I 've decided to transform my 12 ft tub into a 12 ft deck with an outboard, after careful thought and seeing that we carry a lot of stuff we ran out of space so we can 't fish standing up on the boat except standing up on the boat seats, if you want to stand up you have to stand up BETWEEN the stuff.

The boat has 2 seats and a small deck, the idea is to use the seats and the small deck to support 4 sheets of plywood to create a continuos surface from the back of the back seat all the way to the front. My idea is to attach an 1 1/2 inch L shape aluminum strip to the seats and deck to support the plywood sheets, the measurements are:

1 100 cm x 110 ( almost square )

1 100 cm x 100 ( trapezoid because the boat narrows at the bow )

Why 4 sheets and not just 2 ? because I can join 2 sheets with hinges so each half flips, by being supported at the seats it creates a compartment between the floor of the boat and the added deck, we no longer have to stand up on the boat seat and we don 't have stand up bewtween the stuff.

The catch is, how thick you think those sheets have to be so they are strong enough to support my compadre ( 220 lbs ) without having to add more support ? I was thinking 1/2 an inch.

Raul,

I think the 1/2" would be ok with the seats as support but it sounds tippy to me. Don't neglect the added weight of the plywood which is going to raise the center of gravity as will the two of you standing up on the plywood.

I guess my gut feel is that it would not be a ride I looked forwar to.

Well it 's not a "ride" having to stand up between all the stuff for shure NBR, but I think it 's still better to have a big deck with only you and your rods than having all that stuff laying around, you have no idea how many times I 've hooked my sweater  :-/, or when grabbing a rod I found out that my compadre 's PFD is hanging from the tip of it. With the plywood sheets we can stand above the stuff.

When you look at it from an outside perspective, you purchase something with a purpose in mind, mine was to have a small boat with a small outboard where everything could be stripped to cartop it, but I never thought about the "extras" that 3 guys represent:

3 PFDS

1 cooler

1-2 tacklebags per head

3 Sweaters or

3 Raingear or

3 of each which make 9 pieces of clothing

2 oars

2 ropes

2 anchors

10-12 rods

Battery

Gas Tank

And after you load up all that stuff.......there 's no place for you   , which is ridiculuos  :

But jonboats don 't have storage places like bassboats, now all the space between the floor and the plywood becomes storage space, tippines may be an issue but I 'd rather be tippy on the almost square meter of plywoood than the tippy 300 square centimeters of the boat seat.

Careful man, I decked a light duty 12 once, raising the center of gravity.  Whether you were on the deck or in the seat, it was like skating on ball bearings, no fun.  Also, If you plan on using the storage as "DRY" storage, you will also need a floor.  More weight.

Did you say three guys ?

Pleasssse be careful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry  I just don't think that is enough boat to do what you want to do !

Just my humble opinion.

I was thinking the same thing, 3 guys!!

3 guys in my 15 foot v hull is crowded. and close to the max weight. That's why I don't fish 3 out of it.

you have to be over the weight limit for that 12 footer before you put any gear in it. And your talking about a lot of gear. the decks and floor are a good idea, but with all that wieght you'll be lucky if you can stay above water.

And with that much weight in the boat. That "dry" storage you want under the floor. Hit one boat wake and it will not be "dry" storage anymore

2 guys and one little guy ( my 10 year old nephew ), mathematically speaking it 's 3 guys.

Don 't have to worry about boat wake, usually there aren 't more than 2-3 tubs in the lake at any given time.

I 've done the math, with all the stuff we are still 100 pounds below the max weight carrying capacity of the boat, mexican made aluminum boats weight more ( thicker aluminum ), are wider, have more weight capacity ( larger flotation ) and have larger HP tolerance ( up to 50% more HPs ) than american jonboats.

To make a comparison: a 12 ft Alumar Raya ( my boat ) is equivalent in those capacities to a TRACKER Topper 1436 Riveted Jon.

I am not trying to get off-topic, and I could be completely wrong, but if it's three people on the deck itself, with the majority of their tackle and other stuff below them, wouldn't that somewhat equalize the center of gravity?  I'm probably completely wrong but just wondering.

I am not trying to get off-topic, and I could be completely wrong, but if it's three people on the deck itself, with the majority of their tackle and other stuff below them, wouldn't that somewhat equalize the center of gravity? I'm probably completely wrong but just wondering.

No, because all the gear was already on the floor and now you add the weight of the plywood and 3 people all raised up and the COG raises up with them.  

At least you are thinking though!