#1, the wife is scared shitless of the motor. last time she burned the crap out of her leg.  now she doesnt even want to climb in from the back.

#2. it'll probably keep the engine bay a little tidier.  right now since its open we throw anything and everything back there.  life jackets, coolers, dead hookers.  you name it, thats where it ends up at. 


anyone have any pix of a 18 footer boat with an engine hatch that doesnt look like a giant mountain?  id want to keep it as flat as possible, no huge bumps in it, im fine if the tops of the exhaust and carb/scoop poke out of the middle. 

wtf should i build it out of?  do i start with like a 2x8 and then cut the curve into it?  how should i make the rounded corners? id like to be able to stand on it without worrying but then again i dont want it to weight 600 pounds.  is there a lightweight wood thats strong? 

since i have the side seats, should i have a middle cushion and back part made so that the seats wrap around into a small bench? 

You need to find some pics of Hallet Dave's "Root Beer Float", the upholstery is awsome and it has some of the items you're looking for.

My boat before this one I converted it to a bench and 2 buckets. The engine and back cover were almost flat, with two storage doors, one on each side. My wife liked it better than the original interior (didn't love it). The problem we had was that it is difficult to get into the boat from the back with the bimini up. I limbo like a mofo now though.

Wrap the wood in fiberglass to increase the strength of thinner wood. If you keep the inward facing seats you can still add support for the hatch. Still pretty easily too.