cutting out thwarts?

[yonderpaul]

Just got a screaming deal on a used raft/frame. My intended use is fishing and overnighters. Id like a bit more room for storing gear. Question: The boat has attached thwarts. Can I cut them out and use coolers/dryboxes with the frame instead? Or is that the worst idea I ever had? I will never use it for a paddle boat.

Thanks!

[Snowhere]

What raft do you have?

[yonderpaul]

Originally Posted by Snowhere

What raft do you have?

It's a 12.5' standard floor with 2 fixed thwarts. It's got Sportsmans Warehouse branded on it, but I don't know who the actual manufacturer was. It's in excellent condition-well stored and cared for.

[oarboatman]

Use a heat gun and unglue them. That way if you decide to put them back in you can order the NRS thwart attachment system and glue the system on. Then you will have removable thwarts.

Originally Posted by yonderpaul

Just got a screaming deal on a used raft/frame. My intended use is fishing and overnighters. Id like a bit more room for storing gear. Question: The boat has attached thwarts. Can I cut them out and use coolers/dryboxes with the frame instead? Or is that the worst idea I ever had? I will never use it for a paddle boat.

Thanks!

[yonderpaul]

Originally Posted by oarboatman

Use a heat gun and unglue them. That way if you decide to put them back in you can order the NRS thwart attachment system and glue the system on. Then you will have removable thwarts.

Good advice. Will a "thwartless" standard-floor raft with just a frame and coolers, etc for crossmembers be stable? Do you think I'll sacrifice much performance? Thanks.

[oarboatman]

You shouldn't have any problems. If you put 4 D rings on the inside to strap the frame on it will help with lateral stability. This will keep you from having to run it full of coolers and dryboxes all the time. What size is the boat? I know where you can get a cheap SB floor if it would fit. Good luck and happy glue sniffing

[WalshJuice]

Rather than cutting them out you could save yourself the headache and just deflate them. Just be sure the valves are closed.

[miker]

I cut out my Riken thwarts with no problem. They are actually sewn in. So all it took was a razorblade. Then we installed the NRS knuckles by gluing them right over the thwart patches.