Matching angles (floor and sides), level, and square, oh my!

Is allot of "fun" when there isn't a good referance point. Maybe a flat bottom would have been easier than a mod v, or putting in a flat floor. Leveled the boat side to side and lengthwise. Anyway, been playing with cardboard, levels, carpenter squares, etc, still not ready to cut plywood. Anyone have any good tips?

Measure down from the gunwales, it's about the only way to get a uniform look and flat deck. You can use a level but you have to level your boat from bow to stern and port to starboard first. Just plain ol' measuring usually works best on boats.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're saying. I'm guessing the pitch of the V in the floor is throwing you off?

I installed a sheet aluminum floor in a 14 foot dura craft, and a 16 footer, both had slight V-hulls. I used the corner of the ribs at the gunwale for my reference point, where they make the angle from the cross member of the floor, to the gunwale strut.

Cardboard makes a good template. Know what else works good? A sheet of 1/2" pink styrofoam board from Lowe's or Home Depot. This best simulates a piece of plywood.

The front deck is more straight forward. The rear, not so much. It consists of a U shaped bench for a tiller steer, but want an insert or hinged piece to convert to full deck. The sides of the U are about 28" x 15" (floor level). I am struggling with the sides to the boxes. I like the foam idea. I can tape them together, and will stand better than cardboard. I have some 1" on hand.

jigngrub said:

Measure down from the gunwales, it's about the only way to get a uniform look and flat deck. You can use a level but you have to level your boat from bow to stern and port to starboard first. Just plain ol' measuring usually works best on boats.

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when working on something, i level the whole boat and trailer at the attitude it would be at the boat would be at while in the water. it's easy and just takes three jackstands, a level and 3 minutes. one jackstand at each rear corner of the trailer and one at the tounge. then adjust their heights of the jackstands until the boat is sitting as you want it, checking with your level. since it's supported by the trailer, you can hop in and out to do whatever work you need. since it's level you can work faster because you can check for square with a simple bubble level rather than a bunch of measurements, and a direct reading from a level is more accurate than establishing an angle from multiple measurements to different parts of the boat which may not be square (old boats often have beat up bent gunwales).

Jigngrub +1 It worked on my tracker grizzly 1648

Using the foam sheet method, I was able to cut the four box end pieces. From measurements, seems to be level and come out about right on the gunnuls.

Good deal! 8)