The ultimate question

I need some comments, strategies, and any kind of ideas on how I'm going to get a Wellcraft 180 Fisherman to fit into my garage. I'm going to see the boat tomorrow to take some detail measurements and photos. In the meantime, here's the problem. My garage is 6'11" in height but the garage is two car deep. I'm guessing the boat on trailer is about 8' from the top of the windshield to the ground. To play with the numbers, I can lower the trailer jack all the way down and maybe get about 3-4"? I can change tires to get 1-2". Another option is to completely remove the windshield before stowing the boat into the garage. I spoke with the owner and apparently the windshield is bolted down. I'm going to take pictures of this tomorrow and look at things closer. I'm willing to have some professional slice the windshield down and am even considering slicing my house now to get a 9' garage door. The garage ceiling is 10'. I didn't realize this until I started looking at boats. All the boats I'm interested in are too tall to fit into my garage. I'm desperate here, I really like this type of boat and the used price is really good compared at 30k for a new one. I'm willing to hear any thoughts you may have. Below are pictures of a similar boat. The one I'm interested in does not have a hard top. The biggest gain would be to remove the windshield and grab bar. I figure the windshield is probably screwed in at the base. Any insights on how the grab bar are installed on these type of boats? I don't see any kind of mounting in one of the up close picture shot. This is a first boat for me so I'm totally clueless. I'd like to know how to remove it besides using a chain saw!

 

A good welder/handyman can figure that out in 5min and make the work in 2 hours.. and 2 days to wait for the 316 wingnuts, tube etc...

 

Grab rail

Usually the grab rail is a stainless tube with a solid bit welded in at the end. This solid part is drilled and tapped. A piece of stainless threaded rod screws into it. A hole is drilled in the fiberglass console which the threaded rod sticks into. A big washer and nut are tightened onto the threaded rod on the inside of the console to install.

One company I worked at shipped new boats with the windscreen and grab rail loose to save height on the truck. Figure out a way to loosen some of the mounting hardware and have the rail fold forward and the windscreen fold aft. It should not be that difficult.

Good luck.


James Sireci
Area Coordinator, Boat Manufacturing
NC Martec -Carteret Community College
3505 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557-2989
252-222-6149
fax 252-222-6069
http://www.ncmartec.org/index.html
sirecij@carteret.edu

 

standing in the garage and looking out
can you see the framing
take a picture of it if you can and Ill tell you how to alter the hole if you would like to go that rout
in the end
buy the boat you want
and make the house work
my two cents

oh
and tell me what kind of garage door you have
as you can add a pannel to certain kinds to make em taller

 

IF your garage door is 16' 2 cars wide you have a bigger beam than if it is a single wide 10' or less...You could put a post in the mid 16' span and then reduce the size of the beam on the boat side pretty easly...With a 10' hi cieling you can probably make it work...unless the header is carrying a second story...