Has this been done before?
 

I was wanting to scratch build a scale offshore center console fishing boat. These are the boats with the triple 375 Mercury outboards. I would like to build one that most resembles a Donzi 38 ZFC(http://www.donzimarine.com/).
I will be using a 36" ABS plastic hull that came from a kit i bought of ebay just for this purpose. I have already seperated the top half of the hull from the bottem. I will have to scratch build everything else from the floor,center console, canopy top,seats and reinforce the transom to handle 3 Graupner GTX 650 outboard motors. The only problem is with all of the space that these boats are supossed to provide, where do i put my batteries ,ECS , servos,reciever?

If you have any ideas or comments please post

RE: Has this been done before?
 

Racereed,

I like your idea for a center console fishing boat. With a 36" hull, you should have plenty of space to do what you want. On a few center console boats that I have been on, toward the bow is usually a place where there is a small rise with a platform that would have a cushon on it for sitting. that would be a good place to hide the ESC or receiver if you put in a hatch. I would guess to make the console also removable so that you could put one of those items in there as well. For Batteries, maybe make a large removable hatch just forward the console for battery storage. I'm guessing shop around for flat battery packs that would power the 3 motors and use their dimensions to determine floor height. Lipos would probably be a good solution.

On my father's full sized center console fishing boat, he has a door on the right of the console, when you open it, you step down into a head with porter potty & sink. Just forward the console, he has a bench for sitting that doubles as a cooler and forward that toward the bow is the rise with the cushon.

Just as an idea to hide your RC gear.

-Rich

RE: Has this been done before?
 

Dude easy, make the floor in the boat sit higher than it would actually be, wouldn't have to be much just 1/2" - 3/4" considering the size it will be barely noticeable unless you pull out a ruler. This will give you a tonne of room under the deck. Then just put all the goodies along the keel where the V is where the gas tanks are in the real boat , make sure it is sealed good are and your fishing. Low CG, easy to remove entire floor panel and more sealed volume in case of water comes into the deck cavity.

I moded a toy dollar store boat like this before, and if you aren't careful water gets in the deck cavity and she sits real low and/or sinks.

Cheers,