Tin boat side console to center console weight implications

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Bmeaney15

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I have got this side console set up, which usually works fine however this boat is primarily used on flats/bays/tidal rivers (places that are prone to strong currents and chop). I spend most of my time at the helm standing or sitting on a cooler to keep an eye on what’s ahead. If converting this boat from side console to center is accomplished using all wood (console, framing, new floor) will this add a noticeable weight difference? I have a 40hp mercy pushing it. To anyone who has done this, is it worth the time?


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If there is no floor currently, that will be your biggest weight penalty which can be countered by using aluminum. It's not going to be cheap even if you do wood I think. You will need all new control cables and a lot of added wiring not to mention the floor and console costs. Is it worth it? Hard to say. In my area a boat like yours would fetch a pretty penny and I'd be tempted to sell it and look for a purpose built center console. But then again, it's the devil you know as opposed to the one you don't... tough call.
 
It does have a floor however it sounds like a lot of work, defiantly to much to take on right during prime time boating season. Appreciate the insight


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If you have any aluminum fabricators in your area, talk to them and see what they think. They may even be able to utilize your existing side console in part of an aluminum build to cut some costs. Aluminum will average less weight than wood (of course depending on gauge, amount of material, etc.) and will last the life of the boat.

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Lowe has a center console that works well, it was already in my boat when I got it but I ended up moving it forward. Here's a link to some aluminum center consoles https://www.akmccallum.com/store-console.htm but shipping would be the big question. See if you have a dealer near you who would match the price. If you convert to a forward center console, you would need longer control cables, steering cable and possibly battery cables if you decide to move the battery forward like I did. If you take your time and plan it out you can find the cables new for a reasonable price (mostly Ebay). I wouldn't mess with wood, I think it would add too much weight.

Here's my Lowe with the center console forward. I had a custom grabrail made and the windshield as well.
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Just to give you some additional information for you to consider, I recently bought a new tin jon boat and my dealer added a center console, steering wheel, steering cables and converted my tiller to remote steer at an additional cost of $1,000.
 
FWIW, I switched my 16' Crestliner from tiller steer to forward center console. In my situation, it made a huge difference, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The only bad thing is you don't have very much room on either side of the console to access the front deck. I used a 24" wide console. My boat is about 52" wide at the spot where I mounted my console. If I had it to do over again, I would go with the skinniest console I could find. 12 inches would be perfect, even if I had to custom fab it.
 
A console will take away from the available floor space you have and on a boat like yours that's a lot of real estate. I have a 1650 flat bottom that I bought as a tiller. It too had a 40 tiller on it. The motor was a 2 stroke Mercury. I don't much care for the 2 strokes so I sold it and changed to a 4 stroke Yamaha. The weight was about the same so I knew the boat could handle it. I also went to a remote setup when I made the change. I will never, ever have a boat without the center console. I made mine and installed it on the forward bench over the bait tank that was built into the seat. It places my steering wheel in the center of the boat but the console itself sets off to the side some which is fine by me. I also used the space where the bait tank was as the new storage compartment for the trolling motor batteries. This adds some weight to the port side but with me in the center it works out pretty well. This saved me giving up any floor space also. I purchased all my rigging off of Ebay from marine recyclers. So far no problems what so ever and it's been a few years since I did it. A lot of manufacturers offer extensions for the remote motors also that can be purchased used.

As far as material goes for the floor I went with aluminum, .125 inch thick. If you go this route I would suggest placing some foam between the ribs for added support or it will flex some without it. Keep in mind also that it will be reflective so you'll want to address that issue and it will be hotter than crap if left in a natural finish. I would also pass on any diamond plate use also. A lot of guys slot it and weld it to the ribs but I prefer to have mine removable so I can give it a thorough wash down at least once a year at the end of the season. I bow fish a lot so mine comes out more often.
 
It might be simpler to figure out how to put your batteries, your cooler, and any other weight on the port side of the boat. I used to trim my canoe by having my dog move around and then telling her to sit.
 
I was able to move a side console foward a couple of inches and then I pop rivited on an extention near the bottom to raise it a few inches. A spacer was used to move it toward the center an inch or so as well. I added a larger steering wheel as well to add height. All these mods added to where I could stand and drive. A center consol would have required longer steering, control cables and wiring so check to see how much slop you have to determin what mods you want to do. I loved it when I was done. 16' valco and I'm 6'2 for reference.
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