REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
wamair
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REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby wamair » Sat Nov 04, 2017 4:43 pm

I would like to install a fish box on either side of the fuel tank on a 1987 REVENGE 20 W-T. By looking at pictures of the hull with center deck cover removed, I don't think it would be a good idea fo just cut a hole, dig out the foam. and glass-in [the new live well] without knowing where to cut.

Has anybody done this? Any help would be appreciated.

Vance's Revenge
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well

Postby Vance's Revenge » Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:27 am

[To make a major modification to the hull by adding a live well] is a pretty bold project. A lot of support is designed into that section of the boat that you are talking about cutting. I think I would rather use kill bags than cut that section of the floor. The kill bags don't really take much room when compared to an Ice chest.

For large fish such as Tuna, I have wondered about making a top for the compartment in the deck under the cuddy cabin of the Revenge for a fish box. [The cabin deck between the berths] is large and already has a drain. Open the wooden doors between the consoles; lift the lid; and toss in the Tuna; close the lid.--Vance

wamair
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Re: Adding Seat Boxes for Storage

Postby wamair » Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:10 am

I agree. I'm now thinking of building some seat [boxes] for more storage

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby jimh » Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:50 am

Boston Whaler offered an option on the REVENGE models in some years for molded seat bases that gave great storage compartments under the seats. I first saw these on a beautiful REVENGE 25 W-T Whaler Drive boat (owned by Russ in Wisconsin). The boxes elevated the seat mounting posts so only a very short aluminum tube was needed to position the helm seats at the proper level. The boxes extended aft behind the helm seats, and had large opening lids. These factory accessory seat base and storage boxes were great places to store gear.

I often thought about how I could make one of these myself. If you were a good carpenter, the box could be made from some plywood. Then, if you were skilled with laminating fiberglass and adhesive resins, you could add a layer of fiberglass atop the wood structure to improve the overall strength and encapsulate all the wood in resin. Then, if you were skilled at spraying gel coat resin, you could finish your seat base with some gel coat resin, giving it a nice glossy finish and matching the original gel coat.

Now that is a lot of "if's", but if you have those skills you should be able to come up with something very useful. Of course the biggest problem is another "if": if you have a good sense of design, perhaps you could create something that did not look like a clumsy add-on but more like an OEM component.

In response to your inquiry about anyone having cut new live wells into the deck: I have not done that, and I doubt anyone has. It seems like a dangerous modification to the hull structure.

wamair
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby wamair » Sun Nov 05, 2017 10:21 am

Thanks for the input. I will keep the butcher knife away from my deck.
I have worked on composite aircraft so I plan on using foam and glass. That way it would be easy to shape them to make them look oem.

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby jimh » Sun Nov 05, 2017 11:43 am

Re the use of foam: remember the box has to support the weight of the helm seats, and the occupants of the helm seats, and the rapid deceleration of all that weight when the boat comes down hard into a wave. The box structure would need to be very strong to bear those loads without failure. Another approach might be to leave a circular cut-out in the top and bottom of the box, and leave the seat posts intact. The new seat box would just be placed over the existing aluminum tube seat support posts. In this way the box could be made somewhat lighter as it would not have to bear the load of the helm seats.

wamair
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby wamair » Sun Nov 05, 2017 4:33 pm

Good idea thanks. I would only need one hole in the top plus that would solve the problem of a good structural attachment to the deck. the box will be over the center deck panel so they need to be removable to access the fuel tank. If I go that route I will probably just make some molds so I can make a glass shell. Maybe I could sell a few.
If anyone has ideas on size and shape for revenge seat box's I would value your input.
Thanks Phil

SeattleD
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby SeattleD » Mon Nov 06, 2017 5:19 pm

Does anyone have a picture of the original factory option of pilot seat / workstation that was available on this boat? I am interested in something similar for my 20 revenge.

Jay Fitz
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby Jay Fitz » Mon Nov 06, 2017 8:24 pm


jimh
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby jimh » Mon Nov 06, 2017 10:27 pm

I have only see these seats used on the REVENGE 25 W-T. In the catalogue they were also pictured on the REVENGE 25 W-T.
revengeWTSeatOptionBase.jpg
Optional seat base with storage seen on REVENGE 25 W-T
revengeWTSeatOptionBase.jpg (83.94 KiB) Viewed 7114 times

wamair
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby wamair » Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:24 pm

I don't plan on making my box's that big. I want to be able to swivel the seats around and not loose so much deck space. When I start the project I will post pics ( as soon as I learn how to. I am new to the site. I'm a lot better with a wrench than computers)
I have my oil tank behind the pilot seat and I plan on moving the batteries to the same spot inside the box to help offset the 15-HP kicker that's mounted on the left side.

SeattleD
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby SeattleD » Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:29 am

Is there a wood [locating] diagram available for the REVENGE 20 W-T?

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 20 W-T: Adding In-deck Live Well; Seat Boxes

Postby jimh » Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:14 am

I am sure there is a wood locating diagram for a REVENGE 20 W-T available from Boston Whaler. Contact Boston Whaler customer service; they should be able to email you a scan of their old document for this information.