[HarryStottle]

I have an 18' lowes pontoon and am considering adding a third log with transom to gain more speed and floatation. I'm looking for information on where to position the log. Should the nose be forward or aft of the outside logs? How long should it be? I have access to a similar boat with 24' logs so any length would not be a problem. Should the transom be forward or aft of the original position? How should the transom be added to the end of the 3rd log? This project is just in the planning stages and I would really like to get it right the first try. Any info and specs would realy help.

[canadaduane]

I have been involved in the R&D of several center tubes, both round and elliptical, and it is a very complex problem to solve and doing things one off is very time consuming, you say you want to get it right the first time but that simply doesn't happen.

[UnWar]

I understand the "love to tinker" thing! The 80 HP Merc is not going to add weight to the extent you need to add a third log. It will obviously provide additional floatation but I would be inclinded to add lifting strakes rather than messing with a third tube. But -- that's just my thought.

[aglenday]

I would go forward so you can use the motor pan that is on the boat now and not have to build a transom but you will more than likely run into alignment problems with the brackets. here

[taypan]

Even with a full time R&D department with the latest CAD software it still takes alot of tinkering to get something to work and I have never seen anything work perfectly on the first prototype.

[gim]

Well today I got down to the warehouse to visit my new-to-me 1988 Grady 190 Tournament. One of the projects on my list before splashing it for the first time is to replace the brass thru-hull transom drain tubes. All of my past boats have been Whaler's and they like Grady-White have brass thru-hull transom fittings, and they are know to fail causing the transom to rot. When looking at Grady's many warned me to have the transom inspected as Grady's have prevalent transom failures. I now can understand why it can be more of a problem with Grady's. Unlike Whaler, Grady-White does not use O-rings or any sealant between the flared ends of the drain tube and the gelcoat to seal it against water infiltration. They also do not use any sealant around the drain tube inside the transom. This is a problem because if the flared end ever fails (the most common failure point), it exposes the wood core of the transom to water. From there the wood swells and forces the flared ends to fail completely. Now the wood is going to get really wet. As it happened, there was a Grady-White 192 Tournament just down for my 190 with failed thru-hulls and you can see the wood core becoming exposed. This is going a be a problem if not unattended to.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v. n tubes/DSC_1813_zps3f5f554d.jpg?t=1363478062
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v. n tubes/DSC_1814_zps89d3b792.jpg?t=1363478076

[nrtr]

Fortunately, My boat's transom checked out fine on the inspection. I am sure spending it's life only in freshwater and on a trailer, not sitting in the water helped the lifespan of the tubes. That said, like all of my other boats I just wanted to redo mine to be sure they were sealed tight and were not perforated inside the tube. It also gives you an opportunity to get a peek at the condition of the wood core.

[UnVisible]

I figured since I was going to do this process and others will likely be doing it to, I may as well fully document it. I am sure someone will find it helpful.

[dishwara]

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Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. [links]

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Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. more

[Svick]

If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices.

[chorchonga]

#19 Post by Classic » Thu May 26, 2011 10:01 pm more

[greene63]

#21 Post by Ray Jr. » Fri May 27, 2011 3:38 am [links]

[yrrryyoderj]

Here is the promised picture, you can see the "ski eye" at the top of the picture as well. Please let me know if you think the two U connections are the best place to attach the Y rope. more

[donpdonp]

#22 Post by Ray Jr. » Fri May 27, 2011 3:45 am

[plupumbl0ck1978]

One thing to be sure that you have ALL of these fittings gooped good with pipe dope and tightened in VERY TIGHT and the quick coupler to the trolling motor is securely snapped in place, so there is no chance of air leaks into the fuel system.

[kdawson]

In the photo on the left, the adapter is shown with all the machining finished. You will note that on the inside corners I had to mill out metal to relieve the radius left by the 1 1/2" diameter woodruff cutter and allow to the smaller radius's of the downrigger base to clear inside the slot. The center hole accommodates the 3/8" bolt and the 4 base mounting holes are drilled and tapped for 1/4" X 20 TPI. [links]

[KInkade341]

When not using the water feature into it, it makes a good catch all for sinkers, lures etc. and a base for the leader spool. It also in the photo below for the Johnson, serves as a cover to restrict easy access to the motor mount retainer bolts. [links]

[eugene2k]

( 3) Another method used by some would be to lock your trolling motor in forward position (if the motor has that capability) and steer the boat by the steering wheel using the large motor's lower unit as a rudder (main motor not running). However using this method, you may not have fast enough response time for boat control if there is a current or wind blowing when using this method. here