I'm in the market for a pre-owned boat and in the process of looking around, I'm wondering if I could save money by adding my own decks to one. I've looked at all the threads where folks have done it, but I would need a step-by-step tutorial.
Some questions...
1) How much weight (on average) would a front and rear deck add in a 14'-16' V bottomed boat? It would get most use on 10HP and EMO limit lakes. Would a trolling motor push this boat? I also have tow limits with my daily vehicle, but do have a F150 to use if I need to.
2) How do I know the boat I buy would be stable enough to stand on after adding decks? Should I look for a certain depth or width?
3) If I buy a bare bones boat, by the time I add decks, carpet, wiring, seats and seat hardware, fish finder, storage areas, motor, etc., will I really save much by doing this myself?
Thanks for any help!
Michelle