2004 Nitro 188 Sport Deck Insert!

[lucasm01]

Hey, I finally landed a boat. Thanks to everyone who gave some advice. Now that I have it, I was wondering if anyone has made a front deck extension that slips in for a bigger deck. I will break my neck setting the hook with the walkway there. I see on mine that there is a little lip, I was going to make one out of marine plywood and carpet it to match. I guess Nitro no longer makes them.

Has anyone made one of these or know someone who has? Any help would be great. Pictures too if you have them. I talked to some shops, and they said they could make one for $500, which seems steep....

Thanks guys.

[rhundemer]

I have one in my boat currently. I have a Nitro 185 FS. The guy I bought it from had it in there already but basically it's just a 1 3/4" thick piece of plywood. I am going to make a new one when I re-carpet my boat. Thinking of adding a support piece underneath that rests on the floor of the boat. Also going to add a deck plate to it so I can move the seat back about 6" to give me some more room.

[MasterCASTER!]

I made one for my old 288 Sport - just made a cardboard template, then used plywood I had laying around and carpeted it. Worked like a charm. It was pressure fit - never blew out or even moved in the 7 years I had it.

[lucasm01]

Great! Thank you guys. That was my plan. To just use marine plywood and carpet it. Just didnt know if it was fine top rest on the lips of the compartments up front, or if it needed a support under it. I'll start with just letting it sit and see how it goes, can always add a support if needed. Thank you rhund and mastercaster!

[rhundemer]

Yeah support will always help! I was actually thinking about making basically a box and then adding rod holders. I need to check and see what sort of clearance I would need to cut holes for the piping, but man I need to solve my rod storage problem!!

[MasterCASTER!]

I didn't use any support - and never had a problem. Actually the very first deck insert I made - I made out of cabinet doors I had laying around. I just wanted to do a test run with them and see. They ended up working so nice, that I left it in for about 3 years until the cabinets started swelling from being wet. Then I used 2 pieces of 1/2" birch plywood I had laying around. I waterproofed them and then carpeted......and it was in the boat the day I sold it 4 years later. Because it was pressure fit in there on 3 sides by the other compartments, I added pull tabs to the compartments to help raise the lids. Sometimes I'd even have to pull up the insert - but that was ok with me. I knew it would never fly out.....and it never did.

[lucasm01]

I was thinking of either adding tabs to the compartments up front, or just cut out small pieces on the insert for me to reach my hand into and lift the adjacent compartments.

I have a 3/4" peice of plywood I am going to use for the insert, but i think I will need to add another piece of 1/2" to make it level with the deck. Mine is 1 1/2", so i figure 1 1/4" of plywood and a 1/4" of carpet.

Has anyone figured out good rod storage??? I am fine having my rods on the deck while im fishing, but I cant get into the long storage compartment where all my plastics are when the rods are on the deck. I'm tempted to convert my long front storage compartment into 3 separate flip up doors so my rods can stay on the sides of the deck and I can open the middle compartment without having to move all my rods. Something to think about!

Today I am starting the install of my new graphs! a 998 SI and a Helix 7 DI. Wish me luck running wire!! :)

[MasterCASTER!]

I don't know how your 188 is set up, but my 288 - the rod lockers were next to the driver and passenger seats. The passenger side is where I kept all my rods, since the drivers side had alot of wires and steering controls in there. I kept like 12 rods in there and the longest being 7'11". I never had an issue with rod storage. But that may be the difference between the two - length.

[Fishing Addict]

I don't know how your 188 is set up, but my 288 - the rod lockers were next to the driver and passenger seats. The passenger side is where I kept all my rods, since the drivers side had alot of wires and steering controls in there. I kept like 12 rods in there and the longest being 7'11". I never had an issue with rod storage. But that may be the difference between the two - length.

Same setup. That's where I kept my rods in my 188. Just make sure you're either using rod socks, or take your line and wrap it around the guides once or twice to keep the rods from tangling together.

[lucasm01]

Addict,
were you able to fit 7'+ rods in your 188? I havent tried yet, but the side compartments seem to short for my bass rods.

[Fishing Addict]

Addict,
were you able to fit 7'+ rods in your 188? I havent tried yet, but the side compartments seem to short for my bass rods.

Yes. I can't recall off of the top of my head how I loaded everything in there, but it seems I had a system, or basic order in which I loaded them in there. All I remember is that my spinning rods went in first.

Also, there were times that I'd load them in the under floor ski locker as well, depending on what we were using the boat for that particular day.