15-footer: Creating a New Wood Interior
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2026 7:55 am
I have a 1980 15-footer with no interior that I am "restoring". It is never going to be a show boat but I would like it to be reasonably nice, and useful for my purposes. My purposes are mainly saltwater river cruising to sandbars with small kids. My boat has the bow rail and separate port and starboard side rails, and a 4 stroke motor.
I have a pile of Sapele (enough to do a 15 Super Sport interior), and I have the Super Sport interior plans from ArcShark3d.
Since I am starting from nothing, Modifications to the original interior plan are trivial.
Thwart height
I plan to raise the rear thwart at least a few inches, and the side console to match. To raise the rear thwart, it sounds like most people place the thwart on top of the side rails (which adds 5 inches?! to the original ~7" height).
Q1: Does the configuration described above cause the thwart side rail assembly to rock side to side like a parallelogram ? If so I could extend the thwart all the way to the inside of the hull to brace things in place, or other bracing.
Wheel angle
The Sport interior has the steering wheel mounted with the wheel horizontal (axis vertical) on top of the console. The SUPER SPORT has the wheel almost vertical (axis horizontal). It seems to me that the horizontal wheel as seen on the SPORT configuration might be easier to use given the relatively low console and thwart and crowding with the knees, but the wheel may interfere with the front thwart passenger. I was thinking of doing something in the middle of the two choices
Q2: what is your preferred angle and configuration for the steering?
Top-mounted remote engine control
My boat came with a very rough DIY center console (now removed) and a top-mounted remote engine control. This will require some woodwork bracing, but I plan to cut a hole in the same plank that the wheel is mounted to, and mount [the top-mountedengine remote control] next to the wheel. Alternatives would be to build a small Sapele "box" attached to the side rail, or to extend the center console toward the stern at the starboard side like an "L" and mount it on that surface. Give me your thoughts about this plan.
Weight distribution I'd like to get weight forward to balance the weight of the Yamaha F50. For now I have a 6 gallon tank and the boat came with a new standard lead battery.
Q3: will [the boat engine cranking] battery fit under the console?
plan to at least get the 6 gallon tank partially under the rear thwart, and the battery as forward as possible and to port as possible to balance the driver weight.
Q4: what battery is the lightest and smallest I can use?
Storage: (adult life jackets, kids toys) The storage compartment of a Super Sport is small and maybe a bit in the way for getting to the rear, but at least it is something.
Q5: If I do not build SUPER SPORT interior aft storage compartment, then where can three adult life jackets be stored?
Sapele finishing
I would rather finish this Sapele in oil and let it gray, rather than incur the labor and time of 10 coats of epifanes and yearly maintenance. It will never be a show boat.
Q6: Is oiled Sapele going to warp or rot in only a couple years?
I have no idea of the longevity of oiled vs varnished sapele. I imagine it would be far easier (and maybe less money) to rebuild the interior, say, every 10 years, rather than maintain varnish and rebuild every 20 years.
I have a pile of Sapele (enough to do a 15 Super Sport interior), and I have the Super Sport interior plans from ArcShark3d.
Since I am starting from nothing, Modifications to the original interior plan are trivial.
Thwart height
I plan to raise the rear thwart at least a few inches, and the side console to match. To raise the rear thwart, it sounds like most people place the thwart on top of the side rails (which adds 5 inches?! to the original ~7" height).
Q1: Does the configuration described above cause the thwart side rail assembly to rock side to side like a parallelogram ? If so I could extend the thwart all the way to the inside of the hull to brace things in place, or other bracing.
Wheel angle
The Sport interior has the steering wheel mounted with the wheel horizontal (axis vertical) on top of the console. The SUPER SPORT has the wheel almost vertical (axis horizontal). It seems to me that the horizontal wheel as seen on the SPORT configuration might be easier to use given the relatively low console and thwart and crowding with the knees, but the wheel may interfere with the front thwart passenger. I was thinking of doing something in the middle of the two choices
Q2: what is your preferred angle and configuration for the steering?
Top-mounted remote engine control
My boat came with a very rough DIY center console (now removed) and a top-mounted remote engine control. This will require some woodwork bracing, but I plan to cut a hole in the same plank that the wheel is mounted to, and mount [the top-mountedengine remote control] next to the wheel. Alternatives would be to build a small Sapele "box" attached to the side rail, or to extend the center console toward the stern at the starboard side like an "L" and mount it on that surface. Give me your thoughts about this plan.
Weight distribution I'd like to get weight forward to balance the weight of the Yamaha F50. For now I have a 6 gallon tank and the boat came with a new standard lead battery.
Q3: will [the boat engine cranking] battery fit under the console?
plan to at least get the 6 gallon tank partially under the rear thwart, and the battery as forward as possible and to port as possible to balance the driver weight.
Q4: what battery is the lightest and smallest I can use?
Storage: (adult life jackets, kids toys) The storage compartment of a Super Sport is small and maybe a bit in the way for getting to the rear, but at least it is something.
Q5: If I do not build SUPER SPORT interior aft storage compartment, then where can three adult life jackets be stored?
Sapele finishing
I would rather finish this Sapele in oil and let it gray, rather than incur the labor and time of 10 coats of epifanes and yearly maintenance. It will never be a show boat.
Q6: Is oiled Sapele going to warp or rot in only a couple years?
I have no idea of the longevity of oiled vs varnished sapele. I imagine it would be far easier (and maybe less money) to rebuild the interior, say, every 10 years, rather than maintain varnish and rebuild every 20 years.