We were trying to figure out how to make room on the sternrail of the 1997 376 we just bought for all the things we wanted to hang there. I've seen pictures of other 376's where they had hung an outboard mount over the side of the stern pulpit. We don't like hanging anything over the side of the stern unless it's something we feel we can afford to lose in the event we sideswipe a pier or piling. We had such an incident once while trying to claw off a pier after a sudden thunderstorm popped up out of nowhere and pinned us broadside to the pier, slamming us repeatedly against it. We lost an anchor that was hung over the port side of the stern in the process. We also really wanted to use the very nice and quite expensive Edson engine mount we'd purchased for our other boat and wanted to take with us to our new boat. Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit on the aft rail due to interference from the built in drink holders on the stern seats. Cutting them off was an option, but we really didn't want to do that.
After thinking about it for a day or so, the thought occurred to me that there really wasn't any reason the drink holders had to face inboard. It took about ten minutes to reverse the two stern seats, which opened up room on the rail for the Edson motor mount.
The two pictures show how there's room for the mount once the seats are reversed, and how well the Garhauer engine hoist that we purchased then fits. I'll post this in the 376 owner modifications when I get a chance.
After thinking about it for a day or so, the thought occurred to me that there really wasn't any reason the drink holders had to face inboard. It took about ten minutes to reverse the two stern seats, which opened up room on the rail for the Edson motor mount.
The two pictures show how there's room for the mount once the seats are reversed, and how well the Garhauer engine hoist that we purchased then fits. I'll post this in the 376 owner modifications when I get a chance.
