Auxiliary Rear Station Build

From past fishing experiences, I've learned that quick changes in speed and direction are often required when retrieving a hooked fish.

- Alvin Gall

Having a control station on the fishing deck of our Trophy 2359 would make for a more enjoyable fishing experience. Since we've been underutilizing our bait well, we chose to sacrifice it and built a new rear station in its place.

In our new rear station, we needed to have controls for our primary motor, hydraulic steering and 20 hp auxiliary motor. Our primary motor shifter and throttle up front in the cabin are electronically controlled, so adding a second set of controls nearer the stern was just a matter of ordering a few parts and connecting them. The same for the hydraulic steering. The 20 hp auxiliary motor, however, is primarily used for trolling, so we decided its only set of controls could be at the rear station.

Not having undertaken a project like this before, there was a lot of information to ramp up on. I read related sections of The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction, I read through projects in Epoxyworks, searched the internet for similar projects, and watched online videos.

Building a Plug

Armed with my knowledge, I sketched plans and revised again, and again. In my fabrication facility (aka, my garage), I made a mock-up of the dash out of scraps of wood to ensure the wheel, throttle, and shift levers were spaced appropriately. Using an oscillating saw, I cut the live bait well out of the boat about 4" above the deck to allow for a toe kick and 2" from the rear bulkhead to leave a flange for attaching the rear station to the hull.