DIY Centre Console: 5 things to think about

In this episode we review five factors we took into considerations when building the centre console and have a look at how it turned out.
Its Part 4 in the series of rebuilding a 1970's Nautiglass V150 fibreglass runabout/ski boat and converting to a centre console fishing boat.
A review from 1977 by Australian Boating Magazine on the V150 is available at www.australianboatmags.com.au...

[@Jay-Leigh863]

Greetings from South Africa! Great job! I'm currently planning a centre console conversion on a bigger hull and scouring KZbin looking for tips and ideas. The first video of this conversion came up and without watching it I discounted it. Somewhat later I took the time to watch the 2nd video and thought "wait a minute. Here's what I'm looking for!" Went back and watched 1st video and the rest and this is a very well thought through and carried through conversion. Great job mate. I love it. You've certainly inspired me. Thank you for that.

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Thank you Glenn, much appreciated! The project is nearly finished, just need to put some flooring in. I have a few more videos planned of the last bits of the build including the casting deck hatches, seat etc though I’ve moved house so KZbin and the boat unfortunately is on the back burner for now. Best wishes with your project!

[@drymasterheadoffice6780]

Well done John.

[@psi23k]

Great job mate 👍

[@davidskinner6765]

Bloody great job. You should be very pleased with the outcome. 👍🍻

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Cheers, thank you 🍻

[@davidrybka7828]

looks great! I have grand ideas of doing this one day but probably never will HAHA! In a previous life of custom car stereo displays I've had luck making flat carbon fiber panels by laminating onto a piece of brand new food grade white plastic, forgot the type but if you apply resin to the white plastic being careful to not create bubbles then place the Carbon on top of that and wet it in, you can layer it up from the back side. after you have a few layers that have cured you can flex the white plastic and pop off the carbon fiber and the face that was against the NEW white plastic will be perfectly flat. you probably could do something similar to make a mold with the same white plastic to get a thick piece with rounded edges. Hope this helps someone down the road.

[@jono999s]

Sweet boat , top class

[@larrygates3737]

Great job, I’m looking forward to the next update

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Thank you

[@kejung1]

Nice boat and console

[@mauricemcmahon536]

Enjoyed your build. Was thinking of converting an old bayliner Capri bowrider into a little CC. this surely serves as an inspiration.

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Thank you Maurice, best wishes if you go ahead with your project.

[@clintonwhite5850]

Great JOB!

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Cheers thank you

[@LTZ_Z71]

Great work. If she's a little stern heavy, you could install trim tabs and that should help a bit especially getting on plane.

[@darrindedman8165]

Very awesome. Love the carbon fiber dash and up grades. I’m starting a similar conversation on a 1971 22 foot cuddy cabin. I’ll be glued to your channel like so many others. Would love to hear narration as I like to watch and listen. Plus I don’t mind the Aussie accent.

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Cheers Darrin best wishes for your project

[@Jay-Leigh863]

Darrin I'm starting a conversion on a 22 Coronet cabin. Cheers mate good luck with yours. Hope to see your videos too and I will certainly be placing mine as progress is made.

[@goldcountryruss7035]

I have a similar project but a smaller and much lighter version at 12'6". I will not have a casting deck as 90% of our fishing is trolling. The console will be aluminum, the motor a 28SPL (weighs 54kg) pushing, and a Minn-kota pulling. Target weight is 245kg wet including 2 deep-cycle batteries. Yours will be much prettier though.

[@the_duke_abides2215]

I have done a decent amount of carbon fiber and for flat panels like that find a sliding glass door at a salvage yard and clean it up to get it smooth again. When you glass the carbon fiber have it cure face down with a weight on the back of the panel(battery, 5 gallon bucket of resin, small child if they will stay still, etc). This will push all the bubbles out and it will be almost perfect right from the start. For a finish I always use UV resistant clear coat and then wet sand that smooth and your done.

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Thanks James Much appreciated Cheers

[@ryanmcneil5728]

Get a nice flat surface use grease proof paper then build layers up on the but bigger that your carbon dash cut out use a metal roller to roll out the bubbles, keep going till you have 4 layers then put grease proof paper over the top and and ply wood on top then weigh it down, next dat do the same until your thickness you need, spray it with a good two part clear that has UV inhabitors.

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Thanks Ryan cheers

[@adriangleiss789]

John- really enjoying your build. I am in the process of a similar endeavour (just finishing the transom). I was wondering how you templated the console? It looks great!

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Hi Adrian Thanks for the positive feedback, appreciate it Re console template, I didn’t use one, just made up a test model in roughly the size and shape we wanted. We wanted the sounder in the dash, not top mounted, a shelf for drink holders etc and to be tall enough to stand at and then it was build it and see what it looked like? I did draw the shape we wanted on the side panels first then cut them out and ‘filled’ in the front and back. As seen in the video it was originally to big and boxy so we cut it down a few times till it looked about right. It’s easier to cut down one too big than increase the size of a too small model Then we made up the final version in marine ply using the dimensions from the model. The dimensions are in the video. The boat is quite small at 15 feet, but I could have made the console 50 mm wider in hindsight. Let me know if you have more Qs though I’ve only built 1😉 Best wishes for your project

[@marklivingston7324]

Just look at Ads with detail info with specific info on dimentions and whola! you have a center console blueprint! I built my poormans version for a 16' alum boat that way with a tweek here and there ;) Cheers!

[@CRN8091]

Great little boat!.if you don’t mind how much did it cost minus the boat + motor?.would love to do a similar project!.

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Thank you . I don’t have exact figures but for materials excluding boat, motor, trailer and electrics I think around $5,000 to $8,000 Australian. I know I spent over $1,000 just in sandpaper 😉

[@tickytacky8078]

I've been wanting to do a very very similar conversion to mine but...450 HOURS MAN TIME! CRIMEY!!!! Please tell me those numbers are pumped!?! Also, very nice job. 👌 good on ya mate

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Yep, took a lot cause I didn’t know exactly what I was doing but a lot was just sanding 🙁

[@mohamedmejd3062]

Good job, my friend, but I would have liked to install a small cabin in front of it, a small shelter

[@427vot]

Well done? how long did it take?

[@427vot]

I guess I should just shut top and watch. Great build.🙃

[@Theautisticadhdadventurer]

How does the boat handle in the water now ?

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Great, now area finished (an heel and side pockets) which helped to balance it and extra fibreglass in overall rebuild added weight to the hull which was already a good shape. For a 4.6m boat it now handles moderate offshore or chop really well.

[@Theautisticadhdadventurer]

@@weekendwannabe4208 is it quite stable in the water for fishing ? What is the beam of the boat at transom waterline ?

[@weekendwannabe4208]

Transom beam about 1.5m. Stability is ok for a small boat two people can stand to one side but obviously need to be careful.

[@williamparrish673]

Man I got itchy just watching the video of the cutting out the gunwales .

[@officialWWM]

You could buy a nice centre console for less than what that cost!

[@charlesstiles8904]

Damn seat alone is $1000

[@charlesstiles8904]

Console another $1000