Can You Raise The Sides Of Your Boat?

[shefford]

I'm considering raising the walls at the back of the boat for extra precaution encase a wave breaks out at sea or crossing the bar to minimize the amount of water on the boat.

Ive talked to a guy @ riveria boats and quintrex tinnys on the gold coast that work on the factory line.

They suggest not using materials like fibreglass/marine ply as the extra weight will add up and thus the extra height will be minimumal gain.

They suggested extending the rails which I will do anyway at the front and back, and use some vineyl or somthing to displace water when breaching a wave so to speak.

Have any raiders got this sort of system on their boats, did you buy the stanchions yourself? or get someone else to do it.

I realize most of you have massive boats, but I'm sure there is a few of you guys out there with smaller tinnys etc.

Also would another material on the outskirts of the rails as the gunwales are approx 6 inches + wide, like carbon fiber for example 200mm high by 10mm thick be worth having as well? As an artificial wall.

(pics are the day we got the boat, cleaned it up a bit now! including chopping off the end of the trailer and adding new freshly galved structure and ground back the axle and re galv painted it.

It's hard to explain what its like in the boat, but i'd hate to be hit side on by a rogue wave.

Anyone got any ideas?

[pelican]

Heaps of people on here have small boats so I wouldn't worry about that.

Best advice is to have the right boat for the right conditions and your fishing style to start with. I would never be reliant on a rail and canvas to raise my gunnel height to prevent the rogue wave scenario. Spray yes. Originally the manufacturer designed the bottom of the hull for a purpose ( flat for river punt to deep v for open water with self draining deck and high freeboard for example and strength of rest of boat as well) and generally put appropriate side gunnel height on your boat to give it enough freeboard in those conditions. Putting rails and canvas may stop some spray and slop coming in for comfort but shouldn't be thought of as a measure to get you out in conditions or water that it shouldn't be in to start with. You would still need bigger bilge pumps etc if it wasn't self draining and floatation foam if seriously wanting to avoid a worrst case disaster.

Your mates advice is correct in saying that whenever you modify a boat it creates another compromise as you add weight and change the dynamics of the boat hence his initial suggestion of lightweight option.

Like anything on a boat if it is there make sure it is structural as one day you or a mate are going to want to hang on to it or hang something off it and you don't want it breaking or not being durable.

With thoughts of raising at the engine splash well height at the transom it may possible stop a swamping of deck from a rogue wave but because the engine and transom weren't designed you may well end up with a swamped motor anyway. Newer designs have higher transoms and run long and extra long motors. Basically if the hull doesn't have enough buoyancy in the back and you don't have enough freeboard the hull is out in the wrong water conditions.

With all things that are structural on boats like railings get a local boatbuilder to make them up as it is not only the skill in making them look OK it is the fitting of them , bracing with suitable backing and through bolting them with all the little bits of hardware that takes ages to sort out unless you do it everyday. Even better with an ally as you can have them welded on so they are secure once and for ever.

I would get the boat out in the water you want to fish on a calm day and see how it handles and carefully find out with an experienced friend what it good and bad characteristics are before considering any mods.

What brand is /was it as blokes on here have probably owned one and can tell you what quirks the hull design had and what conditions it was OK in??

Once you know the what the boats hull name is a quick search on the boats for sale websites usually throws some sister boats with photos that will have already been modified. Wouldn't mess a seller around but if you called them a lot of blokes ( even boatyards) are happy to have a chat about their boat and what it is or isn't good for.

Lot cheaper to ask and then use the boat for what it was designed for and then upgrade if required as often modified boats are very slow sellers and are heavily discounted by buyers unless it is professionally done.

Be good to see the photos as you get it all cleaned up and going.

[squizzytaylor]

Pelican, freeboard can be overated (now that should get some bites) I have owned and fished out of long boats (banana boats) for many years and in PNG it was not uncommon for us to head out 40+ miles into the Huon Gulf in these rigs looking for Yellow Fin and Beakies and never a problem that would have not been had with most other rigs, Whilst they may not have excessive freeboard they are extremely bouyant and rise and fall easily with the sea and due to the hull shape when on the plane your bow should be about 3-4ft above the water which lends the boats extremely well to light bar work, the critical factor is to have adequate power for the rig (minimum of 40hp on a 19ft boat, ideally 50). This will allow the boat to get out of trouble when required, The boat in the picture below was equipped with 120L fuel, outriggers, 100litre livewell, and we frequently went out with 3 people.

Cheers

Geoff

[Dreamtime]

Pelican, freeboard can be overated (now that should get some bites) I have owned and fished out of long boats (banana boats) for many years and in PNG

Whilst they may not have excessive freeboard they are extremely bouyant and rise and fall easily with the sea and due to the hull shape when on the plane your bow should be about 3-4ft above the water which lends the boats extremely well to light bar work, the critical factor is to have adequate power for the rig (minimum of 40hp on a 19ft boat, ideally 50). This will allow the boat to get out of trouble when required, The boat in the picture below was equipped with 120L fuel, outriggers, 100litre livewell, and we frequently went out with 3 people.

Cheers

Geoff

Hi Geoff,

Shared your experiences in PNG and thought we were bullet-proof.

Boat pictured below belonged to a mate whom I went out with regularly.

100Hp 4 stroke, 15hp aux

4 months ago, 5 people on board, had exactly the problem that Pelican mentioned. Whereas it had no problem with bow height, travelling across a pretty nasty chop, the water kept "lapping" over the gunwales amidship, and was too much for the 2 bilge pumps to handle.

Needless to say, it sank, fortunately within about 50 metres from shore. Poor bugger though, punched a hole through the side of the block as the engine was still running when it submerged.

The skipper is an experienced man and took charters several times a week.

Cheers

Edited May 26, 2008 by Mariner 31

[squizzytaylor]

Interesting mariner, I guess the conditions in PNG are more slop than chop if that makes sense, I must say though that I have never felt unsafe in the longboats though, I know that some have gone down in the Islands but were generally way overloaded.

geoff

[shefford]

Yea we got a 60hp on ours.

Its so amazing how it rides through big swell and how fast it goes.

But yea that side chop is a bit of a worry, going to stick to 1 metre swell avg max going out in.

[pelican]

I like them a lot in the right conditions and have used one that club has for laying racing buoys as it has lots of deckspace and we don't have to deflate them all. There is a whole lot of sligtly different hull shapes and some that are dual skin with foam like a boston some with sealed floor. We overload it at times taking crew to boats but are yet to sink it unlike just about every other thing but the prior one (different design) we had was a dog unless going fast. They offer a great ride in swells that are well spaced but I am more careful in slop when turning or running beam on to swell as we take some water. We have very large volume bilge pumps as often you can't choose the angle to pull up anchor buoys as boat is chockas. Slop at the stern with a couple of fat blokes pulling up an anchor means we work fast and rely on the pumps. Increasing the height might work but do you do the sides or transom and best not to be in those conditions stationary as we have had quite a bit of moisture under the cowl but we think it was spray being sucked in and water in where the cables go in.

Really capable lagoon boat and inter island as they are easy to build and take a good load but........ we still take the other club boat out when it is sloppy to get buoys even though it is slower it has a icebox with rations!!!!

Pel

PS hey Mariner - how is the old tub going- shafts and skegs over there yet and being fitted?? Hope it works out for you