Mooring Problem

Perroboy · 12 April 2021, 09:51

Got a 2004 5.3 Destroyer with very low hours Suzuki 90. I live by the coast and prefer to keep rhib on a swinging mooring in summer. Problem is lack of freeboard. In any kind of swell the boat fills with water. Already had to move battery up high to stop it getting fried. The transom has been cut out by previous owner and there is only a few inches of freeboard. Dont think an auto bilge pump would keep up. Has anyone had this issue and found a solution. Cheers!!

Nasher · 12 April 2021, 09:59

Assuming you don't want to raise the transom and fit a longer shaft engine, I'd be looking at building a well in front of the transom/engine which is built up higher than the current transom height.

That can then fill up without flooding the rest of the boat.

nasher.

GuyC · 12 April 2021, 10:35

Something like this.

https://www.rib.net/forum/f30/ribcaf...vey-83117.html

Nasher · 12 April 2021, 10:38

Yep, well done GuyC, exactly what I was thinking of.

Particularly in this case the second two images in your post.

Nasher

Perroboy · 12 April 2021, 12:56

That might work...not a lot of room on a 5.3 tho!! Looking at the photos do u think the well has been glassed onto the deck or some other method used? On closer inspection it looks like various methods have been used to build the well.

Searider · 12 April 2021, 13:03

Rib-shop in Hamble have a mould for a splash well that can be fitted to the inside of the transom. We have one fitted to our Ribtec 585.

Matt · 12 April 2021, 14:04

As per Nasher & GuyC - pretty much the only choice.

It is annoying when people cut a transom down and the effort of replacing it with a full height transom is "large" - you can't just screw an extension in, let alone replacing the motor with a longer shaft one. Although that doesn't stop people trying, which inevitably then cracks the whole damn transom and forces the issue of doing it properly.

Matt · 12 April 2021, 14:06

If you could make a compact "shape" to fit, it doesn't need to be structural and you could probably get away with sikaflexing it in - it's not a structural member.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perroboy

That might work...not a lot of room on a 5.3 tho!! Looking at the photos do u think the well has been glassed onto the deck or some other method used? On closer inspection it looks like various methods have been used to build the well.

GuyC · 12 April 2021, 14:27

It's not structural but it does need to be watertight i.e. prevent the water from migrating from the well forward into the main part of the boat. A flange at the bottom would give you a bit of surface area to glue to.

I quite like the option in Picture 3 in Post #3 if you have the space / arrangement to do it.

Matt · 12 April 2021, 14:31

That was exactly why I said sikaflex - it'll take the inevitable kick & knock without cracking and leaking.

Nasher · 12 April 2021, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

As per Nasher & GuyC - pretty much the only choice.

It is annoying when people cut a transom down and the effort of replacing it with a full height transom is "large" - you can't just screw an extension in, let alone replacing the motor with a longer shaft one. Although that doesn't stop people trying, which inevitably then cracks the whole damn transom and forces the issue of doing it properly.

The Transom on my Ocean was cut before I purchased it.

My solution is a simple 15mm Ali plate bolted in place.
The top engine mounts only go through the plate, but most Ali hulled boats only use 10mm thick material for the transom.

It was fine for years with my DT200EFI on it, but I've just rebuilt it all ready to fit the 225 Opti I have waiting to go on.

It also spreads the load wide across the transom.

Note the ocean has a false transom with a well.
When first purchased the cut down transom used with a Long shaft engine instead of an XL one meant the engine was almost underwater a lot of the time and was seriously swamped when slowing down.

Nasher

Matt · 12 April 2021, 15:13

That's a much better job than most people do, but IIRC, you are an engineer.

I have seen some horror stories, done by allegedly credible boating outfits.

Nasher · 12 April 2021, 15:18

Thanks Matt, and so have I.

That's the reason nobody touches my boat, car, and bikes, but me.

Nasher.

Matt · 12 April 2021, 15:21

lol! We've had that conversation before haven't we.

GuyC · 12 April 2021, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

That was exactly why I said sikaflex - it'll take the inevitable kick & knock without cracking and leaking.

Matt - no criticism intended. I was just clarifying the watertight bit.

Matt · 12 April 2021, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyC

Matt - no criticism intended. I was just clarifying the watertight bit.

None taken, I was just asserting that the sikaflex choice was intentional.

I had some trim tabs attached to the back of my old 1989 Formula 292 sr1 with sikaflex. Once I'd removed the bolts, I attached the tabs with a chain to the crane at drivers wharf and my Nissan Patrol (those were the days) pulling the boat. It was the only way they were coming off. And took a chunk of glassfibre with it.
Looked smart enough in the end though.

Hurrumph. That was summer 2005/6. Where has the time gone.

Matt · 12 April 2021, 18:47

A lesson from that rebuild. Hammerite Smooth is not the ideal paint to use on trim tabs. It stuck to the tabs well enough, but didn't like long term submersion. I can't fathom why I didn't powdercoat them.

gtflash · 16 April 2021, 08:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

A lesson from that rebuild. Hammerite Smooth is not the ideal paint to use on trim tabs. It stuck to the tabs well enough, but didn't like long term submersion. I can't fathom why I didn't powdercoat them.

Powder coated mine at trestans on floating bridge road. 10 years later sill going strong

Matt · 16 April 2021, 10:17

Indeed. Those were the days before I knew trestans.
Got a bunch of stuff in with them at the moment.