Hopefully going to be getting my dads old 13ft V Hull i grew up on. I just came across a website that shows before and after pics of making a complete deck on a similar boat. curious what the pros and cons are. stability of boat, walking around, weight, rot, etc etc.

here is a general idea

from this

to this

here is a crappy pic i just found of my dads old boat. this was taken the day i got home from the Army

i like how equipment is all tucked away under the deck and the area is nice and clear to move around but want to make sure this will not impact anything else..

some may think this is a little bit of a dumb question but i have been out of the fishing loop for over 15 years and seeing a lot of cool ideas now.

That setup looks like a drowning waiting to happen.

That setup looks like a drowning waiting to happen.

i assume you mean it looks top heavy. i agree only because i have one, you might list as top heavy....

then maybe i will just do the front or something for a casting deck. we shall see.

then maybe i will just do the front or something for a casting deck. we shall see.

Just make sure you buy quality life jackets.

then maybe i will just do the front or something for a casting deck. we shall see.

If you are determined to do it, I'd suggest making your casting deck in the center of the boat. In the type of a boat you posted, there is very little buoyancy at the bow. I had to row a boat like that using a paddle, and standing in the bow, the stern was clear out of the water.

I had no choice but to do this since a couple had capsized a small boat and were thrashing in the water. Using my canoe would have been risky, and there was a twelve foot round bottom boat on the shore, so I used it.

Before you do anything permanent, put a piece of plywood across the seats, take it out in shallow water, and stand in differen places to see how it handles the weight in various places. Find the most stable spot possible, and put your casting deck in that area.

Bass boats are built with casting decks for two reasons. First, you can move around more easily, and second, for what is the most important factor, you can store plenty of gear out of harms way, while it is still readily accessible. I fish from my canoe, and my bass boat. There is a slight advantage casting from a bass boat vs. canoe or other small boat. The tradeoff between decreasing stability and a slight casting advantage is not a good bet.

thanks for the advice. i will take your suggestion and use some board and move it around. i hope to go pick it up next weekend.

When I first got my present boat (Lowe 180 W) I waited until a nice day in the middle of summer and practiced falling out of and getting back into my boat. Should you put any kind of a deck on that 13' V hull - you might want to schedule some of that kind of practice. You will need it. Any kind of deck will make that boat pretty tippy pretty quick.

That looks like the kind of boat that you always want to be sitting down in while you're fishing. You could rig it out with better seats, trolling motor and stuff like that, but don't go changing the center of gravity very much. Somewhere on that boat there is a plate that will mention the total weight capacity of that boat. I wouldn't exceed it,

That's just asking for it. Well, anyway, that's my 2 cents worth.

You would add a lot of weight. I think I'd leave well enough alone and look for a used boat in a year or two.

I built a deck on a 14ft aluminum boat, it was pretty wide and deep but the deck was essentially just set on top of the seats (it had cross braces though). Stability wasn't that big of a problem, I mean it wasn't a bass boat so it did rock but I never fell off. I would say try to keep the deck as low as possible and also try to put the most weight in the center of the boat. I had two batteries so it worked as a balancing point.

found out the size of the boat. 4ft wide by 12ft long. not sure of the depth. leaving Friday after work to head up 3 hours north to pick it up. also picking up a new to me trailer Thursday night. so Saturday i should be taking some pics of it after i clean it up a bit from sitting upside down for a few years.

here is my new idea of a deck, since my other ideas got shot down... is this still too much? i would put the same type of seat in the back as i see in the front..

found out the size of the boat. 4ft wide by 12ft long. not sure of the depth. leaving Friday after work to head up 3 hours north to pick it up. also picking up a new to me trailer Thursday night. so Saturday i should be taking some pics of it after i clean it up a bit from sitting upside down for a few years.

here is my new idea of a deck, since my other ideas got shot down... is this still too much? i would put the same type of seat in the back as i see in the front..

That set up would work.

Thanks Grey!

My new Alumacraft V-hull has a front deck just like that last photo. Works great.

I had a Sea-Nymph 14R that had a layout very similar to the last photo. The small deck on the front was hinged and added some storage space. I ended up taking the pedastal seat off in the front and just mounted the seat low. It was a little tipsy when standing on the deck but I never felt it was unsafe. I usaually fished from the rear anyway because I never could come up with a way to mount a bow mount troller that suited me.

here are some pics i snapped with my phone. i need to find out the model of this boat ASAP. not too sure the weight capacity or anything. only thing on here is a hull ID # 1501624016 which i know it will tell me everything. just not too sure where to use those numbers for the info. . .