Raising transom height on 85' 24' offshore

[jbrinch88]

Currently restoring a 24' Offshore and tossing around the idea of re-glassing/coring the transom. It looks to be good, but I'd hate to finish the boat then have to rip apart the transom a year or two later after its fully painted.

I figured since I'm basically doing everything else I might as well do it now. I have the fully open transom setup and was thinking about either raising the whole transom 5"s and running a 30" outboard or just close in the port and starbord sides alittle more.

I've had little to no luck finding any pictures or anyone who has done this. I do like how my 22 has the full transom/bracket and I can see how it is safer when offshore. Unfortunately I don't have enough experience offshore fishing to really have a preference between the two.

Basically I'm trying to make this boat as safe as possible without adding a bracket. I know they usually have a "splash guard" setup but not sure how well they actually work.

Any advice, help, or info is appreciated.

Jason

 

[VeroWing]

I raised the transom height 3" on my 22' Seafarer when I rebuilt the transom. here is a link to project. http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19949
The first 3-4 pages deals with most of the work.

I'll tell you another thing too Jason, about which style boat is safer offshore. Years ago, myself and best friend took a trip to "chicken canyon", around 70-80 miles off Jersey, in my 1985 Seafarer with open transom and single 235hp Evinrude. Also had a 15hp kicker on a bracket. We were well prepared with extra fuel, radios, etc, and noaa was predicting 3' seas subsiding during the day. Our plan was to run straight out to a predetermined area, drift for sharks a while, then run back to dock by GW bridge on the Hudson. We had a following sea and all was going well until we were around 55-60 miles out from Ambrose light, and suddenly winds and seas started increasing very rapidly until we found ourselves in the center of an angry squall. Waves were at 10-12' plus and closely stacked one after another, with a continued downpouring of rain and high winds. We decided to turn back and claw our way back in closer to shore. That's when all hell broke loose and we were running into a fierce head sea of 15+ braking waves, and the boat would just barely get over one and then get flooded by the next one. We tried running in the valleys but waves were stacked so tight we had to climb over at a angle that would not roll us. This went on for hours, and for most of that time I was standing in water at the helm over my ankles. Waves were consistently crashing over bow into cockpit of boat. Both the Loran and VHS radio antennas snapped, as well as bimini top frame ripped out of helm mounts. One wave hit my friend in chest while he was sitting in passenger helm seat, ripping him and seat off of pedestal into the cockpit. he barely stayed in boat. The point of this story is this, for hours the cockpit of my boat was full from waves breaking over bow, with water exiting boat over the top of notched transom, like a waterfall! We had water entering cabin through louvered door and all three bilge pumps were running consistently. We finally fought our way back in following our compass and eventually the sighting of the World Trade center buildings. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that if we were in a closed transom boat that day I would not be here to tell this story. So take it for what its worth, but it is the honest truth.

 

[jbrinch88]

Wow thats pretty crazy. Well those are the two main differences I'm finding in both style. Open/notched transom will clear water fast taken from the bow but will get swamped quick in a following sea if dead in the water/not anchored.

Closed transom will keep water out, but will not shed water as fast from waves taken from the bow. More than likely I will not encounter either scenario as I don't have any plans of taking this boat that far offshore. Maybe 5-10 miles max.

While I have the boat in the stage that it is in I'm trying to figure out every little thing that I can do to make it better.

 

[VeroWing]

I've owned two notched opening Gradys, and two closed transom ones, and have never ever had a problem with water entering into cockpit area on notched opening ones. I have had water come into splash area and up to closed hinged splashwell door. If you have the splashwell door down you may get a wave splash in every now and then, but if you get consistant water into cockpit, then there probably is another problem (i.e. water in bilge, too heavy motors on transom, etc). That would be my learned opinion.

Keep in mind also that if you do end up extending the notch higher on your boat as I did mine, that if you ever get in a similar situation as I was, now there will be that much more weight and water in cockpit before going out drains. That just may be enough more to swamp boat.

 

[DennisG01]

I have a fully closed transom on my boat, but I don't head off quite so far and I have small children and just feel safer with the full transom. However, with no children involved I like the idea of the open transom for the reasons that Vero mentioned, and unfortunately experienced, above. Although, I'm betting you (Vero) learned a WHOLE lot in that crash course - even if you already had a lifetime of experience under your belt.

If you're worried about a dead boat and getting waves over/through the transom, don't be. It won't happen. The waves will be coming over the sides since the boat is going to turn towards a broach (sideways) position. Suggestion: Invest in a sea anchor and practice using it. They work wonders and can be a huge asset to your onboard gear that someday can be (hopefully not needed, like insurance) worth it's weight in gold.

 

[jbrinch88]

I guess im reading too much on the old interwebs without actually experiencing enough. That tends to happen to everyone i guess.

I wasn't sure how well the splash guard actually works. I know the original one was pretty small, I was planning on building a big one out of starboard with rod holders/filet table etc. And I was going to make tracks/grooves for it to slide into on the port and starboard sides as well as the floor. Also was planning on making a few cutouts on the bottom of the splash guard for water to exit out of.

 

[DennisG01]

I was about 15 years old, in a 17' open (just two seats with a stbd-side console) v-hull (it was a Seaway - think Boston Whaler-ish). My brother was 12 and we each had a friend. We were following a couple other boats from a run about 12 miles off to an island off the coast of Maine (Monhegan). On the way back, it started getting choppy and the three of them huddled up in the bow under rain coats. I was having fun, though - getting splashed on every re-entry. Feeling my oats, I saw a large wave forming (maybe 8'-10') from a combination of the weather and the larger boat's wakes. I was running with it, slightly behind. I decided to try and crest the wave and then 'surf' down it with no throttle. Everything was going great until I pulled the throttle back and the boat started sliding down the wave front and then started to turn sideways. Uh-oh! Luckily I gave it throttle and turned out just in time before we rolled (the boat only had a 6' beam, too). As I then settled back in behind the bigger boats for the rest of the trip, I realized that I had truly gotten lucky and I learned at least one way NOT to go down a wave front. Point is, the internet is fine, but there's no substitute for first hand experience. We learn an awful lot in a short period of time through hands-on experience. Sometimes more from doing things wrong, than right.

 

[moorehaven]

Here is the picture of my Offshore transom replacement the previous owner closed in the opening

 

[The_Chain]

I was about 15 years old, in a 17' open (just two seats with a stbd-side console) v-hull (it was a Seaway - think Boston Whaler-ish). My brother was 12 and we each had a friend. We were following a couple other boats from a run about 12 miles off to an island off the coast of Maine (Monhegan). On the way back, it started getting choppy and the three of them huddled up in the bow under rain coats. I was having fun, though - getting splashed on every re-entry. Feeling my oats, I saw a large wave forming (maybe 8'-10') from a combination of the weather and the larger boat's wakes. I was running with it, slightly behind. I decided to try and crest the wave and then 'surf' down it with no throttle. Everything was going great until I pulled the throttle back and the boat started sliding down the wave front and then started to turn sideways. Uh-oh! Luckily I gave it throttle and turned out just in time before we rolled (the boat only had a 6' beam, too). As I then settled back in behind the bigger boats for the rest of the trip, I realized that I had truly gotten lucky and I learned at least one way NOT to go down a wave front. Point is, the internet is fine, but there's no substitute for first hand experience. We learn an awful lot in a short period of time through hands-on experience. Sometimes more from doing things wrong, than right.

Lived in that area my whole childhood..we're u heading back to roundpond, bristol or pemiquid. Monhegan is a beautiful island..set many a commercial lobster traps around that area..to me maine coast is a true boaters heaven