Engine well to bench seat conversion on a 23 ?

rclauss22 · #1 09-26-2008, 02:23 PM

I have a 23 tsunami and was thinking of cutting along the engine well where the flip down gate is and making a bench seat that will fold down when engine is in up position. I figure it would work well cause structurally the main part of the well is still intact, and you are adding some seating to a boat with very little. Was wondering if anyone has done this on any of their boats and if so could you send pictures before I take the saw to the boat this winter??? Let me know what you think???

gss036 · #2 09-26-2008, 03:09 PM

Are you thinking of making the seat into the engine well or in front of it? I like you idea because I would like to have more seating at times. I would perfer something more portable so it would not be in the way while fishing w/just 2 people.

Capt Chuck · #3 09-26-2008, 03:24 PM

Here's a couple of ideas

rclauss22 · #4 09-26-2008, 05:27 PM

Gary I'm thinking of cutting horizontal along the cut out that is already there for the flip down engine well door. Cutting horizontal towards the rear of the boat on both sides of the well and then up on a diagonal up to where the rear hatches/storage boxes are on either side of the engine well at the stern of boat using the remaining structure of the engine well as a support for the seat and back rest.. I was going to make the seat out of two pieces of starboard and a piano hinge. One piece would lay atop of the engine well structure as the seat part using the height of the previously existing cut out for the fold down door as the width of the seat. The other would be attached by the hinge and rest against the diagonal cut upwards and towards the hatches where the engine well meets with those hatches atop for the backrest the same width as the seat you are sitting on so that they fold together perfectly and the length would be the length of the well so not to get in the way when folded down. I would have to glass the area that was cut but i think it would work perfectly. So when you want to put the engine up the back rest folds down upon the seat part and then the seat in turn will fold down like the engine well door previously did. Tough to explain with out a drawing but ill try to draw something up this weekend and scan to the computer.

rclauss22 · #5 09-26-2008, 05:28 PM

Something along the lines of the sea fox picture but using starboard and the existing engine well as a support.

gss036 · #6 09-27-2008, 02:12 PM

Ok, I follow you , but I really would not consider cutting into the cap as I think it helps support the transom. If you go that route you may have to install some support/bracing for the transom. I just put a 225 Honda on my 23WA, I would have to consider all that extra weight. Up here in the islands with our wind, people sitting in that position would definately get a shower if we have anything over 10 mph wind and the tide going the wrong way. We have 2 tide changes a day and they can get to be rather large, but not nearly as bad as Alaska.