Is there a way to get stern rails (and seats) for a Hunter 23.5 that are similar to those I recently saw on a 240? Has anyone else sought this retrofit an is it worthwhile?
I contacted Hunter when I had a 1994 23.5 and the answer was that the stern was not strong enough to support the seat and the added weight, later boats were built up in this area to allow for the stress But it never hurts to ask
http://www.topsinquality.com/rails.htmThey'll fabricate any rail setup you can afford, but the ability of your stern to support the extra weight and it's effect on sailing characteristics if the seats are to be used underway, should be thoroughly investigated if you must have those seats!
Talk with Mike thomas at hunter and see if he can sell you the stern rails. If it is a matter of beefing up the hull, post the response on the forum againCraszy Dave
We just bought a '94 23.5 at a local Hunter dealer. We wanted the stern rail seats as seen on the h240. They ordered a pair directly from Hunter, and nothing was ever said either by them or Hunter regarding hull strength.We havent received them yet but after hearing your concerns I will look into this some more. PS.They charged $625 for the seats and shipping.
My 1993 23.5 already had stern rail seats when I purchased it 3 seasons ago. I have not observed anything that would lead me to believe that they are doing any damage to the stern of the boat. I have had almost every passenger ride up there for some distances (and love it), including one friend that is in the 300 lb range (that made me a bit nervous). They do not work well with the bimini, but I don't use it while underway anyway. Todd.
Todd can you give us the dimensions on your bimini? I was thinking of getting one and was considering on off the shelf. but would like a clue before I start the process of measuring and ordering.
Per Dave's suggestion . . .Mike thomas at Hunter is fabricating a set of rails for me. He didn't mention any hull support issue. He said stern rails have always been an option on the 23.5 / 240. Early in production boats were ordered without them then later as customers requested most were outfitted with the stern rails. Primarily they add a tremendous amount of useful space to the cockpit and generally give the boat a bigger feel. Price is $650.00.
I will be at the lake on Sunday, I will get the measurements then. It was on the boat when I purchased it. Mine is too far forward to clear the mainsheet when close hauled. If I was going to do it, I would mount it farther back and not try to use it with the stern rail seats.Todd.
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