Hey folks. New to this but have been checking my 3 pages a day until I got registered and y’all have so much great info. Long story short, I’m not a boat person but my dad is considering gifting us his old 19-6 (late 70s) center console that’s been his passion project since we were kids. We used to go out and catch snapper in the gulf as kids in it and I really want to take it off his hands and do right by both him and the boat. We wouldn’t be taking it offshore anymore, just using it in the lakes of west Texas. He’s replaced the tank and said he had the transom checked out and it’s in great shape, so we at least have that going for us.
Main things I want to do are make it more family friendly. I’ll add a bow rail, bow cushions, update the Bimini and add a bow cover too and y’all have given me tons of good information on these already I should be able to do. These other mods I want to add on but have questions. I know I’m trying I turn a true fishing boat into a family fish and ski, but hey it’s a free boat, so why not?
1. Skiing/tubing. Anybody used theirs for this? Thinking a rope harness to the transom eyelets is the cheapest easiest way, but wouldn’t mind adding an elevated eye over the outboard. Worried the transom night not last as long if I yank on it regularly with tubes. What do you guys use? If any?
2. Foldout seatbacks for sitting on the bow. Seen examples of these online. Just wondering what the drawbacks would be.
3. I don’t want to raise the transom and don’t think I have the time to learn serious fiberglass work. Is there a way to put some kind of barrier back there to keep little ones from tumbling out?
These are just some first questions. Any advice you guys have would be great. Thanks!
