Cutting through through front deck

I have a G3 1860 center console, great all around boat for what I do (hunting, freshwater, saltwater fishing). But, it has absolutely no storage. I'm thinking of cutting a couple storage areas out on the front deck and putting some heavy duty hatches on it. The thing I'm worried about is cutting through some sort of bracing under the deck. There's no way to see what's under the deck, but I have a feeling it has some angle aluminum frame running under it because the floor is that way.

Anyone have any ideas of how I can figure out if there is any bracing. Or does anyone know if there is any bracing on these boats? G3 wouldn't tell me.

thanks

IF you can open any hatch at all....like maybe the anchor hatch...you can stick a bright flashlight and a big mirror down the hole. By shining the flashlight in the right direction, you can see a lot.

If not, you may be able to "tap" your way to find the supports. If you find a potential hollow sounding area...then you can use the "cut and creep " method to open the hole carefully.

Cut & creep....You find a hollow sounding spot; drill a hole big enough to get your finger in...stick the finger in and go all the way around the hole, extending the finger as far as it will go. If you don't feel anything...you make the hole a bit bigger ( or drill another one very close by) and "creep" your way around until you have something big enough to put a light and a mirror in. Hope this helps. Rich

IF it were me, and i decided that i wanted hatches there and it would make things alot more useful for me then i would just figure out what i want to do and start hacking away with the realization that i'm going to have to possibly build a little framing/reinforcement anyways... but that's just me.

Just guessing that your rig has aluminum decks, there should be some rivet heads showing on the deck to tell where any braces are below. If it's a wooden deck, then screw heads should be visible. Just guessing though.

Last G3 I worked on (customer's 1652, either 2010 or 2011 model) had an all aluminum front deck (no plywood underneath, like some have), with the structure welded underneath. Best I could tell (as it was kicked around as to whether or not we cut into that for the rod locker) is there were lengthwise bulkheads, with an inch or so flange, top and bottom. The flange was welded to the underside of the deck, and the backside of the wall at the back of the deck. By standing at a certain angle, I could tell where the welds were (~3" stitch welds), as the distortion could be seen. These were spaced about 8 or so inches apart on each side of the boat (center had a lengthwise storage cubby, so the middle had a different method, altogether). Don't know if yours is built the same way, but they very well could be.

I doubt you'll see a frame of extrusions, as when making cookie cutter boats, sheet formed in a press brake is much cheaper.

I think bassboy is correct. If the alum structure was welded from below you can see the distortion from the heat on the deck from above. It seems the deck would either have been riveted or welded to the structure so it should be evident where the bracing is.

Hi Quacker Jacker,
did you modified your boat already? I have also the G3 1860 SC camo and I planning to remove the foam under the front deck to get more space from the 2 existing storage compartements.
Would be great if you could provide some pics...

Thx
Ralf

I would like to do the same with my G3. I am worried about messing it up. any pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Most likely the bracing is welded from underneath. This was the case with my Triton 1650SC when I modified the front deck. As for how to determine, if you have access to one of those little bore scopes they sell at Home Depot, you could always drill a small access hole to put the bore scope into, and if need be, you can cap it with a plastic plug.

I took some pics after removal of the boxes....

I'm pretty sure that after removal of that foam compartments and combining of the two flaps to one and cutting out of the small stripe that alot of space will be available under the front deck...

Anybody who did already this exercise??

Removing floatation foam to make room for storage is a poor choice and would be considered foolish by an insurance claims adjuster investigating why your boat sank to the bottom instead of floating.

You are absolutely right, but why should the boat get completly flooded?? In the back there is enough foam to keep the boat at least on the back on waterlevel.... On normal Jon boats you don't have foam at all...

As far as internal structure, maybe the manufacturer can give you some guidence.

G3 Boats
901 Cowan Drive
Lebanon MO. 65536

Hope this helps
HANGEYE

Daisy said:

You are absolutely right, but why should the boat get completly flooded?? In the back there is enough foam to keep the boat at least on the back on waterlevel.... On normal Jon boats you don't have foam at all...

Click to expand...

Don't know what "normal" is in your area, but every new boat I have looked at over the past 20 years has foam in it. There are lot's of ways to get a boat flooded, trust me. Read more of the threads on the site.

gillhunter said:

Daisy said:

You are absolutely right, but why should the boat get completly flooded?? In the back there is enough foam to keep the boat at least on the back on waterlevel.... On normal Jon boats you don't have foam at all...

Click to expand...

Don't know what "normal" is in your area, but every new boat I have looked at over the past 20 years has foam in it. There are lot's of ways to get a boat flooded, trust me. Read more of the threads on the site.

Click to expand...

Gillhunter is right...there are many ways to swamp a boat, many beyond the operator's control. He is also being modest. Check out his post in the recent thread on bilge pumps in this forum.

Oh, I don't know how a boat could get flooded. Perhaps if you're running a boat where I live, and some jackass "Captain" in a parasailing boat throwing a 3 foot wake breaks over your bow and the boat is knee-deep in water. At least, that's how I got swamped the past 2 times....by the same idiot, too. And he's still on the water, that's the scary thing.

Bet if it happens again, though, he won't have to worry about me reporting it to DNR and wasting my time in court only to lose. Hope he's got a good dental plan for the curb-stomping he's going to receive at the dock, that's all I'm saying.

I would assume all the preachers of not removing foam were a lifevest every time there in the boat correct? Removing foam is certainly not ideal if you are not 100% certain of the consequences. The preaching and hijacking of every thread by the foam cop is getting old IMO. I think we need a sticky on foam removal and leave it to the owner to decide.

On a side note I agree that anything can happen, as some have said, and i have never seen a factory jon boat without foam in it.