cost of decking/painting and how to add drain plug?

I'm working on my grandfather's 14' semi-v.. (I forget the specifics of make/model. It's close to 60 years old though.) ..and I'm considering trying to convince him to buy the materials and let me deck the boat and install semi-elevated seats :twisted:
Right now he's really concerned about the project "That's gonna cost way more than the boat is even worth!"
I'm trying to go along the lines of "I'm unemployed and need something to keep me sane, and, you've gotten a lifetime of use out of this boat so if we put a little cash into it, maybe I can get a lifetime of use out of it too"
So I'm curious to know if anyone can help me out here. Maybe some figures from similar projects (and pictures too?)

Also, the middle and rear seats are riveted down, and there's no way to access the underside of them. I will take some pictures in a bit to show what I mean. I am concerned that it may be an issue with the project. A few of the boats I've seen on here have wood benches, that are just bolted to brackets riveted to the gunwhale and there is free space underneath. Should I even be concerned about the benches if I'm going to deck it?

Lastly, the one thing that boat absolutely NEEDS is a drain plug. I store the hull outside (for now) and it's a PITA to bail it out every time it rains. Is there an aluminum fitting I can buy and just drill the transom and have someone weld it in place?

Here is a quality drain plug for your boat.Used 3M 5200 to seal it. https://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/plumbing/sd520010-20/index.htm

There are to many varibles to give an honest estimate to what it will cost you.Biggest factor is the type of materials chosen and your areas pricing.

i spent about 400 on decking, carpet, lights, sockets, switch panel, seats, swivels, etc. bench seats should not be a problem, just go over them. and once you deck it you probably will want a boat cover. i spent 60 for that at wal mart and few bungees, the raised seats make it pitched so water sheds off, so that practically eliminates the need for a drain plug.

Thanks guys.. keep 'em coming.

I was wondering too if anyone can hook me up with a site/store with cheap seats? Something along the lines of 2 seats (w/backs) with 6" pedestals for 70 bucks would be nice.. I doubt I can find anything that cheap but that's my target price.

walmart.com has seats starting at 24 bucks each, but i'd suggest spending another 15 to 20, in the long run you will find the added comfort and quality worth it. i've got those 48 dollar Wise seats, and just love em.

it all depends on what you want to accomplish and how creative you are finding materials. I kept my decking very simple, bought cheap strap hinges and found some I/O carpet on sale. I also grabbed scrap plywood from my work. none of the materials I used were 100% correct, but Im only in about $40 so far.

I havent added seats yet, but I would keep an eye on Garage sales and CL.

I've got a 1236 flat jon... and I think I spent a total of around $225 for all of the decking, carpeting, seats and pedestals.

1 sheet of ply - $19 (exterior grade from Home Depot)
2 - 2x2x8 strips - $7 (Home Depot)
1 - 7" seat pedestal - $10 (Wal-Mart)
1- pin pedestal setup - $75 (Ebay - seat mount, pin mount, and offset pedestal)
2 - wise seats delux - $70 (Bass Pro)
front & rear nav flashlights - $25 (on clearance at Wal-Mart)
Carpet - $17, and I've still got some leftover... (Lowe's.. find the carpet section then look for their "end of roll" scraps... they don't know how much is there so they estimate it. I got almost 25' for $17.

This was my cost
Boat project cost
Pcs. Description Price
2 gallons of paint stripper $10.00each
1 gallon Olive green marine paint $25.00
8 cans of etching primer $3.99each
5 cans of camo paint $2.99each
1 6’’ X 18’’ lowes outdoor carpet $60.00
3 cans of 3M adhesive spray glue $10.00each
4 piano hinges $4.95each
4 lid handles $4.99each
2 4’’ X 8’’ 5/8 plywood $18.00each
1 gallon of Thompson water sealer $16.95(I think)
6 8’’ x 1”” X 1/8”” l-angle aluminum $16.95each1 Big Daddy pop rivet gun $13.95
15 ¼¼ inch rivets $0.61each
1 20’’ x 1 ½½”” x 1/8”” square tubing $75.00
1 3’’ X 4’’ 16g sheet metal $18.00
Hand tools, screws & miscellaneous $45.00
1 Wal-Mart deep cell battery $75.00
1 Sea Sense power station Battery box $45.00
1 HummingBird525 fish finder $129.00
1 BP XPS 1 bank on board Charger $89.00
1 MK Endura TM 55# $165.00(got a rebate on it)
2 Springfield Three piece pedestal set $41.99each
2 Padded camo boat seat $25.00each
1 OMC foot control bow TM FREE!
1 1973 1436 flat jon boat & trailer $600.00
Total $1,757.36

you can pick out what relates to you to get an idea. its about a year old

this was my project
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3586