Has anyone removed bow platform

[mrobertson]

Has anyone on the board successfully removed the bow platform in either a 20 or 23 center console, essentially leaving yourself with a flat deck from bow to stern?

I've redone a 20 and a 23 seacraft and left it in both. I'm considering re-doing a 23 and building it with a flat deck.


Has anyone done this?


-Mike

[Bigshrimpin]

Mike - You lose a lot by removing the casting platform and cooler that drains overboard. That front box on a 23 will hold 550lbs of fish and it's also a great casting platform.

[mrobertson]

Sometimes when fishing choppy waters that area becomes un-usable because of the step up. No one wants to be up there on a rocking boat. I've got bolsters all the way around and you can dig your knees in, so that makes it better.

I've had my eyes on an older 25 Sea Vee. They look very much like a Seacraft and IMO the interior design is great. Flat level deck and lots of below deck storage. The problem with them is very little freeboard.

My thought process in removing the bow platform would be to build an insulated fish box below deck in it's place.

[shine]

On my 23' I raised my sole level 2" from standard, and even with the added height the sole intersects the hull sides so that you feet would be behind you if you leaned against the gunnel towards the bow = potentially dangerous. It was my intention to build the sole all one level, but due to this I chose to make a small casting deck which solved the problem.

A boat this size is just barely too small to have sole all the way to the bow, you have to get to 25 or so before it makes sense.

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by mrobertson

Has anyone on the board successfully removed the bow platform in either a 20 or 23 center console, essentially leaving yourself with a flat deck from bow to stern?

I've redone a 20 and a 23 seacraft and left it in both. I'm considering re-doing a 23 and building it with a flat deck.


Has anyone done this?


-Mike

Bly did a fly guy`s dream on a 20. Things are getting smaller, lighter, and better.

What do you wan`t to do?

Follow your heart. Think, think and, re think.

Ask before cutting.

[Seacraft84]

I redid a 78' MA and made it a flat deck bow to stern. Love it. I also ended up raising the floor 5". Plus the box in the 20 foot class serve no point for me. The fish i catch are much bigger. haha. If I remeber correctly I have 20" freeboard at stern now and around 28"-30" in the bow. Where the MA had factory 25" freeboard at transom.
Next 23' i redo of my own will have a flat deck in it. By the time I would raise the floor you should have enough room to glass some sort of fish box between the stringers and in front of the gas tank. Most likely would do some sort of coffin. And I always throw a cast net off the bow cap, which is easier for me than trying to swing it over the gunnel.

[thehermit]

One of the best things about the 23 SCSF is the cavernous fish hold.
Bigshrimpin is right....you can cram 500+ lbs in it.