[James Brown]

Any opinions, good or bad, on putting a plywood beavertail in the front of the water craft for standing on in quiet water?

Considering cutting a marine plywood to shape and liquid nail it to a construction foam 2 inches or so thick. Put it foam down on the self bailing floor and make the person in front sit down on the cooler when rocks pop up.

I don't really have the D-rings, without gluing a couple more down, to hang it the proper way.

Bad idea, good idea?

 

[LongmontRafter]

I have used my beavertail board as a casting platform but I hung it from the Drings and the frame so as to not rest on the floor...assuming you have a frame

 

[captishmael]

What kind of Craft are you talking about, exactly?

 

[ZGjethro]

the fishing is better in the class 2 though. it would be nice to have a basket to strip line into and to lean on. If you flyfish. I'd D-ring it if it was my boat

 

[ciggyboy]

I'd add some D-rings and hang it from them and your frame if you have one. It will be more stable for whoever is standing on it if its hanging from the top of the boat vs sitting on the floor. Also even if you use construction adhesive made for foam I'm guessing that over the long haul it might not stick to the plywood that great when constantly exposed to water. I've had a floor in the bow of my boat hanging from a strap off of each corner of the front of my frame and a couple on the front d-rings and it works great - real stable.

 

[Stiff N' Wett]

When your put a board in the bow its called a "Platypus Bill"

 

[James Brown]

I'd add some D-rings and hang it from them and your frame if you have one. It will be more stable for whoever is standing on it if its hanging from the top of the boat vs sitting on the floor. Also even if you use construction adhesive made for foam I'm guessing that over the long haul it might not stick to the plywood that great when constantly exposed to water. I've had a floor in the bow of my boat hanging from a strap off of each corner of the front of my frame and a couple on the front d-rings and it works great - real stable.

Good points. Guess I should just stick on a couple of D rings. Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[James Brown]

I'd add some D-rings and hang it from them and your frame if you have one. It will be more stable for whoever is standing on it if its hanging from the top of the boat vs sitting on the floor. Also even if you use construction adhesive made for foam I'm guessing that over the long haul it might not stick to the plywood that great when constantly exposed to water. I've had a floor in the bow of my boat hanging from a strap off of each corner of the front of my frame and a couple on the front d-rings and it works great - real stable.

I rigged a new beaver to the front of the raft...D ring in front and straps off the cross bars in the back. The thing shakes like a cold puppy when I stand on it suspended in air. Do you have air between your raft and new wood stand, or is it resting on the floor enough to give it friction stability? I have room for a couple of additional D rings on the two sides so I could actually set it up with five support points. Talk about over kill.

 

[captishmael]

I think a removable Fishing Thigh Brace will accomplish your goal better than a rigid floor. You'd have 3 Point stability and the benefits of simplicity to boot. With the thigh brace, your feet will move, your upper body will not. With a rigid floor the opposite is true.

 

[James Brown]

I think a removable Fishing Thigh Brace will accomplish your goal better than a rigid floor. You'd have 3 Point stability and the benefits of simplicity to boot. With the thigh brace, your feet will move, your upper body will not. With a rigid floor the opposite is true.

You are right. Finished varnishing the floor, hung it an inch off the floor, put the knee brace back on and it is as stable as it needs to be. When standing forward it pushes the back up against the dry box/seat which gives even more stability. Good to go! Thanks for the advice.

 

[ciggyboy]

I rigged a new beaver to the front of the raft...D ring in front and straps off the cross bars in the back. The thing shakes like a cold puppy when I stand on it suspended in air. Do you have air between your raft and new wood stand, or is it resting on the floor enough to give it friction stability? I have room for a couple of additional D rings on the two sides so I could actually set it up with five support points. Talk about over kill.

I do have a dry box in my front bay which I used to have my floor extend under about 1"-2" which gave it fairly good stability. I recently cut my floor down and now I just rig a few extra straps to pull the floor back and against the edge of the drybox. With a couple of straps up front it's super stable and doesn't move around at all. Hope that helps.