Lowe 1448M

I've followed this site for a good while. After reading and seeing some of the mods on the board I figured it is time to do my own boat mod.

What I'm dealing with is a Lowe 1448M...
I plan on decking the front part of the boat from the second bench seat to the front deck.
I went yesterday and bought some 2x2's and a sheet of untreated plywood(4x8) 5/8 thick.

I plan to frame it up and and install a seat and maybe a storage compartment or two.

I don't know if you all remember pbw's project I plan on doing something similiar to that.

Although I wish I could use some aluminum angle's for the framing I don't see the need for the extra money if the 2x2's will work.

Here's a couple pics of the boat when it was brand new 07'









Now for a few questions...

What would be a good sealer for the 2x2's and the plywood deck ?
I figured I could prime it and paint it with a oil based latex paint,then carpet. "Would that be good enough to protect the wood from weathering>?"

What kinda of performance could you expect with the boat decked and a 15 hp Mercury 4-stroke pushing it. Would the extra weight of the mod make that big of a difference>?

And if you had to redo your mod what would you do different>?

Boat is being rigged for the Shovelhead Catfish !







You all have a great site and thanks for the great info !

HBK

Nice flathead!


And good clean looking boat - that will get you on those fish for sure

Where are you located?

Nice rig, and Welcome Aboard! 8)

Nice boat!

Welcome aboard!

-- Poolie

Nice boat and welcome aboard. quick tip: If you plan on using 2x2s. Buy 2x4s and rip them in half. Then you get two for the price of one. I used thompsons water seal on my wood.

Welcome to the site. Nice boat. Post pictures when all finished.

Cpt Ahab,

I'm from and mostly fish in Fairmont,Wv.

Mostly all the fishing I do anymore is for Shoveheads.
Basically have the river to myself and none of that combat fishing.

As for my boat mod I will surely post some pics when I get the project underway.
I'm mostly in the planning process I do have some of the materials, but I would rather be slow and the boat be done right.

My buddy made me some rod holder base's for the boat last year.
He took heavy wall piping and welded a nut on top. We drilled some holes on the base's and then bolted them.

I will post some pics of them tomorrow when it's daylight.

I have 5 down each side of the boat that way I can position rods where i think they need to be.

Thanks for the repsonse's !!!


HBK

I've got that same boat although mine is a 1981 model. I'll try to dig up some pictures I've got of the way my dad supported the back end of his casting deck. Basically he came out beyond the front deck however far he wanted to with 3/4" PT plywood which he sealed and then carpeted. A PT 2X4 mounted on the tall side ran across the bottom of the plywood as a support.
Then he took some heavy guage metal conduit that would span across 2 of the ribs that cross the boat. He flattened both ends and screwed those into the ribs right up against the 2X4 (on the sidewall). Then he drilled a hole through the deck, the 2X4, and the coduit. A carriage bolt was dropped through the hole and it was double nutted on the bottom. This provided support for the back end of the deck and it worked like a charm.

Good luck with your project, that is a strong boat! I just wish it was rated for more than a 25hp motor.

Mike

Welcome Aboard MikeA57 ! 8)