Putting a livewell in the bench seat - question

Not to hijack the other livewell thread...

I have considered putting in a livewell in one of the bench seats in my 1432. The main problem that has held me back is the floor braces. They don't go up the sides of the hull, so the sides of the boat are supported mainly by the bench seats. If I cut a hole in the top of one of the benches, install a simple livewell and put a hatch on it, will that risk weakening the structure of the boat? It's a fairly thin-gauge boat so I don't want to mess with its support too much.

Thanks for any advice..

If you're just making a hole , and the existing bench is still connecting each side of the hull, I think you'll be fine. That said, I assume the hole you are making will still leave a couple inches of existing bench around the perimiter of the livewell. You could use some tubing or angle to stiffen it up if needed.

If you have some pics to post, with an outline of your livewell on the bench, or a cardboard mock up of it's dimensions, it will help to see what you're working with.