23ft center console

[chowdan]

Hey everyone,

My parents own a resort here in Fiji. We've got 4 boats, 2 of which are 23 ft center consoles. Since were in the tropics it rains. Every time it rains i get to get up and bail out the boat to keep it afloat.

My question is: has anyone come up with a way where i can actually sleep through the night without having to get up every 30minutes to bail the boats out for a 4 hour time period at night??? Maybe like a snap on cover or something?

I mean for the past month i have had one night where i actually slept through the night without waking up, every night im awake from 10pm to 4 am every 30 minutes getting up and bailing the boats out.

Maybe an automatic solar bilge pump??? Whats the best/cheapest to get and where could i get them from?

ANY ideas would be great!!!!!!!! I'm looking for a way so i can sleep through the ngiht and not have to worry about the boats.

[Lt. Holden]

A few different approaches may be taken:

A fitted boat cover (likely needs to be custom made) with some support bows or poles

Rig a blue poly tarp over two stayed poles (like a long pup tent) with the tarp edges extended over the gunwales of the boat to drain the water over the side

Are or can the boats be made self-bailing (i.e. like a Boston Whaler); sealed deck above the waterline with self-actuated scuppers?

You can certainly buy a commercial bilge pump, perhaps an additional battery and a solar panel (not cheap); however bilge pumps draw a lot of current and a panel may not be enough to keep the battery charged. Is shore power available?

Are the boats docked or moored? If they are docked you could build a simple shed type roof over them.

[chowdan]

Bula Lt. Holden,

Thank you for your reply!

I have been thinking about having a boat cover built, i was sorta thinking, could i stitch the blue poly tarp together so that i could just fit it over the whole boat. But my questions is, since both boat have center consoles, how will i get the cover to fit over it? and at the stern where the engine is how do i get the tarp to stay on???

I cant use buttons cause they will rust in like 4 weeks or less!

I'll post some photos today so you can see the boat and maybe help me out some more.

One boat has a Suzuki 70 four stroke on it and it is brand new(the motor, the boats about 10 years old). It was a self bailing boat when it had a 60 yamaha two stroke. Right now the water is sitting halfway in the plug so when you open it water comes in and out but more comes in than is going out. This boat sits at the end of our pier so maybe the best way is to build a little shed for it to keep it out of the weather. The other boat has a 90 mercury and pulled up to the beach. This boat has never been self bailing. Its got an engine problem right now so when the tide goes down it sits on the beach, so pretty much i dont have to worry about that boat for a few hours.

I will post some photos in a few hours time to give you an idea of what they look like.

Thanks for everything!

[chowdan]

Hey everyone, here are photos of our resorts fleet. Thought i might as well add photos of the other boats just for fun.

So here are the photos and let me know if you have any ideas. Also was going to ask what do you think of the boat "Bulikula"??? To me i find her butt ugly!!!!! When she runs she can't keep a straight line, but once you load her with 20 drums of fuel, she will go straight all day long! Only problem is shes got twin 225hp outboards and they are overworked. Also on rough seas her deck is very wet, and the waves splash up in the front. Anyone have any ideas on how to keep the splashing to a minimal?

[TeddyDiver]

The boat with the 70hp engine could be the easiest.. It may need some additional bouyancy close to the engine thou it's a bit over weighted for the boat. Adding a swimming platform ,having maybe som 30-60 ? litres of airtight tanks, to transome.. Or if you wanna make it simle just toss a couple of plastis canisters under the stern every evening..
Other one defineatly needs "sealed deck above the waterline" etc as Lt allready said.
Whole diiferent approach would be to add some airtight reserve bouyancy inside the hull to make sure they'll stay afloat the rain and just bail the water out when you wake up

[chowdan]

Hey Teddy,

Thanks for those ideas! I like the idea of adding a swimming platform. That way it would be easy for guests to climb aboard! But one questions, how will that effect the performance when running at a high speed?

But as for a quick fix i think im going to just use some of our old 20L fuel drums we have laying around. Going to just toss them underneath and on the sides and tie it down tight. Should stay underneath when the winds pick up right?

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by chowdan

how will that effect the performance when running at a high speed?

The platform itself should be just above the waterline when rest, and every part benieth it should stay well above the imaginary bottomline. Or, if you make it in a form boat bottom, you make it as straight undernieth as it's just a part of the bottom. In that case it needs also strong fasteners, good bonding and stringers etc as being a stuctural part and bearing a great part of forces by waves at planning speeds..
Fuel drums (metallic) will cause wearing if they have a chance for that, so wrap them in a rope netting or smth similar..

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Uh how about drain holes/drain slots

Cut them through the transom flush with the deck. The boat will drain whilst on the mud and at sea.
Just a thought

regards

Justin

[boatgm]

I once saw a wave driven pump. It worked great! I could not find one on line but did find the patent info. You can most likely make one.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3580695.html