Revamping an aluminum utility boat

[Spud]

Last fall I built a stitch and glue skiff and got some great advice from this forum. You talked me out of trying to use sandwiched foam and put me on to the right plywood. I finished it in March and it is a beautiful little boat that is a joy to fly fish in. This morning I bought a motor for it, but wound up taking a very sound Alumacraft 16' utility boat with it.

I have been thinking about building a lapstrake V hull this winter, but I like the hull configuration of this boat. If I could remove the benches, put in a floor and pedestals or a U shaped rear seat like the one in my skiff (six foot long seats on both sides joined to form a cross-beam seat at the mid line), and a bow casting deck, I would just use this hull.

Is anyone experienced with the process/difficulties of removing the aluminum bench seats and flotation and then installing a floor and/or attaching wood seats in a semi-V hull and willing to provide some ideas? For instance, are the benches likely to be glued in or will the come off if I just drill the rivets? What structure should be used to support the flooring? How should it be attached to the hull? How can I bond a wood seat to the sides or could I preserve the brackets that now hold the benches and attach to them and not have to bond to the sides?

[Gilbert]

It would help to get responses if you posted a few pictures.

[Spud]

Thanks, Gilbert. I don't have the boat on hand right now,but have gotten some ideas from another thread. If I can't get it worked out, I'll post some pics after I get the boat into my shop.

[Spud]

Here's what the threads here and my research have led me to. 1. Remove boat seats by drilling out rivets, applying gentle heat to loosen adhesive and driving glued parts apart with a narrow wedge. 2. Abrade aluminum by sanding or wire brush and apply West Marine's Aluminum Etching Kit #860 to delay oxidation and enhance adhesion. 3. Apply epoxy and fiberglass cloth tabbing to install wood parts and epoxy and rivets to install metal parts.

Thanks to all who helped me work this out.