water with all of the modifications, this was the prudent thing to do. Double bilge pumps and automatic switches like a bass boat.
To move weight forward: I added a fresh water washdown system. The 13 gallon holding tank is installed under the floor just aft of the forewardmost bulkhead. The console has been Xtremely altered. It is about as tall as the one on my buddys 30' Contender, rod holders and front seat cut off and a box built into the top for flush mount electronics. It is heavy and it has been moved forward by several inches. Fuel tank is foreward by a couple inches, batteries are where I can get to them under the console, cooler sits in front of the console 30 gallon livewell/leaning post you get the picture. Lots of work.
I really should have weighed the boat before and after. It had lots of gelcoat cracking where the sister stringers mate to the sides of the boat and rotten wood everywhere. All rotten wood was replaced with Coosa composite which is lighter than wood and strong. Same with the hatches. I know it has much more glass now than what the factory was putting in them and I don't have any flex under my feet.
I cannot express how happy I am with this boat. It really works. I am a Junior Member here and I will try to post up some pictures. Van Wagoner Boats in Clearwater, FL. was my consultant. When I finished with the structural they made everything straight and painted the hull with Awlgrip and it is on their website. http://vanwagonerboats.com
My .02 and then some.
Victor
This reply is long. For that I am famous/sorry. I have a 1983 v20 cc. I had the cap off to repair the rotten wood in the floor. I got a little crazy with different ideas on how to improve the function of the boat. I ended up with a full transom with a Stainless Marine bracket with 30" setback. I had never done any glass work in my life. Luckily, I am not prone to itch. The project ran for 10 years off and on. The recently finished project hit the water a few months ago. The boat is absolutely AWESOME! I powered the boat with a 200Merc and it performs nice. It run out at 47.9 WOT full of fuel and water. I installed trim tabs but that was a waste of money and time. It doesn't need them.
In my case, I gained at least 6 square feet of useable floor space in the stern, as the splashwell used to come fore all the way to the lid in the floor over the livewell and there were two storage compartments. I cut the liner just behind the floor hatch then I made a mold that facilitated the glasswork required to make the cap match the hull and extended the floor back about 13" behind the floor hatch.
There are several problems with throwing a bracket on the back of a boat. Weight and strength. With the cap off you can easily solve the strength issue by glassing in knee braces to strengthen the transom.(adding more weight) So the weight problem needs to be adressed by shifting weight forward to compensate or else you may end up with too much weight in the stern. (I know I will catch flak on this one) This boat is not a self bailer anymore. I filled all of the holes in the transom and started from scratch. Not knowing how low she would sit in the water with all of the modifications, this was the prudent thing to do. Double bilge pumps and automatic switches like a bass boat.
To move weight forward: I added a fresh water washdown system. The 13 gallon holding tank is installed under the floor just aft of the forewardmost bulkhead. The console has been Xtremely altered. It is about as tall as the one on my buddys 30' Contender, rod holders and front seat cut off and a box built into the top for flush mount electronics. It is heavy and it has been moved forward by several inches. Fuel tank is foreward by a couple inches, batteries are where I can get to them under the console, cooler sits in front of the console 30 gallon livewell/leaning post you get the picture. Lots of work.
I really should have weighed the boat before and after. It had lots of gelcoat cracking where the sister stringers mate to the sides of the boat and rotten wood everywhere. All rotten wood was replaced with Coosa composite which is lighter than wood and strong. Same with the hatches. I know it has much more glass now than what the factory was putting in them and I don't have any flex under my feet.
I cannot express how happy I am with this boat. It really works. I am a Junior Member here and I will try to post up some pictures. Van Wagoner Boats in Clearwater, FL. was my consultant. When I finished with the structural they made everything straight and painted the hull with Awlgrip and it is on their website. http://vanwagonerboats.com
My .02 and then some.
Victor
bkurtz5001
Member
My boat is a centerconsole and came with a SEADRIVE. It was replaced with a bracket and i am in the middle of redoing everything. It came with knee braces from the factory to support the heavy seadrive. Check out my thread in the "repair" section.
lumberslinger178
God
heres some pics I had this is a member of the site ....
I think this was a great job.....
I think this was a great job.....
RidgeRunner
God
Great job indeed. Looks like the transom was flattened out which helps if your bracket has the built in swim platform. The built in swim platform distributes the load across the transom better than a bracket alone. I like the lines on the early models much better than my 83. It is probably lighter than my 83 model as mine sits lower in the water. I don't know about them scuppers. 
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