Weight Distribution

I am working on my 16' aluminum boat. Its a semi v I guess you would call it, about 3/4 of it is flat bottom. I have stripped it to the bare hull. I am trying to figure out where the best place for the two batteries, 6 gallon fuel tank, and live well should go. I plan on having a 30-40 hp tiller outboard and of course a trolling motor. I have decided on all aluminum decking and i plan to do all the welding myself (lots of welding experience). I know aluminum is crazy expensive but its cheaper than buying a new boat. I was going to use a center console but i like to keep things simple. I also plan on building or buying flotation pods to weld on the transom. I normally fish in shallow water pretty much all thats left in central Florida. I appreciate any advice or input. Sorry if I have left out any details, and if this is a repetitive question. I have search this site for a while now. Thanks again for your time.......

 

Depends on a few things i'd say, including whether you will have crew to use as "ballast", whether you are jockey or sumo wrestler size, and I think whether the boat has a generous waterline beam or not. If it is narrow, you may need to be more judicious about where added weight goes. Sounds to me you should move what you can up toward the middle at least, unless you have "victims" to seat forward to improve the balance !

 

Weight locations is what small craft design is all about and a pretty complicated thing to explain in a format like this.

Generally, you have a trim setting you'd like the boat live with. This gets the CG where you need it, for the preformance envelop you expect. The major weights are moved around to get the CG about where you'd like, then adjustments can be made by shifting smaller, movable things, like batteries or tanks , so you get what you need.

On a small boat like yours, where you're married to a couple of hundred pounds on the transom and tiller steering, adding another couple of hundred pounds very near the transom, you'll likely want things midship or slightly forward of this, but this is a huge guess, not knowing anything about your boat but it's length and bottom type. Tiller steering works on small craft, but you're in the range where getting the skipper further towards the middle of the boat is desirable, from a balance point of view.

 

I have the same boat or at least close.its a 1648 MV jon.i have a 60/40hp jet its at about 270 lbs.i also have 2 batterys and a 5 gallon gas at the rear.
my concole is at the middle bench,i've also re worked the bow area with a larger casting platform and a power anchor undernieth.I'm 240lbs and by myself going up river i'm a little bow heavy, i have to trim the motor up.With another passenger in the back it rides nice with just a little trim.
When i go by myself it rides very nice if i move back about 2 feet but i have to reach for the wheel then.
hope this helps.

 

This is all very good input. The beam is 60". Im am 215lbs. I am leaning towards having most of the load mid ship and aft. With addition to the flotation pods on the stern. I "think" it should be what im looking for. Ive looked at different new boat designs but there are so many.

Thanks

 

Without a weight study, you'll just be guessing and moving things around come launch day. Again, with a skipper aft on a tiller steered boat, you'll have some issues, so don't bolt anything down on launch day, so you can move things around. A center console will naturally provide more balance, though you'll have to install remote steering and controls too.

 

Two batteries represents a substantial fixed weight in a 16 foot alum. boat, fuel and live well etc weights will vary. Move the batteries forward is an easy fix, imo.

 

heres a pic .i once sat at the back by myself with the throttle full and steered by leaning,the boat flew with only a little trim.also what you can't see is the 45lb anchor hanging off the bow.