My First Boat !!

Well im new to this forum so i would like to thank everyone in advance for your suggestions. I just bought a 1984 14ft. Alumacraft V-haul. it came with a trailer and a 9.9 Mercury motor. right now i really havent done anything to it except give it a good scrubbin. i would like to build some sort of storage unit in the front where the 4th seat is. and if possible take out the two things on the sides at the stern. i have no idea what they are called and/or if they serve a purpose. can i just rip those out? by the way. i read all about big bucks boat. i think we have the same darn one! haha. very cool. you did a great job on it!

WOW I just bought a 16' just like that last week. I think I will post pics throughout my conversion. Great boat!

Welcome to your new addiction! :beer:

As far as those things in the stern... I don't know what they are either, but my guess would be they are used for flotation were the boat to flip over... I wouldn't take them out necessarily though - I would cut the tops out and use them for extra storage, then put a piece of wood over the top of them to use as a lid

that makes sense as far as the flotation goes. all of the bench seats have foam under them as well as those two things in the stern. using them for the storage sure would be nice. as far as using wood for modifications, what do u suggest? would regular plywood do the trick?

Welcome aboard.
I think those "things" in the stern are seats and yes reg. or marine plywood.
(NO pressure treated stuff)

just a few things ive done so far. little by little it will all get done. ive decided to cut the tops off the two back pieces and put lids on them and use them as storage. just curious as to where to put the hinge for the lid. could i screw the hinge into the boat or would that be a bad idea?

How about just making them hinge in the other direction. That way you can screw it into the box area and not the actual boat itself.
The 1440 I am buying has this same setup and I will be removing allthat and the center seat as well. I will try to take plenty of pics as I go but I do have to admit I get carried away sometimes. Good luck with your project. I will be watching. :mrgreen:

I agree with the way you were originally setting it up to put the hinges. Leave about a 1.5" lip on that side to put your hinges to. I wouldn't drill through the boat to the outside.

As far as wood, I would just use 1/2 - 3/4" exterior grade plywood. And like Zum mentioned, keep away from pressure treated

Nice boat. Sure looks like an Alumacraft.

Almost identical to mine except for the bench seats and the compartments in the stern. Link to my boat build in my signature.

Thanks everyone for the tips, i really appreciate them. i think im going to probably leave a little bit extra so i dont have to actually screw the hinge into the boat. Nice boat hanr3. i hope mine turns out just as good. ill be cutting the tops of the two pieces this weekend and putting something inside to keep it neat. some sort of flooring i think. do you guys get the carpeting at cabelas or bass pros or what? does it stick on or do you have to staple it to the underside? this sunday is when ill be cuttin the tops off those peices and ill be sure to take pics to show you guys the progress. thanks again for your input. i cant waite till sunday!

Well i finally got the top cut off. i decided im going to attach the hinge to the seat because its a lot more sturdy. any ideas on what to use for a flooring?

Was ther foam in there? I thought there would have been.
As far as flooring, ext. grade or marine plywood or aluminum are your two best options. Aluminum is lighter but more expensive. Painted/sealed plywood is easy to work with & will last for years. I opted for a factory AL floor kit in my boat.

Hey buckeye, keep the updates comming. I'm considering doing the same thing and want to see what you do for those 2 storage lids. Are they big enough to hold your battery?