planing modifications

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John Thomas

I purchased my 23 back in June and have had it in a slip on a lake until this past week, when I begrudgingly got it on the trailer, lowered the mast and hauled it home for the winter. Now it is time to make as many of the planned improvments/modifications that I can while the boat is close by. I just wanted to run some of the more major things by some of you before I attempted them. First of all, I have two 12 volt batteries in the cockpit locker that are very hard to access. The locker is so cavernous. It is great that there is so much room but I need to get to the batteries from time to time to fill them, etc. I am considering moving them to the space under the v-berth. It is not currently used for anything else except that the sensor for the knotmeter is there. I would need to build a shelf to make them level and secure. I would also need to run some rather large gauge wire from the batteries to the fuse panel. (Does anyone know much about this type of wiring?) Asside from giving me better access to the batteries this also adds weight to the front of the boat, which I am told I need to keep the boat and trailor from swaying when I tow it. In place of the batteries, I hope to install a 20-30 gallon fresh water tank. this would be located directly below the cockpit floor pretty much down the center-line of the boat. This will allow me to install a recessed shower in the cockpit using a washdown pump. The pumps intake would have a valve that will allow me to draw from the fresh water tank or from a though-hull inlet. The addition of the tank gets rid of the current 5 gallon tank and allows for more room for things that need to be accessed readily. Of course I will install a deck fill and a vent for the tank. I relly do love this boat and I'd like to do some extended coastal cruizing in her if I can. These modifications should make the boat a little more comfortable and user friendly, I hope. Please give me your comments and suggestions.
 
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Gary Adams

To John Thomas

Hi John, Could you send me your e-mail address? I would like some information on your trailer axle switch over. I would also like to keep in touch with you during these current mods. As for the battery, I too am moving mine. I decided to locate them under the seats toward the back of the boat, port and starboard. I plan on using 6 or 8 gauge wire to run to the battery from the panel. I am installing three batteries and will use a battery switch. I agree the batteries are difficult to get to. Trailer waggle: Look in the archives, I submitted this same question to the list and had some great responses. The general idea was to move the boat forward on the trailer. You may have to move the tongue neck a little. I had to move mine about 3 inches. It gave me some added tongue weight, and it doesn't seem to waggle as much. I pulled the boat home from St Charles Mo. and I live in Eureka, Illinois. It was about a 6 hour trip. Most of the time I was driving around 55 mph, over passes and rough roads were a gut buster. I eventually got the speed up to around 65 to see how it would handle. I made some changes on my truck after I came home.I have a Dodge Ram 3/4 ton heavy duty truck with a V-10 motor. I have a 4:10 gear ration in it, and I can pull mountains. I haul my horses with this truck and a dually all over the country, so pulling trailers is second nature. I just wish I could get a boat trailer as a goose neck instead of a bumper pull. Anyway, I have a 10 inch drop bar. My bar was rated at 2500 lbs. I had an interchangeable ball on it. It was rated at only 1500 lbs. I have a class 4 receiver type hitch on the truck. I went to a 8 inch drop rated at 4500 lbs. I use a fixed ball with a 1.75 inch shank rated at 5500 lbs. I replaced the safety chains as well. This helped me alot. It is more rigid than the other set up. Also, keep an eye on your rear shocks.
 
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Mark Sanford

Extra Weight?

You may want to be mindful of the amount of extra weight that you are planning to add to your boat. Thirty gallons of water will add almost 300 lbs as well as having the batteries in the vberth, adds an extra 100 up front. I expect that this will affect the performance of your boat. However, If you still have the basic electrical system which is installed at the factory ( ie no heavy electrical loads), #10 AWG cable should suffice. This will allow a 12-15 amp draw from your battery with no more than a 3% drop in voltage at the panel.( Assuming an estimated cable run of 25'). If you are planning future additions to your electrical load, you may want to use a #8 cable which allows up to 20 amps of draw. This information is obtained from the electrical section of the West Marine catalog. There is a wealth of information and products available here. Also, Be sure to use marine grade wiring or you will encounter reliability problems later on. Good Luck, Mark
 
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John Thomas

Thanks Mark and Gary

Gary, My email address is: jthomas@access1.com I will keep you posted on the progress of the modifications. I agree thatr extra tongue wieght seems to be the solution, but I'd rather not resort to moving the wench brace if I can help it. I pulled the batteries out of the back today and they are quite heavy. Mark, Thanks for your response. I am sure the extra water will cause a change i the performance, but how much? I will probably go with either a 20 or 30 gallon tank. Probably 30 since I can always put only 20 gallons in it if I want. 300 lbs is about the weight of a couple of friends. Seein as how it is usually just myself and my girl friend on the boat I can justify the extra weight. And it is easier to throw water overboard than to good friends.
 
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