bridge clearance

[GDDMD]

I've recently acquired a 240 sundeck and have owned a 1992 200 bowrider for nearly 20 years. It has never proven problematic, even with the fluctuating water levels on lake Guntersville in getting under the causeway bridge to my lake house.

The 240, on the other hand will barely clear, if at all, depending on lake levels, as it has a bridge clearance of 4'7" while my bowrider is only 3'5" above the water line.

I need approximately 6 more inches to consistently be able to get in and out. I've considered windshield modification and fat sac type ballast systems but both have major shortcomings.

The windshield is carefully constructed curved glass that no one seems to want to touch in the way of cutting it down or bending it lower. The water ballast system runs the risk of lowering my exhaust under the water line setting my engine up for taking on water, according to my sea ray service manager.

Is there some way to reduce the waterline to top of windshield height, even if only for a few moments, so that I might clear this low bridge? If not, I guess all I can do is sell and look for a boat with lower clearances.
Thanks
gddmd

 

[Tonka Boater]

I owned a 240SD and I think that you are out of luck. There's no way to reduce that boat's clearance and chopping the windshield would not be smart in my opinion. The ballast could be your only option but I don't know that you'd get 6".

 

[EricW]

Have you confirmed by measuring that 4'7" is the actual clearance? When you take your 200 bowrider under the bridge, do you know exactly how much room is left?

I agree with Tonka that there's really no good way to gain clearance on the 240 SD. I pose the above questions in case there is more clearance at the bridge than you think.

That really is a shame that the bridge limits you so much on the boat you can have.

 

[GDDMD]

I am going by the published clearances of 3'7" for the 200 and 4'7" for the 240. When I drive the 200 under the bridge, there is about a foot of clearance and the 240 has barely made it under twice (with 12 adult aboard), clearly wouldn't once and appeared to be able to make it, but scraped the top of the windshield the last time (felt like my soul was scraping that concrete).

I'm on Lake Guntersville, a large TVA impoundment that has fluctuating water levels to some degree depending upon rainfall and electricity generation at the dam. At "normal full pool" the 240 misses clearance by 2".

I talked with two sea ray folks who both worried that to lower it that much in the water would require a tremendous amount of water, and they worried about the exhaust ports at the waterline getting submerged and allowing water to back up into places where it doesn't belong.

It seems the windshield is my only hope, but according to my sea ray service manager, nobody wants to touch that curved glass, and even Taylormade, who makes the windshield wouldn't modify it.

It's funny, but most of the 230's I've looked at (non-sundecks) have a bridge clearance of 3'7." I feel like such a dumb.... for not being sure before I bought it, but it was a good deal which popped up all of a sudden and I had to act quickly or lose it.

Anybody want to swap a comparably equipped and age 230 select or signature? Its a beauty of a boat with lots of bells and whistles and is blue, with a tandem axled magic tilt aluminum trailor.

GDDMD

 

[GDDMD]

I am going by the published clearances of 3'7" for the 200 and 4'7" for the 240. When I drive the 200 under the bridge, there is about a foot of clearance and the 240 has barely made it under twice (with 12 adult aboard), clearly wouldn't once and appeared to be able to make it, but scraped the top of the windshield the last time (felt like my soul was scraping that concrete).

I'm on Lake Guntersville, a large TVA impoundment that has fluctuating water levels to some degree depending upon rainfall and electricity generation at the dam. At "normal full pool" the 240 misses clearance by 2".

I talked with two sea ray folks who both worried that to lower it that much in the water would require a tremendous amount of water, and they worried about the exhaust ports at the waterline getting submerged and allowing water to back up into places where it doesn't belong.

It seems the windshield is my only hope, but according to my sea ray service manager, nobody wants to touch that curved glass, and even Taylormade, who makes the windshield wouldn't modify it.

It's funny, but most of the 230's I've looked at (non-sundecks) have a bridge clearance of 3'7." I feel like such a dumb.... for not being sure before I bought it, but it was a good deal which popped up all of a sudden and I had to act quickly or lose it.

Anybody want to swap a comparably equipped and age 230 select or signature? Its a beauty of a boat with lots of bells and whistles and is blue, with a tandem axled magic tilt aluminum trailor.

GDDMD

 

[EricW]

Wow. That's a low bridge. It sounds like you have exhausted all your options for possibly keeping the 240 SD.

Since you got a great deal on the boat, you should be able to at least break even when you sell --- maybe even make a few bucks. Hope you have an easy sell and can quickly find what you need.