Weight distribution and mods

I've done a search on weight distribution and mods and haven't been able to find exactly the answer I'm looking for so I'm going to ask now. At some point in the not so distant future I want to buy a G3 1544 with a 25-30 hp outboard. I previously had a Grumman 1542 with a 30 hp Evinrude and absolutely loved it so I want something as close to it as possible with a few more modifications.

I will be fishing alone the vast majority of the time so the weight distribution will be the same trip after trip, at least as far as the number of passengers goes. What I'm not sure of is this: Weight distribution will depend on the mods, such as how thick the plywood for the front deck is and how far I extend it, where I place the battery, and this sort of thing. So how do I know where to place the battery (or other mods) without knowing in advance how it will affect weight distribution? I don't want to make a forward hatch for the battery, for example, only to find it rides bow-low coming up on plane or not make a hatch for the battery only to find the boat porpoises because the battery is in the back.

I guess the question is this: How do I make the mods without first knowing how they will affect weight distribution?

I think that's a problem that everyone seems to have. The right balance. I have a 14' deep-vee so there aren't as many mods to draw info from. What I did was just trial & error out on the lake. Brought a couple of batteries & moved them around. Tried it with and without the gas motor & added extra weights sitting on the seats to allow for plywood. It's time consuming and can be a pain but worth it in the end. When you pull it out of the water you can also check your waterline. Just my thoughts. I'm sure there are people here with a LOT more experience to help.

Its all trial and error, along with planning. You can calculate the weight of everything, and try to keep it even throughout the boat. I mentally divided my boat into front, middle and rear, and tried to keep the weights the same in each.

I'm not getting nosey... but approximately how much do you weigh?

I have tested it a few times in 2 different boats and this is what I came up with...

I had a 1236 with 2 55lb motors on the back, along with 2 29 series deep cycle batteries behind the rear deck. Then I had a 40lb motor on the front - but my dilema was where to put 2 more deep cycle batteries running in parallel for that motor. I tried it at first with the batteries directly in front of the rear bench, while I sat up front on an elevated deck (I weight about 185lbs). I didn't move as fast as I thought I should, so I ended up cutting the insides out of the middle bench and placing a battery on each side (not side by side in the middle). The next trip out and I was moving a pretty good amount faster, and the boat seemed to be more stable on the water.

I now have an Xpress 1546 with a deck in the front... I mimicked the setup I did on the 1236 - but this new boat didn't have a middle bench - it was an open center. I put a 4x8 sheet of carpeted 15/32" plywood in the floor directly on top of the braces, and cut out slots for the batteries to sit sort of "inside" the floor. The batteries for the rear 2 trolling motors are still side by side behind the back bench, and the front 2 batteries are directly behind the front deck - one on each side. But this time I have a 71lb motor on the front and that thing scats! I didn't have any problems with it, and I asked one of the guys out on the water if my boat was sitting level (while I was in the front) and he said it was still a little lower in the back which is what I was looking for. I also have 1 24 series battery sitting infront of the rear bench directly in the middle for all of my electronics.

So this is what I have on the boat now...
1 - 71# foot control TM
2 - 55# TMs on the rear
4 - 29 series deep cycle batteries
1 - 24 series deep cycle battery
1 - 150qt cooler (converted to a livewell - it sits parallel with the length of the boat in the middle)
1 - 4x8 sheet of 15/32" plywood (might weigh all of 30-40lbs, but it's very light and sturdy)

So I say move your batteries just infront of your center line for the front and you should do fine. I want to say each of my batteries weight anywhere from 50-60lbs (29 series, the 24 series is very light actually compared to them). So depending on your weight, and any other passenger in your boat, I think you can kind of get the idea of how I have my weight distributed in my boat

Russ, I weight 180. My old Grumman 1542 had a Minn Kota foot controlled trolling motor, a 30 hp Evinrude, 2 batteries next to the transom, a pedestal seat on the rear bench that I moved to the front deck when fishing, an extended front deck that came back not quite to the front bench seat, and occasionally a dry box thrown in the front during the winter. That was about it. Spartan but more than functional.

The beauty of the setup was that it was light, easy to launch and load, and was easily pulled by my old 4-banger Honda. I hauled that boat around at least once a week (and often more than that) for 8 years and only replaced the clutch once believe it or not. I've found that where I fish (east Tennessee) I only need one trolling motor battery and a battery for the electric start outboard, so I'll need only two batteries, not five.

The G3 I want to get eventually will be somewhat heavier and I've been thinking about getting a small truck anyway. Many thanks for all the great information.

yea, I have all the batteries because I fish electric only lakes - so no gas motors...

You'll be fine keeping the same setup that you have on your boat now on the new boat. I know a guy that has a G3 1548 and he has 4 batteries in the rear, 55lb on the front, and an 82lb in the rear - he has no issues with weight in his. He probably weighs around 200 and his brother 250 or so and he's in the rear... they don't have any problems at all and that boat sits level in the water.

One thing to remember is that G3 boats are made to withstand just about anything you can throw at it - They are heavy boats and I don't think you'll have to worry about distribution that much with that wide of a boat

Deadmeat said:

I guess the question is this: How do I make the mods without first knowing how they will affect weight distribution?

Click to expand...

Plywood weighs 25 pounds per 1/4" for a 4x8 sheet. Guestimate the weight and place a similar amount of weight in the proper place in the boat. Put the rest of the stuff where you think you want it, and take the boat out. You can use steel free weights, 5 gallon bucket full of sand, dirt, steel parts, whatever.