Bow Rider Conversion?

[wineguy069]

How much trouble am I asking for if I want to cut the front of this out and make it a bow rider?
http://home.pacbell.net/gsibert/boat/boatprofile.jpg

[RandyH]

I dont know what it would take but I think what makes those boats neat is the room you have inside. You can stash stuff for the trip and get out of the rain if it does. Plus it its just too windy for the gals or kids they can hide inside. If I owned it I wouldnt change a thing. Its a classic. But thats just my two cents.
RandyH

[Keithb87]

I think it would not only be a major pain, but it would also make the structure weak.
I'm not an engineer or anything, but I agree with RH. It's a classic.. leave it.

[NorCal Gameshow]

you supply the wine, i'll bring the sawz-all.....j/k
i tried to do a search on it but couldn't find anything... i think someone on the boards has done it before...you would probably have to leave the bulkhead and do a crawl through to the front.
you've got that step thing going on.....too much workie.... buy an open bow instead :D :D

[INFINITEJJ]

Originally posted by RandyH
I dont know what it would take but I think what makes those boats neat is the room you have inside. You can stash stuff for the trip and get out of the rain if it does. Plus it its just too windy for the gals or kids they can hide inside. If I owned it I wouldnt change a thing. Its a classic. But thats just my two cents.
RandyH
I'm not sure what it takes either, but it can be done. My boat was cut into an openbow by Wilkes Marine somewhere around 1986. It's a 1975 Tahiti 19'. This was done before I bought it so I'm not much help there. The space you lose by opening the bow does make storage a bit slim, but the trade off to me is worth it. The kids and the dog love the open bow and so do I. As far as the classic part I have the best of both worlds, a classic boat and an open bow.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/486Digi_461-med.jpg http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/486Digi_962-med.jpg http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/486Digi_541-med.jpg http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/486Digi_459-med.jpg

[sleekcrafter]

I was on Havasu a few years ago and saw an old Cambell day cruiser similar to the one pictured. The front was cut out as you are wanting, and was upolstered as a standard club seating. As Randy say's, the extra space is nice, espeically in a pinch out rain:D

[Mohavekid]

The double step deck on your boat would make a walk thru more difficult, but a "playpen" type area up front with a crawl thru might work.
If you did the crawl thru, I would bet you would'nt need to do too much with extra bulkheads.
Check this site for better info: www.havasubarney.com/forums/
The extra weight up front may throw off your handling a bit as well.

[Picklefork]

I know a guy that does it all the time. Cutting out that deck can make it stronger, if done correctly. Making a new walk-thru can add strength. Beef up the bulkheads, something that old boat might need anyway. You wind up with a beacutiful new boat with that classic twist. Put a sun top on and you're good to go. I'm not much for boating in the rain anyway, so I don't know how much of an issue that is. Think about it hard, but no, it's not a problem.

[wineguy069]

I live in NorCal so our boating season is dry (unlike the thunderstorms of the desert). The storage loss would be an issue but my 3 kids are always wanting to ride on the bow and with a couple of their friends the back of the boat can get crowded.
Picklefork, who and where is this sawzall master?

[Picklefork]

Sawzall, Heck. I've seen him do it with a chainsaw!! ? And then, what do you do with the deck? I bet there are a lot of people out there with some very interesting bar tops and coffee tables.
Storage can be remedied, cushions can all have storage under them, kinda like a window seat, ya know? Side panels can all have nice storage, you can put a ski locker in the floor, sky"s the limit. Organizing can be much better than before.

[ROZ]

Originally posted by Mohavekid
The double step deck on your boat would make a walk thru more difficult, but a "playpen" type area up front with a crawl thru might work.
If you did the crawl thru, I would bet you would'nt need to do too much with extra bulkheads.
I think you're on the money...I think he'd end up with a pretty good sized mid cabin too...

[NorCal Gameshow]

Originally posted by Picklefork
Sawzall, Heck. I've seen him do it with a chainsaw!! ? And then, what do you do with the deck? I bet there are a lot of people out there with some very interesting bar tops and coffee tables.
how about using it for deck boarding....you could get some serious air:D :D :D
everyone will have their favorites...spectra would be great for doing tricks..eliminator for speed...etc.:D

[Picklefork]

Whenever a major rehaul is seriously considered, always do a "test drive". Get the family in a crawl-thru. The wife probably won't like it, has to get down on all fours to get thru the little pass. She can waltze right thru the walk-thru, lugging all kinds of stuff. This is a case of the old "form follows function" being particularly true.

[wineguy069]

Here are some inside pics, it doesn't look like there is much in the way of bulkheads to cut out of the way.
http://home.pacbell.net/gsibert/boat/leftentry.jpg
http://home.pacbell.net/gsibert/boat/leftmid.jpg
http://home.pacbell.net/gsibert/boat/leftfront.jpg

[SB]

I asked this myself a few years ago about my boat which is very similar to yours. I still haven't done it. If you crawl under and look up, you will see that there is nothing structural in there which would prevent the job. Don't limit yourself to traditional ideas. You could put a hatch up there for the kids to crawl through. You could put a seat under it so the kids heads and shoulders would stick out with a rail (towel rack) to grab. You could make a simple hole with a snap on cover. There is a big yacht, I think its a 50' Sunseeker, with a hatch that slide open on rails like a sunroof. Look around and try thinking "hatch" rather than "bowrider."

[SB]

Attn: HB. Last time I looked I was a triple digit member.