First Post, Intro and Questions

[Cape Codder]

This is my first post bear with me.

Before I start I want to say thanks to everyone, this forum is a great source of information on everything Aquasport. 

My story, I bought a 1994 225 Explorer a couple years ago and have been slowly making upgrades and enjoying it ever since.  I live in the Seattle area and do most of my boating in Puget Sound.   This past May I trailered Cape Codder to La Push, WA and went halibut fishing.  First day went out 30 miles and got skunked, second day followed another boat 50 miles offshore and got our limit.  Both days were a pounding bone jarring slamfest in 4-6 foot seas, granted I was running about 15-17mph, but it's still 3 hours of misery.  Spray and white water coming up the windshield and over the bimini.  When I got back I realized I needed some upgrades to make it more tolerable.

The acrylic hatch leading down to the v berth, anyway to keep this from slamming?  Don't really want to close the door and lock it down for safety reasons.  Rubber gasket? Bumpers? Seems like it strikes on the top edge.  I've replaced the air springs which I thought would solve problem but it didn't.

I'm also considering installing some sort of radar arch just to use as a place to hold on to.  My bimini is new but you can't hang on it for support.  Anybody have suggestions for offshore upgrades?

Thanks again for the great site.

Cape Codder




 

[RickK]

  aboard CC - nice fish
There is not much you can do for your guests to hang onto unless you invest in a hard top (or a bunch of grab bars).  And then you have to re-do the eisenglass    4-6 ft seas in just about any boat is going to be tough.  Depending on the period of the waves slowing down may have been the only saving grace.  But like you said, you had 50 miles to go.

Does your cabin lid have two locks on it?  Uses a freezer lock key.  That should keep it from going crazy slamming but they do have a little slop to them, at least my 230 door does.  Maybe putting a strip of foam weather stripping on the plexi where it will touch the frame of the hatch should help.

[Capt. Bob]

Welcome aboard CC.

I'm not sure why you want the bi-fold door to the cabin in the open position while underway. I don't know of any simple device to hold the hatch down against the top of the door. I close mine and secure the hatch with a barrel bolt (easier/faster than the key lock) when moving any good distance.

As stated, a hard top is the most common route for handholds and hardware mounting but....
Here's an interesting thread on a radar arch install over an existing Bimini top and enclosure.  Different model but the theory would be the same. Read the entire thread for the install and several other member arches on different models.

http://classicaquasport.com/smf/index.php?topic=10040.0

Good luck

PS..... Nice door mat!

[Cape Codder]

Thanks for the advice guys, it was my first time offshore in my boat.  I can only compare the ride to a friends GW Gulfstream which is at least 1500lbs heavier.  I probably should slow down and just close the door.  My buddies didn't want to wear pfd's so I left door open in case they needed them.  I think next time I'll just tell them if they want to fish they have to wear them and lock the door.  They should have them on anyway that far offshore.

[RickK]

My buddies didn't want to wear pfd's so I left door open in case they needed them.  I think next time I'll just tell them if they want to fish they have to wear them and lock the door.  They should have them on anyway that far offshore.

Indeed - especially in those kind of seas.

[fitz73222]

I've done some clever things with hook and loop fasteners to keep things tamed and from slamming. No holes just adhesive. Maybe in two areas where the hatch makes contact with the cap. The cowlings on my 115 Mercs have a pop up door to gain access to the oil tanks and would pop open going down the road from the wind. A little hook and loop fastener on the door and on the inside of the cowling ledge fixed the problem. You won't need much to keep the hatch from slamming. They work!

[Callyb]

Fitz, that is such a simple and awesome solution. I'm putting that in the memory bank. Thanks!