Bob, you must have read my mind. Actually I plan on glassing in a spot for a H2O proof battery box in the forward upper portion of that hole you see there; for a LION battery (think small size and light weight). The yak came with bulkheads, the forward one I cut out for rod storage. The hole right in front of the seat is for an aftermarket hatch, I simply removed it while doing this project. The second bulkhead is right behind the seat, then there is a very large storage area right behind the seat accessible from a round hatch cover topside and a third bulkhead closing it off to the rest of the rear of the yak. Since the drive housing will span the top and bottom sides of the yak, I don't think I'll need any additional reinforcing; but if necessary I could easily add a center post right in front of the hatch after the fact.
I was going to start working on a mold for a built in bait tank just to the rear of the rear storage; so I can keep the weight low, wind resistance down, always have it available, and have one less thing to tie down. I'll add some vertical rod storage/holders while I'm working on it. Basically, while I'm cutting it up, I want to take the time to turn in into a full fledged fishing machine. Now how do I get someone to donate a new HDS/gps unit
As far as a maiden voyage, I have no idea, it's not a small project, not the first thing on my long list of things to do; but I'm giving it some priority and will continue to plug away at it, weather permitting.