1984 248 Fisherman

Hello Everybody,
as you can tell I am new here and was hoping to get some valuable insight on my boat. About two years ago I purchased an 1984 wellcraft 248 fisherman with twin 1999 suzuki dt 140's for the sole purpose on fishing offshore. Well the years have gone by and getting through all the little gremlins, I am finally at a point of doing some major upgrades to the old girl. My first course of action is to close in the half transom and get an outboard bracket to try and gain a little performance out of those motors. The next project is the biggie and I was wondering if anybody has ever done this before and that is removing the forward cuddy cabin. I know on a lot of boats (contender, whitewater, etc.) this is a pretty easy process to have done. Has anybody ever heard of this being done on one of these boats?

Thanks,

Sean

[THEFERMANATOR]

If this is the center console version with a forward cuddy, you will have your work cut out for you. The cuddy cabins in teh WELLCRAFT 248's are built pretty solidly down into the hull utilizing pretty much all the sapce there. Plus that version is pretty rare and fetches a good premium like it is.

Yes it is the CC version with the forward cuddy, I didn't know that they were rare, I guess you learn something new everyday. I wasn't sure if it was a easy removal or if anybody has done it. my better judgement tells me to leave it alone, its in really good shape, I just wanted the room

Originally Posted by THEFERMANATOR

If this is the center console version with a forward cuddy, you will have your work cut out for you. The cuddy cabins in teh WELLCRAFT 248's are built pretty solidly down into the hull utilizing pretty much all the sapce there. Plus that version is pretty rare and fetches a good premium like it is.

[reelapeelin]

Originally Posted by se235880

Yes it is the CC version with the forward cuddy, I didn't know that they were rare, I guess you learn something new everyday. I wasn't sure if it was a easy removal or if anybody has done it. my better judgement tells me to leave it alone, its in really good shape, I just wanted the room

Trust your better judgement on this one...that cabin is an integral part of the structural integrity of you bow...removing it is relatively easy...replacing the strength it places across the hull from one side to the other will be difficult to put back...

And I gotta tell you, the performance gains will be marginal at best by filling in the transom and hanging your Zukes from a bracket...if the transom is rotted out and needs to be replaced anyway, then yeah...but I wouldn't fill in a perfectly good tranny, complete w/the additional weight of more 'glass and bracket, to pick up the small amount of performance...

Most of the posts here encourage repairs and upgrades, but yours sounds more like a nice boat, that needs TLC and as much use as is that you can put on it...JMHO...

[THEFERMANATOR]

Yep, that center console with forward cuddy is pretty rare. Don't let CTT hear that you want to cut the cuddy off, he LOVES that hull like it is. And the cabin portion of that hull ties right down to the stringers all theway up into the cap. Most boats the cuddy is just part of the top cap, but the 248"s are differrent. You would be money ahead to get a 230 or 228 in a center console version if you want just a center console and then sell your FISHERMEN and pocket the difference.