Our forum members spend a lot of time talking about rebuilds. Here’s a current conversation:
[rlcrews] I need to get some ideas from the pros here on a rebuild. I have an ‘86 PlayCraft. It needs everything done to it. The current layout is two couches in the front, one all the way across the back with a sundeck behind that. In the very front there is a four-foot area that could be set up with fishing seats and it has a boarding ladder. Beside the captains seat is a seat that doubles as a cooler or very small storage area.
What limits will there be in changing the layout? I would like to go to more of a fishing /camping /entertaining combo.
Anybody want to give me some ideas?
[LSU] Sounds like you have a good idea of what you want, but my recommendation would be to spend a lot of time up front doing some scale drawings. You may be trying to get 6 lbs. of potatoes into a 5-lbs. sack!
[rlcrews] I, not being an engineer or designer, am not up on all that needs to be considered.
[belercous] With a 24-foot boat to work with, you can do things. Especially if you add a third toon. I'm no pro on boats, but I've done a bit of restoration on my boat, or at least the front 14' of it. If you add a 3rd toon, you will need to alter your trailer accordingly. It will need the support for the longevity of your deck boards. You don't want stress on the deck when the boat's not in the water. Especially so if your engine is mounted on the 3rd toon.
Perhaps you might consider adding a section of a camper trailer to the aft 1/2 of your boat. But be tasteful about it; paint the exterior to match. A restroom, mini-fridge, seating, etc. could improve your comfort. Twenty-four feet of an extra log will allow you to put on extra weight and still ride the same, although you'll need to upgrade your motor or live with less speed. Do the math to see how much extra weight you can add: a cubic foot of water displaces 62.5 pounds. It'll involve some math. Something about pies being round and cakes being square, if that helps.
[Drive2Boat] While you are counting the costs of such a project, you might want to factor in the depth of your expertise as well as your supply of patience. And do you have an indoor facility that you could devote to such a project? I can't imagine such an undertaking. Myself, I would take the money I got from selling what you have and apply that towards a newer model that was a little closer to what I wanted to begin with and spend the extra time enjoying my new purchase. Of course, that factors in that I just might be a little bit lazy and seem to lack a lot of ambition in my old age. But, I still like to play!
What are your thoughts? Go over to www.pdbmagazine.com/forum to share your experience.
